Page 76 of Forbidden Romeo

“Aye, a couple of years ago now.”

Jack reaches out to take my hand and my breath catches. With agonizing gentleness, he puts the beautiful ring onto my finger.

We both stare at it wordlessly. The tension between us becomes so thick it’s almost tangible.

“It fits perfectly,” I whisper, not trusting my voice to speak any louder.

Everything around us seems to drop from existence as if we are in our own little sanctuary. All that matters is the sound of his breathing, how his fingers linger on mine as we watch the ring sparkle on my hand. It’s a moment I’ve only ever dreamt about, but it’s happening. Right here and now.

And I can’t help the pure joy that fills me from the inside. The anxious, tentative hope that someone might adore me enough to put this ring on my finger. A man who wants me, a man who wants to protect me. A man whoneedsto claim me as his own.

In another life, there would be a thousand fluttering things I’d tell that man right now.

But just as quickly as this feeling envelops us, it breaks away.

Jack suddenly jerks back, clearing his throat. “Make sure Padraic sees it. It might help convince him we’re serious.”

I gulp back my disappointment and look away, chastising myself.

But dear God, for a moment, I was ready to leap headfirst into that abyss.

Chapter Twenty

Jack

There are about ten thousand things that could go wrong. Every scenario, and every possible outcome to that scenario, plays out in my mind as I take Aimee down to the garage.

Last night everything felt so simple. I was so sure this plan would work, that we’d be able to playact our way out of this.

But waking up with Aimee in my arms… just reminded me of everything I have to lose if this goes wrong. I never meant to start falling for her. But I’ve never met anyone as fierce, smart, and compassionate as the woman who holds my hand so trustingly now. If anything were to happen to her, I know I couldn’t forgive myself.

“Which one’s yours?” Aimee asks absently as we walk through the cool basement parking lot.

I cringe a little. But I suppose she’d find out eventually.

“All of them.”

“Allof them?”

“There’s parking out back for the other residents,” I say by way of explanation.

Aimee stops in her tracks and looks around, her eyes wide as she takes in the numerous sports cars, four-by-fours, and a couple self-indulgent motorbikes I’ve been meaning to tune up.

“It’s like the Batcave down here,” she mutters. “How do you afford all this? I thought you said Padraic cut you off.”

“Aye, but I was never going to inherit Padraic’s fortune, even before all this. Not really the hotel type,” I grin at her. “Graham and I, we took over the boxing rings across town. Split them in half, did them all up.”

“And they do well, do they?”

I smirk. “Mine does. Although Padraic likes to think the success ofLuckiesis all his doing.”

This makes her smile too. I want to hate the way the curve of her lips pulls at my heartstrings like this, but she just looks so breathtaking. With everything hanging over us, with all this new information out in the open, a part of me had hoped that these feelings would stop.

I have to look away. I pretend to search for the sleek, black BMW I already know we’ll be traveling in.It was a gift from Graham after my fighter beat his at the annuals last year. A fact that might at least get us at least through the mansion gates if Padraic is feeling sentimental.

It’s not until we reach the car that Aimee asks her next question.

“What happened to Graham’s properties after…” She trails off as if anticipating the subject might still be sore.

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