“It’s even better than Almond Roca,” Tierney offered. “And I thought nothing could ever be better than Almond Roca.”
“I’ll show you something better than Almond Roca, my little candy cane,” Rome said, taking hold of Tierney’s chin, turning her face toward his, and blessing her with a rather short but very intensely passionate kiss.
As he released her, Tierney opened her eyes and tried to steady the blissful, dizzy sensation that threatened to entirely overwhelm her.
She blushed when Alec said, “Man! You Latin dudes really do have all the moves.”
“Latin women have the moves too, you know,” Celeste said then, and Tierney’s mouth dropped open in astonishment as Celeste leaned up, pressing a very sultry kiss to Alec’s lips with her own.
“Wow!” Alec breathed, looking just as dazzled and dazed as Tierney felt. “What did your mom put in that toffee anyway?” he asked Celeste, smiling at her.
Celeste shrugged and retrieved another piece of toffee from the plate her mother had left for them.
“You’ve got goose bumps,” Rome said, rubbing Tierney’s shoulder with one hand. “Are you cold?” Dipping his other hand in the water, Rome drizzled warm water over Tierney’s shoulders—apparently unaware that the reason for her goose bumps was not the cool, late‑autumn air but the lingering effects of his very public, very wanton, and perfectly wonderful kiss.
Chapter Nine
“You two have fun,” Alec said, holding Celeste’s hand as she descended the hot tub stairs to the gazebo floor.
Tierney inhaled a deep breath, exhaling with discouragement as she noted that Celeste looked even more like a model when she out of the hot tub than when she was in.
When Celeste mentioned her fingers were getting pruny from being in the hot tub for so long, Alec had oh-so-chivalrously volunteered to escort her to the house. Furthermore, Rome had said he’d be in shortly, but when Alec asked whether Tierney wanted to go inside as well, she knew she didn’t want Rome watching her walk to the house from his seat in the hot tub. Towel or no towel, there was nothing glamorous or attractive about a woman holding a towel around her shoulders and scurrying away in a bathing suit. Unless that woman was Celeste Novak, of course.
Tierney shook her head with disbelief as she watched Alec and Celeste stroll toward the house. No model or movie star who had ever lived could’ve matched the perfect swing of Celeste’s hips—her natural grace.
Yet the moment Alec and Celeste were in the house, Tierney realized that, one way or the other, she would have to exit the hot tub eventually—and one way or the other, Rome was going to witness it. There was no getting around it, and therefore, since Tierney had been overheated for nearly half an hour already, when Rome lifted himself out of the hot tub to sit on the lip of it to cool off a moment, Tierney did too.
“It gets a little too hot for me sometimes,” he said.
“Yeah,” Tierney agreed, thankful that Rome’s attention seemed fixed on her face instead of studying how the rest of her looked in her bathing suit. “I can never decide if I really like being in one…or if I just think I’m supposed to like being in one.”
Rome smiled and chuckled. “I know what you mean. And then there’s the whole body image thing we all struggle with, right?”
Tierney’s eyes widened. Was he kidding? Was he really trying to intimate that he struggled with body image? Or was he struggling with the image of her body and just trying to make her feel better?
Either way, she shook her head and puffed a sigh of disgust.
“What?” he asked.
Frowning at him, she answered, “Oh, like you’ve ever had to worry about body image, Rome Novak.”
Rome’s brow puckered. “I think everybody struggles with it.”
“I mean,” Tierney continued, however, “is this even real?” she asked, poking at his stomach with her index finger. Leaning over to study his pectoral muscles more closely, she poked one of them as well, flinching when Rome suddenly flexed them to the same hardness as granite.
“What do you mean, is it real?” he asked, still frowning. “Of course it’s real. And it’s hard work too.”
He was miffed, and Tierney struggled to keep from smiling. She’d hit a nerve in Rome Novak—an obviously very sensitive one.
Tierney’s eyes narrowed as she decided to keep teasing him. After all, what comes around goes around. She studied him a moment, almost smiling when he straightened his posture, flexing every muscle in his torso.
“Hmm. I wonder,” she mumbled. “You look a little too perfectly sculpted, if you ask me. Maybe all this…maybe you have those abdominal implants for men. Or maybe you had that etching thing done…that thing plastic surgeons are doing on movie star guys nowadays,” she teased.
“Nope,” Rome grumbled, reaching out and taking her hand. Placing her palm to one firm pectoral muscle, he said, “I’m as natural and real as you are.” He slid her hand down over his six-packed abs.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Tierney said, snatching her hand away. “You have a great six-pack. I get it.”
But Rome smiled. “Actually, I’ve got an eight-pack,” he corrected her with a mischievous grin. “You just didn’t look close enough. Or maybe you didn’t know guys have these extra muscles they can work on to—”
“Okay, okay!” Tierney said, blushing and holding up one hand to indicate he’d defeated her. “You win that round. Consider me embarrassed.”
Rome smiled and slid back into the hot tub.
Tierney had grown far more nervous since Alec and Celeste had returned to the house, and Rome was loving it! He truly never enjoyed being in the hot tub too long, but when he’d seen the chance to sequester Tierney, he’d jumped at it. Besides, it looked as if Celeste was finding a little gumption to let Alec know she was really interested in him. Therefore, Rome figured he and his sister could have the best of both worlds. Celeste could lead Alec into seclusion in the house, and he could have Tierney all to himself in the gazebo.
“I can’t believe you even implied my abs were fake,” he playfully grumbled. “Implants and etching…sheesh.”
“I was teasing, and you know it,” Tierney said.
Rome reached under the water and tickled the bottom of her foot. She flinched and giggled, and he made a mental note of the fact her feet were ticklish.
“So Celeste was pretty brazen tonight, huh?” he began.
“Yeah, she was,” Tierney agreed. “She needs to be if she ever wants Alec to have the guts to go for her.” She giggled, lowered her voice, and asked, “What do you think they’re doing in there?”
Rome couldn’t help himself. After all, she always made it so easy.
Turning a bit in his seat, he took hold of one of Tierney’s ankles, placing a kiss on her knee and saying, “Probably the same thing we’re going to be doing out here in a minute.”
He almost felt bad when Tierney visibly gulped, the color draining from her face completely. But he only almost felt bad—so he gripped both her ankles (and a little more tightly), pulling and moving her closer to the edge of the hot tub as he kissed her knee again.
Releasing Tierney’s ankles, Rome reached, taking hold of her hands instead, and placed a lingering kiss to the inside of her left wrist. He tugged at her arms, beckoning her to slip back into the water with him. When she didn’t, he simply pulled her arm down further, pressing a long, moist kiss to the bend of it. He felt her trembling and hoped it was a signal that she was pleased with his affections.
Quickly he let his hands encircle her waist, pulling her to sit in the hot tub once more as he knelt in front of her. Rome liked the way Tierney’s attention immediately settled on his mouth—an indication she was not averse to the idea of kissing.
Taking hold of her chin with one hand, while his other arm embraced her to pull her against him, Rome begin placing slow, seductive kisses to Tierney’s neck and throat. He grinned to himself when he heard her sigh and felt her relax a little. As he kissed Tierney’s neck
, her ear, and then her temple, he felt her hands move to his shoulders—felt them slowly travel to the back of his neck and up into his hair in a titillating caress.
Unable to keep his attention sequestered to just her neck and cheeks any longer, Rome captured Tierney’s mouth in a deeply driven, hot, and moist kiss he hoped would please her. Her willing response was affirmation that he had.
One classic Latin lover, indeed! Tierney thought to herself as she slipped to her knees when Rome pulled her all the way into his arms as they kissed. Rome’s skin was so smooth, his muscles so defined. Tierney silently admitted to herself that she liked kissing him in the hot tub, even if the moist heat of his mouth mingled with the hot water of the hot tub gave her a sensation similar to running a fever. He was so strong—so incredibly good at kissing her.
Rome’s mouth left hers for a moment, and Tierney inhaled a deep breath of satisfaction. He kissed her neck, mumbling, “Ahhh…the taste of chlorine on your skin…delicious.”
Tierney breathed a light giggle, resting her head against Rome’s shoulder a moment as he continued to slowly place a spray of playful kisses on her neck and shoulder.
“Why do you kiss me?” she heard herself ask unexpectedly—unexpectedly even to herself. It was if her mouth were out of sync with her brain.
“What do you mean?” Rome mumbled against her neck.
But Tierney’s senses were working together once more, and she repeated, “Why do you kiss me?” After all, it was a legitimate question. There were many reasons guys kissed girls—some purely physical, others emotional, or preferably a balance of both. And considering that, like Alec and Celeste, Rome had never taken Tierney out, she wanted to know why he kissed her—wanted to hear him explain why.
Rome’s straightened and studied her through narrowed, curious, and very alluring eyes. A delightfully naughty grin curved his lips, and he answered, “Because I like you, Tierney.”
Although she was encouraged, his answer hadn’t been as revealing as she’d hoped. Did he like her just physically (which she actually found hard to believe)? Or did he like her physically and emotionally (also hard to believe)?
Tierney rolled her eyes with exasperation. “Then why do you like me?”
“Because you’re a good kisser,” he answered, still grinning.
Tierney blushed. After all, she figured a guy like Rome—a masterful kisser like Rome—wouldn’t continue kissing her if his answer hadn’t been sincere. But it was an answer that also made her nervous—a purely physical reason.
“Really?” she asked as anxiety churned in her stomach a little.
Rome’s smile broadened. “Come here,” he said, directing her to sit next to him comfortably on the highest inner seat of the hot tub. “Now, what’s all this questioning about? Here I have you secluded, in a very romantic setting I might add, and all you want to know is why this and why that. Can’t you just live in the moment, sweet little booty babe?”
Tierney was embarrassed now. Why had she even asked him anything? He was right. They’d been kissing, and it had been wonderful! So why had she ruined it by asking why?
“I-I guess…I guess it just doesn’t make much sense, and I—” she stammered.
“That I like you?” he interrupted. “Of course it makes sense,” he playfully argued. “I mean, not only are you a hot, bootylicious honey, but you’re brave, funny, smart, talented…did I mention sexy?”
But Tierney rolled her eyes. “No. I’m serious, Rome,” she said. “We met once before—and under very abnormal circumstances—and I just find it hard to believe that a guy like you would—”
“What is it with you and your brother?” he grumbled. “He says the same thing about Celeste—that he can’t imagine that ‘a girl like her’ would go for ‘a guy like him’ sort of thing.” Rome leaned over and kissed Tierney’s shoulder. “I mean, Celeste and I may have that stereotypical Latin blood running through our veins, but it’s not like we’re mutants or something. We’re just passionate about things—life, love, food. You name it; we’re passionate about it. That’s all. When we see something we like…we just don’t hold back. At least maybe not the way we should. So…I like you, Tierney. I knew it the moment I stepped out of that damn box dressed up like an idiot. So why shouldn’t I kiss you, huh? I like you. I like kissing you. And I think you like me and like kissing me too, right?”
He kissed her shoulder again, and Tierney smiled. When she didn’t immediately answer, however, Rome kissed her shoulder again and asked, “You do like kissing me, don’t you, Tierney?” He kissed her neck, and Tierney bit her lip to keep from squealing with delight at the goose bumps racing over her spine. “I mean, the way you kiss me back…well, that should be enough positive proof for me.” He kissed her cheek. “But now I kind of want you to confess it…out loud. Do you like kissing me as much as I like kissing you?”
Rome kissed the corner of her mouth—temptingly—trying to coax her into kissing him in return.
“Do you, Tierney?” he mumbled against her cheek.
“Yes,” Tierney managed to breathe.
“Yes, what?” he impishly teased.
“Yes, Rome. I like kissing you,” Tierney whispered.
She heard a triumphant chuckle rumble in his throat as he said, “Good. Then I’ll show you what the best amenity of this hot tub gazebo thing is.” Reaching behind him to the hot tub platform, Rome retrieved a little black remote and turned off the lights.
“Yep,” he said. “Now nobody in the house can see what we’re doing out here,” he said.
Even for as warm as she was, Tierney began to tremble as she felt Rome’s strong hand grip her right shoulder, his left taking hold of her chin. Her mouth began to water—a Pavlovian response—for she knew what was coming next.
Tierney couldn’t help it. She couldn’t help sighing with surrender when Rome’s mouth met and mingled with her very, very willing and wanting one—a searing, wet kiss that utterly claimed not only her body and mind but also her heart—and her soul.
❦
“I thought maybe you two had hard-boiled yourselves out there,” Nikki said as Rome and Tierney entered the kitchen of the Novak home.
“Nope. Only parboiled, Mom,” Rome said, setting the plate of leftover toffee on the counter. He kissed his mother’s cheek and then put his arm around the shoulders of a shivering Tierney.
“Come on, Tierney,” Celeste said, hopping down from the bar stool she’d been sitting on at the high kitchen counter facing the sink. “I’ll show you where you can change.”
Rome, however, gathered Tierney in his arms and teased, “Or you can just stay here like this, and I’ll warm you up.”
Tierney blushed vermilion—embarrassed that Rome would be so brazen in front of his mother but simultaneously delighted at his flirting.
“She’s liable to get pneumonia if she doesn’t dry off and put on something warm, Rome,” Nikki told her son.
“But she has on something warm,” Rome mumbled, pulling Tierney tightly against his body.
“Let the girl get dressed, Rome,” Celeste said, taking Tierney’s hand and fairly ripping her from Rome’s arms. “You can grope her when she’s warmed up.”
Tierney looked to Nikki to see if she was astonished. But she only winked at Tierney, offering an understanding smile of encouragement.
“Oh, and Tiers,” Alec began, “I accepted the Novaks’ invitation to Thanksgiving dinner, okay?”
Tierney felt her eyes widen, even though she stammered, “O-of course.” She looked to Nikki, smiled, and said, “Thank you.”
“Oh, it’ll be so fun!” Nikki exclaimed. She sighed. “I love Thanksgiving.”
“Me too, Mom,” Celeste added, tugging on Tierney’s arm. “Come on, Tierney. Let’s get you changed and warmed up, and then we can play a game or something.”
“I saw the lights go out over at the gazebo, Rome Novak,” Tierney heard Nikki say as Tierney followed Celeste down the hall toward the bathroom. “I hope you b
ehaved yourself, young man.”
“Don’t I always behave myself, Mom?” Rome chuckled.
“Tierney!” Celeste exclaimed in a whisper as she closed the bathroom door behind them. Tierney smiled, for Celeste’s beautiful eyes were as wide as the moon. “He asked me out! Alec! He really asked me out, and I didn’t even have to hint again!”
“Oh, good!” Tierney exclaimed, giggling. “I knew he would. He just needed some reassurance that you wouldn’t turn him down, I think.”
Celeste frowned. “Why in the world would he think I would turn him down?” she asked. But Tierney just laughed, knowing that if Celeste didn’t get it after their talk in the hot tub, she probably never would.
“So? When are you guys going out?” Tierney asked, catching Celeste’s excitement.
“Friday,” Celeste answered with near giddiness. “Alec didn’t say what we’d be doing…but I’m so glad he asked me out that I wouldn’t care if we just sat and stared at the wall together.”
“Wow! Does he know you’re this easy to please?” Tierney teased.
Celeste shrugged. “I don’t know…but I am. I just want to spend time alone with him, you know? Without Rome or anybody else around. You know what I mean, right?”
“I do,” Tierney admitted—for there was nothing in all the world she’d ever enjoyed more than the times she’d spent alone in Rome’s company.
Celeste sighed and retrieved a towel from the linen closet of the bathroom. “You can rinse off in the shower, and your clothes are still in here. Then come out and we’ll play a game.”
“Okay,” Tierney said.
“I’m so excited!” Celeste whispered, grinning like a madwoman as she closed the door behind her.
Tierney laughed, knowing Celeste was referring to her date with Alec—not playing a game after Tierney finished changing.
She was proud of Alec. Tierney knew the depth of the courage he would’ve had to muster in order to ask Celeste out—regardless of the encouragement Celeste herself had offered. She began to wonder what Alec would plan as their date, and that led her back to a question that had begun to haunt her ever since Celeste had mentioned it when they were all in the hot tub. Why didn’t Rome ask Tierney out? After all, they’d already kissed on several occasions—and yet he still hadn’t asked her out.
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