Bad Romeo (41 page)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

New York City
The Holt Residence

From where we’re standing on the pavement, the Holt brownstone looks huge and imposing. I shudder.

Okay, Cassie, be cool. You’ll be fine.

When I look at Holt, I notice he seems nervous, too.

I take a deep breath. “So, what’s the plan?”

He frowns. “The plan?”

“How do we behave in front of your parents? Are we hiding that we’re together?”

“Do you want to?”

“No.”

“Then we won’t.”

He says it with conviction, but I don’t miss the flash of panic.

“So, what? We’re going to tell them we’re boyfriend and girlfriend?”

He hesitates for just a second. “Uh … yes.”

I’m still not convinced. “So, you’re my boyfriend, Ethan, bringing home his girlfriend, Cassie, to meet his parents?”

“Yes.” Less hesitation that time, but it’s still there.

“Just a normal
boyfriend
and
girlfriend
, spending time with your folks and doing normal boyfriend and girlfriend things. All boyfriendy and girlfriendy—”

“Okay, stop saying ‘boyfriend and girlfriend.’ It’s annoying.”

“I’ll stop if
you
say it.”

“Why?”

“So I know you can.”

“I said it at Jack’s.”

“That was ages ago. Say it again.”

He rolls his eyes. “You’re my girlfriend, okay? My very hot, very
irritating
girlfriend.”

“Aw,
boyfriend
, that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me, your
girlfriend
.”

He shakes his head and tries not to laugh. “Will you stop now?”

“Of course.” I wait a second before asking, “Can I call you ‘sweetie’?”

“No.”

“Cupcake?”

“No.”

“Angel-cheeks?”

“Fuck, no.”

“Okay, fine. Just so we’re both on the same page.”

He laughs, and I join him, but I’m so faking it. At least laughing helps me pretend I’m not terrified.

“But listen,” he says and takes my hand. “Let me tell mom and dad when the time is right, okay? A few days ago, I swore up and down to my mother that you weren’t my girlfriend, and I said the same thing when I told her you were coming to stay. I don’t want to just walk in there and blurt it out, or I’ll look like a jackass. Just give me some time, okay?”

I want to argue that he’s hiding how he feels about me again, but after what he did at the party, I know that’s not what this is about.

I look up at the door again, and my nervousness expands. I’ve never met a boyfriend’s parents before. Heck, I’ve never had a boyfriend before, let alone parents to meet. I mean, yes, I’d met them before, but I wasn’t his girlfriend then.

Holt must notice my tension, because he leans down and kisses me, tender and lingering. When he pulls back, I feel a little better.

“Cassie, you’re going to be fine. Stop freaking out.”

“What if they hate me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. They’ve already met you, and I can confidently say my dad prefers you to me. I’m the one who should be nervous here. If Mom gets drunk, she’s likely to pull out the family photo album and show you naked pictures of her boy.”

I stifle a laugh. “Would they be recent pictures? Because … hmmm. I’d like to see those.”

He shakes his head, goes to the trunk, and removes our bags. “Yes, my mother has a full set of pictures of her grown son, naked. That’s totally normal.”

“Hey, a girl can dream.”

He locks the car, and when I go to grab my bag, he shoos me away before he picks it up and gestures for me to head up the stairs.

“Such a gentleman with the bag carrying,” I say.

He gives me a wry smile. “If you still think I’m a gallant gentlemen after I’ve been your boyfriend for a while, it’ll be a first. Better start lowering your expectations.”

“Never. Like my hemlines, my expectations will remain high.”

He gives my legs a sultry appraisal, before he opens the door and leads me into the entranceway of his home. “Mom! Elissa! We’re here!”

I hear a high-pitched yapping, followed by scrambling claws on the wooden floor. Then a furry ball with legs explodes into view at the end of the hallway. It bounds toward us in a blur of long, tan fur and pink tongue. When it reaches Holt, it jumps up at his knees and begs to be picked up.

He drops the bags and scoops the puppy into his arms, then holds it away from him, as it tries to lick his face.

“Jesus, Tribble, cool it. We have company.” The tiny dog squirms and yaps, and although Holt’s scowling, I can tell he’s smitten. “Tribble, this is Cassie. She’s going to stay with us for a few days, so behave yourself.”

I go to pet her, but Holt stops me.

“Careful. She’s weird with strangers. Especially women.”

Tribble watches me suspiciously with black eyes as she sniffs my hand. Then her lips pull back, and she emits a tiny growl. If it were any other dog, it might be frightening, but coming from her, it’s adorable.

Holt pulls her away and glares. “Tribble, no. Stop being a bitch.”

When he puts her on the floor, she eyes me with disdain before turning on her heel and trotting away.

“Sorry about her,” Ethan’s mother says as she comes down the hallway. “She hates everyone except for Ethan. She tolerates Charles and me because we feed her, but it’s a tenuous relationship at best. Welcome, Cassie. So nice to see you.”

She gives me a hug before she kisses Ethan on the cheek. There’s something about the way he smiles at his mom that makes me melt.

“Dad’s not home?”

Maggie shakes her head. “No. Working late.”

It doesn’t escape my attention that news of his father’s absence makes Ethan’s whole posture relax.

“So,” Mrs. Holt says, “dinner’s almost ready. Why don’t you show Cassie to her room, so she can freshen up? Elissa will be home in about fifteen minutes, and then we’ll eat.”

Holt leads me up the stairs into a comfortable bedroom and sets my bag down on the bed. I can feel him eyeing me for approval, as I look around.

“So, this is it,” he says with a wave of his hand.

“Nice.”

The décor is modern but comfortable, and the bed is huge. Considering I’m used to a lumpy single, this is luxury. I flop back to test the bed’s bounce-ability. It’s only when I turn to Ethan that I realize he’s staring. Straight at my boobs.

“Bathroom’s down the hall,” he says, his expression intense. Never before have bathroom directions been so arousing.

“Where’s your room?” I notice how tall and broad he is as he stands above me.

“Next door down.”

“So, close then?”

“Very.”

“Can I see it?” Pretty sure I’m still talking about his bedroom.

I don’t know why the thought of seeing his childhood bedroom turns me on, but it totally does.

He tries to play it cool, but the way he taps his fingers on his thighs tells me his anxiety is rising. “Sure.”

This is a big step for him, showing me parts of himself he’d probably like to keep hidden.

He leads me down the hall to the next room and gestures for me to enter first, then drops his bag inside the door.

The room is much neater than the one in Westchester, and over the bed are framed posters of old movies like
Taxi Driver
,
On the Waterfront
,
Raging Bull
, and
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
If I were a betting woman, I’d wager his favorite actors come from their cast lists.

On the wall opposite the door are shelves, filled not only with books, but also trophies and photos. I wander over to get a closer look, mindful that Holt is still hovering in the doorway like an anxious vulture.

There are so many trophies and ribbons, it’s hard to take them all in. I pick one up and read the inscription.
All-State Track Champion—Ethan Holt
.

I turn to the frowning man in the doorway. “So you were a pretty fast runner, huh?”

He shrugs. “I was okay.”

“Sure. They always give dozens of trophies to people who are just
okay
.”

I lean over to get a closer look at the photos. One shows Holt leaping over a hurdle, front leg extended, back one bent. His hair is longer than it is now, and there’s a look of fierce determination on his face. Another picture shows him crossing the finish line, head thrown back, arms wide, a victorious smile on his face. He almost looks like a different person; Ethan’s less intense younger brother.

Further down, there’s a group photo of boys in varsity letter jackets with girls wrapped around them. My breath catches when I see he has his arm around a girl. He’s looking at her with obvious affection. Then I realize that she’s not gazing back at him but at the blond boy on her other side.

Oh, God.

Vanessa and Matt?

He reaches around me to turn the picture face down. “Don’t know why I keep that out. I should’ve gotten rid of it years ago. I mean, I was an idiot for not seeing it, right? It was obvious they were screwing while we were together.”

When I turn to him, he looks down and shoves his hands in his pockets.

“Hey, don’t be too hard on yourself. I mean, clearly the poor girl was delusional. And maybe blind. Choosing that chump over you? What the hell was she thinking?”

He relaxes a little, but I know the part of him that was damaged by the situation doesn’t believe me.

“Yeah, well … whatever. Matt was a decent guy. At least I thought he was, right up until I found him screwing my girlfriend.”

“Ethan?” I put my hand on his chest, and after a few seconds, he meets my gaze. “I’ve never met Matt, and I’m sure he has his good points, but somewhere there’s a plaque declaring that Vanessa choosing him over you is the Stupidest Girl Fail Ever. Trust me on that.”

He leans down and kisses me, and although it’s slow and intense, our inhales are loud and simultaneous.

Damn this boy and his mouth.

It’s crazy how quickly he has me frustrated, and before I know it, I’m pushing him down onto his bed so I can straddle him.

“So,” I say, as he sucks gently on my throat, “apart from Vanessa, am I the only girl who’s been in this bedroom?”

His voice vibrates against my skin when he answers. “Yes.”

“Good.”

I push him down and kiss him with a fierce sense of possession. He makes a noise that I think indicates he enjoys it, and it gets louder when I roll onto my side and pull his thigh between mine.

Oh, hell yes. I love his thigh. Awesome thigh.

“We should stop.” His breathing is ragged, and he glances nervously at the door.

I kiss down his throat. “Stopping is bad. Except maybe if you lose control on an icy road and are hurtling toward certain death. Then, it’s pretty much essential. But in this case? Definitely bad. Terrible. Worst idea ever.”

I suck on the racing pulse in his neck, and when he speaks, his voice is strained and low. “Taylor, you know my mother could come up here at any second, right? Do you really want her to catch you riding her son’s leg?”

I stop dead in my tracks. That’s when I hear footsteps coming down the hallway.

Oh, God

Within half a second, I’m on my feet and straightening my clothes and hair, while I try not to look like the horny virgin I am.

Ethan chuckles and sits up, then grabs a pillow to cover his erection.

The footsteps get closer before Elissa appears in the doorway. She rolls her eyes as she looks between us. “Oh, please. Don’t even pretend you two weren’t just making out. When I was at the bottom of the stairs, I could hear Ethan’s disgusting groaning. He sounded like a bear with heartburn. Plus, Ruby called and told me all about the spectacle you made of yourselves at Avery’s party. Thank God. I was beginning to think I was going to lose that stupid bet.”

Holt glares at his sister. “You bet on us, too?”

“Pfft. Of course. As far as I was concerned, it was easy money. Especially after Cassie agreed to check on you while you were sick.”

“Elissa!” I say. “You asked me to go over there because you wanted to win a bet?”

She sighs. “No. I asked you to go over there because I was worried about Ethan. And because you were both being stupid about being together.” The next sentence is much quieter. “Me winning a hundred bucks and buying a new purse is just a bonus, so yay for me.”

“Fuck me,” Holt says with a scowl. “Why does everyone in this family think I’m incapable of making my own decisions about my love life?”

“Because you haven’t had a love life in four years, big brother,” Elissa says. “You’re like a little kid who won’t go back in the pool because he swallowed some water once upon a time. Thank God you finally manned up with Cassie. If you hadn’t, I was considering buying you a few dozen cats and being done with it.”

“Elissa, get the fuck out of my room.”

“No. Cassie’s my friend, too. You need to learn to share.”

“I’m not sharing her. Now, get out.”

“Make me.”

“Happily.” He strides over to her, picks her up in a bear-hug, and deposits her outside the door before he slams it in her face.

Her voice is muffled by the wood when she yells,
“You’re such a tool!”

Holt snatches the door open and whispers, “Oh, and by the way, I haven’t told Mom and Dad that Cassie and I are together, so if you could keep your giant trap shut, that’d be sweet. Thanks.”

She puts her foot in the door before he can slam it again. “In that case, you’d best be nice, or I’m going to broadcast it to the whole neighborhood.”

He frowns. “I hate being nice.”

“And I hate being discreet. Deal with it, and let me in.”

Ethan pushes the door open and goes to sit on the bed as Elissa walks over to give me a quick hug. “Cassie, I can’t even tell you how glad I am you’re here. At last I’ll have someone to talk to other than butt-munch over there.”

“Bite me,” Holt mutters while absently flicking through a
Rolling Stone
magazine.

Elissa sighs. “You said you’d be nice.”

He leans back on the bed. “Sorry. Bite me,
please
.”