I peered over the railing and couldn’t control the slip of a chuckle that escaped my throat.

Chocolate eyes narrowed, menacingly. “What you findin’ so funny, Shakespeare?”

“That Romeo has come to my balcony to strive for my attention.” I muffled my mouth with my hand before clasping them together and resting them against my shoulder. “The Orchard walls are high and hard to climb, and the place death, considering who thou art, if any of my kinsmen find thee here… they will murder thee.” I batted my eyelashes for extra effect.

An arch pulled at his top lip as he unsuccessfully fought a smirk. “How the hell d’you know that from memory?”

“I’ve read it about a hundred times. It’s beautifully tragic.” I snorted a laugh. “Kind of like us, don’t you think?”

Romeo disappeared from my view and I detected the sound of rustling. I ran to the farthest corner of my balcony to see what he was doing, and there he was, scaling the wooden trellis that ran up the wall.

“Romeo, be careful! What the hell are you doing?”

Reaching for the next piece of fragile wood, he looked up with a playful glint in his eye. “Coming to see my Juliet.”

I stumbled backwards. He was coming up to see me… in my room… alone.

Fuck.

Two hands gripped my stone balcony rail and Rome pulled himself over the top, righting himself on his feet and dusting his hands on his fitted jeans. When he glanced up at me, his breath stilled and his hands froze on his thighs, taking in the sight of me in my nightdress.

Casting a glimpse down, I inwardly cringed at my state of exposure. I lifted my head to explain that I was already in bed when he turned up, but he was already before me, a hairsbreadth away. Big dark eyes drank in every curve of my body, his long pink tongue licking full lips, and I watched as his wandering eyes made their way from my hips to my br**sts.

Rome lifted a hand and ran it through my long, wavy hair. “I like your hair down,” he said in a rough voice, as though it pained him to speak.

I automatically went to fiddle with my locks, but instead, my palm landed on top of his. I went to pull it back when his fingers captured mine and he lowered them to our sides. As I looked down, his thumb stroked across my palm, causing shivers to race up my arms. Rome gently moved my hair from my shoulder, his index finger running up and down the exposed skin in a hypnotising motion.

My eyes closed and my ni**les hardened, brushing almost painfully against the light cotton fabric. “Romeo? W-what are you doing?”

Minty breath tickled the skin on my face. “I ain’t sure. But I don’t wanna stop.”

“Rome, I don’t think—” I snapped open my eyes at the sudden piercing sound of sorority sisters drunkenly returning to the house, interrupting our moment. If they tried hard enough, they would be able to see us up here touching, caressing, getting closer by the second.

Rome nuzzled into my neck; my back arched by instinct, surrendering to his forward ministrations.

“We… we need to stop.”

Groaning, Rome licked at my sun-kissed skin. “No, Mol. I’ve held off for long enough. I’ve tried to take things slow, but no more. I won’t be a nothin’ to you anymore. I want you. I want you, so f**kin’ bad…”

“Rome. This isn’t a good idea. I can’t do this.”

“Sure you can,” he said with a humoured edge to his voice, his hands drifting low on my waist.

I pushed on his hard chest. “Please… just… hold on a moment.”

Romeo stepped back and blinked in surprise.

“What?” I asked in reaction to his sudden stillness.

“No one’s ever told me no before.” He was completely at a loss.

“Are you serious?”

“Deadly.”

“That’s… pathetic.”

He skirted forward with a grin, his fingertips ghosting down my arm and settled upon my hip, gripping the flimsy material. “But true.” He visibly swallowed, a flash of nervousness sneaking through. “You don’t want this? You don’t want… me?”

“Romeo… I—”

“What?” he asked impatiently.

I dragged my hands down my face. “You’re a lot to take on, you know.”

“I know.” He exhaled a long breath with a cocky, crooked smile.

“I don’t know what you want from me. You tie me up in knots and I’m not used to it.”

Edging in closer, he wrapped his arms around my waist, stating, “Then let me show you what I want. Stop f**kin’ fightin’ this.”

I tried to break from his hold. “No, Rome, this is just… just…”

“I wanna be with you,” he pushed, his big brown eyes almost pleading. “C’mon, Mol. I need you. Tell me you get me. Tell me you’re as f**kin’ into me as I am you.”

I closed my eyes and felt his hands move to my lower back, my insides quivering in response. It felt too good. There was no contest, no prolonged internal debate. I was going to give in.

“Come inside,” I said huskily, my voice laced with longing.

Romeo pressed his forehead against mine and sighed in sheer relief. “Fuck. Yeah.”

Taking his hand, I led him from the balcony and slid the door quietly to a close. As I turned the lock, I felt warmth at my back, and Rome wrapped his arms back around my waist, his hands massaging my stomach through the thin material as he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss just below my earlobe. Gentle fingers moved to my hips and jerked me back towards his groin, which hardened in response to my contact.

I twirled in his arms and in the instant I faced him, his lips found their home against mine. At first his movements were soft, skimming across my mouth, tracing their delicate shape with his own. My hands skirted upwards and into his hair, pulling him closer. His tongue probed against my lips and he pushed forwards, stroking it against mine in sweet, twisting caresses.

I was lost to him.

I knew in that moment that things had categorically changed for me, that there was no going back to my pre-Romeo state. My body wanted what he offered and my heart wouldn’t allow me to resist.

Rome twisted me in his arms and, without breaking our kiss, pushed me backwards until my legs hit the bed and we glided down, his hard body landing flush against mine. Loud moans of approval urged me further, and I met his enthusiasm with everything I had.