Bad Romeo (Starcrossed #1)(91)
Author: Leisa Rayven

“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.