“If I am, they’re happy tears. Thank you for thinking of me.”
“I’m always thinking of you.” His voice held nothing but sincerity. “Every day. All day. All night too.”
To stop myself from blubbering all over him, I held out the bracelet. “Put it on for me, please?”
A delightful shiver raced down my spine as he wrapped his fingers around my wrist and pulled me closer. He swept his thumb over my pulse point. Desire quickened my blood. “Roman.”
“Sorry. You’re just so soft.” His voice lowered to a raspy rumble. “I love touching you.”
My heart raced so fast, I couldn’t answer. He wrapped the bracelet around my wrist and snapped it secure.
“I’m never taking it off,” I swore.
“Well, you might want to when you shower.” He closed his eyes. “Damn,” he whispered. “Now I’m picturing you in the shower in nothing but the bracelet.”
I burst into giggles and smacked his chest. Instead of the playful smile I expected, he captured my hand and held it over his heart. “I’m not kidding, butterfly.”
So much heat pulsed between us.
“Roman? Can I tell you something?”
“Always. Anything.” His concerned eyes bored into me.
“I can’t stop thinking about kissing you in that cave.” I lowered my lashes. “And other things.”
He slid his hands from my hips to my waist. “What other things?”
Heat flared across my face. Was he going to make me say it?
But when I peeked up at him, mischief glinted in his eyes. “I can’t stop picturing you in that green bikini. Been going to sleep and dreaming about you in it every night.”
Pleasure warmed me from the tips of my ears to the tips of my toes. “I’ll wear it for you again.”
He groaned and closed his eyes.
I reached up on tiptoes and softly kissed his lips. “One day soon.”
“I can’t wait.” He cupped my cheek and stroked his thumb over my bottom lip. “You know that’s not all I want to do with you, though, right?”
“Of course, silly.” I poked his stomach. “You want to eat banana bread at my neighbor’s house in the afternoons, too.”
He chuckled, his stomach rippling under my finger with the movement. I had the urge to slip my hand under the hem of his shirt.
The bell rang, startling us apart. “Shoot. We’re going to be late.” He picked up my bag and took my hand. “I doubt birthday girls get a pass.”
“Nope.”
Several times throughout the morning, he caught me staring at my bracelet, touching the intricately carved lines.
For the first time in my life, I didn’t hate my birthday.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Roman
The happiness on Juliet’s face became an addiction. I loved making her smile more than anything in the world.
I needed a damn job
Not just to buy her trinkets. More than that. I was trying to plan ahead. For our future.
I wanted to slip a ring on her finger, find a place for us to live, and send her to school.
After that, I wasn’t sure. Maybe I’d consider going to college myself. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t just trying to survive from day to day.
Juliet gave me hope.
Every now and then she’d hint about having a family. I knew from the day we met she wanted pretty babies she could give all the things she’d never had.
How she held onto that dream mystified me. My life had taught me how unpredictable the world could be. Death claimed who it wanted when it wanted. I could have all the best intentions to be there for my children and still let them down. Leaving them at the mercy of the foster care system. It wasn’t like either one of us had any reliable relatives I’d trust to raise my kid. I wasn’t sure I trusted myself.
My phone buzzed, pulling me away from thoughts of the future. I glanced around the cafeteria before pulling out my phone.
It was the call I’d been both hoping for and dreading since the morning he showed up at school.
“I have a lead on a job for you,” Dex said as soon as I answered.
Perfect timing.
Even though I’d gotten the okay to accept a job, I hadn’t been able to find anyone willing to offer me one.
I cautioned myself not to get too excited.
Somehow, I knew Dex’s help would come with strings attached.
But I needed some way to earn money so I could take care of Juliet and treat her the way she deserved. So I’d pretty much do whatever he asked of me.
I answered with a mix of appreciation and restraint. “How about some details?”
He chuckled as if that was the response he expected.
“Buddy of mine owns the Jericho Two, you know it?”
I only knew that it was the drive-in movie theater Juliet was hoping to get a job at over the summer. “I’ve heard of it.”
“He needs help landscaping and cleaning it up for when they open in a couple weeks. So it’s probably not a long-term job, but if you do well, he might be able to find you something through the season.”