ROMEO

by Ruby Rowe

  Coming up behind her, I clutch her hips and skim my nose up her neck to her ear. “Say that I’m the last man who’ll have his hands and mouth on this phenomenal body.”

  “You’ll be the last man to feel my body.” I clasp the nape of her neck with my thumb and fingers and squeeze.

  “I’m the only man who’ll ever do what to you again?”

  “You’re the only man who’ll ever touch me, taste me or spank me.”

  “What are we leaving out?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’m the only man who will ever make your pussy come again. Have I made myself clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, and now I’m going to brand the words on your ass to be sure your stubborn side never forgets it.”

  Ava

  “Stretch across the island a little more, stick your ass out for me and palm the countertop.”

  “This is going to hurt,” I whisper.

  “Yes, that’s the point, but it’s also going to turn you the fuck on. I bet when I finish, your pussy will be drenched. If the paddling gets to be too painful, but you don’t want me to stop, say yellow. If you need me to stop, say red.”

  I inhale a slow but choppy breath before I press my palms and cheek to the cool counter. My first thought is of the marble floor from last night, but I banish it.

  This moment is one I’ve fantasized about for years, and I never dreamed I’d be fortunate enough to experience it with someone I love and trust like Griffin.

  My daydreaming causes me to startle on the first hit. That wasn’t so bad. With my face turned to the side, I see him pull the paddle back, so I snap my eyes shut before I feel the next sting.

  The stool slides forward with my body, so Griffin places his foot on the bottom wooden bar to stabilize it.

  “This one is for your smart mouth.”

  “Ouch!”

  “This one is for you allowing other men into your personal space.”

  “I won’t do that again.”

  “Here’s some added insurance.” He strikes me again, and it’s the most intense yet. I yelp and pull my ass inward. Gripping the back of my hair, he yanks it back, and in a heartbeat, his mouth is to my ear.

  “Imagine receiving the physical pain as a way of releasing the emotional pain. Use this to show your strength, because baby, even I had no idea how strong you’d become when I first met you.” He leans around farther to see my face.

  “The world is putty in your hands if you just hold it, Ava. You’re going to get everything you ever wanted: a drama role, an Oscar, a husband, and a baby. Somehow, I know it, but first, you have to believe it.”

  The tears fill and fall fast from my eyes.

  “You’re the first man in my life who doesn’t need fixing.”

  “Maybe not, but I need you. Giving you up was the hardest most painful moment of my life, and I hope you’ll forgive me and believe I only did it to keep you safe.”

  “I understand, but in the future, can we tackle difficult situations together?”

  He smirks. “You got it, but for now, stick your fine ass back out for me. I’m not finished with it yet.” Giving me a chaste kiss, he steps back, and I close my eyes again, knowing the rest of the spankings will be painful.

  “Griffin!” I cry out on the next hit, the sting increasing tenfold.

  Whack! The stinging builds to a burn, leaving me wobbly and dizzy, too.

  Whack! The burn becomes an intense pain that boosts my adrenaline and turns me on to the point that I push my ass out farther, needing him to fill me to the hilt.

  “Please, fuck me.”

  He lays the paddle on another stool and helps me down. Scooping me into his arms, he carries me upstairs to his master bedroom and lowers me to my feet at the end of the bed.

  “Lie on your stomach so I can put some cream on your red ass.” I lie down the way he instructed. “Damn, baby, I like the look of it. You did amazing.”

  He leaves the room, and once he returns, I feel something cool on my butt as he gently rubs on the cream. It warms from his touch, and I sigh as he massages it in.

  He wipes his hands on a towel, and I’m caught off guard when he slips two fingers inside me with ease. “Hell, I knew you’d love to be spanked.”

  He moves them in and out, and I rise to my knees as the urge to be fucked consumes me again. Pressing kisses to the small of my back, he inserts more fingers into me, causing me to moan and shove back against them.

  “Yes, please make me come.” Pulling his fingers out, he spreads my ass cheeks and begins flicking his tongue on my clit.

  He buries his face and repeatedly separates my cheeks. I feel a sting around my asshole from the stretch as he holds them apart this time and growls.

  “God, Griffin.” He licks my clit over and over until I unravel and convulse against his sizzling mouth.

  He lets me catch my breath before he says, “Roll to your side, pull your knees up to your chest, and wrap your arms around them to hold them there.” My pussy continues to spasm as I do what he commands.

  Taking hold of me, he pulls me to the edge of the mattress and angles my body slightly. His king-size bed sits high up, but he’s tall, and it’s just the right height for his cock to reach me. He clutches my shins and hip, his fingertips digging in the way I crave.

  “I’m going to use your body like some silicone fuck toy, slamming into your pussy harder every time. Then, I’m going to dip my cock in this asshole of yours since I can’t fight the urge another minute. It’s not prepared to take in all of my length, but soon, baby. Real soon.”

  Like he said he would, he clasps my body as leverage and thrusts into me repeatedly. His erection rubs against my G-spot, from the way I’m angled, and I’m lightheaded from the pleasure.

  He rubs and rubs until I come again and contract around his cock. Abruptly, he pulls out and begins inching it into my asshole.

  I whimper from the sting, the stretch, and the intrusion I’ve never felt before. “Try to relax; it will help.” I feel a little more of his cock push into me, and the way his body shakes tells me he’s struggling not to thrust again. He growls loudly, pulls out, and I feel his cum land all over my hip.

  He finds the towel again and cleans me up, breathing harshly the entire time. “Move up on the bed and stretch out.” Once I’m repositioned on my side, he scoots close to me and pulls me back against his body to spoon. His lips press to my head, and he breathes me in like he so often has.

  “As soon as I recover, I’m making love to you like you deserve,” he murmurs. “Whether you want to believe it or not, you’ll always be sweet Ava, too, not just my dirty woman.”

  “I love you,” I whisper.

  Every aspect of Griffin is intense, from his words to his touch to his short fuse fueled by his passionate spirit and finally to the way he cares so deeply.

  Like I prayed he would, he pieced my broken soul back together, and I’ll forever be indebted to him.

  Ava

  I wake up to the smell of bacon. Mmm … I’m starved. Griffin and I only snacked after our sex-a-thon yesterday. We went at it for hours, and as I move around in bed, I feel the effects from it.

  Standing, I rub my sore ass cheeks and smile before I pad to his closet and find one of his white dress shirts. Once I’ve used the restroom, I straighten up my short curls and follow the enticing scent of artery-clogging food.

  Halfway down the stairs, I hear the noise from outside and huff. The media has discovered we’re here, and I shouldn’t be surprised. My bodyguard/boyfriend killed my ex-boyfriend/producer/mobster. Like that’s not going to be the most shocking news in Hollywood.

  Heading into the kitchen, I say, “Sex and bacon. You sure know how to make a girl feel spec—” I cover my mouth for a second. “Holy shit, I know you. I mean, I don’t know you, but I know who you are.”

  I look at Griffin. “Uh, care to explain? Oh, my god, and I’m wearing only a shirt and talking about sex.”


  He smiles. “Ava, I’d like to introduce you to my mother, Dana Scott.”

  “Shit.” I shake my head. “I mean, wow. I can’t tell you what a fan I am.” Stammering like an idiot, I hold a hand to my cheek and look back at Griffin. “You really did want to punish me, seeing how you’re introducing me to your mother, one of my idols, while I’m a hot mess.”

  He eyes me up and down. “You’re definitely hot-looking in my shirt.”

  “Griffin, you can’t talk to me like that around your mother.”

  Picking up a piece of bacon, he laughs.

  “Damn, I’m loving this.”

  “Ms. Scott, I’ve been at award shows where you were presenting, and I was too afraid to approach you after, but I’ve always wanted to tell you that I’m a huge fan. I have all your albums.”

  “She does. She even hums them while we’re in the shower.”

  I point at him and raise my eyebrows.

  “Will you please stop?”

  He shrugs. “Baby, we’re adults. I think she knows what extra-curricular activities we engage in.”

  “OK, Griffin,” Dana says all parentally from where she’s sitting on one of the stools at his island. Thank heavens it’s not the stool. “Give the girl a break. You’ve embarrassed her enough.”

  Dana smiles at me, and it’s as radiant as I’d expect from the singing superstar. “Thank you for the compliment,” she says as she touches her shoulder-length, salt-and-pepper hair.

  It’s shiny and styled, and she’s dressed impeccably in a navy pantsuit with a silky white camisole beneath. Oh, I’m going to kill Griffin for this. “I love all your movies,” she adds.

  “You’ve watched my movies? Griffin, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Dana Scott was your mother.”

  He lifts a shoulder. “It’s something we’ve always kept quiet because of my father.”

  She frowns. “And never was I a Golino. Gabriel and his guys would hang out in the club I sang at years ago, and one night he convinced me to have some drinks with him after my set, which led to him convincing me to join him in the sack.”

  She pats Griffin’s cheek. “That’s when the biggest mistake of my life became my greatest blessing, but no way in hell was I marrying a mobster, so I had to spend a lot of stressful years trying to get my son not to turn into one.”

  “You did something right then. Griffin’s a remarkable man.”

  “Thank you. I like to take some of the credit.”

  “I was four when Gabriel discovered I was his, so that’s why he’s not on the birth certificate. He and my mom made a deal.” Griffin looks at her with a sober expression.

  “With Dana in the public eye, it was better that I remained a Scott, so he allowed it in exchange for regular visitation and Mom not ratting him out to the Feds.”

  “This explains so much...”

  “The media figured out she’s my mother, so she called me this morning to see if we’d heard.”

  Griffin walks over from where he’s been standing at the stove and pulls me into his arms. He’s in loose jeans and a t-shirt, and it feels strange for him to be hugging me in front of Dana Scott, one of the most famous contemporary singers of our time. Her ballads are the kind you play at your wedding.

  “I invited her over since I needed something she had in her possession.” Reaching in his pocket, he pulls out a ring. “This was her mother’s. My grandparents were married fifty-eight years before my grandma died four years ago. I’m certain she’d want you to have this ring.”

  As he gets down on one knee, I place a hand over my mouth. “I hadn’t planned on proposing in front of my mother, or while you’re not wearing panties, but it feels right … a second time.”

  “Griffin, this is so embarrassing, but it’s perfect, too.”

  He reveals a grin that I believe stems from the happiness our love created.

  “Ava Louise Lane Leoni, will you marry me?”

  “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.” He slides the elegant vintage ring on my finger and stands. “You’re crazy. Do you know that?”

  “Only for you.”

  Tiptoeing, I give him a kiss. “From meeting your mom, I now understand why you chose to be a bodyguard and protect so fiercely. I see why you understand my career.”

  “I do believe her life helped lead me to yours, where I discovered my purpose for breathing. You and I were always meant to be, baby. I love you.”

  EPILOGUE

  One Year and

  Eight Months Later

  Griffin

  “We’re going to be late,” I say as I walk into Ella’s bedroom.

  “I don’t want to leave her.” Ava, who’s half-dressed for the party we’re attending, is peering over our baby’s crib, and hell, I don’t want to leave Ella, either, but it’s time.

  “She’s four months old, and we’ve barely left the house since her birth. You start filming again in a month, so we have to get used to being away from her at times.”

  “This is the last movie. I promise.”

  “You just won an Oscar. You can’t give up your career now, so we’ll find a way to make it work. We hired a great nanny, and my mom wants to help.”

  “Still, it’ll be harder if we have another baby, and we agreed to have one more. Our daughter needs a sibling.” She touches our baby girl’s arm. “I miss my mom. Ella looks more like her every day.”

  “That’s because Ella looks like you.”

  “Minus my blond hair. How did she end up with a head full of black ringlets?” Glancing over her shoulder, Ava grins at me. “Now I know why you keep that hair of yours buzzed. Your mother told me all about your curls.”

  I grab her waist and pull her back against me.

  “Someone’s looking for trouble.”

  “Maybe. It’s been a while.”

  “Yes, it has, and that’s something else that needs to change.” Reaching behind her, she pushes her open dress together.

  “Will you zip me up?” I step back to close her red dress when what I’d like to do is remove it. “I’m sorry this party spoiled the special night you had planned for us,” she adds. “Kelvin was so excited about the house-warming party he and Jerry are hosting, and you know how persistent of an agent he is. I couldn’t turn down the invite.”

  “It’s perfectly fine.”

  “It is?”

  “Yes, because I plan to be in my world while immersed in yours, and vice versa.”

  Slowly, Ava turns and tilts her bright green eyes up at me.

  “What exactly do you mean by that?”

  “I guess you do need the gritty details before we leave.”

  “Lord,” she whispers.

  “Baby, he can’t help you tonight.” Ducking, I graze my nose up her neck and lick her ear before I whisper, “See, you’re my dirty woman, always ready to give in to temptation.” I slide my hands up her arms, and bumps rise beneath my fingertips.

  Reaching in my suit pocket, I pull out a pair of black panties and let them dangle from my finger.

  “I’m already wearing underwear.”

  “Not a pair like these. Check them out. I know the curious, naughty side of you is eager to.”

  Smiling nervously, she takes hold of them.

  “They’re heavier than panties should be.” After peeking inside, she feels the crotch. “What is this?”

  “It’s a small vibrator. You’re holding vibrating panties”–I reach in my pocket again–“and guess who has the remote control.”

  Her eyes grow rounder, and so does her smile.

  “Griffin,” she whispers, like she’s busted already. “You don’t plan to use that in public, do you?”

  “We’re going to use it in public–tonight.” I also insert a tiny earpiece in her ear. “You’ll need this, too, for when I instruct you to come. Now, put your panties on, and meet me downstairs. We don’t want to be late for the grand tour of Kelvin’s home.”

  Brandishing a smile, I walk out of Ella’s bedroom. I’
m married to the queen of Hollywood, and my career is to protect her. We’re blessed with a beautiful daughter, wealth and a new beachfront home in Malibu. My life is fucking fantastic.

  I’ll keep the fire burning between Ava and me for as long as I live, so vibrating panties it is. Oh, this should be fun.

  END NOTES

  Thank you for reading ROMEO. I hope you’ll check out the other books by Ruby Rowe!

  You might also enjoy romantic suspense novels written under my other pen name, Scarlet Wolfe, such as The Cassano Series and the One Urge, One Plea, Keep Me Trilogy.

  Keep up with release information at RubyRowe.com. You can also follow Ruby on Amazon, BookBub, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

  I’d greatly appreciate it if you would leave me ratings or reviews. Thank you!

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thank you to my amazing husband, Patrick, whose support never wavers. I’m so blessed to have such a patient man by my side. I love you!

  Family and friends, thank you for always encouraging me and for spreading the word about my writing.

  Readers, thank you for taking a chance on ROMEO. I couldn’t write full-time if it weren’t for passionate book lovers like yourselves! I feel blessed anytime someone reads a story of mine.

  Edith Dubielak, my MA/PA, you offered your help and knowledge when I needed it the most, and you’ve been a godsend. Thank you! I love how you’re not only my reader and PA but also my friend. I can’t wait to meet you!

  Amanda Hill, with Mad as a Hatter Editing Services, it’s been great working with you on ROMEO. I appreciate how you took on this job with short notice. Thank you for tackling my novel and for all that you taught me!

  Samantha Wiley, thank you for proofreading! You’re such a dear friend, and I can’t thank you enough for how you’ve been there for me over the years. Authors, if you need editing or proofreading, Samantha and Rachel can help you at Proofreading by the Page!

  I want to give a big shout out to Jo-Anna at Just Write. Creations for creating the sophisticated cover. She always produces fantastic work! Thank you, Jo-Anna.