Her hands were trembling as Ella went to open the door. She would be alone with Rome for the first time, with no one threatening to break the door down, no one who might rush in and surprise them, and as excited as she was, she was also a little nervous. She fully trusted Rome in every way, but being around him made her distrust herself in ways she’d never considered before. Was she ready to give herself to him completely?
“Hi.” His blue eyes twinkled as she pulled the door open. His smile instantly br
Rome was up before her, and when Ella walked into the kitchen, he’d already made her a huge breakfast, including her favorites, blueberry muffins. How he’d known she loved them, she didn’t ask. Instead, she just tore off a piece of muffin top and popped it into her mouth, letting it melt as she said, “Mmm.”“Glad you like it,” Rome said, flipping the bacon and then coming over to kiss her. “What would you like to do today?”
Tim’s smile beamed as Ella got into the car. She was glad he was in such a good mood. Ever since Rome had left her apartment, she’d felt like she was about to be sick to her stomach from nervousness. While she was glad she was on her way to see her dad, she certainly didn’t want to see anyone else who lived in that house.She wondered if she’d get a chance to see Mary, though. The girl had been such a good friend to her, and Ella didn’t even have her phone number. It would be great if she c
One of the servants opened the door. Her face wore an ugly grimace when she glanced at Ella, but when she looked up at Tim, the sneer faded and was replaced by a smile. “Come in,” she said, stepping aside.Ella’s dad strode to the door to embrace her. “There you are, darling. God, how I’ve missed you.” He wrapped her up and hugged her so tightly, Ella felt as if she was a little girl again, and she almost cried. But she didn’t. The sound of Teresa’s heels coming into the living room turned her sadness into anger. “
Ella stared at her father for what seemed like five or even ten minutes, with her mouth hanging open, before she could finally formulate a sentence. “You want me to do... what?”“Henry Caron comes from a good family,” Lloyd continued. “He’s smart, funny, charismatic, and quite good with money. Plus, he knows a lot about technology, just as you do. I feel the two of you will really hit it off.”
The passenger side door popped open, and Ella dove inside. Rome started driving before she even got the door shut, but he had ahold of her, and she knew he’d never let her fall.“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes on her more than the road.“Yes! Just drive!” She managed to get the door closed and her seatbelt on as she checked
With butterflies in his stomach, Rome ran to his apartment and quickly packed a bag. He had no idea how long he’d be gone, so he grabbed three or four days’ worth of clothing. He also grabbed a few items he often wore to hide his identity from fans. When he’d been out shopping the day before, he’d picked up some for Ella as well, thinking she might need them someday when she was out with him. Now was that time.He had a feeling everything was going to come to a head sooner than later. Lloyd Sinders had to know by now where Ella lived. If he cou
The road flew by out the window, streets and cars turning into green pastures and mountains in the distance. Ella loved the feel of Rome’s hand in hers and the thump of the bass from the song playing on the radio. It was so hard to believe she was running off to Las Vegas to get married, but she was smiling so wide, her face hurt. It would be impossible for her father to make her marry that guy from Paris if she was already married to Rome. Hopefully, her dad would see how serious she was about the fact that she loved him and would accept him into the family, despite his last name.
Las Vegas was unlike anything Ella had ever seen before. The bright, vibrant lights twinkled everywhere she looked. The themes of the hotels and the archaeological wonder of it all was exciting. She couldn’t help but look out the window with her mouth hanging open.“It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Rome asked, both hands on the wheel since they were in heavy traffic now.