Page 108 of Romeo

Nothing came out.

His gaze moved over me slowly—not in a way that made me want to cover myself, but as if he needed to make sure what he was seeing was real.

Then his eyes returned to mine.

“Mon Dieu.”

Two quiet words.

My knees nearly gave out.

Georgie recovered before I did.

“Romeo, what are you doing here? You can’t just show up⁠—”

“Georgie.” Granny didn’t raise her voice; she didn’t have to. He turned. “Step aside.”

“Granny, he can’t⁠—”

“I said step aside.”

Georgie stared at her. “You can’t be serious.”

Granny walked into the hallway with the calm expression of a woman who had already fought this battle and had no intention of fighting it twice.

“I am still this girl’s mother. Mr. DuBois asked for my permission, and I granted it. Now you’re going to step aside and let Fiona make her own choice.”

My eyes snapped to Jasper.

He’d asked Granny?

Georgie looked between the two of them. “You knew about this?”

“I did,” Granny answered.

“And you didn’t think to tell me?”

“It wasn’t your business to know.”

Georgie’s jaw tightened. For one terrible second, I thought he might refuse. Then he moved and Jasper stepped inside.

His eyes never left me.

The room felt strangely quiet as he crossed the distance between us. The usual confidence was there in the way he moved, but something about his expression was different.

Almost uncertain.

I had never seen Jasper uncertain.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

“Fiona.”

My name sounded different in his voice tonight.

“You look—” He stopped and shook his head once before switching into French. “Ma Belle, t’es la réponse à une prière que j’ai jamais été assez bon pour faire.”

I stared at him.