Page 284 of Romeo

“You knew I thought you meant Nebraska.”

“I cannot be held responsible for assumptions made by beautiful women.”

I would have argued if the door hadn’t opened, allowing Devlyn to step outside.

For half a second, she simply stared at Jasper. Then her eyes landed on me, and every bit of surprise disappeared beneath concern.

“Fiona?”

Hearing my name in her voice did something I wasn’t expecting. Rosewood suddenly felt much closer than all the miles behind us.

“Devlyn.”

She crossed the sidewalk before I could say anything else and pulled me into her arms. I held on tightly until she pulled back. Her hands remained on my arms as she studied my face. Whatever she saw there wiped the surprise from her expression. “What happened?”

Before I could decide how to answer, she looked over my shoulder at Jasper.

Her eyes narrowed.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Jasper sounded entirely too pleased with himself when he replied, “Mornin’, Dragon Lady.”

“Don’t Dragon Lady me, Romeo. Why the fuck are you standing outside my bar with Fiona?”

Gator appeared in the doorway behind her, his attention moving from Jasper to me before settling back on his cousin.

Jasper lifted his hands. “Long story.”

Devlyn looked at me again, and this time the concern in her face deepened. “Apparently.”

Despite myself, I laughed.

Devlyn looked at me again, and whatever she saw wiped the irritation from her face. She squeezed my hand. “Come upstairs with me. You look like you need a bed that isn’t moving seventy miles an hour.”

I glanced toward Jasper automatically.

His gaze met mine immediately. “Go on, Ma Belle. I’ll be up shortly.”

There were questions waiting for him in the Bourbon Bar. I could see that much in the faces of the men who had begun paying attention from inside and in Gator’s expression now that he was looking at Jasper instead of me. Whatever conversation was about to happen belonged to them.

Devlyn led me through the bar and toward the stairs.

Upstairs was quieter. Not silent, because the bar still existed beneath our feet, but the music became a muffled rhythm instead of something filling the entire room. Devlyn led me down the hall into a bedroom, then closed the door.

“Before anything else, Fi, tell me you’re here because you chose to come with him.”

“Yes.” The answer came without hesitation. Whatever else I was uncertain about, that wasn’t part of it. I had climbed onto Jasper’s motorcycle because I wanted to go with him. Even now, exhausted and aching from the ride, I didn’t wish I had stayed behind.

Some of the tension left Devlyn’s face, but she kept watching me. “Okay. Then something else is eating at you, because this isn’t the face of a woman who just decided she wants the man downstairs.”

That came close enough to the truth that I sat on the edge of the bed rather than try to pretend otherwise. My hands settled in my lap, and I found myself staring at them instead of at her.

“He doesn’t know about Charlie. I tried to tell him before we left, but he wouldn’t let me.”

I looked up at Devlyn. “I started to tell him, but before I could get the words out, he kissed me. Then he told me whatever I was afraid to say could wait until I was ready.”

Devlyn came over and sat beside me. “And that’s what has you twisted up?”