23. Nico
twenty-three
Nico
“Savannah,” I shout and bang on her door with my fist, impatiently waiting for her to open up.
It has been the longest night of my life. I tossed and turned, going over every word of our fight until my head was about to explode. Then I ran ten miles on the treadmill, hoping for some more clarity. Boiled down, all my thoughts lead to the same conclusion.
I want Savannah Winters.
The first time I saw her, I felt it. A spark of something lit up inside me when her amber eyes found mine. Even through a tinted window, I could see the heat flickering in them. That look somehow struck a match, and every run-in with her since then has fed the flame of desire.
Then I put my lips on hers.
Kissing Savannah was like throwing a match on a pile of kerosene-soaked kindling. We burned hotter than a fucking inferno.
Fuck me, that kiss was amazing. Life changing. It was like being burned to a crisp and rising anew from the ashes, like a phoenix. I’m not the same man I was before.
Kissing Savannah has altered my DNA.
There is no way I can walk away from her. Not when every fiber, every cell, every molecule in my body won’t let me.
She owns me, and she doesn’t even know it yet.
Her body knows it, but her brain is fighting it. I felt it in the way she dug her nails into my skin and pulled me closer. The way she hummed as I licked her mouth and sucked her tongue. The way she pressed her stomach into my hard cock. Her not denying how wet she was is proof.
That kiss said everything she’s too afraid to say out loud.
Me? I’m not afraid to go after what I want.
In the past, I would have played games and used sex as a weapon to get what I wanted. But not this time. Sex isn’t the only thing I want with my vicious little kitten. I want her heart, her soul. I want all of her.
Every fucking atom that makes Savannah Savannah, I want to own.
You know you want to fuck her, the devil on my shoulder taunts.
I grin at the fucker in my head. Of course I do.
She has a body any woman would die for and men have killed for. I’ve fucked my fist more than I’d like to admit to visions of Savannah naked, and on her hands and knees, while I took her from behind on the patio furniture I bought with her in mind.
But before I can have that, I need to get Savannah to fall for me. I need her to see me in a different light. The real me, not just the guy who slept with her sister. That’s the only way she’s going to give me a chance. I have to get her to see me the way my family does.
As a good guy.
Sure, I’ve slept around, but give me the name of a ballplayer who hasn’t. Did I fuck around too much? Maybe, and a small piece of me regrets that right now, but liking sex and women doesn’t make me a bad guy.
There is a lot more to me than what’s portrayed in the media. I just never let people see that side. I never wanted to share it with anyone until now.
As for my shared past with her sister?
It’s one hell of a coincidence that Savannah’s sister is a girl I sort of dated back in college. But that was thirteen fucking years ago. I honestly don’t give a flying fuck about the past. I understand Savannah’s reservations, but I’m not that guy anymore. I’m a man.
A man her sister knows nothing about.
“Savannah!” I bang again, getting impatient.
I know she’s here. I checked the security feeds to make sure her car was still in the parking garage. Unfortunately, I have to leave for the airport, and I need to talk to her before I go. I hate that I’m going on the road for the next week.
One kiss, and I’ve become full-blown obsessed with the brown-haired beauty. Thank fuck there aren’t any other tenants on this floor to witness my madness.
“Hold your dang horses, you psycho,” a groggy Savanna yells from the other side. “Crazy-ass man banging on my door at six in the morning.”
I chuckle into my fist at her grumbling. She has no idea how crazy she makes me.
In only a large San Francisco Bay University T-shirt, giving me a delicious view of her silky thighs, she swings the door open. “What?”
I bite back a smile at her sharp tone, messy brown hair, and the pillow creases on her cheek. She looks so fucking cute. My cock is instantly hard at the scowl on her pretty face.
“Not a morning person?”
“Not on my day off. What do you want?” She stares daggers and crosses her arms in annoyance. All it does is lift her tits up higher and gives me the perfect view of her hard little nipples poking through her T-shirt.
Fuck, do I love those nipples. I can’t wait to get my mouth on them. Nip and lick them until she comes.
Do not stare, I chant to myself.
While willing my dick not to bust through my mesh gym shorts, I lift the invitation in my hand out for her to take. My heart races. If you don’t count my sister, this is the one event I go to dateless. 82 Sports is my baby that no one aside from my family knows about.
Savannah hesitates, staring at the envelope as if it’s a poisoned apple or something, before taking it. “What is this?”
“There’s an event coming up, and I would like you to join me.”
“I can’t. I’m working this weekend.” She tries to hand me back the card, but I hold my hands up, refusing to take it back.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing that the event is next week. Now you have plenty of time to get the night off.” I grin at her.
“Nico.” She doesn’t call me Nicolas or some other variation of my name, and I feel like that’s progress already. Baby steps.
“Just go with me, Savannah, please. Come learn what I’m really about. You never know; you might like what you see.”
“Doubtful.” She stares down at the thick paper in her hand. “Don’t you have an underwear model you can take with you?”
“Why would I want a model when the woman I have my sights set on is drop-dead gorgeous?”
Savannah blushes at my compliment and bites her lip. “I’ll think about it.”
I’ll take that answer for now. She’s fighting this pull between us out of loyalty to her sister. While I think Savannah’s nobility is hot as fuck, I won’t let her use her sister as a reason to keep me at arm’s length.
“Listen, I’m headed on the road for a week of away games. St. Louis for a three-game series, then Cleveland.”
“Oh, okay.” She breathes out and looks down at the card again.
Do I detect a little disappointment? I really fucking hope so. I’m going to miss her. Which is a first for me.
With my forefinger, I tilt her chin up. The need to always have her amber eyes on me is too strong to ignore. The tiny marigold flecks in her irises glow, and the tip of her pink tongue swipes across her bottom lip, teasing me. I want to kiss her so damn badly.
Now isn’t the time.
“Before I go, I wanted you to know I talked to the front desk about your dick-nosed ex. All the doormen know that Brad-douche-ley shouldn’t be let onto the property or anywhere near you.
” Savannah bites back a smile at my colorful insult, and damn if it doesn’t make my insides squeeze in delight.
“I also talked to the building’s management, and they hired a security guard to stand outside the main entrance and the parking garage, so you will have extra backup while I’m gone. ”
There was no fucking way in hell I was leaving Savannah alone without protection, knowing her piece-of-shit ex might still be around stalking her.
Last night, after I left Savannah, I immediately got to work hiring security.
Cam hooked me up with the name of a trusted company his older brother, Eli, works with to protect his popstar wife.
Seeing as my feelings for Savannah have changed, I would have eventually hired extra security for times when I wasn’t around.
It’s just happening a lot sooner. Fans can be a little crazy.
I’ve had women sneak into my building before.
Luckily, they’ve never made it past the lobby, but I’m still not taking chances with Savannah’s safety.
“Thank you. But you didn’t have to talk to the building people. I don’t want to cause problems. Especially since your sister already pulled strings to get me the apartment at a discount.”
It’s cute that she has no idea I own the building.
“Talia isn’t the only one with an in. I’m kind of a big deal, and people like to keep me happy around here,” I tease, fighting a smile.
I know I’m going to have to tell her about the building, just not today.
“Don’t get cocky, baseball boy. You’re not that special.” Her eyes twinkle, and there’s no mistaking the amusement in her tone.
Progress. Although I hope she doesn’t stop barking at me. I like that she’s a bit of a brat.
“Oh, I definitely am. You’ll see.” I wink at her.
She scrunches her nose at me. “Stop flirting with me.”
“You’ll know when I’m flirting with you, gattina.
” I brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear, grazing her soft, sensitive skin.
Her eyelids flutter at my touch as an electrical charge zips through me.
I tamp down the urge to wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her.
“Will you do me a favor while I’m gone?”
“Depends.”
“Be careful walking around alone.”
A smile pulls at her lips, and her amber eyes heat. “I will.”
“And try not to start any fires while I’m gone.”
“Shut up. That was one time. When are you going to let it go?” She pushes my chest, and her palms sear me to the bone through my shirt.
I grip her wrists, forcing her to touch me longer. “One time too many. And probably never, Doc.”
“Whatever.”
“Promise?” I raise my eyebrow at her, waiting for her to give me the answer I want.
She sticks her tongue out. “Yes, I promise.”
“So snarky.” I slide my hands up her arms, testing the waters.
Savannah inhales sharply, and her pupils dilate.
“Lo so che lo provi anche tu, gattina. Smettila di resistermi e lasciati andare.” I know you feel it too, kitten. Stop resisting and let go.
“What did you say?” she asks, making me smile.
“You’re an intelligent woman. You’ll figure it out.” I give her biceps a gentle squeeze and reluctantly release her, stepping back.
Savannah sighs, and I can sense a tinge of sadness wash over her as if I were the one drowning in the emotion instead. She grips the invitation. “I haven’t changed my mind, Nico. This can’t happen.”
“Shh,” I shush her.
Savannah can save her excuses because this, us, is happening. When I said she changed the game, I meant it. I didn’t stay up all night concocting a plan to win her over for nothing.
“I’m serious, Nico.”
“I know.” I lean in, and Savannah grips the door, unsure what my next move will be. “And I don’t care,” I whisper into her ear, breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo. She smells of sunshine, something sweet and citrusy, and flowers. It’s fucking intoxicating.
Her eyes close, and her breathing quickens as I rub my nose along her jawline. She gasps, and goosebumps rise along the skin of her neck. I revel in the way her body reacts to mine, and the confidence in my plan blossoms.
“Lo vedrai. Siamo inevitabili, bella.” You’ll see. We are inevitable, beautiful. I brush my lips over her cheek and plant a featherlight kiss on her soft skin. The little whimper she makes has my cock turning to stone. “Talk to you later, gattina.”
As quickly as I can, I leave a panting—and hopefully turned on—Savannah at her door.