31. Nico
thirty-one
Nico
After getting busted by my sister, I only stuck around long enough to listen to Cam grumble about how it wasn’t fair that I didn’t get punched.
Big baby.
I kissed Savannah on the cheek—with a promise to see her in a few hours—and left her to suffer through Talia’s interrogation alone. I might pay for that later, but I’m hoping Savannah will forgive me when she sees what I have planned for tonight.
Hours later, I have everything in place, and I’m finishing my sauce when I get a text from the security guard stationed in the underground parking garage, letting me know Savannah has just pulled into her spot.
My building security app is already open as I tap the screen and send the elevator down to the basement for my girl. Once she steps in, I close the door and send it on a non-stop trip to the penthouse. I turn the heat on my sauce to a low simmer and walk out of my apartment to wait.
The doors slide open, and Savannah steps out, taking my breath away. Even after a long day of hard work, she looks stunningly beautiful in her navy scrubs, messy ponytail, and swollen pink lips. My dick twitches, recalling the taste of her sweet cum on my tongue.
If I’m lucky, maybe she’ll ride my face for dessert.
“Ciao, gattina viziosa.”
“Hey, baseball boy.” Her puffy lips turn up at the corners as her eyes roam over me from head to toe.
With the way she ate me up earlier, I almost stayed in my dress clothes, but they aren’t the best for cooking in. Instead, I opted for a white tee and a pair of athletic shorts. If I had a choice, we’d both be naked for the rest of the night, but I’m not sure where Savannah stands on that yet.
After our tryst in the supply closet, I hope we’re closer to naked date nights together.
I close the distance between us and pull her into my arms, lifting her up and pushing her crossbody bag to the side. Like she did earlier, she wraps her arms and legs around me as we sink into a kiss.
Without breaking away from her needy lips, I carry her into my apartment and slam the door behind us. I push her back against the wall and ravage her mouth.
I’m fucking obsessed with the way she tastes. How she feels beneath me as my hands explore every inch of her body. How her hands feel as they slide over my body and her nails dig into my skin.
“Nico.” Savannah rears her face back. “I need to shower and change first.”
“Of course.” Her eyelids are heavy, laden with desire, as I lower her to the ground. She attempts to leave, but I tug her back and grip her waist. “You can do that here. The toiletries you like are in the bathroom.”
“But—”
“No buts,” I cut her off, gripping the strap of her bag still perched across her body.
I lead her down the hall to the master bathroom. She stands in the middle of the bathroom as I turn on the rain shower and then place two towels on the rack close by.
“Take as long as you need. I’ll be in the kitchen, waiting for you.”
“I don’t have clothes to change into.” She chuckles at my clingy behavior.
“Be right back.” I stalk into my closet and pull out a clean Evaders T-shirt from my dresser and a pair of boxers. When I return to the bathroom, Savannah is looking inside the shower at the shelf that now holds the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash she uses.
I place the clothes I picked out on the sink and approach her.
“Nico, how do you know what shampoo I like?” She glances at me over her shoulder.
“You left your toiletries bag behind. It’s still under the sink, but I had regular-sized bottles of everything delivered.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I was hopeful you’d come back for more showers. With me.”
She turns, resting her cheek on my chest, and she wraps her arms around my waist. “Thank you. No one has ever done this for me before.”
My ribs tighten at her comment. It figures her shitty ex-fiancé never took care of her. But I will. I’m going to treat Savannah like the fucking queen she is.
I press a kiss to the top of her head and pat her butt. “You’re welcome, gattina. Now hurry.”
With immeasurable strength, I tear myself away from Savannah so she can get herself cleaned up and relaxed from the hours she spent on her feet taking care of everyone else.
Forty minutes later, I pull a steaming hot casserole dish from the oven and place it on the stove as Savannah walks into the kitchen, smelling like summer.
“Smells good in here.” She nervously twirls her wet hair between her fingers.
“I hope you’re hungry.” I tug off the oven mitts covering my hands and rest them on the counter. I peruse her curvy body and lick my lips. Savannah looks sexy as fuck wearing my clothes. She looks like mine. “I know I am.”
Savannah’s breathing quickens as she tugs at the hem of my shirt. Fuck, I love that she’s as affected by this connection as I am.
“Sit down, gattina.”
She does as I ask and takes a seat on the stool in front of me. I smirk to myself. She submits as much as she dominates, and I fucking love it. Makes my dick swell to the point of bursting.
I turn around, adjust my cock in my boxers as discreetly as I can, and put the oven gloves back on. I grab the pan and move it from the stove to the silicone pad on the counter. Grabbing a spatula, I plate the food on the waiting dishes.
“This is my favorite dish. Manicotti with spicy sausage and ricotta cheese.” I shave fresh Parmesan on top and add a basil leaf. I place the plate in front of Savannah, then finish mine and take the stool beside her.
“This looks delicious.”
“Thank you. You know, growing up, my zia used to make this for me for special occasions. She used to tease me by saying a growing man needs manicotti to make him big and strong.”
Savannah laughs. “She sounds amazing.”
“She is.” I rarely share my life with people, but sharing with Savannah feels as natural as breathing.
“If this dish is for special occasions, then why are we eating it tonight?”
I grip the bottom of her stool and tug it closer, legs screeching, until she’s close enough for our bodies to touch. I tilt her chin until our eyes meet, and she truly hears me. “We are celebrating.”
“What are we celebrating?”
“Our first date.”
“You’re a lot sweeter than I imagined.”
Savannah’s offhand comment hits me like a ball to the nuts. Sweeter than she imagined? So, before now she thought I was some piece-of-shit asshole who fucked women and dumped them?
Didn’t you?
Fucking hell. Even my brain is calling my ass out for being an asshole. I drop my hand from her chin and look away, poking at the food on my plate instead.
I don’t deserve a woman like Savannah.
“Hey, where did you go?” Savannah places her hand on mine, waiting for an answer, as I stare at my plate.
“Nowhere. Eat your food. It’s getting cold.” My words sound harsher than I intended, making my insides sink even lower.
Savannah’s chair screeches across the floor, and I’m bracing myself at the possibility that she walks right out the door. Instead, she shocks the hell out of me and wedges herself between me and the counter, and climbs into my lap to straddle me.
“Look at me.” She places her hands on my cheeks, forcing me to do as she asks. The power of her gaze makes my heart race as her warm amber eyes search my face. I memorize the gold and orange flecks staring back at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I grunt.
She narrows her eyes at me in frustration. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Push me away.” She grips the tops of my shoulders. “Talk to me.”
Her firm tone and refusal to let me off the hook bring back memories of the first session with my therapist. Although, I do prefer Savannah sitting in my lap to that stupid fucking metronome.
Here goes nothing.
“I don’t want to push you away. I want you to stay. But…” My tongue freezes. What if Savannah never sees me as more than a fuckboy and decides she’s done? Not sure how I’d take that after putting pieces of me I don’t let people see out there for her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I said. At least not in that way.
” I try to interject, but she places her hand over my mouth.
“This is listening time. Understand?” I nod, and my blood rushes south.
How the fuck does she do this to me every time?
“You keep surprising me, and I really like it. I really like you. I’m so freaking glad you’re nothing like my sister and the papers made you out to be.
You’re intelligent. Sweet. And actually, a little romantic. ”
I push her hand away from my mouth. “I’m only this way because you bring it out in me. You and only you. I’ve never made a woman dinner before you. All of this is new to me too. I’m scared I’ll let you down and you’ll walk away.”
“Have you let your family down?” She tilts her head to the side, and her wet hair falls around her shoulders like a curtain.
I push them back; her brown locks are cool to the touch. “No.”
“Then I have faith you won’t let me down. I don’t expect you to be perfect, Nico. I’m certainly not. We are going to disagree on things, but that’s okay. It’s part of being in a relationship.” Savannah gasps and slaps a hand over her mouth, her eyes bugging out of her head.
Her confirmation of our “relationship” calms the storm inside me.
“You’re right. That’s what relationships are all about,” I agree, fighting back a smile.
“You’re not freaking out? I just said ‘r’ word.” She’s so damn cute thinking I’m going to freak out. Before her, she would have been correct. Now? No way.
Savannah is a fucking diamond. Worth millions.
I wrap my arms around her back and bring our chests flush.
“Why would I freak out? You are way too good for me, and yet here you are. I’m the luckiest motherfucker on the planet.
” I cup her cheek, brushing my thumb across the apple.
“Cazzo, sei bella. Ti prometto, gattina, che ti tratterò come una regina se me lo permetti.” You are so fucking beautiful.
I promise you, kitten, I will treat you like a queen if you let me.
“I’m not sure what you just said, but it sounds good to me.” She smiles, and the look is one I’ve seen before. Just not aimed at me.
With a chuckle, I press a soft kiss to her sweet lips. What I said sounds pretty good to me too.