Chapter Twenty-Two-Nico
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO-NICO
“ U h, you gonna introduce me?”
I swallow my wife’s gasp, and I smile, releasing her lips with one hard, plucking kiss.
“Sorry,” she whispers, and her cheeks turn a dusky shade of rose. “Um, Nico, this is Sisi, er, Giselle, my best friend.”
She gestures to the woman beside her, and I nod.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, shaking her hand briefly.
“Thanks. For everything you’re doing for Anna. She’s important to me,” Giselle says.
“She’s important to me, too,” I tell her honestly and my eyes go to Anna’s.
“You comfortable? Everything okay?” I ask.
“Of course. We had a good day and, uh, Angel drove us right here.”
“That’s good. You look beautiful,” I murmur.
I take the fabric of her sleeve between my fingers and rub the material. It’s pretty and soft, just like her.
Anna smiles at me. It’s so bright and sincere, it takes my breath away.
“You wanna go to dinner with me?” I ask.
I rub the back of my neck and glance around to see who’s listening. But no one is. Angel is talking with Giselle, and Luc is at the bar.
Still, I feel foolish because she’s my wife and I shouldn’t be nervous about asking her on a date.
But I am.
There’s a commotion to my left. Something crashes, the sound of glass breaking reaches my ears. I spin around, careful to make sure I’m blocking Anna.
Angel is already on his feet and striding towards where Luc, my pacifist fucking Council, is beating the shit out of some guy. I see Maria shaking like a leaf. Her back is pressed against the back of the bar as she watches, wide-eyed.
“What’s happening?” Anna asks, her tiny hands clutching the back of my coat .
“Nothing. Come on,” I say gruffly, standing to my full height while I help her and Giselle out of the booth and direct them towards my office.
I signal to a group of my men, sending some to Angel and Luc, and the rest with me.
They know how to do their jobs.
The crowd is pushed back and I’m able to get my wife and her friend away without incident. I stop at the door before mine and open it.
“Giselle, you can wait here for Angel. This is his office. Don’t leave till he comes for you,” I tell her.
“Nico,” Anna says, and I turn to her.
She looks pale and her hand is on her stomach.
“Are you okay? The baby?”
“Fine. Both fine,” she says and reaches for my hand.
I hold hers tight and pull her up the stairs and out to my SUV. Once we’re inside the vehicle, I gather her to me and buckle her in.
I’m worried Anna might be scared. And I’m just so fucking mad at myself for having her come to the club in the first place.
Fights don’t happen very often. But they aren’t unheard of.
Shit .
I hear her yawn and I look down. I blink. She doesn’t seem upset.
“Are you tired? Do you wanna skip dinner?”
“Um, no. Well, I mean, yes, I’m pregnant, so I’m always tired,” she jokes. “But I am also kind of hungry. Is it okay if we still get food?”
I must look as confused as I am because here, I thought she’d be demanding I take her home, but she’s not. Anna bites her lower lip, something she does all the time, and she’s so cute when she does it.
But I don’t like the idea she might hurt herself, so I tug it free with my thumb.
“You still want to go out to eat?” I ask, because I’m not sure I understand.
“Oh God, I’m sorry. I know I should be upset or something, and maybe you have to go back to check on your guy, but I’m guessing Luc can handle himself, and really, I want to go out with you,” she whispers like it’s some secret hope or desire she has.
Pride fills me. And something else. I think it’s happiness.
“You’re so fucking perfect, Rosebud,” I say and capture her lips with mine.
I hold her in place with my fingers on her chin and neck, and I content myself with simply kissing her. Even though I am dying to do filthy things to her.
Anna is so damn good, I can’t help it. I want to make her dirty.
I want to tear the clothes from her swollen body. Lick her from head to toe. Make her scream my name until she’s mindless with need. I want to watch my cum dripping from every orifice.
I want all those things more than I want my next breath. But then, her stomach growls and I know I have to feed her first.
“Take us to Il Tavolo ,” I tell Tommy.
“You got it, Boss.”
“Mm. Is that Italian?” she asks.
“Yeah. I thought maybe you’d like some pasta.”
“I’d love it,” she says, smiling.
I smile back. It doesn’t feel as strange anymore. Seems my little wife is a sorceress. She conjures smiles from my lips more easily with every passing day.
I lift our joined hands and kiss her knuckles and love blooms inside my heart at the expression in her eyes.
I have to tell her. And soon.