THE SECOND DATE #3
“Everything,” I replied. “I normally get the New York strip.” Then I pressed the button on the remote again.
She stilled, and her hands held onto the table like her life depended on it. She squirmed in her seat, and I pretended to be interested in the menu.
As Gigi managed to browse through the menu, the waitress sauntered over with a big smile. I stopped the vibrator. No one but me would see her come.
“Hello there,” the waitress purred, locking her gaze on me. “I’m Silver, and I’ll be taking care of you tonight.”
I glanced over at my girl, who was shooting daggers at Silver while trying to maintain her panting. I leaned back, trying to hide my smirk, but it was hard not to notice how protective she looked.
A flicker of jealousy danced in her eyes. It reminded me of how much I missed that fire in her. It was a small comfort, a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe , she still cared and wanted to repair what I’d fucked up.
GIGI
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me .
Silver? What kind of name was that?
How she stared at Nico like he was the special on the menu, like some gourmet dish, made my blood boil. I wanted to gouge her eyes out and shove them down her throat.
Nico leaned back and flashed that infuriating smile that could make any girl lose her panties.
Cocky bastard .
“Hello, Silver. What do you recommend?” he asked, his voice smooth as honey.
I shifted my gaze to him. Really? He wanted to play that game? Didn’t he know better than to lift his foot off the lioness’s neck?
Silver leaned in closer, her smile widening, and as she did, her cleavage practically spilled onto the table. “Well, I think you would love the steak. It’s tender and juicy,” she said, her tongue flicking out to lick her lower lip, painted a deep, seductive red.
My grip on my glass tightened until it felt like it might shatter. A surge of anger, insecurity, and possessiveness quickened my heart rate, and my chest tightened.
Nico raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the attention.
“Then yes, I’ll have the steak. Medium rare.” He turned to me. “What would you like?”
“I’ll have the chicken with a side salad,” I muttered, my voice laced with barely restrained anger.
The bitch completely ignored me, tapping away on her iPad, her focus locked on Nico. “And what would you like to drink?” she asked in that same seductive tone as if I didn’t even exist.
I shot her a glare that could cut glass.
Silver, seemingly unfazed, kept her attention on Nico. “I bet you’re a whiskey man, but I can make whatever you desire.”
Nico shrugged, a grin still plastered on his face. “I wouldn’t want to trouble you, Silver.”
“We’ll just stick with water, thanks,” I replied curtly.
She nodded and sauntered away.
I scoffed, trying not to reach over the table and slap that smug look off his face.
Just then, Silver returned, drinks in hand, her bright smile still on her face. “Here you go, handsome.” She placed our drinks in front of us. “Anything else I can get for you?”
Nico’s gaze flickered over to Silver, and for a moment, I thought he might flirt back. But he turned to me and said, “No, I’m good.”
Her lips twisted into a frown, and when she hesitated, Nico glanced up at her. “You can leave,” he snapped. She flinched and quickly retreated.
The moment she was gone, I felt his gaze bore into me, as heavy as a lead weight.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” I asked, taking a sip of my water.
He leaned back, a mischievous smirk dancing on his lips. “I’m enjoying the view,” he replied, his gaze lingering on me with an intensity that made me want to jump over the table and give him the ride of his life.
A smile crept onto my face, and I set my glass down.
“Does it bother you, angel?” he asked, his voice dropping to a low, tantalizing murmur.
I glanced away, feigning nonchalance. “No,” I lied.
“Liar.”
I caught his gaze once more, and the mischievous smile on his face intensified, making those cute dimples even more noticeable. He leaned forward, his fingers laced together on the table, narrowing the space between us. “Then why are your cheeks turning pink?”
“Because it’s warm in here,” I managed to say, even as I could feel heat creeping up my face even more.
He chuckled, leaning back in the booth, his gaze locked on me as he lifted his glass to his lips. The quiet between us grew heavy, and when he finally set the glass down, his eyes pierced through me.
I was relieved when another waitress brought our food. The soft hum of conversations and classical music filled the air.
We finished our meal and savored the last bites of dessert. I leaned back in my seat, a contented sigh escaping me.
“Good?” Nico asked.
“Yes, very,” I replied, a small smile forming on my lips.
His lips curved into a sexy grin.
“Good,” he said, his gaze lingering on me. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to use the restroom.”
For a brief moment, I felt a flicker of hesitation at the thought of being alone. But his reassuring smile put me at ease. “You’re safe, baby. The place is guarded. I won’t be long,” he added, his voice smooth and confident.
I nodded, watching as he stood up and walked over to me. When his lips brushed against mine, a spark ignited between us. “You know you can always join me,” he murmured, a teasing smile creeping onto his face.
“No, thanks,” I replied, playfully shaking my head.
With a lingering kiss that sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach, he pulled away. “I’ll be back,” he promised as he walked away.
A couple across the room caught my eye, and I found myself transfixed by the curve of her very pregnant belly. The sight extinguished the flutter in my own belly.
That could’ve been me.
I had been pregnant with an innocent soul that never got the opportunity to enter this world. Despite Nico’s ruthless nature, I could still envision him holding a baby, our baby. But he never got that chance, and neither did I.
My palms felt damp, and I could feel a tightness in my stomach. Out of nowhere, my environment seemed too intense; every noise was heightened, and each stare appeared judgmental. I was struggling to breathe. I needed to get the hell out of here.
Without a second thought, I grabbed my belongings and bolted from the booth, weaving through the restaurant. As I burst through the front door, the frigid air hit me like a slap.
“Gigi?” Miguel called after me.
I whipped around to find him approaching, concern etched across his face.
“Are you okay? You’re crying.”
I instinctively raised my hands to my cheeks, realizing tears were streaming down my face. “I—I have to leave,” I stammered, emotions overwhelming me.
“Okay. I can take you home. Let me get Nico,” he said, reaching for his phone.
I shook my head fiercely, spinning on my heels.
“Wait! Gigi, don’t leave!” Miguel shouted, but I pushed onward in these damn heels.
My breath was coming in heavy gasps as I neared the street, when suddenly a blaring horn jolted me, making me stumble. Strong arms caught me around the waist, yanking me back to reality.
“Where the hell do you think you're going?” Nico whispered angrily, his breath hot against my ear.
“Leave me alone.” I struggled against him.
“Knock it off!” he yelled, setting me down onto my feet.
“Let’s go,” Nico growled, yanking on my wrist.
I dug my heels into the ground. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I shot back. Just then, one of my heels snapped, sending a jolt of pain through my foot. “Damnit,” I cried out.
Nico let out an exasperated grunt. He swiftly removed my heels, ignoring my protests.
“What are you doing?” I shrieked.
With my heels in his one hand, he hoisted me off the ground, tossing me over his shoulder like I was a sack of potatoes. He covered my ass possessively with his hand while heading back to god knows where.
“Nico, put me down!” I shouted, pounding on his back.
“No!”
“Yes!”
“We can do this all night, Angel,” he snapped.
I squirmed, trying to break free, but the blood rushing to my head was making me dizzy.
All of a sudden, I was enveloped in warm air, and I realized that we had entered a building when the elevator chimed and we stepped inside it.
When the elevator reached its destination, Nico cursed vehemently in Italian, a string of furious words that I couldn’t understand.
He strode down a carpeted corridor that resembled a fancy hotel. He halted in front of a door, flung it open, and slammed it shut behind us, the sound echoing through the small room like a gunshot.
Nico threw me onto the soft couch, and I landed with a heavy oomph . He tossed my heels to the side. Staring up at him, I saw his face was flushed with anger, his eyes dark and stormy, as if he was wrestling with the urge to kill me.
“What the hell was that?!” he roared.