23. Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Nellie
“ W hat do you think, Spice?” I asked, spinning in the mirror. “Do you think he’ll like it? This is too dressed up for a movie, isn’t it?” The pink dress I wore hung to just above my knees, and it was lower cut than a dress I’d normally wear to what was supposed to just be a casual evening. I glanced at the heels I originally planned to wear, opting for a pair of black flats instead. It’s not a date.
Spice meowed, bumping his head against my bare shins. I squatted down, scratching him behind his ears. His purrs got louder, matching the nerves that swirled in my stomach. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I mumbled, half to Spice and mostly to myself. “Why don’t I hate him? I should hate him!”
I wanted to hate him. I wanted to tell Ronan Moretti to leave and never come back, let him walk out of my life like he did when I was younger. Then I thought about how I wouldn’t see him again, and my stomach sank. I didn’t hate him.
I might even like him.
When there was a knock at the door, Spice whipped his head in that direction, and my heart stalled. “That’s probably him.” Judging by the way Spice pranced toward the door, he already knew that.
I opened the door, pausing when I saw Ronan standing in front of me in jeans and a sweater. It was such a contrast from the expensive suits I’d seen him in. He looked casual—almost normal. The sweater he wore clung to the muscles of his shoulders.
“Are you going to invite me in?” he asked, making me snap out of my trance. How long had I been staring at him?
“Sorry. Hi.” I stepped aside, pulling the door open wider. “You look really nice.”
Ronan chuckled, stepping past the threshold and giving me a slow once over while he did. “You look pretty mouthwatering yourself, sugar.” My cheeks warmed, blushing at the compliment. Then, he knelt down. “Hey, Spice. How’s it going buddy?” Spice purred, waltzing back and forth in front of him and stretching to reach his hand any way possible.
“I just need to grab my purse.” When neither of them looked up again, I wondered if he’d heard me. I chuckled, nearly choking on the butterflies that raced toward my throat. This man, who had been so strict and stubborn, was pursing his lips and scrunching his nose at my cat.
When I came back with my purse, Ronan had Spice curled up in his arm. Spice purred loudly, and Ronan wore a large grin on his face. “Are you ready?” I asked, breaking him from his moment.
He looked up, giving me another once over before he slowly shook his head. Spice jumped from his arm, landing on the ground with a quiet grunt. He knocked his head against Ronan’s leg, dragging his side along his calf before he sauntered off, no longer caring about the two of us.
“You look,” Ronan paused, stepping forward to close the distance between us, “incredible. You’re so beautiful.”
I looked down toward the ground, wishing I didn’t blush so easily when I felt my cheeks and chest start to warm. It wouldn’t take long before I was the same shade of pink as my dress. Maybe I should’ve worn a different color.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “You too.” I cringed. Did I just tell him he looked beautiful?
Ronan laughed, reaching his hand out and taking mine. He tugged me gently to him, and when my chest met his, I couldn’t fight the grin or the warmth that instantly settled between my legs. My stomach flipped thinking about his hand around my throat, and then, all I wanted was to feel his hands all over me again.
“We better go,” Ronan said, swallowing. His voice sounded strained, and when he clenched his jaw, I wanted to follow the twitch of the muscle with the tip of my tongue.
“Why?” I asked breathlessly.
He stepped back from me, putting his arm around my waist and guiding me to the door. “That’s why,” he chuckled. “Because if we don’t leave right now, I’m going to decide I don’t care about any movie, and I’m going to tear that dress off you instead. You look way too pretty for me to do that this early.”
This early. So he planned to do it at some point—at least, I hoped. I pressed my legs together, nodding and heading for the door. “Bye, Spice. We’ll be back later.”
“You don’t ever get tired of eating here?” I asked when we were seated in a quiet booth at the back of Anthony’s. When we had walked in, the host took us right to our seats. They had been expecting him.
Ronan laughed, pulling the cork from the bottle of wine that had been waiting on the table for us. “I don’t usually eat here.” He shrugged, pouring two glasses. He offered one to me. “You asked what I do. I’d rather show you.”
I laughed and took the glass from him, swirling the dark red wine around and watching it cling to the sides. “So why don’t you eat here?”
“I run the place. If I ate here too, I’d get sick of it.” He shrugged, then he held up his glass. “Cheers to you letting me take you out tonight,” he said, tapping his glass to mine.
I giggled, reveling in the small smile that stretched across his face when the glasses clinked. “But not like a date,” I reminded him, blushing anyways. It was probably more of a reminder for myself after spending three hours trying to figure out which dress he would like the most.
“Right. Whatever you say, sugar.” He winked, taking a long gulp of wine, and when he swallowed, I followed the lump in his throat while mine dried out. Ronan lowered his voice to a whisper. “Not a date, but we both know you picked that dress just for me, didn’t you?”
I wasn’t going to admit I knew the pink dress brought out my blush or that I had caught many men staring at my cleavage in this dress. Tonight, I only hoped to catch one.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I giggled, swallowing my slightly embarrassed amusement with another sip and humming.
The wine was delicious, smoother than anything I normally had, and slightly sweet—not too dry. It was strong too, and after just one glass, it was starting to go to my head. A soft filter fogged my reasoning, and I became more interested in the idea of Ronan’s hands on me than I was the pizza we hadn’t ordered yet.
I felt relieved when our waiter came to the table, interrupting the train of thought that was quickly taking me back to that spot bent over the sink at the bakery. I adjusted in my seat, pressing my legs together.
“Your pizza, sir,” the waiter said with a slight nod. He sat a large pizza down on the table, and I was surrounded by steam that smelled like rich marinara and sweet bell peppers.
“Thank you,” Ronan said, earning a brief smile from the waiter before he walked away. “I hope you like sausage and peppers.”
“It’s my favorite.” It had always been Dickie’s favorite, and every time I ate it, it made me think of him. Ronan nodded like he already knew that—or like he could hear my thoughts. When he smiled, my nerves fluttered.
“He’s the reason it’s my favorite too.” His smile was softer when he handed me the menu. He flipped it open to the first page, pointing to the header printed in bold. Dickie’s Choice.
I blinked back the surprised tears that stung my eyes, and I forced my stare away from the menu. “You named it for him?” I asked quietly. Ronan nodded. “That’s why you wanted me to try it.” He nodded again, and when I sniffled, he reached across the table and took my hand.
“I needed you to know I never stopped caring for him. He was my best friend, and I think about him every day.” He squeezed my hand once before letting go and clearing his throat. “Are you hungry?”
“I’m starving.” What would Dickie do if he knew I was eating pizza with Ronan Moretti right now? I laughed, knowing he would have hated it. He would’ve been so mad, though I’m not sure which one of us he’d have been angrier with. For some reason, I also didn’t care.
I took a big bite of the slice of pizza, gasping when the molten sauce and melted cheese burnt my tongue. I covered my mouth with my napkin, taking several quick breaths in to try and cool it down while I frantically chewed it to get it out of my mouth as fast as I could. My eyes watered, and the tears I had prevented moments earlier started to stream down my face.
“Careful,” Ronan said. “It’s hot.”
I swallowed and cocked my head to the side. “Yeah, I figured that out.” I blew lightly on the pizza and took another bite. It was still too hot, and I resisted the urge to react as much as I could. Ronan didn’t miss the wince on my face, and when I swallowed, he looked at me expectantly. “Totally worth it,” I said. “This is delicious.”
He dropped his head back, laughing loudly enough to draw attention from the tables around us. “You’re something, you know that?” he said, his voice thick with amusement.
“You’ve said that before.” I shrugged, and when I winked, Ronan’s eyes darkened. I pointed to the pizza that sat untouched on his plate before I went in for a third bite. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
Ronan picked up his pizza and took a bite, his eyes never leaving mine while he did. I gulped, focusing to make sure I didn’t choke on a piece of sausage or a rogue bell pepper. “I was having more fun watching you be impatient.”
“I wasn’t impatient,” I said, wiping sauce from the corner of my mouth with the white cloth napkin. I stared at the stain it left behind. Why would they choose white napkins for a restaurant with mostly red sauce? “I was just hungry,” I added with a giggle when Ronan lifted both of his brows in disagreement.
“If you say so.” He waved for the waiter with a single motion of his finger, and when he curled it in an almost come-hither motion, my pussy clenched. The waiter stopped what he was doing, moving instantly toward our table. “Would you like dessert?” Ronan asked when he was almost there.
“No, thank you,” I said, putting my hand over my stomach to signal I was already too full.
“Good,” Ronan said. “We’ll have dessert after the movie instead. Box this up please?” he asked, turning his attention to the waiter. “We have a movie to get to.”
“Where do you want to sit?” Ronan asked when we walked into the dimly lit theater. It was mostly empty. There was only one other couple and a group of three sitting toward the front.
I scanned the auditorium and shrugged. “Wherever you want me.”
“You can’t say that,” he said, leaning down behind me. His voice sounded strained, and for a moment, I thought he may not want to see the movie anymore at all. Instead, he put his hand on my lower back, guiding me up the steps to the end of the row.
We sat in the back row off to the side, like a couple of teenagers who planned to make out during the movie. I chewed at the inside of my lip while I settled in the seat. Was he going to kiss me? I couldn’t help but hope that he would.
I watched him from the corner of my eye. Every time I’d turn my head to look at him, I’d meet his gaze, and I felt my cheeks getting warmer. Could he see me blushing in the theater when the lights dimmed? Nervous butterflies flooded my chest, and I quickly looked away. I didn’t know what was happening in the preview, but I nodded as if I was interested, humming quietly.
“Are you okay?” he asked when the next preview started. I nodded, smiling up at him. “Good.” Ronan lifted the armrest between us, pulling me against his side.
I sank into the smell of vetiver and his warmth. It felt so intimate, like I desperately wanted it and shouldn’t want it at the same time. I could still feel his stare glued to me, even as the previews continued to change from one movie to the next. “What are you looking at?” I asked when I looked up.
“What do you think I’m looking at?” He lifted one brow and smirked, and butterflies in my chest raced to settle between my legs.
I looked back to the screen, trying to pretend like I couldn’t feel his once-over making its way down my body. I fidgeted in the seat, and when he groaned quietly, I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling the buzz of arousal.
When the movie started, Ronan tightened his hold on me. I became instantly more aware of every twitch of his muscles and the rise and fall of his chest when he breathed, and I nestled into his side. Ronan kissed the top of my head, and I buried my face against his chest.
“Can you even see the movie when you do that?” he whispered against my ear.
I shook my head, failing to stifle an airy laugh. “I don’t care about the movie.”
“Is that so?” Ronan asked, hooking his arm around my waist and pulling me into his lap. I gasped, quickly clapping both hands over my mouth to silence myself. He put his hands on my hips, settling me in his lap so I could rest my head on his shoulder.
“You can’t blame me,” I whimpered louder than I intended. I could feel him swell beneath me, and curiosity gathered in my palm. “You make it really hard to focus.” When I reached between my legs for the bulge growing in his jeans, Ronan narrowed his eyes. He felt larger against my hand than I imagined he would.
I missed the start of the movie, paying more attention to each twitch of Ronan’s cock. While the intro credits finished and the title flashed on the screen, I couldn’t look away from his clenched jawline or his almost-black eyes. When the main character was met with their first problem, I was already focused on the way his cock felt against my ass. I started to grind against him.
Ronan groaned. “Sit. Still.”
“Why?” I giggled, picking up my hips and rolling them in rhythmic circles.
“Because I said so.” His voice was low and strained, and his breath against my ear caused a shiver to race down my spine. I stopped moving, laying against him until my heartbeat slowed. But even as my heartbeat steadied, the need growing between my legs got more intense.
When the scene on the screen changed suddenly, earning a gasp from a woman near the front, I jumped. Ronan groaned under me, and when I settled back in his lap, I rolled my stomach, rocking my hips against him more forcefully.
“A little eager, sugar?” he asked when I dropped my head back against his shoulder, reeling at the friction of his jeans and my lace panties against my clit. Ronan lifted his hips slightly, pressing harder against me. My panties soaked up the arousal dripping from my pussy. I was sure it was leaving a wet stain on his jeans.
“I can’t help it,” I said, pausing. “I don’t know what it is.”
The movie screen flashed again, and I looked around us to make sure the other audience members weren’t paying attention to what we were doing. Nobody looked in our direction, and a slight rush of relief flooded me. I circled my hips, enjoying the feel of his impossibly hard erection. I whimpered, growing desperate to feel him inside me.
Ronan reached between my legs, sliding my damp panties to the side. “Shh, shh,” he shushed me when I whimpered. I bit down on my lips, keeping them clamped together and nodding.
He worked to unfasten his jeans, and when he tugged the zipper down, I was sure everyone could hear it, but no heads turned towards us. “Do you think you can be good?” Ronan asked when I reached for his newly-released erection, desperate to feel if it was as large as it felt in his jeans.
“Yes,” I nodded, closing my hand around his cock. It was. I hummed when I felt the veins in his shaft against my fingertips. “Yes,” I whispered again.
“Good,” he groaned, gripping my hips. “That’s my girl.”
He lifted me, positioning himself at the entrance of my pussy. His words continued to repeat themselves in my mind until the tip of his cock started to stretch me, and my mind blanked. Ronan was inside me, and all I wanted was more.
That’s my girl.
I rocked my hips while he slowly lowered me onto his lap. When he was fully inside me, I stayed still until I adjusted to the feeling of being so full. Then, I leaned back against him. “How long will you watch the movie before you come all over my cock?” he grunted.
I didn’t know how to tell him I wasn’t even sure what movie we were watching in the first place. I hadn’t paid attention from the moment we sat down, and with his cock throbbing inside me, there was no way I cared about anything happening on the screen in front of us. Smirking, I lifted myself and dropped back down on his cock.
When I moaned, Ronan covered my mouth with his hand. “You have to be quiet.” I nodded, continuing to ride him slowly enough to feel each of his veins against the walls of my pussy.
Ronan held onto my hips, keeping me in place while he thrusted upward into me. It was like I could feel him in my stomach, and I bit harder on my lip to stop from crying out. I could almost taste iron after biting too hard, but I ignored the pain when ecstasy started to spiral in my core.
The music playing through the surround sound speakers was intense, and I knew that the movie had to be close to the climax. I was even closer. My legs shook, and I tried to ride him more erratically. My breathing became panting, and I wasn’t thinking any more about how quiet I needed to be. All I could think about was having more.
When I came, the screen went black. The tension swirling in my core snapped, and an overwhelming wave of pleasure coursed through my entire body. It got warmer in the theater, and I closed my eyes when the warmth settled into my muscles.
I opened my eyes again when the screen flashed, causing enough light for me to see Ronan’s face when he came. I felt his thighs twitch and the thrust of his hips get uneven, and the way his mouth dropped open made me crave his lips. Then he buried his face against the crook of my neck, wrapping his arms around my waist and pinning me to him until the end of the movie.
Before the credits rolled, he dropped me back into my seat. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, holding me against him as if I’d spent the whole movie tucked under his arm instead of in his lap. Then, the lights came back on, and he chuckled.
“What?” I asked, looking up at him. Ronan smiled. Were my cheeks still as flushed as they felt?
“I had planned to take you for dessert on the way home,” he chuckled.
I scrunched my nose, confused when he looked amused. “But…”
Ronan leaned down, running his tongue along my jawline to my ear. “But I’m going to take you home and have you for dessert instead.”