22. Savannah #2
Nico takes another determined step forward, bringing us toe to toe. My head falls back against the wall as I stare up at him. He’s so close that the heat of his body licks mine like the roaring flames of a wildfire. His gray eyes flicker with heat and desire.
Goddess above, please tell me lust is all this is. That this longing is just a wild and uncontrollable instant physical attraction.
He runs his index finger over my lips, and this time the temptation to lick it lingers in my mind and on the tip of my tongue.
“What are you doing to me?” he whispers.
“I could say the same to you,” I croak. The cracks in my resolve weaken enough for him to hear the meaning behind my words.
“Good.” He slips his tattooed hand, with the word True inked on the knuckles, around my neck, gently gripping my throat. He softly caresses my jawline with his thumb.
The juxtaposition of his rough and tender hold sends my heart galloping. I’m vulnerable in this position, but as I stare into Nico’s eyes, I know he will never physically hurt me. He’s a protector. That thought is like a warm blanket of security falling over my shoulders.
I grip his shirt in my fists and, instead of pushing him away like my head says I should, I pull him in closer. “How is any of this good?”
“Tell me how it’s bad? Because from where I stand, all I can see is how good this could be. We could be.” His free arm winds around me like a snake coiling to strike, as his cinnamon breath caresses my lips, making my mouth water.
I am in so much trouble. I should pull away now and run. But I don’t. Instead, I press my breasts into his chest and lift onto my toes.
I should tell him who I’m related to. I should be able to resist him.
My tongue swipes across my bottom lip as I ready myself for the inevitable. Once he finds out, he’s going to walk away. Which is the best thing for all of us.
“It’s bad because I’m—”
“Nuh-uh.” He shakes his head and presses his thumb to my bottom lip, cutting me off. “I don’t care what your reasons are. No more talking. No more thinking, mia gattina viziosa,” Nico says silkily, slipping into Italian and using the nickname he’s called me before.
My stomach flutters, and so does my pussy. The large hand holding my throat slides to the back of my neck before he buries his fingers in the hair at the nape and tugs. I gasp at the slight sting and the wave of prickling heat that washes over me and settles at the apex of my thighs.
I never should have let him get this close.
The intoxicating smell of his skin surrounds me, clouding my judgment. The reason I need to stay away from him slips into the dark recesses of my mind. He shouldn’t be able to make me feel this way. Seen and desired.
But he does.
“Now, I’m going to properly kiss the fuck out of you and your sassy little mouth, and you are going to enjoy every damn second of it. I know I will.”
The war between my head and heart comes to a standstill, because my body has entered the battle and overpowers them both. I tilt my head to the side, giving him permission to take what he wants. What I want but am too scared to admit.
Nico’s lips are on mine faster than lightning crashing through the sky as he pushes me into the wall. He licks into my mouth, tangling his tongue with mine.
The electricity from the storm that is Nico runs through me like an erotic charge, fueling every cell in my body. He tastes like sweet candy and spicy cinnamon, and something uniquely him.
I moan into his mouth, parting my lips. He takes advantage and deepens the kiss.
This is no awkward get-to-know-each-other’s-rhythm kind of first kiss. This is a we’ve-been-kissing-all-our-lives kind of kiss. We are instantly in sync. Our mouths mold to one another in perfect unison.
Nico seductively massages my tongue with his, and I give as good as I get, clutching the fabric of his shirt with a white-knuckled grip, erasing any space between us.
I knew kissing Nico would be dangerous, but this goes beyond. I slide my hands up and over his stomach and hard chest, palming his hard muscles that lie beneath.
My stomach dips, and my panties dampen as he presses his hard length into my stomach and sucks on my bottom lip. We simultaneously groan with pleasure as I dig my fingers into his hair, and he glides his large palm over my butt and squeezes.
The world melts away, taking all the reasons for this being a bad idea with it.
Nico is an amazing kisser. Tender and demanding.
I lose myself in his embrace. In his rich scent, his heat, in the way his tongue explores my mouth. He makes my knees weak and my head dizzy. And through all that, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
In his arms, kissing him like we were always meant to be.
My phone rings in my pocket, and it’s a knife cutting through the lusty and intoxicating fog that is Nico Romero. It brings me back to the present. I rip my mouth away from his and push him back.
He takes a step back, taking his heat and leaving me cold, as my ringtone continues to blare over the sounds of our ragged breaths.
Icy guilt crashes over me, making me sick to my stomach.
What the hell did I just do?
“We can’t do this.” Just saying the words rips at my insides even more.
Nico reaches for me, but I raise my hands to stop him. I can’t let him touch me, or I might do something I’ll regret. Like kiss him again or break down in tears.
He respects my boundaries, but the clench in his lower jaw tells me he’s not happy about it. “Savannah.”
“No, don’t, please,” I beg, covering my face with my hands. Tears sting my nose as the phone stops ringing.
Nico gently tugs my hands away from my face. “Talk to me.”
“No,” I snap.
The confused and slightly hurt look on Nico’s face almost destroys me, but I grasp onto the resolve I need to put an end to this before things get out of hand.
“There is nothing to talk about. This was a mistake.” The lie tastes bitter on my tongue.
“A mistake?” Nico grunts. Anger flashes in his silver eyes as he shakes his head in disappointment.
He gives me space as he pulls out the black card from his back pocket and swipes it across the keypad. The elevator finally ascends, and seconds later we are on the top floor.
As soon as the doors open, I fly out of the elevator and rush to my apartment. Nico is hot on my heels. My hands shake as I press a thumb to the reader, and the door unlocks with a deafening snick.
“Don’t,” Nico growls.
Hand on the door handle, I freeze.
He stands behind me, not quite swarming me or giving me space, as he demands, “Turn around.”
I shake my head, fighting back my tears. “No. Just forget that ever happened.”
“No. I can’t forget it. I won’t,” he barks. His frustration spills out, and he shouts. “Goddammit, Savannah. Turn around.”
His tone pisses me off, and as I turn around to face him, I snap, “Don’t talk to me like that.”
“Woman,” Nico warns. He places the takeout bag on the floor at my feet like he’s preparing himself for a fight.
“Don’t you ‘woman’ me.”
Nico closes his eyes and takes a huge breath, holding it in for a count of four before releasing it. He runs his hands through his hair in frustration. He’s trying so hard to be calm when all I want to do is rage.
I’m so angry right now. Angry at myself for kissing Nico, for wanting him. I’m mad at him for being a womanizing manwhore and hurting my sister. I’m mad at him for being nothing like I expected him to be. I’m angry with him for having met my sister first.
Just…all of it.
Once he’s calm, Nico stares me dead in the eyes. “Why are you being difficult again? Tell me what the problem is, because I know for a damn fact that kiss was not a mistake. It was the best damn kiss I’ve ever had.”
My heart pinches, knowing we share the same feelings, but I have to push the idea of us away. For the sake of my sister, I can’t go there. So, I fight. “Did you ever think that maybe you’re the problem?”
“Me?” His eyes widen in shock as he points at himself.
“Yes, you.”
He places his hands on his hips and glares at me. “I know I’m not perfect, but what the hell did I do?”
“My sister, you idiot!”
Nico rears back as if physically struck by my words. “What?”
“You. Did. My. Sister,” I repeat slowly for him to understand.
He thinks long and hard, but there is no recognition there. I don’t know if that makes me happy or angrier at him for not putting it together. “I didn’t know you had a sister.”
“I do. Does the name Charlotte Stratford ring a bell, or have you slept with so many women you’ve forgotten?” I’m being unnecessarily cruel, but I need this to end.
We can’t do this.
“That’s not fair,” Nico grouses through his teeth.
“No. What’s not fair is you sleeping with my sister and breaking her heart because you can’t keep it in your pants.” My hands fly to my mouth, too late to take back the insult.
It’s not fair of me to hold his past against him. Normally I wouldn’t, but this is my sister we are talking about.
Doing his best to remain calm, Nico inhales deeply. When he exhales, I can smell the cinnamon on his breath and taste it on my tongue, and all I want to do is kiss him again, which makes me irrationally angry.
“You only have part of the story, and that has nothing to do with us.” He’s incredibly calm as he speaks, which makes me even more angry.
“There is no us!”
Nico doesn’t crowd my space, but he fills it anyway with his large body and powerful aura. His presence is non-threatening and overwhelming at the same time. “That’s where you’re fucking wrong, gattina.”
“What is wrong is you fucking my sister and now wanting to fuck me.”
“That mouth is going to get you in trouble.”
In response to his threat, my core spasms with need, and I squeeze my thighs together to ease the growing ache.
What is wrong with me? I should not be getting turned on right now.
“You can’t talk to me like that,” I pant.
“Baby, I will talk to you however the fuck I want. Wanna know why?” When I don’t answer, Nico smirks smugly as if he knows something I don’t, then closes the distance between us.
He grips the doorframe above my head. “Because you like it. I bet if I reached into your panties right now, I’d find you as wet as I am hard.
All this verbal sparring between us is just foreplay.
I’ll give you the night to think, but if you run, I’ll catch you.
You changed the game, and I’m ready to play, Savannah. ”
Nico bends down, picks up the bag of food at my feet, and hands it to me. With a shaky hand, I take it. Our fingers brush, sending a wave of electricity through me that makes my stomach swoop.
“Don’t forget to eat your dinner.” With a parting kiss on my cheek, Nico leaves me in the hallway, breathless and struggling to understand what the hell just happened.
He somehow turned our conversation around and completely ignored the fact that he had a relationship with my sister and is therefore off limits.
Nico and I can never be anything to each other. It doesn’t matter that we just shared the best kiss ever. It was a mistake.
Right?
Then why did kissing him feel like diving into the cold dark sea and finding a soft warm place to land?