26. Savannah
twenty-six
Savannah
He wants me to stay.
Even in the darkened room, I glimpse the vulnerability in his stormy-gray eyes as he stares at me from only inches away.
My heart beats double-time as I stare back, letting the truth I’ve been trying to ignore float to the surface.
I’m not sure I’d have been able to leave Nico here all alone while he was in pain even if he had wanted me to. I get the sense he doesn’t let people get close enough to him to see him when he’s like this, including his family.
When I heard him crash into the wall in the hallway and curse, I knew something was wrong.
I felt it in my gut. I didn’t think twice about rushing out of my apartment to help him.
What I didn’t expect to find was him on his knees, head resting against the wall, and looking greener than pea soup.
The eye twitching, temple massaging, squinting at the bright lights—it all made sense.
Migraines.
I know how debilitating they can be for anyone who experiences them.
I slide my hands out from under my cheek and run one through his thick black hair. His eyelids flutter, and a small rumbling hum vibrates low in his throat at the contact. A feeling I don’t want to name fills me up like a balloon ready to burst.
“I’ll stay as long as you want me to.”
“Then I hope you’re prepared to move in.”
At his admission, my hand stills, fingers buried in his hair.
I know he’s being facetious, but I can’t help wondering if there is a sliver of truth behind his words. The corner of his lip curls up into the cocky smirk I secretly enjoy seeing on his face.
“Stop flirting with me, baseball boy.”
“I’ll never stop flirting with you, gattina.”
I stare at Nico as he licks his bottom lip. He catches me watching, and his grin grows, sending the butterflies into a tailspin.
What is this man doing to me?
A few sweet texts and dinners, and he has me lowering my guard. I need to pull myself together. This can’t go anywhere.
“Go to sleep.”
“I like it when you boss me around, Doc.”
Inappropriate thoughts of climbing on top of Nico and having my way with him flood my brain.
Like he knows what I’m thinking, he mumbles, “Someday.”
“Nicolas,” I warn.
He teasingly hums again, and I roll my eyes at him, ignoring the zip of excitement flowing through my veins at the thought of someday.
“Fine. But first, can I ask you a question?” The little light filtering into the bedroom from the hallway makes the silver flecks in his irises sparkle. Something in his pleading eyes has me nodding. “Were you waiting for me?”
My eyes close at his question. The urge to lie is on the tip of my tongue, but I’m not a liar. As much as I want to deny it, I don’t.
“I was.”
“Did that hurt?”
I open my eyes to find him smiling, his face so close to mine. “Did what hurt?”
“Admitting the truth.”
Yes.
It’s not because I like Nico, but because I shouldn’t.
“Just take the win,” I chide.
Nico barks a laugh and then groans in pain. I slide closer to his body, grip his scruffy cheeks in my palms, and press my thumbs into his cheekbones like I did previously.
“That’s what you get for being greedy.”
“Not my fault.” Nico pinches his eyes shut, and I start massaging his temples again.
“Then whose fault is it?”
“Yours, for being so damn irresistible.”
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere with me.”
“Says the gorgeous woman lying in my bed.” Before I can protest, Nico lifts his arm, drapes it over my waist, and tugs me closer to his chest as he buries his face into the crook of my neck. He inhales deeply and groans. “Fuck, you smell so good.”
“Thanks. It’s called a shower. You should try it sometime,” I joke, unable to help myself. I need to keep some levity here. I’m breaking all the rules I put in place when it comes to getting too close to Nico.
“Such a smartass.” His warm breath and the scruff of his cheeks tickle my neck, making my skin pimple and heat swirl between my legs.
“Sleep now,” I choke out, trying to calm my stupid, weak heart from softening any further for the man beside me.
With his large, warm body cloaked over mine, he whispers, “Good night, Savannah.”
“Good night, Nico.”
I’m not sure if seconds or minutes pass before I drift off to sleep, stroking my fingers through Nico’s hair to ease his discomfort, all while feeling safer and more content than I ever have before.
The heavy weight on my chest prevents me from rolling over, and my eyes fly open in fear.
What the…
Memories of last night come flooding back. Rushing out of my apartment to see Nico. His migraine. Taking care of him. His asking me to stay. Us holding one another as we drifted off to sleep.
I glance down the length of my body to find Nico’s head resting on the tops of breasts, his arms looped around my waist, and our legs tangled together as if we searched each other out, needing to be closer even in sleep.
He looks so peaceful asleep on my chest. Almost softer. No cocky attitude or sharp-edged shell to hide his true personality. It’s just Nico. He’s not a baseball god, like so many believe. He’s just a man who works hard, loves his family, and is as vulnerable as the rest of us.
I watch his eyelids flutter and am relieved to see that his golden complexion has returned. Gone are the wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead as he fought through the pain of his migraine.
Unable to keep from touching him, I drag my nails through his hair, the motion not only soothing to him, but to me as well as the luxurious aroma of his body wash fills my nose, suffusing me with a sense of contentment.
I haven’t slept that well in ages. I have a sneaking suspicion it has everything to do with the hunky baseball player sleeping practically on top of me.
The serenity of the moment has tears stinging my nose as reality sets in. I’ll never have this moment with Nico again.
What the hell am I doing?
I’m getting too close to him. If I keep down this path, all I am going to do is end up falling for him, which will lead to getting my heart broken, just like it did for Charlotte.
Shit, Charlotte.
She’s going to be so worried and pissed at me for just disappearing.
That’s not all she’s going to be pissed about, I mentally berate myself.
Charlotte’s going to be angry and disappointed in me for lying to her and for catching feelings for the one man that should forever be off limits. Her ex.
I was in the middle of a video call with Charlotte when I abruptly hung up on her and ran out of my apartment to help Nico. I didn’t even bring my phone with me. He was the only thing on my mind. All I could think about was making sure he was okay, which is a red flag all on its own.
Unless it’s a patient, I never put other people’s needs ahead of Charlotte’s. Not even Bradley’s. I should have known then it would never work with him.
But with Nico?
I had no problem putting my sister aside for him. In fact, it was all too easy to do so. My guts roil and roll, and I feel like puking at the truth of it all. I’m not catching feelings; I caught them. I am so royally screwed.
“You’re thinking too loudly.” Nico’s gruff, sleep-filled voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts.
I clear my throat and reluctantly extract my fingers from his hair. “How do you know I’m thinking?”
Nico lifts his head and reaches out a long arm to turn on the softly lit lamp beside the bed.
As I adjust to the light, he adjusts himself and rolls me onto my back.
I willingly spread my legs and let him settle his body between them.
He drops his chin to my chest and peers up at me through his thick black lashes.
His eyes are icy gray again, and his pupils have returned to their normal size.
The dark storm that brewed within them last night is long gone.
“Your breathing changed, and I felt your body tense.”
“Very astute, Mr. Romero.” My hands find his hair again as his lip curls in disgust. “What’s that face for?”
He shrugs. “Not my preferred nickname.”
“What should I call you then?” I cup his scruffy cheeks. “Nicky? Nicolas? Nickelodeon?”
“Not funny.” His lips twitch, fighting a smile.
I desperately want to see his cocky smirk.
“Baseball boy?” I tease.
“Watch it,” he warns, placing his large hands on my ribs.
I squish his face in my palms, making his pink lips pout and my need to kiss them ratchet up to a new level of desire I’ve yet to endure. “I’ve got it… Good boy?”
“Fuck.” Nico growls and digs his fingers into my sides, tickling me. “I warned you what would happen if you called me that.”
“What are you going to do? Tickle me to death?” I howl with laughter as he finds the spot between my hips and thighs.
Of their own accord, my hips buck beneath him. I freeze as my core bumps something extremely large and hard. My chest heaves as I take in huge gulps of air and gape at him with wide eyes.
Nico rests his weight on his elbows beside my head, lifting his body off mine. The short distance does nothing to hide the enormous problem between us.
“Is that…” I ask.
“What do you think?” He quirks a thick brow. His voice is rough and not with sleep. It’s gritty and heated, and it makes my insides go haywire and my pussy slick with desire.
“Oh my, that’s, umm, quite a…large appendage you have there.”
Nico barks out a laugh. “Thanks.”
I am incapable of keeping my focus on his face and glance down. Peeking out the top of his waistband is the tip of his dick. His very large dick. Holy mother of the earth, how is it so big?
Wait… Protruding from the top and bottom of his cockhead are two shiny metal balls.
“Savannah,” Nico grunts.
“Mm-hmm?” I can’t tear my eyes away as his jewelry glints in the light and a bead of precum pools at the slit, making my mouth water.
“I’m going to need you to stop staring at my cock.”
My eyes bounce to his face and back to his groin. “I’m sorry. I can’t. It’s just so…beautiful.”
I’ve never thought of penises as beautiful before. The doctor part of my brain turns on, and all I see is male anatomy. Nothing special.
But Nico’s cock?
It’s a work of art, like the rest of his body, and I’m only getting a partial view. I’ve never wanted to observe and explore a dick like I do his.
I lift my hand to reach out and touch him, but pause.
I glance up to find him watching me. His chest moves in time with his panting breaths.
Alarm bells go off in my head. I know I shouldn’t do this, but the need to see more, to follow through and find out what happens next is too strong. I want this.
I want Nico.
Licking my dry lips, I ask, “Can I see it? All of it?”
Nico squeezes his eyes shut and takes a breath. After a second, he juts his chin, giving me permission.
I can feel his racing heart beneath my palms as I press my hands into his chest and force him to lie on his back.
I throw my leg over his thighs to straddle him.
The hard muscles beneath the most beautiful art I’ve ever seen tense as I run my hands down his smooth, inked skin and rest them on his lower abs to steady myself above him.
The air between us fizzes with an electric charge as we gaze into each other’s eyes.
“I really fucking want to kiss you right now.”
“Then what are you waiting for, baseball boy?” I tease.
“For your permission.” He wraps a palm around the nape of my neck and tugs my face down to his. Mere centimeters separate our lips as he whispers, “I want you to want me, Savannah.”
My heart pinches in my chest at his confession. I do want him. I’m just afraid of the consequences that will follow from going down this path with him. “I shouldn’t.”
“But you do, gattina,” he purrs, calling me kitten in Italian, making my core flutter. I finally looked up the pet name, and while I thought the answer would annoy me, it’s had the opposite effect.
I secretly love it.
“I do,” I admit, still frozen to the spot hovering above his lips.
Nico doesn’t move an inch. With his stormy eyes, he begs me to choose him. To let go and lean into my feelings.
This is the moment that will define the rest of my life. If I choose Nico, there’s a chance I’ll lose my sister. If I don’t choose him, then there’s the possibility I lose him and possibly something that could be incredible.
Something I’ve never experienced before.
“Show me how you feel, Savannah.” His gray eyes flicker, and I catch a glimpse of the vulnerable man behind the hard shell he wears.
The man whose father walked away from him and his pregnant mother. This isn’t information he shares freely, and yet he’s willingly shared his story with me. He’s been nothing but open and honest. Even last night, in a moment of his own personal weakness, he asked me to stay with him.
And now, without words, the sexy, strong, cocky man beneath me is asking me to stop thinking and feel.
What I feel deep down in my soul is that I don’t want to be another person in his life who leaves him behind.
And that is scary as hell.
“Tell me how you feel about me.” I need some sort of confirmation that he’s in this with me too. The last thing I want is to leap and hit the ground alone.
Nico smirks. “How do you not know?”
I look away, embarrassed I suggested such a thing. Guys don’t just rip open their hearts and tell you how they feel.
“Look at me.”
I force myself to look him in the eye.
“I’m fucking crazy about you, Savannah. I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since you glared at me through the dark-tinted windows of my car. I want you so badly that, for the first time in my life, I didn’t want to go on the road to play ball. I wanted to stay here and be close to you.”
His admission makes my heart, and the newfound butterflies in my stomach, soar in amazement and delight. Being with Nico won’t be easy, but choosing him is.
“I want you.”
“Thank fuck,” he mumbles as I lean down and kiss him.
Sparks snap as our lips touch for the second time, and it’s even better than the first.
My world shakes and shatters into a million shining pieces as I finally let Nico in and accept my fate.