Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
NICO
“Wrapping it up for the day, boss?”
Jamie slows as he approaches me, grinning widely as he takes in my loosened tie and jacket slung over my arm.
My briefcase is set by my feet while I wait for the elevator to arrive, and a bouquet of red roses is resting atop it.
His gaze dips to the flowers before lifting to meet mine.
“At least,” he adds, “I’m assuming you’re headed upstairs to see your beautiful girlfriend. ”
I lift my chin at him, then return his smile with one of my own. “You would be right. I’ve got plans with Sofia tonight.”
He checks his watch and gives me an approving nod. “Only five-thirty. I’m impressed.”
Shaking my head at him, I ask, “Remind me why I’m letting you harass me about how long I work, again?”
Jamie chuckles. Then he claps my shoulder. “Because you know I’m right. Work is important, I won’t deny that. But when you have someone waiting for you at home… Your priorities change.”
As the elevator chimes its arrival, I reply, “I can’t argue with that.” Stepping into the waiting elevator, I add, “Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Will do.” Just as the doors are sliding shut, he calls after me, “Tell Sofia I said hi.”
While I wait for the elevator to rise to the sixth floor, where I’ve been staying with Sofia while I search for a new and safer permanent place to live, I let my thoughts slide back to that evening in the beginning of January.
I remember talking to Jamie on the way out and him giving me shit about working all the time.
I remember being so certain that my life was fine as it was.
That was before Sofia came back into my life.
That was before I realized just how much I missed her.
But I don’t love Sofia just for the person she was in high school. I love her just as she is now. Brave. Stubborn. Kind. Understanding. Forgiving.
I’m still not entirely sure I deserve her. I still have moments when I think, What if she changes her mind about forgiving me? What if the terrible things my father did are too much to overcome?
Then I remind myself, She loves me. She said she’s staying. And I renew my determination to never do anything to make her want to leave.
Of course we argue, like all couples do.
As I exit the elevator onto the sixth floor, I smile to myself while remembering our most recent argument.
It was ridiculous, really—I was checking some emails when she asked me a question, and Sofia got all offended by my tone.
“What tone?” I asked her when she huffed and made a face at me.
“I wasn’t using a tone. I was just answering your question. ”
“Your tone,” she replied testily, “made it sound like I was bothering you. I just wanted to know about dinner. That’s all.”
I still don’t know what she was talking about. My tone was perfectly normal.
But I apologized. Then I jumped up from my desk and dragged her into my arms, kissing her and telling her how beautiful she was. How I’d love anything she made for dinner. Or if she’d prefer, we could go out to eat instead.
Just apologize. It doesn’t matter what it’s for. That’s something I’ve heard some of my married buddies say. It sounded silly when I was single. But now? There’s nothing I care about more than making Sofia happy. So if I have to apologize for my tone to smooth things over? I’ll happily do it.
When I get to the apartment, I tuck the flowers beneath my arm and set the briefcase down again so I can unlock the three complicated locks installed at the front door.
It doesn’t matter that the entire building is secure, now with even more security since Sofia’s living here.
I don’t think a hundred locks would be enough to make me feel completely comfortable leaving her.
I know I’ll have to. I’ve got a work trip to DC coming up in two weeks that I can’t pass off to anyone else. But I’ve already spoken to Knight and Houdini, and they’re going to check in on Sofia to make sure she’s okay.
Or I could try to convince Sofia to come with me. Make a little vacation out of it. The cherry blossoms should be blooming when I get there, so it would be the perfect setting for wandering around the city once my meetings are over.
Yes. I’ll see if Sofia wants to come with me. Not because I’m worried about leaving her alone, but for a nice trip together. That’s all.
As the last lock unlatches, I push the door open and call out, “Hey, Soph. How would you like to come to DC on my work trip? We could extend the visit a few days, visit some museums, see the cherry blossoms—”
But the instant I see her, my brain short circuits.
“Hi honey,” Sofia purrs as she walks across the living room towards me. She’s wearing nothing but a tiny pair of nearly-transparent black panties. Her dark hair drapes over one shoulder and curves around one gloriously bare breast. Her cheeks are pink and her eyes are sparkling.
I gape at her.
My briefcase hits the floor.
Sofia comes up to me and puts her hands on my shoulders. Then she stretches up to kiss me. She tastes like sweet mint and honey and a seductive flavor that’s only her. “I thought I’d surprise you,” she says. “Are you surprised?”
It’s hard to form words.
Not that I’ve never seen Sofia naked. I have, plenty of times, and it’s always incredible. But seeing her like this, her satiny skin and luscious curves on full display, that scrap of fabric barely covering the trimmed curls at the apex of her thighs…
Shit. If I’d known this was waiting for me at home, I would have left work hours before.
With the few brain cells still functioning, I thrust the bouquet at Sofia while saying in a strangled voice, “Yes. I’m definitely surprised.”
Sofia takes the flowers from me and closes her eyes as she takes a deep sniff. Then she looks up at me. Uncertainty flickers in her eyes. “In a good way, I hope.”
“Yes.” I toss my jacket at the couch and pull her into my arms. “Yes. A very good surprise.” Dipping my head to kiss her, I gently drag her lower lip between my teeth, then stroke my tongue across the sensitive skin to soothe it.
Sofia hums with pleasure and wraps her arms around my neck, pressing her body against mine.
My dick jumps. Throbs.
My pants go painfully tight.
“The roses are beautiful,” Sofia murmurs once we break the kiss. “I love the color.”
“Red is for love,” I reply. “That’s what the florist said.”
Sofia steps away from me to set the bouquet on the coffee table. “Then red’s the perfect color. Because I love you.”
“Soph.” Sometimes I still can’t believe my luck—not just having Sofia back in my life, but her loving me again.
“You know,” she adds. Her brows arch up. “I think you’re wearing far too many clothes. It hardly seems fair, you in a suit and me like this.”
“Well, we wouldn’t want to be unfair, would we?”
“No.” She smirks. “We wouldn’t.” Then she closes the distance between us and starts unbuttoning my pants. “Maybe we should start with these.”
With uncoordinated fingers, I fumble with the buttons of my shirt while Sofia works at my pants. Once my pants are undone and the shirt is unbuttoned, I pull them off and gather her into my arms again. Now we’re more evenly matched, me in just my briefs and Sofia in those tempting black panties.
Sofia eyes my briefs. Then she reaches inside them and wraps her fingers around me. My erection jerks in her hand, going even harder and thicker than before.
“I had an idea,” she says. “Something I was hoping you’d like to try.”
“Anything,” I reply as I loop my fingers into her panties and start dragging them down her legs. “Whatever you want, we’ll do it.”
“I was thinking…” Her golden-green eyes meet mine. “I love sex in the bedroom. And the shower. And the kitchen.”
I trail my fingers across her short curls and down to the hot, slick skin beneath. Finding her swollen and exposed bud, I tweak it gently before caressing it.
Sofia’s hips jerk against me. Her head falls back, exposing her neck. I lower my mouth to the sensitive spot between her jaw and throat and suck at it lightly. She gasps.
“What would you like?” I ask.
She looks at me with lust-glazed eyes. “I was thinking—” A gasp escapes as I slide a finger inside her. “It would be really hot if you—”
I add a second finger, stretching her. Her inner muscles clutch at me as I slowly pump my fingers in and out. “It would be hot if I did what?”
Her hips thrust erratically as I move my hand faster. “If you took me against the wall,” she blurts. “You’re so strong, I was thinking it wouldn’t be too hard.”
Desire surges through me. “I think I could hold you up without too much issue,” I reply roughly. “If you think you’d like it.”
“I think I would.” Sofia gives my erection a light tug, and then a gentle squeeze. “I think I’d like it a lot. You holding me up, taking me fast and hard—”
But she doesn’t get further than that.
My mouth crashes down on hers.
Cupping her ass, I lift her into my arms. Then I carry her across the room. Moving one hand to her back to cushion it, I lean her against the wall and notch myself at her center. “Is this a good spot?” I ask. “Or would you prefer a different room?”
Sofia wraps her legs around my waist. Her gaze finds mine. In a breathless voice, she says, “Here is good.”
“And you want it hard? And fast?”
She wriggles her hips. “Yes. Not that I don’t like slow. But this time I want it fast.”
“Anything you want, Soph. You just tell me, and I’ll do it.”
Her lips graze my jaw. “Then I want you. Now.”
The need to be inside her is a physical pain. But just as I’m about to sink inside her, I remember. “Shit, Soph. Protection.”
One hand comes to the back of my neck. Her legs tighten around me. “I’m on birth control,” she says. “And I’ve been tested. So if you wanted…”
My heart stutters. “You would want to go without?”
She gazes up at me. “I trust you, Nico. If you want…”
“I’ve been tested, too. And—” I kiss her. “I definitely want to.”