When he showed up tonight, I wanted to fall into his arms. He looked hot standing there, wearing a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing off his tattoos and his black jeans hugging his thighs. Then I saw the flowers. They were such a complete contrast to the way he looks, and I almost laughed when he held them out to me, looking unsure about them.

My fingers twitch; I want to trace the outline of his lips with my fingers. I lift my hand slowly; my finger touching his bottom lip causes him to jerk his head away. My hand freezes then moves on its own accord when he stills. His lip is smooth and warm, and I can still remember how it felt against my own when he kissed me. My finger moves slowly as I watch its trail, mesmerized, captivated… Then I scream when his mouth clamps down around my finger, his teeth biting down, not hard, but enough so that I can’t pull away.

My eyes jump up to meet his as his hands go under my arms, his mouth not releasing my finger, and he pulls me on top of him. He runs his tongue over my fingertip behind his teeth as he situates himself underneath me.

“What are you doing?” I breathe.

“I think I should be asking you that,” he says, smiling, and I can feel a large bulge against my belly.

“Sorry. I just…” I try to get away, but he holds me a little tighter, making my pulse spike.

“You’re safe with me,” he says, reading my face.

I force myself to relax, reminding myself that he has been nothing but kind to me.

“I like that you want to touch me.” He gently pushes my hair away from my face. My eyes close at the contact then open to see him smiling. “We both fell asleep?” he asks as his hand continues to run over my hair and down my back.

“I didn’t realize how tired I was,” I say with a nod. My eyes start to feel heavy as he strokes me, so I lay my head against his chest, wondering not for the first time why I feel so safe with someone I don’t know all that well.

“I like this,” he whispers, pressing his lips to the top of my head.

I snuggle closer, enjoying his warmth and the way he smells. In the back of my head, I keep thinking about the things Maggie said along with the way Nico makes me feel and how much I want to explore things with him, but I wonder if I should wait until I’m in a better place mentally.

I must have fallen asleep again, because I’m suddenly aware that I’m being carried into my room. Nico lays me on the bed then pulls a blanket up over me.

“I’m the worst date ever,” I say tiredly as I snuggle down into my bed.

“This wasn’t a date, remember?” he says quietly.

“Oh yeah. I don’t do that.” I smile.

“If this was a date, it was the best one I’ve ever had.” His hand slides gently down the side of my face. I think he is going to kiss me—I want him to kiss me—so I turn my head slightly, but his nose skims my cheek, and his lips go to my forehead. “Sleep, baby. I’m going to head home. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he tells me, kissing me once more; this time, his lips touch the corner of mine. I watch his shadow leaving the room.

I can hear the doors close, and I know I need to get up and lock my deadbolt and set the alarm, but it takes a minute for me to get out of bed. I pull off my jeans and bra before wandering into the living room to make sure everything is off. I turn on the hall light and start setting the deadbolt when there is a knock on the door. I look through the peephole, seeing Nico standing on the other side, which makes my belly flutter once again.

“Hey. Did you forget something?” I ask when the door is open.

“Yes,” he replies, his body suddenly pressing me against the wall. “Jesus,” he groans, looking down my body.

I forgot I’m almost naked, wearing nothing but a tank top and a pair of boy shorts. When his hand grabs my ass and his mouth lands on mine, I’m instantly reminded of my state of undress. My mouth opens under his, my tongue following what his is doing. My fingers fist into his T-shirt to hold him to me. His hand on my ass squeezes, making me moan into his mouth. He presses me harder into the wall, and I can feel his excitement through his jeans and my thin tank top.

I don’t really know what I’m doing, so I follow his lead and give up everything I have to that kiss. He rips his mouth away before placing his forehead to mine. We’re both breathing heavily, and it takes a second to come back to myself. I slowly loosen my hands, which have wrapped around his shirt so tightly that my fingers now have impressions on them. He tightens his hand on my ass, his fingers digging into my skin. When I open my eyes, his eyes are on my mouth.

“I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if I didn’t come back and do that.” He presses his lips to mine again, this time just a touch before moving away.

“I’m glad you came back for that.” I feel my cheeks heat up, and I start to look away, but his fingers go under my chin. His eyes roam my face, and I don’t know what he sees, but I feel exposed and want to pull away.

“All right, sweet Sophie. Get some sleep.” His hand drops from my ass, and as his body pulls away from mine, he takes his warmth with him. He kisses my forehead and then tilts my head back to kiss my mouth once more before heading out the door he just barged through. “Lock up, babe,” he says over his shoulder.

“’Night, Nico,” I say softly, closing the door behind him. My fingers touch my mouth and I smile as I lean back against the door. I could definitely get used to him kissing me.

Chapter 4

Nico

I pull up to the front of my house, exhausted. It’s been four days since I’ve seen Sophie. I got a call for a run I couldn’t pass up not long after I left her standing inside her house wearing nothing but a tank top and panties, her mouth still swollen from what mine did to it. My phone buzzes, and thinking that it’s her, I look at the screen, but instead, I see that it’s a text from Asher. I groan, opening the message; all I want to do is take a shower and sleep before I see Sophie.

Asher: You busy?

Yes, busily about to pass out, I think.

Me: Why?

Don’t say you need me; don’t say you need me… I chant to myself with my fingers crossed as I wait for his reply.

Asher: I need your help setting up the pool fence.

“Shiiit,” I groan out loud. I scrub my eyes with my fists and let out a sigh before I respond.

Me: On my way.

When I pull out onto the highway and hit dial on my phone, the loud ringing fills my car.

“Hey. Did you make it home already?” Sophie answers, making me smile.