“Doesn’t it usually take months to get a spot there?”
She tore her gaze away. “I have a seat there.”
“You have a seat there?”
She squinted, looking back at him. “Or a table if needed?”
He knew what she meant but she continued.
“The owner’s a family friend.”
Nicolas hummed. “I suppose being known twice over does come with its perks.”
He was referring to her family’s reputation. The discussion of her familial ties, or lack thereof, was a sore spot for Emily so she didn’t comment.
Nicolas finally broke apart from her. His ears reddened with what happened next. The towel around Emily fell to the floor. Her eyes followed his gaze to her chest where her nipples were hard, poking out toward him.
“Oh my god!” She gasped, pulling him forward. “Don’t look!”
26
Emily pulling Nicolas against her frankly made things worse. A hundred times worse. It would have been a more apt choice for her to tell him to close his eyes, or you know, slap a hand across them herself. But this…this was torture.
Nicolas could feel her hard nipples rub against his chest. She was closer than ever, smelling heavenly in the way that made him want to go berserk. He swallowed harshly as the scent of her shampoo filled his nostrils, her wet hair brushing against his lips as he bent his head downward.
Fuck, she smells like my downfall.
Without realizing it, he pushed strands of her hair back, revealing her beautiful neck.
She stiffened.
His hand withdrew, but she caught it, a flicker of panic tightening her grip. Her eyes lifted to his, framed by long lashes, but she didn’t speak. He didn’t either. For a moment they just stared at each other, electricity humming between them, their hands still together.
Jesus.
Did he deserve her? Did he deserve to have her hold him like this? Of course, he didn’t. Nobody on this goddamn earth did. But Nicolas wanted to pretend that wasn’t the case so he grasped the nape of her neck with his other hand, gauging her reaction. Her eyes fluttered close before reopening with a darker shade and he swore he could have come undone right there.
“Did you like that?”
His voice came out deeper than he’d ever heard it. That should have been his first sign, if not him touching her like this while she was naked, to take a step back. To rein it in.
But I’vebeenreining it in all this time with her living under my roof. Don’t I deserve some kind of reward for that?
Couldn’t he just have a taste…just once?
“Mhm,” Emily hummed, her voice soft and pretty. Her hand slowly lowered, still grasping his own. He gave it a squeeze.
At the responding exhale she released, his groin stirred. She’d just perfumed his face with her desire.
Nicolas could see it. He could see the way her body curved toward him, like she was being pulled by some invisible force.
But she wasn’t.
It was all her doing.
She wanted this.
“It’s a yes or no question, Emily,” he whispered, looking down at her sternly, longing to hear her voice again while in this state.
