“You could be closer. That’s farther than I’d like.”
I give her arm a gentle tug, and she accepts with a small laugh—letting herself be guided until she’s exactly where I want her.
On my lap.
Her thighs straddling mine.
CHAPTER 12
NINA MARCHESI
The speed at which the temperature around us goes from warm to unbearably hot is impressive. And it has nothing to do with the winter sun, shining gently above us. Feeling Nero so close is what suddenly makes my skin feel like it’s boiling.
Honestly, just seeing him without the suit—catching sight of his tattooed forearms—had already put me on high alert when I stepped out of the house and found him leaning against his car, arms crossed, waiting for me.
The white shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows left far too much to the imagination, making me wonder what the continuation of the tattoos beneath it looks like, shadows being all I could see.
The sunglasses covering his eyes hid his gaze from me, and I felt foolish for having left mine inside my bag instead of on my face. I really would’ve appreciated something to disguise the lingering look I gave his body.
Nero slides just his thumbs along my thigh, right at the exact point where the fabric of my beach cover-up rode up when I wrapped my legs around him—teasing me while his breath brushes my face, slow and deliberate.
I lower my eyes to his lips.
Kissing him is so good.
“Is it just the two of us here?” I ask.
“Just the two of us.”
“And no one’s going to show up?”
“No,Little Fae. It’ll be just us.”
I don’t resist.
I press my mouth to his, fitting our lips together before licking his lower lip, then the upper. I nipped them lightly and have my own lower lip stolen by Nero’s teeth.
The sensation sends shivers racing through my body, and suddenly I feel overdressed for being on a beach. Nero seems to think the same, because his hands start to rise, dragging my dress up with them until it’s tossed away and I’m sitting in his lap wearing nothing but a red bikini.
Nero pulls back, retreating just enough to let his gaze kiss my entire body, point by point, as if every inch of me were too precious to miss. He starts at my neck, moves down to my chest, lingering over my breasts before continuing his descent over my stomach and detouring to my thighs—only to travel back up to my face.
His hands follow the same path, only in reverse.
This time, he’s the one kissing me.
Not with my soft, exploratory style—Nero kisses me with something close to hunger. His tongue is demanding and determined, licking and sucking at mine, invading my mouth and claiming every bit of space it can find.
My body closes the small distance between us on its own until my breasts are pressed against his shirt, and I think now it’shimwho’s overdressed for the beach.
I move my hands.
I take them to the first button of his shirt and start undoing it by touch alone. When I finally free the last one, I grip the fabric at his shoulders and push it back, forcing Nero to pull his hands away from me to get rid of the shirt.
When he touches me again, it’s no longer with teasing exploration.
Nero grips my thighs and slides his palms over my skin until they reach my ass, squeezing it firmly and making me moan into our kiss.
He pulls me tighter against him, pressing my breasts to his bare chest. They react instantly—aching and swollen, hypersensitive to even the lightest touch—making me moan again and again with every contact while Nero’s tongue continues to turn my mouth into his domain.
