Nico smirks as he waives me towards him. Of course I go to him, moving as carefully as I can in this silk black gown that I have absolutely no where to wear it to. He gestures for me to straddle him and I glance to the associate who has been circling us like a hawk as she smiles and shuts the curtains, effectively closing the dressing room off from all other customers.
Climbing into his lap, I loop my arms around his neck as he holds my hips.
“Do you not like it?”
“Like what?” I ask.
“Me spoiling you.”
I laugh. “Sir, you passed spoiling about twenty thousand dollars ago.”
He shrugs. “So what’s twenty thousand more?”
Nico leans in and begins kissing my neck, moving down to my collarbone as I shake my head.
“It’s forty thousand dollars total, you know, a brand new car. Or a downpayment on a freaking house? Look, I know you’re used to throwing your money around to get your way but I don’t need it.”
He pulls away, looking at me tenderly as he nods.
“I know, that’s why you deserve it, though.”
I shake my head. “I don’t need it, though. I’m not interested in what’s in your wallet.”
“Just what’s in my pants?” he guesses.
I point to him as I nod. “Exactly, now you’re getting it.”
We both laugh at that before I shake my head.
“Seriously, I appreciate it more than you know. I feel like I’m having a pretty woman moment right now. You do know I’m a receptionist/college student, not a hooker, right?”
He furrows his brows in confusion.
“Fuck, I do this every time.”
My mouth drops open, and I smack his chest as he laughs.
“Asshole.”
He grins as I try to push away from him, pulling me closer as he presses my mouth to his. I haven’t really seen this side of him. This relaxed, playfulness. It’s a complete 180 from how he was in Seattle, how he was around Carly. The naïve little voice in my head says I’m the thing that’s bringing it out in him.
“Seriously,” he says. “I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable. I just…I want you to like it out here. I want to make you comfortable and I may or may not be trying to sway you into coming out to Boston more than just this once.”
“Really?” I ask.
He shakes his head like it’s so obvious.
“Cassi, I’d move you out here right fucking now if I thought you’d let me.”
I blink at that, more than a little stunned. Okay, maybe the fling thing was a little too built up in my head. No doubt from a point of self-preservation or something. Then again, maybe he wants his side treat on the tap, easy access and all that.
“We barely know each other, Nico.”
He nods. “And I hate it. I want to know every single thing about you, and I want your zip code to be the same as mine while we do it.”
My heart squeezes at his words and before I can respond, he continues.
“But, I know that isn’t our reality right now, so I’ll settle for stealing you away for moments like this.”
