All talking ceased as we finally gave in to the raging desire that had consumed us for weeks. Somehow, Nick knew how to be gentle and dominant, all at once, and I felt cherished as he took his time, making sure I was slick and ready before he claimed me.
When he finally slipped inside me, he started slow, gazing into my eyes as his hips undulated against mine.
“You okay, princess?” he murmured, lacing his fingers with mine beside the pillow.
“I won’t break,” I whispered, smiling as I clutched his hand. “Please fuck me harder.”
His lips curved as his gaze heated with affection and desire. Pressing his other palm to the mattress, he increased the pace, bringing us both to our peaks as our bodies moved in tandem.
We cried each other’s names as we drowned in pleasure, and afterward, we collapsed in a sated heap of sweaty skin and pounding hearts.
“Jesus, woman,” he muttered, kissing my neck. “I don’t have the energy for you.”
“You’re the one who almost fucked me through the headboard,” I said, unable to control my grin.
“Sorry,” he murmured, kissing my temple before rising to remove the condom and grab a wet cloth from the bathroom. He tenderly cleaned the skin between my legs, his expression reverent as he gently stroked my most private place.
After tossing the cloth in the hamper, he returned to bed. I sat up and plumped the pillow behind my back. “Okay, that was awesome. Time to talk.”
He shot me a droll look. “I figured you were going to say that, and you’re right, even though my brain is a muddled mess. Should we go downstairs?”
“We can talk here.”
His gaze lowered to my breasts, heating with desire as he shook his head. “Not if you don’t put on a shirt. I can’t concentrate with those things out in the open.”
“These?” I asked, cupping my breasts and lifting them as my voice turned sultry. “Do they distract you?”
“Alexis...” he warned.
“Oh, fine.” Rising, I strode to his dresser and began pilfering through. I found a large t-shirt and slipped it over my head. Returning to the bed, I grinned.
“Better?”
He squinted at the ceiling. “I don’t remember giving you permission to rifle though my drawers or wear my clothes...”
“Oh, shut up,” I said, playfully swatting his arm. “And you’redefinitelyremaining shirtless. That’s my requirement for this very serious conversation we’re about to have.”
He grabbed my hand, smacking a kiss on the back before plumping his pillow and settling beside me. “Okay, let’s talk. What do we tackle first?”
“Let’s take down your objections one by one,” I said, ticking one of my fingers. “First of all, the wholeI’m too young for youthing is bogus, and we both know it. I think we should just throw that out completely.”
He took my hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb as he contemplated. “I don’t want to deny you anything. I’m worried you’re going to miss out on all the exploration and dumb decisions people make in their early twenties if I tie you to me.” His eyes lifted to mine. “I don’t want you to look back and feel like you entered a serious relationship before you actually lived, Alexis.”
“Well, I can make dumb decisions on my own, whether I’m with you or not. I actually do that all the time.” I flashed a cheeky grin. “And being with you makes me feelalive. So, you’re not denying me anything.”
Deep sentiment entered his gaze as he pressed another kiss to my hand. “Same.”
“Okay, good. One down, two to go.”
He breathed a laugh. “The next two are a bit tougher. I have a feeling things are going to get rocky as Michael solidifies his control now that he’s absorbed your father’s organization. Oskar Poska and Marco Nunez are bad men with lots of informants who don’t like what Michael’s doing. Since I’m Michael’s top capo, and the heir to his syndicate, anyone I care about is a target.”
“Mom and I have always been targets,” I said, lifting a shoulder. “Now, we’ve just moved to a different family. Michael protects Mom, and I know you’ll protect me.”
“Of course, I will. But things happen that are out of my control, Alexis. You saw what happened with your mom’s car accident. She almost died and was badly hurt. If that happened to you...” He grew silent and his features contorted with pain. “I can’t even imagine it. I’d never forgive myself.”
“Hey,” I said, facing him and cupping his jaw. “You can’t control everything, Nick. Hell, you could sequester me in a padded room in an undisclosed location, and a good hacker who works for Oskar could find me.”
He squinted one eye. “Is a hidden padded room an option? I like that idea.”
