“What did you say?” she asks, making me smile.
“You’re an intelligent woman. You’ll figure it out.” I give her biceps a gentle squeeze and reluctantly release her, stepping back.
Savannah sighs, and I can sense a tinge of sadness wash over her as if I were the one drowning in the emotion instead. She grips the invitation. “I haven’t changed my mind, Nico. This can’t happen.”
“Shh,” I shush her.
Savannah can save her excuses because this, us, is happening. When I said she changed the game, I meant it. I didn’t stay up all night concocting a plan to win her over for nothing.
“I’m serious, Nico.”
“I know.” I lean in, and Savannah grips the door, unsure what my next move will be. “And I don’t care,” I whisper into her ear, breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo. She smells of sunshine, something sweet and citrusy, and flowers. It’s fucking intoxicating.
Her eyes close, and her breathing quickens as I rub my nose along her jawline. She gasps, and goosebumps rise along the skin of her neck. I revel in the way her body reacts to mine, and the confidence in my plan blossoms.
“Lo vedrai. Siamo inevitabili, bella.”You’ll see. We are inevitable, beautiful.I brush my lips over her cheek and plant a featherlight kiss on her soft skin. The little whimper she makes has my cock turning to stone. “Talk to you later,gattina.”
As quickly as I can, I leave a panting—and hopefully turned on—Savannah at her door.
twenty-four
Savannah
AvisionofNicoand his piercing gray eyes haunts me as I lie on the chaise lounge. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him and his sexy smirk since he left me speechless standing at my door early this morning.
“I don’t care.”His words replay in my head, sending butterflies swirling in my stomach.
If only it were that easy. While my brain has been concocting scenarios where being with Nico has no consequences, I know better.
My fantasy is better than my reality.
Dating your sister’s ex-boyfriend isn’t exactly socially acceptable. This whole scenario is a disaster waiting to happen.
Look at what happened to Brenda and Kelly when Dylan got involved? Those two were just best friends, and a boy destroyed their relationship.
Charlotte is my sister. The person I love most in this world. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt her, and being with Nicowould hurt her. It would be wrong of me to put Charlotte’s feelings aside just to be with a man who could turn around and change his mind later. His feelings for me could be lust and nothing more.
Or his feelings could be real. Would that be so wrong?
“Shut up, stupid brain.” I groan to myself and roll over onto my stomach.
I keep telling myself it would be wrong to be with Nico, but deep down, a part of me thinks not dipping my toes in the Nico Romero waters is the real wrong choice.
No matter how hard I fight the attraction I have for him, there’s something there that I can’t shake. I felt it when he kissed me.
Ugh. That kiss.
Those pesky butterfly wings flutter in my stomach again at the memory. Kissing Nico rocked my freaking world. Everything about that kiss felt right.
I can vividly recall the heat in Nico’s gray eyes as he stepped closer. The shine on his pouty pink lips as he swiped his tongue across them. The feel of his muscles beneath my hands as I fisted his shirt. The scent of his skin as it surrounded me. The lushness of his lips as they molded to mine. The spark that turned into a roaring fire in my veins as he pushed me up against the wall and kissed the ever-loving hell out of me.
The sound of my phone chirping from the table beside my chaise has my eyelids fluttering open. Since I couldn’t sleep and the weather was perfect for catching some sun, I’ve been laid out here on my balcony, letting my brain do its thing.
I roll onto my back and swipe open the message from an unknown number.
Unknown:It’s cold as fuck in St. Louis.
Nico.
