I moved forward. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to touch her. I moved until the only distance between us was her hands, and then I brought a hand up to cup her face. She leaned into my palm and shut her eyes briefly, as if savoring it, which just added to the list of reasons I wanted to beat myself up. I’d spent an entire month telling myself all of these things and I could have been with her.
“If we do this, it’s forever,” I said. “If you decide tomorrow that you want to walk away, I’d let you, but I’d go after you anyway until I got you back.” Her tears fell on my palm. I wiped them with my thumb and got even closer until our breaths were mingling. “I won’t spend a night away from you. This space will no longer be just yours.”
“I’m okay with that,” she whispered, wiping her other cheek.
“I have wanted you every day since the first night I saw you at that event. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and when you put the thought in my head that I could be with you, even just for a night, I knew I’d take it. I didn’t give a shit that you were my best friend's sister or that you were going to marry someone else. I would take you any way I could.” I took a breath. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone and I never will again. You’re it for me, Nora. You’re what I thought I’d never have.”
“I love you,” she said.
It was the last thing she could say before my lips were on hers. I kissed her for every day I hadn’t been able to this past month — to thank her, to ask for her forgiveness, and to let her know that she’d always be number one in my heart, in my life. I pulled away with a harsh breath.
“I want you to tell me all about your coffee shop and everything else that I’ve missed.” I leaned in and bit her bottom lip. “But first, I need you to get on your back so I can taste your pussy before your company gets here.”
Her breath hitched, but she scrambled to the center of the bed, the motion making her dress ride up to her hips, exposing her white lace underwear. I smirked, setting my knee on the bed. I grabbed the string on the side and pulled it, letting it slap her skin. She moved her hips, those big brown eyes drowning in lust. I didn’t deserve her, but I was going to have her anyway.
“Open your legs.” I backed away just enough and groaned at the sight of her perfect pussy. I’d been dreaming about this for an entire month and wanted to savor the moment, but we were running out of time. She shimmied her hips again. My eyes snapped to hers. “Stay still for me. I need to see you.”
“I’ll try,” she said breathlessly.
“Good girl.” I smiled as I leaned in, yanked her panties off, and pressed my tongue against her. I groaned against her. My cock had been hard the moment we walked into this room, the moment I looked up her dress when we went upstairs, but as I licked her pussy and she started moaning my name and tugging my hair, I grew even harder. I paused for a moment and looked up at her. She whimpered at the loss of my mouth and looked at me to see why I’d stopped.
“I love you more than anything in the world,” I said.
Her smile was blinding. I let myself capture it for a moment before I dipped my head between her legs again.
EPILOGUE
ROCCO
I’d been livingwith Lenora for two months. With help from the guys, I’d moved half my closet to hers the night of the housewarming party. We must have looked like we’d robbed a dry cleaner with all the clothes in our hands, but I didn’t care. I owned the cleaners on that block anyway. I woke up with her in my arms every morning and pinched myself. I was learning to accept the good things the universe was throwing my way without questioning it or bracing myself for something bad to happen right after.
I walked her to the coffee shop every morning, and every afternoon, I met her to walk her home. On the nights she wanted to get behind the bar at Scarab, I returned home to escort her there. She’d laughed the first time I’d returned home to get her and told me she could walk alone. I agreed. She could, but she didn't have to as long as I was alive.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had to admit. I understood why Sofia kept this house for herself.
“You are such an asshole for making me do this,” Matti said as I opened my eyes and laughed.
“Hey, think of it as hazing, of sorts.”
“Right, because seeing you cut someone's dick off didn’t count?” He shot me a look.
“When are you going to get over that?”
“I don’t think I can.”
“Yeah, that was not the most welcoming sight,” Nico agreed.
“Both of you, shut up and do your jobs,” I said, turning away to walk into the house.
“One day, you’re going to do this for one of us, Marchetti,” Matti called out.
I set my hand on the door and laughed, throwing my head back. “One day in hell, maybe.”
Everyone was here awaiting Lenora’s arrival. Rosie brought charcuterie. Isabel brought rum. Cat brought pigs in a blanket, the first thing she’d made in the new air fryer she wouldn’t shut the fuck up about. All of the ladies — not to mention Gabe and Mikey — got the same fucking thing. My brother said it was the best thing invented since the crock-pot. And he didn’t think he was old.
When the door finally opened, everyone turned toward it and yelled, “Surprise! Happy Birthday!” Lenora looked around the room, covering her mouth as she took it all in.
“You guys are sneaky,” she said, hugging everyone before she got to me and kissed me. “You’re too good at hiding things from me. I’m going to start getting paranoid.”
