Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84446 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84446 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
I did the same, meeting her near the door, and reaching to grab the lapels of the jacket she had on.
“I like how this looks on you,” I told her, using it to pull her closer until her body was against mine, and leaning down to claim her lips again. A little harder, hungrier. But I pulled away before either of us could get any ideas.
We moved out into the common area to find an anxious looking Nico stopping mid-pace to look at us.
“I’ll let you talk to your brother for a minute, mouse,” I said, giving her wrist a squeeze before moving across the room to take myself out into the hall.
Alone, I leaned against the wall, letting out a deep breath.
I got her back.
And, fuck, I would do everything in my power to make her never feel like leaving again.
The door opened a few minutes later, a resigned-looking Nico with his arm around his little sister.
“Oh, I forgot my shoes,” Lore said, rolling her eyes at herself, then turning to rush back to the bedroom.
Nico’s gaze was hard as he looked at me.
“I’ll do everything in my power to do right by her this time,” I told him.
He must have picked up on the sincerity in my voice, because he nodded.
But his hand raised, touching his lower lip.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice,” he said, glancing over at his sister as she came back.
“That’s already been handled,” I told him, watching as understanding sank in. “You got questions about it, we can talk,” I said.
“Maybe we can have Nico over for dinner,” Lore said, sensing a tension between us, and forcing a little more cheer into her voice.
“Of course we can,” I agreed.
“You’re cooking?” Nico asked, brows raised, like that was surprising.
“Yeah.”
“Then I’ll definitely be there,” he said, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. “Just tell me a date and time.”
“I will. And I’ll text you when I get home,” she said, the words easing the tension in her brother’s shoulders.
“Good. I’ll wait on that,” he said. “Love you, Lore.”
“Love you more,” she said, smiling at him.
“Not fucking possible,” he said, shaking his head. “And you…” he said, gaze shifting to me. “You take care of her.”
“I will,” I vowed, nodding, then turning with Lore toward the elevator.
“He’s a little… overprotective,” Lore said as we made our way into the elevator car.
“He should be over you,” I said, reaching out to drop my arm on her shoulders, feeling the way she immediately curled into me, like this was what she’d been aching for all along. “Thanks for giving me another chance, mouse.”
“You owe me and Elian frozen mocha coffees,” she said, snuggling in even closer.
“I’ll buy you the fucking coffee shop if you want it.”
“That’s not necessary,” she said, but a playful smile was tugging at her lips. “A bookstore, though…”
“What’s in those books you’re always reading?” I asked.
“Fantasy, court intrigue, princes, knights, fae, romance, and…” she trailed off, cheeks going pink.
Looking down, a smile spread across my face.
“And fucking?” I asked, watching her go even redder. “Oh, mouse, I think you might need to start reading these books to me.”
She shook her head at me, thinking I was playing. But I suddenly decided I needed to hear her read out a sex scene to me. While I tasted her sweet pussy. While I was buried deep inside of her.
“Hey,” she said, though, breaking the fantasy, as she spotted Elian waiting for us.
“Hey, Mrs. Lombardi, good to see you again,” he said, getting a big smile from her.
“Renzo is going to replace our coffees on the way home,” she told him.
“He’d better,” Elian agreed, giving her a big smile as he opened the door for her.
Just as she wanted, we stopped for her to grab the coffees, and then she snuggled up against me the whole way home.
And nothing had ever fucking felt more right.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Lore
I was surprised how willing Nico was to let me leave with Renzo after that epic weepathon I’d had all over him.
But as Renzo moved into the hall, Nico had sighed hard and turned to me.
“I wouldn’t let you leave with him if he didn’t look fucking wrecked when he showed up at the door,” he said. “But if that man makes you cry like that again, I’m putting a bullet in his head.”
“I don’t think he will,” I said.
“He better not. You deserve someone who knows what he’s got.”
The thing was, I felt like Renzo did.
If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have gone back with him, wouldn’t have welcomed heartbreak like that again.
I genuinely was starting to believe that Renzo just didn’t know how to show his feelings, not that he didn’t have them.
We’d driven home mostly in silence after Renzo stole sips off of my frozen coffee as he trailed those delicious little circles across my scalp.