Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
I was going to make my escape earlier, but I didn’t want it to look suspicious. I needed Marco to see me here talking to his guys before I left. Now when I’m gone, he’ll assume it was to take a woman to one of the private suites.
The night air is getting cooler as fall gets closer. When I step out onto the patio, it’s a literal breath of fresh air. I can’t stand the smell of all that cigar smoke and perfume. I’m about to make my way to the boat house when I see someone in the distance running away from the house.
Someone that looks a lot like Nolia.
“Fuck,” I hiss under my breath. Then I make sure no one is following me before I take off after her.
She must have gotten tired of waiting and came to see if I was here. She could have seen me walking out of the bathroom, and that would make things much worse. My heart is pounding against my chest when I see her go back to the boathouse instead of her cottage.
“Nolia,” I whisper when I reach the house and see the door ajar. There’s a light on in the distance, and I walk down the hallway, hoping I was right and this is where she was headed. “It’s me.”
“Go away.” Her voice is firm, but then I hear something that sounds like she’s been crying.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I tell her as I push open the old wooden door and find her inside what looks like a converted storage room. There are shelves on one side, but the rest of it looks like a bedroom that’s newly decorated. The bed is small, but the space is clean and a lot different than the rest of the old boathouse. Nolia is sitting on the bed, but she’s not looking in my direction. “What is this place?”
She brings her hand to face, and I think she wipes away a tear. “It’s Pru’s old room. Well, the one she would sleep in when those parties were going on.”
“Tell me why you’re upset.” I kneel down on the floor beside the bed, right at the edge of her feet.
“It’s nothing. It doesn’t matter.” She waves her hand in my direction like she’s trying to shoo me away.
“It’s not nothing.” I put a hand on her thigh, and she tenses. “And it does matter,” I say gently. “You matter to me.”
“Clearly.” I can practically hear her eyes roll as she turns to glower at me. Her tear-streaked face makes the ache in my chest turn painful. “I saw you with that woman, Luca. Don’t try and deny it.”
“Did you see when I refused her advances?” I ask, and she presses her lips together. “Did you see me tell her no and to get out? Did you see when I told her I would report her if she didn’t leave me alone?” My heart is beating faster at the thought that Nolia thinks I could ever touch another woman when I feel so strongly for her.
“She didn’t look like you turned her down.” She looks away, and her cheeks flush pink. “It’s fine, I get it. She was beautiful.”
“How could I look at another woman when all I see is you?” I shake my head because it’s the truth. “You’ve consumed me, amore.” Her eyes meet mine at the Italian word for love. “There is nothing and no one that could make me look in another direction. Let me prove it to you.”
“How?” She whispers the word so quietly as my hands slide up her thighs.
“Let me kiss you.” I bend down and brush my lips over her knee. “So I can show you how much you mean to me.”
Chapter Eight
NOLIA
My breath hitches as I stare at the man on his knees in front of me. I might be crazy, but I believe him. He didn’t have to chase after me or pretend to want me. We’re going to help each other no matter what, so there’s no reason for him to do this. Or a reason for him to lie.
I don’t think.
“You want to kiss me?” I lick my lips. They suddenly feel very dry. Although what’s happening between my legs is the total opposite. I want to press my thighs together, but I can’t with Luca between them.
“I want to do more than fucking kiss you, but I’ll take it. For now.”
“For now?” I smirk. That means he wants more than a kiss and likely beyond tonight. I shouldn’t let my mind go to the future. I need to focus on tonight.
“Don’t tease me, amore.” When he calls me amore once again, my heart flutters. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. It’s the only thing that got me through it.”
“Really?” I drop my eyes, suddenly feeling shy. Only Luca has ever made me feel shy before. In a strange way, I find it endearing. It makes me feel feminine and soft.