Chapter Twenty-Nine EVERLEIGH

Chapter Twenty-Nine

EVERLEIGH

I’m trying to remain strong and stand by my convictions. My opinions, feelings, whatever you want to call them. Going out to lunch with Sienna and being able to talk about everything that happened last night between me and Nico was just what I needed. I’d been full of nonstop doubt ever since I sneaked out of his room, my head swirling with confusion after I left Nico sleeping alone in his bed. I went to my own bedroom, locked the door, and then just lay there thinking.

Thinking.

It was the most earth-shattering sexual experience of my life, but it also left me a mess—and not in a positive way. Good sex is one thing, and we didn’t even do the actual deed yet. I didn’t think I was this type of woman, but maybe I fall a little in love with a man who knows how to rock my world.

Nico rocked my entire universe with ease. Like it was no big deal for him to give me an intense orgasm with his mouth and fingers while I was left lying there in the middle of his bed, a gasping, overwhelmed bundle of bewilderment. A fumbling fool who tried to give him an adequate hand job. Who probably should’ve done more for him, but after three orgasms, I was sleepy.

Exhausted, really. And a little drunk.

I passed out only to jolt awake about thirty minutes later, my heart racing after the dream I just had. More like nightmare.

We were in a giant house where I lived with my current roommates. I went looking for Nico, but I couldn’t find his bedroom anywhere. I opened door after door, and eventually I found him in a bathroom.

Fucking Portia while she sat on the edge of the counter, a triumphant smile on her face, aimed right at me.

Feeling sick to my stomach, I sneaked out of his bed and went to my own, totally distraught. I barely slept. When Sienna sent me a text asking if I wanted to go to lunch, I immediately said yes. And the moment after we made our order and the server walked away, I spilled my guts.

Told her everything that happened between me and Nico the night before, though I saved a few details for myself. Like I refused to tell her his dick size, and trust that she tried her best to pry the information out of me. I repeatedly said it was sufficient and left it at that.

She had a moment of supreme jealousy because stupid Gavin will never make a move on her, direct quote. I let her have her moment of getting all her frustration out, but then she asked me a difficult question.

What do I want from Nico now?

I couldn’t give her an answer.

And this was what brought me to this point of being in his room and wrapped up in his arms while he’s naked and smells so freaking good since he just got out of the shower. His dark hair is wet and slicked back from his gorgeous face, and his cheeks are as smooth as a baby’s butt because I assume he just shaved, and he’s so tempting.

Beautiful.

Flirtatious.

A little demanding—in a hot way. Not in an I’m the man, do as I say way.

Yet I’m turning him down. I’m telling him what happened last night was a mistake and it’s best we remain friends. That’s it.

What in the world is wrong with me?

But seriously, how can I remain his friend when I know how good it is between us? How it has the potential to be even better if we just give it a chance?

“Wait a sec. Did you just compare me to your shitty ex?” He sounds a little pissed.

“You’re nothing like Brad,” I immediately say.

“No kidding,” he mutters.

I’ve told my roommates enough about Brad that they all hate him. He is the complete opposite of every single one of the guys I live with.

Especially Nico.

“But you’re not great in a relationship. You’ve admitted that to me before,” I remind him.

“We can’t just fuck around and see where it takes us?” he asks hopefully.

Heaven forbid we put a label on what we’re doing.

“You’ll get bored with me.” My voice is flat, my annoyance on full display. I’m not interested in “fucking around” to see where it takes us.

He studies my face, his eyelids falling to half-mast, giving him this sleepy, sexy look that has my heart beating a little faster than usual. “What if you get bored with me?”

“I doubt that will happen.” I actually snort, which is sort of embarrassing.

His lips curve into a closed-mouth smile that only adds to his appeal. “I won’t get bored with you, Ever. Not after last night.”

I should not take that as a compliment. I don’t even know what he means exactly. “What are you talking about?” I ask warily.

He dips his head, his mouth at my ear, his hands pressing against the door on either side of my head, caging me in with his big body. “You were a dirty girl.”

That sort of remark should not make me want to melt, but here I go, my bones feeling like they could turn to mush at any second. “Not really.”

“You are.” His lips skim the edge of my earlobe, making me shiver. “I practically had you bent over backward last night when I was going down on you. Remember?”

Oh God. He’s right. At one point I felt like a gymnast, my body contorted in all sorts of unusual positions.

“And don’t forget that I had you begging for it,” he continues in that smooth, seductive tone.

“I was?” Hmm. I don’t remember begging. Did I?

Probably.

“Uh-huh.” He licks me behind my ear, his mouth drifting down the length of my neck. I can feel him getting hard, and I spread my legs a little to accommodate for it. “Kept saying please over and over when I asked if you wanted me to tongue-fuck you.”

I lock my knees so they don’t buckle. “I did not.”

He chuckles, the sound making me throb between my thighs. “Yeah, you did.”

I slide my hands up his bare chest, savoring his smooth, hard skin. He’s warm and solid and so freaking ripped. I take him in, the midafternoon sun spilling into his room from the uncovered window, highlighting all his best parts, which are .?.?. every single part of him.

There’s a patch of dark hair between his developed pecs. He’s got six-pack abs that I still think about licking, and I wish he wasn’t so tightly pressed against me so I could check him out from the waist down.

No,the annoying voice in my head screams. You don’t want to check out his dick or his thick thighs or his lickable abs. You want to friend zone this dude. He will break your heart.

Shatter it into a bazillion pieces if you’re not careful.

“Come to bed with me.” Oh, his words, combined with the deep timbre of his voice, are the epitome of seduction.

He makes it sound so easy.

Come to bed with me.

“Maybe we—”

The words die in my throat when he hauls me into his arms with ease, carrying me over to the bed while I cling to him, impressed by his strength. My arms are wrapped around his neck, and my legs are clamped around his waist tightly, but I know he won’t drop me.

Deep down, I know he never would.

Nico deposits me on the bed, and I bounce on the mattress, ready to say something else, ask him what he’s doing, though I know. I know exactly what he’s trying to do, and I’m a willing participant in all of it.

But then he’s on me. All six feet plus, two hundred pounds of muscle of him covering me completely. He grips either side of my head with his big hands, holding me in place as his mouth finds mine and he devours me.

Kissing me like his life depends on it.

I return the kiss with all the pent-up emotion that’s been growing within me since I left this very bed in the middle of the night. I kiss him with such ferocity that when I try to roll him over and end up on top, he lets me do it. I’m sitting on him still fully clothed while he’s completely naked, his erection poking me in the ass.

I brace my hands on his chest, staring at him unabashedly. Vaguely angry with my choices because this is exactly what I told myself I wouldn’t do.

Yet here I am doing it. Enjoying it.

“You’ve got too much clothing on,” he murmurs, his hands going for the front of my denim shorts, undoing the button there. I let him, savoring the sensation of his hands touching the same spots that he did last night, his fingers skimming along the waistband of my panties. “Wearing panties today? How unfortunate.”

He’s a talker, a commentator even, and I’m not used to that. Brad was the furthest thing from that, and I love the commentary.

I think it actually makes me wetter.

Nico’s fingers dive beneath the front of my panties, but my shorts are too tight for him to go much farther, and the disappointment that hits me at this realization is .?.?.

It’s a lot.

“Are you serious about keeping it as just friends between us?” His fingers brush the sensitive skin just above my panties, making my stomach muscles constrict. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and I love it. “Because I’ll stop if you are.”

He’s also not playing fair. Looking like that naked. Those dark-brown eyes watching me carefully as he slowly withdraws his hand from the front of my open shorts, resting it lightly on my thigh. The velvety tone of his deep voice, the warmth of his body seeping into mine. Even with me fully clothed and sitting on top of him, it’s like a perfect fit.

We are a perfect fit.

Swallowing hard, I think of all the many reasons why we shouldn’t continue this. They are numerous. Endless. I’m most likely going to end up the injured party here when it’s all said and done between us. I keep going around and around on this point, yet I always find myself here.

With Nico. Wearing that persuasive smile and oozing confidence. Confidence that’s not fake. It comes naturally to him, like breathing.

If I could gain even an ounce of confidence from this man, I’d probably conquer the world.

“You haven’t answered me, Ever.” He stares into my eyes, and I lose myself in them for a moment. “It’s obvious to me that we’re good together.”

“Good together, as in sexually?” The question tumbles from my lips without thought.

He nods, his hand sliding down to curl around my knee. “I made you come three times last night.”

Like I could forget that important point. Though I’m not used to talking about how many times a man can make me come, so this conversation isn’t normal for me. At all.

“Well, you are quite .?.?. talented.” I’m blushing. I can feel the heat fill my cheeks.

His smile grows. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“I gave you a quickie hand job. That’s it.” I’m shaking my head, about to slide right off him, but he tightens his hold on me, keeping me in place.

“Why are you always downplaying what you do?”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“I’m trying to give you a compliment and remind you how hot you were last night.” He drags his index finger across my knee. I feel that touch to the very depths of my soul. I’m literally shaking. “And you act like what you did was nothing.”

“It was noth—”

“It was something. You’re something.” His gaze lifts to mine, his eyes full of sincerity. “You’re beautiful. You’re smart. You have this .?.?. way about you that everyone likes. Coop called it a vibe.”

Pleasure blooms in my chest. “A vibe?”

“He said he likes the vibe you’ve brought to the house since you moved in. I do too.” His hand is on my thigh again, his fingers playing with the hem of my denim shorts. “I can’t stop thinking about last night.”

“Yeah?” I croak, swallowing hard. I forget all about what I said. How we should just be friends. That pursuing this further will only end up in disaster. I’m mesmerized by the words he’s saying. The look on his face. The way he’s touching me.

“I know what you said, and I want to respect your wishes, but my thoughts about you, Everleigh? They’re way too friendly.” His gaze locks with mine, and I can’t look away. I’m finding it difficult to breathe. “I keep thinking about what it’ll feel like, being inside you.”

I don’t know how to respond to him. I’m in a haze, one easily constructed by this man’s way with words and how he’s touching me .?.?.

Realization strikes and my heart drops. Is this a line? Is this what he tells all the women he’s been with?

Is this what he said to Portia?

Without warning I’m climbing off him, nearly tripping over my own feet when I make it off the bed. I’m practically to the door before he actually has a chance to say anything.

“Where are you going?” He sounds confused. Vaguely irritated. I’m always running from him, secretly hoping he’ll chase after me.

Except in this moment.

“I—like I said, Nico. I don’t think this is going to work.” I say the words to the door, unable to face him.

I exit his bedroom before he can say anything else, desperate to escape his convincing ways. He’s good at this.

Too good.