CHAPTER XX

M y feet were killing me.

My back needed to be cracked to ease the tension knotting in my spine.

I could have really used the candy bar I stashed away in my purse.

The appetizers all served, I now glared across the bar, my heart pounding as I watched that old hag lean in too close to Nico, her laughter a little too bright, her hand lingering a little too long on his arm. The sight made my blood boil. How dare she? She was married, and to a judge I thought I’d seen at the club.

I tried to avoid Nico as much as I could after our earlier run in. He was a freaking unwelcome distraction, but it annoyed me to see other women flaunting themselves at him. But what really pissed me off was that Nico didn’t shoo them away. If I knew better, he allowed it on purpose and enjoyed seeing me squirm.

So, in a fit of defiance, I turned my attention to the bartender, letting a sultry smile slip onto my lips as I bent over the bar, giving him a playful wink. This wasn’t me. I didn’t flirt, and I sure as hell didn’t know what I was doing. But I must have been doing something right since the cute blond bartender grinned.

I took that as a cue to kick it up a notch, knowing it would piss Nico off. I touched the bartender’s arm, and his smile widened, showing his pearly whites.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and noticed a message from Nico.

Nico

Take your hand off his arm.

I rolled my eyes, my frustration boiling over.

Me

No.

Nico

Winter.

Me

Nico.

Nico

NOW!

Me

Why?

Nico

Because if you don’t want to be dragged out of here by your hair in front of hundreds of people, walk the fuck away.

Me

Leave me alone.

I was playing with fire, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. The way he controlled me infuriated me, and yet, it excited me too.

God, there was something seriously wrong with me.

“What’s your name, gorgeous?” the bartender asked, interrupting my thoughts.

“Winter,” I told him with a smile, and tucked my phone away.

His smirk deepened. “So, tell me, Winter, are you spoken for?”

Confused, I furrowed my brows. “What do you mean?”

He chuckled. “Do I have to worry about a jealous boyfriend?”

“No, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Good.” His eyes twinkled with mischief as he leaned in and rested his arms on the bar. “I might just have to make sure you get home safe tonight,” he replied, his tone smooth as silk.

My smile faltered, and I swallowed hard. Yeah, I don’t think so, buddy.

The bartender extended his hand toward my face, and I remained still, aware that I ought to pull back, yet I didn’t. I shut my eyes, anticipating the touch, but then I sensed a rush of movement next to me. When I opened my eyes, the bartender’s hand was gripped in midair by a pair of tattooed hands wrapped around it.

The bartender’s face contorted in pain, his features paling.

“You want to explain what the fuck you think you’re doing with that hand of yours?” Nico spoke in an unsettlingly deep and calm tone.

“Nico, wait—” I began, but his intense gaze silenced me.

“I wasn’t asking you,” he spat at me.

Turning to the bartender, I searched for words to apologize, but Nico’s grip tightened, eliciting a pained groan.

“Nico, please stop it,” I whisper-hissed. “Let him go.”

“I will when he answers my question,” Nico growled.

“I-I thought she was single, Mr. Moretti,” he stammered “I swear to God, I would never look or touch someone that was yours.”

I reared back in disgust. What the hell? I was not a freaking object!

Nico pulled the bartender closer, his face inches from his. “Today’s your lucky day. Because of her, I won’t have to break your fucking jaw just for talking to my girl. Got it?”

He nodded vigorously, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. “Yes, sir.”

With a swift, brutal motion, Nico lifted the bartender’s wrist and slammed it against the edge of the bar with a sickening crack.

My hands flew over my mouth, holding in a scream.

The bartender’s low cries filled the air as his wrist hung at an unnatural angle.

“Oh, my God! You broke his wrist,” I gasped in horror, taking a step back.

Nico adjusted his tie, and his cold gaze, devoid of remorse, met mine. “What the fuck do you think? He was going to touch you.”

“But he didn’t,” I argued. I scanned the room, desperate to find someone who could intervene, but everyone carried on like this was normal. “I was the one who touched him.”

Nico’s eyes blazed with fury, his nostrils flared, and his jaw ticked as if he was on the verge of exploding. “Exactly. And that will be the last time you will ever touch another man.”

“This is ridiculous. You’re ridiculous,” I told him, shaking my head, and turned to the bartender. He remained in the same spot, covering his face with the bend of one arm while gripping his broken wrist.

My heart ached for him. “Nico, please,” I whispered. “Let him go. He needs a doctor.”

“Then stop playing fucking games and I won’t have to kill him or anyone else who dares to look at you like you’re their next fix.”

My head snapped up at his deadly promise, and I found myself searching his face, those beautiful hard lines, for any sign that he might be joking. But there were none. Then my eyes fell on the bartender, an innocent bystander, and I realized with a jolt that Nico would do it. He’d hurt someone just to prove a point, to show who was in control.

“Now that I have your attention,” Nico said, snapping me out of my daze, “Walk. Women’s bathroom. Now.”

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. What the hell was he going to do to me? Maybe if I kicked him in the dick, it would give me enough time to run like hell.

“I can hear your thoughts from here. I suggest you listen to me and don’t run. I’ll catch you every time.”

I stared at him, feeling something —a pull, a desire—to be near him despite his overbearing ways.

* * *

NICO

Fuck me, this woman.

My little angel enjoyed testing my patience.

The moment she touched him, my lungs were burning, and I struggled to breathe. I’d never reacted this way toward any woman.

Fuck.

Winter wreaked havoc on my heart, and I couldn’t seem to do shit about it.

Maybe I could end this torment by taking her life to get rid of these emotions that consumed me and distract me from doing my job. But then again, I couldn’t live in a world where she didn’t exist.

I watched as she walked through the room and down the hall toward the bathroom. I wrenched my gaze away and fixed my eyes on the bartender. “Leave,” I snarled with a jerk of my head toward the exit.

Without saying a word, he rushed out. I walked behind the bar and poured myself a drink. Lifting the glass to my lips, I swallowed, loving its harsh burn down my throat.

My men watched me with cautious expressions, and I gave them a terse nod, letting them know I was fine and to carry on. Miguel came to the bar. “You good, boss?”

“Yeah.” I exhaled sharply and took another drink. “I’ll be right back.” Slamming the glass down, I pushed past him and stormed down the hall to the women’s bathroom.

Right when I reached the hall with the bathrooms, I glanced over my shoulder at Miguel. “Don’t let anyone come in or out of this bathroom.”

I pushed the door open and locked it behind me. My heart rattled in my chest as I stared at my angel standing in front of the mirror and resting her hands on the sink counter. She was looking right at me in the mirror, making my dick twitch.

I took menacing steps toward her until my chest was against her back. She swallowed. A smile slowly spread across my face.

She was so tiny that her head only came up to the middle of my chest.

We stared at each other, and I was pulled into her alluring golden eyes. She had a small mole on the bottom corner of her mouth, and faint freckles on her nose. Her cupid’s bow lips were pink with gloss and begging to be kissed. I closed my eyes and inhaled her sweet rose scent.

Always smelling like freaking roses.

So sweet and innocent, fucking delectable. I was going to devour her purity and get drunk on her.

When I opened my eyes, she was still staring at me. I didn’t give her time to react when I removed the tie from her hair, letting her waves flow naturally. “Much better,” I teased.

Then my hands glided down the curves of her body. I stopped at her hips, keeping her in place as I turned her to face me. I ran my fingers in her hair and yanked her head back, and she yelped in surprise. Her dainty hands wrapped around my wrists like she was hanging on for dear life, begging me to set her free. Or maybe not to let go.

I leaned in until my mouth hovered over her lips and said, “I’m going to fuck the defiance out of you.” My voice was rough, and my dick was like a steel rod.

Her eyes widened, and a quick intake of breath escaped her lips.

Without a second thought, I crashed my mouth down on hers. When she opened for me, I shoved my tongue down her throat, lapping up every taste because one kiss wasn’t going to be enough.

The beast in me roared with glee when she moaned into my mouth and wrapped her hands around my neck. My hands moved down her back and hips until they hit her ass. I lifted her and ground my hard cock against her core.

My heart pounded against my ribcage like a wild animal. She had an innocence wrapped in an undeniable allure, and tonight, she was more captivating than ever.

“Nico,” Winter breathed. I reluctantly pulled back and found her eyes gazing up at me, filled with desire and trust.

I leaned closer. “You drive me fucking crazy. I can’t help but feel… drawn to you like a fucking drug addict, and you’re the fix I can’t quit,” I confessed. My fingers traced the curve of her jaw, and she leaned into my touch, urging me to come closer.

“What…” She hesitated, as if unsure of what to say, before continuing. “What are you doing?”

“Whatever I want,” I told her.

Then, as if struck by lightning, I closed the distance, capturing her mouth with mine. The kiss was a collision of souls, pouring out all the unspoken words that had built between us. In response, her hands wove into my hair, pulling me deeper. Our kiss was frantic, hungry, and rough. There was nothing sweet about it. It was filled with passion and anger.

I deepened the kiss, tilting my head, wanting more and savoring the taste of her.

As the kiss raged on, I slipped my arms around her waist, drawing her closer. The world outside faded into a distant memory, and all that mattered was Winter—the way she made me feel, the way she responded to each stroke of my fingers. Her body arched against mine as if begging for something more.

“Fuck, Winter,” I moaned into her mouth. The velvet softness of her skin beneath my hands, the warmth radiating from her body—it was intoxicating.

When she started to grind her hips against mine, all bets were off. My control snapped, and with one arm holding her, I pulled her pants off.

“What are you doing?” Winter gasped.

“I’m not going to fuck you—not yet,” I told her with a smirk. “I want to touch you. Let me touch you, Winter.”

When she spread her legs open, I dove in without giving her time to adjust to the intrusion.

“Oh, God!” she moaned while I worked her pussy with two fingers.

She was so fucking tight.

“Fuck, you’re soaking, baby.” I kissed her again while thrusting my fingers inside her. “I’ve never been this fucking turned on. Fuck. What are you doing to me?”

“What am I doing?”she stammered, trying to catch her breath.

“So innocent,” I growled and buried my face between her breasts. I set her back onto the counter with my arms on both sides, keeping her in place, watching her chest heave.

She peered up at me and grabbed my face as she forcefully stuck her tongue in my mouth.I moaned against her lips and wrapped my hands around her back, pulling her closer to me.

“I wanna taste you,” I mumbled in her mouth.

She placed her hands on my chest and pushed me away.

“What do you mean, taste me?” she asked nervously.

“I want to eat your pussy,” I said with a smile. “Lick it.” I licked her lips. “Bite it.” I nipped her lower lip. “And make you come on my tongue.”

“Oh,” she whispered, looking away, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks.

“Look at me.” I tipped her chin up with a finger. “I’m going to make you feel good.” I placed a feather-light kiss on her lips without lingering, something I’d never done with any other girl. “You ever had your pussy licked before?”

If she said yes, I was going to hunt down the fucker and rip his eyes out for looking at her pussy, and then rip out his tongue for tasting what was supposed to be mine.

She bit her bottom lip. “No,” she rasped.

* * *

WINTER

He smiled against my lips. “Good answer. Can I taste you now?” he asked.

I nodded because I wanted him to suck me. It was exhilarating and bad. Oh, so bad, but I didn’t care. I wanted to relish and enjoy this experience.

“Lie down,” he commanded.

I did as he said.

Once I was on my back with both hands at my sides, he grabbed my ankles and slid me down, keeping my ass on the edge of the counter.

What if he didn’t like it?

I knew he was experienced and probably sucked a lot of girls, but I hoped he didn’t regret this. Regret me .

Nico must have noticed my tension as he spread my legs apart. “It’s okay, relax. I promise you are going to enjoy this.”

Taking a deep breath, Nico tapped my butt, wanting me to lift it so he could remove my panties. Once he discarded them, Nico’s warm hands glided up my thighs, making me shiver. He chuckled when I clenched my legs together, but it didn’t stop him from spreading them wider.

“Fuck,” he breathed out, keeping his hands on the sides of my legs. I looked up and noticed Nico staring at my pussy with hunger in his eyes.

He licked his lips and gazed back at me. “Your pussy is glistening, baby.”

I loved it when he called me baby. God, what if he wanted me to?—

“Oh, my god!” I whispered, my knees weakening as I grabbed the side of the counter when his tongue entered my pussy.He lapped at me slowly, deliberately, sucking and nipping at my swollen lips before delving deeper. I’d never experienced this feeling before. My body vibrated with pleasure from the sensation of his touch and his mouth on my pussy. His moans made me thrust my hips upward. “Fuck. You taste so good,” he murmured, his voice husky with desire, and went back to feasting between my legs.

His skilled fingers were curling in all the right places. His breath was hot against my skin, and my body trembled. The sensation was too much. I couldn’t take it anymore. I squirmed and tried pulling away, but he gripped my ass and pulled me closer.

“Oh, shit,” I panted with the need to create some distance from him. “Nico...”

“Shh...” Nico’s breath was ragged. “You like this, don’t you?”

Yes! God, yes.

My body was working against me, fighting against wanting him and the urge to push him away.

Oh, God. Whatever the hell he was doing with his tongue down there was heightening my pleasure. My heart beat rapidly as if it was competing in a race, and my clit was throbbing. Was I having my first orgasm?

Then, abruptly, he pulled away, leaving me breathless and teetering on the edge. I looked up to see him slowly wipe his face, glistening with my juices, against my inner thigh.

“Why did you stop?” I asked, struggling to catch my breath.

He backed away and stood there, rigid, tucking one hand into his pockets, and then just stared at me.

“Nico?” I whispered.

With deliberate slowness, he pulled his hand from his pocket, revealing a knife. My throat tightened as I swallowed hard and waited for his response.

“Did you think I was going to forget the shit you pulled earlier?” he growled, taking a step closer.

“Wh-what are you doing?” My voice cracked.

In a swift motion, he grabbed my legs and spread them apart. I attempted to close them, but my strength was no match to his.

“Put your feet flat on the counter, and spread them wide for me,” he demanded.

Tears burned in the back of my eyes, but I wouldn’t allow them to fall as I complied. The cold metal of the knife glided across my skin.

“We’re going to play a game,” he began. “For every lie, you’ll bleed. For every truth, I’ll think about making you come.”

I blinked at him.

“Do you understand the rules, Winter?”

I nodded, my throat too dry to speak.

“Good.” He smirked but the expression was wicked. “First question,” he said, then ran the tip of the knife up from my ankle and stopped at mid-calf. “Did you touch him on purpose?”

“Yes,” I admitted.

He watched me closely and trailed the knife higher and stopped at my inner thigh. “When I had my tongue deep inside your cunt, did you think of him?”

“No,” I said without hesitation.

He looked down between my legs and probably saw me getting wet, but it was not for the reason he thought.

His eyes narrowed further, and he pressed the tip deeper into my skin.

“I’m not lying! Stop, Nico!” I tried to move away, but he pulled my leg closer with his free hand.

“Then why are you fucking wet?” He pressed the knife harder.

I didn’t answer, too ashamed to admit that what he was doing turned me on. The tip of the knife cut my skin, and I gasped.

Did he just cut me?

Blood trickled down my leg, and it stung. He slowly inched the knife closer to my crotch and I froze.

My gaze shot upward, locking with his. His striking blue eyes appeared darker than I’d ever seen them—almost sinister.

I’d read enough romance books about knife play but never imagined it would be my reality. And when he parted my pussy lips with the metal blade, it was time to freak out.

“Does this turn you on?” he rasped, his voice low and laced with frustration. His chest was heaving, each breath a struggle as he fought to maintain control.

I remained silent, my body tense, as if a single word could set him off like a bomb.

I sighed in relief when he moved the knife away, but it was short lived. His body loomed over me, and he held the blade, now stained with my blood, to my neck. A wave of panic rushed through me, pulsating wildly in my veins.

He guided the tip to my tie, slicing through the fabric. I tried to keep my breath steady as he continued torturing me. With quick motions, the knife tore through the middle of my shirt, ripping it open.

I drew in a sudden, shaky breath, my heart pounding against my chest in fear. He widened the gap until my bra was exposed. His eyes drifted up to my face, and he watched me with hunger, the same expression he had when his face was between my legs.

Without taking his eyes off me, he brought the knife to my bra and moved it in a circular motion until the cup of my bra was removed. The cold air formed goosebumps on my skin.

Nico lowered his head, wrapped his full lips over my hard nipple, and sucked. My back arched in pleasure, and I felt him hardening against my core. Frustration crept in and a moan escaped me. I ground my hips into him, seeking relief.

Nico pulled back and sucked on the other breast—hard. His teeth grazed the top of my breast, and then bit down.

“Ahh!” I gasped, instinctively trying to push him away, but he held me down with his solid weight, pinning me in place.

He surprised me by pressing his lips against my breast and kissing me with tenderness, somehow soothing away the sharp sting of what just happened. He pulled back, his expression unreadable, and casually tucked the knife back into his pocket, leaving me wanting more. He helped me sit up and then caged me in, his hands bracketing me against the sink. “Winter,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. “Look at me.”

Lifting my gaze, I met his eyes, a deep, piercing blue and glittering with satisfaction and something more...possession, perhaps. His lips, swollen from our kisses, curved into a slow, wicked smile.

“Did you learn your lesson?” he asked, his voice dripping with condescension.

My hands at my sides clenched into fists, and I wanted to kick him right in the dick. How dare he?

“You’re a bastard,” I whispered, and tears of frustration finally streaked down my cheeks.

He leaned in closer, that smug grin still plastered on his stupid, handsome face. “I never claimed to be anything else,” he taunted. “But now you’ll remember this moment and think twice before challenging me.”

A sharp knock on the door jolted me backward, and I hit my head against the mirror.

“Fuck,” Nico hissed and reached for my head, but his hand halted in mid-air when a voice called out from the other side.

“Boss, there’s a matter that requires your attention.”

Nico’s eyes narrowed slightly but he didn’t break eye contact as he called out, “I’ll be out in a minute.”

He leaned in, his breath ghosting over my lips. “Are you okay?”

I nodded in response.

“Good. I’ll be seeing you soon, Angel.” His mouth claimed mine once more, a soft, lingering kiss that left me reeling.

With one last look, he turned and strode out, the door clicking shut behind him.

I leaned back against the counter, my heart pounding, my breath coming in short gasps. The threat, for now, had been eliminated, but the game was far from over.

A smile played on my lips as I realized the depths of the trouble, or pleasure, ahead.