Nico

Nico loved spending alone time with Toni. Her recovery had allowed him to take care of her and to show her just what she had come to mean to him. But being around her all day and night and having to keep his hands off of her was starting to take its toll on his resistance. He wanted her, and today he could have her. He watched Toni as she slept soundly, resisting the urge to wake her up and take her over and over again. She needed her rest and he needed to fight his inner caveman's urge to make her his.

They spent the rest of yesterday and into the night lying in bed with room service, watching old black and white movies. It was almost perfect. He loved the way Toni so freely touched him and sought him out for comfort. In the week and a half since her accident, he noticed her becoming more and more his girl. That helped to ease his fears of her leaving, which were very real when she admitted to not remembering him. Nico thought he was going to lose her, never in a million years imagining she'd give him another chance to be a part of her life.

Toni had called her lawyer back to give him Nico's friend's address. He just hoped they could fly under the radar and stick to the plan of laying low for a while longer. Jace and Oliver were working with a few of their friends on the local police force to find anything that they could about Zac's involvement in Toni's first accident or James's death. They hadn't come up with anything yet, but he got them to release Zac's statements after both incidents, and he wanted to comb through them to see if anything stood out. He was hoping to find some clue as to Zac's involvement in either case. Nico would bet everything he had that Zac was somehow responsible for both Toni's accident and James's death, but he would never let Toni know that. She already told him she felt bad that he was involved in her family's mess as if he'd have it any other way. If it was something that involved her, he wanted in, no matter what the circumstances. But he wasn't sure if she was ready to hear that from him.

Since that first night in Boston at his parents' house, she hadn't said she loved him again. God, he wanted her to; it was as if he were secretly willing her to say it, but he didn't push. That wasn't the way he wanted it to happen. He wanted Toni to say it of her own free will, not out of obligation or guilt. He wouldn't push her into anything she didn't want, no matter how badly he needed those words from her. Sure, he could see how much she wanted him, every time she looked him up and down, he instantly got hard. He wanted more. Nico wanted what they had together before, all the bits and pieces she couldn't remember, but hopefully someday would.

"You're up early," she whispered and turned into his body. Toni planted a soft kiss on his shoulder and stilled. "Sorry," she said. "When I'm waking up, I sometimes forget the way things are."

Nico pulled her tighter against his body, not letting her escape. "Or you remember exactly how things should be—how they were between us. You remember me, Toni." She gave a curt nod, not really answering him.

"I do remember parts of you, Nico. I won't lie about that. I dream about you, about us. It's almost as if the past year was just a fantasy, made up in my mind, and when I wake up, it's gone." Her voice sounded so sad she nearly broke his heart.

"But it isn't gone, honey. Not really. I'm right here and you just need to hold onto me—to us." Toni snuggled against him, and his cock seemed to take that as a green light, springing to life.

"I wish I knew what to do or even how to act around you. You make me feel things I'm not quite sure what to do with," she said.

"Like?" he asked. God, he didn't want to admit that her answer meant so much to him, but it did. He felt himself holding his breath as if waiting for her to answer. He was turning into a fucking teenage girl when it came to his feelings for her.

"Well, like how much I want you," she whispered.

"Thank fuck, baby, I want you too," he barked out. She giggled against his body, causing it to hum to life.

"I know," she said. "I can feel just how much you want me against my leg right now," she teased.

"Sorry, honey." He started to pull away from her and she threw her leg over his, stopping him.

"I like it, Nico. I want you just as much. Hell, I practically threw myself at you yesterday."

"Well, you did rip the towel from around my waist, leaving me completely vulnerable to your prying eyes," he joked. She giggled again, and he realized if he didn't get her naked and underneath him soon, he was going to lose his tightly held control.

"I guess I'm trying to say that I didn't expect to want you like this so soon after forgetting you. It confuses me, to be honest. You're a stranger to me but my body responds to you as if it knows you and I feel inexplicably drawn to you. Does that make any sense?" she asked.

Nico hummed his approval, loving the way she felt in his arms and the way she so freely told him how she was feeling. "I think it makes total sense, baby. You just need to let your mind heal and sooner or later, it will catch up to what your body already knows—namely me. You know me, honey, you just need to remember me." Nico kissed his way down her jaw, hoping they could get to the less-talking portion of their activities. She was finally medically cleared to do everything he wanted to do with her, and Nico didn't want to waste another second.

"I think I'm falling for you, Nico," she whispered.

"I know," he dramatically whispered back, as if he were sharing a secret.

"No," she said, pushing at his chest. "Nico, I think I'm falling in love with you," she shouted. He couldn't help but laugh, which only seemed to piss her off further. "Why are you laughing at me?" Toni tried to untangle their bodies, but he wasn't going to allow that. He wouldn't let her hide from him, not now.

"I'm not laughing at you, baby. I think it's funny you think I don't already know how you feel about me. It"s still just you and me, Toni. Nothing has changed for me; I feel the same way about you that I felt a month ago. Sure, I've been scared you were going to give up on us and leave me, but I knew eventually, it would always boil down to just you and me." She stopped struggling against him and gifted him with her shy smile.

"I like that, Nico," she said.

"Good," he whispered against her mouth. "Marry me, Toni," he said. Her eyes flared with realization, and she sat up in bed once he reluctantly released her. He wanted to kick himself for just blurting that out. It wasn't the time or the place to tell her how he felt about her or to ask her to be his wife. He just got caught up in the moment and didn't want to let it pass without saying exactly what was on his mind.

"So much has happened to us in such a short time. I almost lost you and that made me realize I've been carrying around this engagement ring, every day for almost six months now, waiting for the right day to ask you to spend the rest of your life with me. I've learned a lot this past month. There will never be a right time, I have to just make now that time. I won't lose you, I can't. I love you, Toni." He reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled a small black ring box free. He had brought the ring along with them, always having it in his pocket in case the right time appeared. When they got to the hotel, he stowed it in the drawer for safekeeping. Nico popped the box open, revealing the cushion-cut diamond to Toni. She gasped and covered her sob with her shaking hand.

"Nico, it's gorgeous," she cried. "It's exactly what I've always wanted, how did you know?"

He smiled at her, "Because I know you, baby. I know what you like and don't like. We have been talking about this next step for months. Plus, you like to drop a lot of hints when you really want something. You were relentless, leaving pictures around the apartment. You even left a picture of the ring in my—"

"Research notebook," she finished.

"Yes." His heart sped up with the realization Toni remembered another snippet from her deleted memories. Every time she had even the smallest recollection, it gave him so much hope. "You pasted it into the back of my notebook, so I'd never forget what you wanted. You said I always had that ratty old notebook with me, so your chances improved of getting the correct ring by putting the reminder in there." Toni smiled and nodded, wiping at her tears.

"I remember that Nico," she whispered. "I tried to think of a place where you wouldn't lose the reminder. All I could think of was that terrible beat-up book."

"See, honey, you remember me—us. Say yes. Tell me you'll be my wife and we can figure out the rest as we go. I don't care if you never remember this past year. Let's build new memories. I want a future with you." Nico took the ring out of the black velvet box and placed it on her finger, not waiting for her to agree.

"Nico," she whispered, "are you sure?"

"Yes," he choked. "Surer than I've ever been of anything in my life. I want you, Toni." He didn't want to rush her, but waiting for her answer, even though it only took seconds for her to give, felt like an eternity.

Finally, she nodded. "Yes, Nico. I'll marry you." Toni threw herself into his arms, against his body, and he rolled her underneath his own. He felt like everything in his life was finally right. He had Toni—she was his and he didn't want to ever let her go again.

"I want you, Nico," she whispered against his mouth. Toni slid her small hands into his boxer briefs letting his cock spring free. She wrapped her hands around his erection, causing him to hiss out his breath at just how good it felt to have her touching him that way.

"I want you too, honey," he growled. Nico dragged her tank top over her head, leaving her in just her panties underneath him. He rolled them both over, putting her on top of him, granting himself access to her perfect breasts. He sucked her taut nipple into his mouth, letting his teeth gently graze the tip.

"Yes," she hissed. "More please." Nico didn't need to be asked twice. He sucked her other nipple into his mouth, giving it the same attention as Toni shamelessly rubbed her soaked panties all over his erection.

"You feel so good, honey," he growled. She smiled down at him and he knew that his heart was a goner. If it hadn't already been hers, it now would belong to her completely. Nico couldn't wait any longer to be inside of her, he pushed her panties to the side and thrust deep into her core, causing them both to groan out in pleasure.

Nico pulled completely out of her body and slammed back into her tight core, trying to hold back his impending release. Spending so much time with Toni in close quarters made him crazy with lust. Finally being able to take what he wanted and Toni agreeing to be his, had him on edge.

"Don't hold back from me, Nico. I want all of you, please." She smiled down at him and gently stroked his cheek. He couldn't help but lean into her touch, needing everything she was offering and more. How could Toni tell he was holding back, not wanting to take too much from her yet? Did she remember how it used to be between the two of them? He'd always taken what he needed from her and gave her so much in return. Now, he feared he would hurt her or worse, scare her off with his dominant needs.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I need for you to be sure you want all of me, Toni. I'm a lot to handle." She smiled and nodded down at him, and he didn't waste a minute, pulling completely out of her body. His cock protested, and she didn't seem very happy about it either.

"Nico," she whimpered.

"Shh, honey. I've got you." He stood and pulled her up with him, bending her curvy body over the bed, leaving him to stand behind her. He swatted her ass three times, loving the way she hissed and moaned with pleasure. Her body remembered him perfectly and wanted more. Nico was ready to give her everything. He lined up his cock and pulled her hips back until he was fully inside of her tight core again, just where his dick wanted to be.

Nico set a punishing pace, pounding into her from behind, loving the sound of her fleshy ass slapping against his thighs. Toni took everything he gave her and when he knew she was close, he snaked his hand around her body, rubbing two fingers into her wet folds to find her clit. He pounded into her from behind until she screamed out his name, finding her release. Nico followed her over, growling Toni's name. She owned him body, mind, and heart, and he just reminded her of that.