Page 154 of Worth Every Penny

“Why did you come to New York? I know the Hawkston building is pretty impressive, but it’s hardly up there on the top ten list of things to see when you visit.”

She purses her lips, suppressing a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “I’ve thought about everything that happened, and the things you said when I found out about my father, Lansen and Martin Brooks.”

“What things?”

“You said you couldn’t be with someone who would give up so easily. Who wouldn’t fight for what they want. That’s why I came here.” She stops, her lips opening and closing as she heaves in a couple of uneven breaths. “To fight for you. For us. Because onceI came to terms with everything, and understood what you’d done for Mum, for Jack, for all of us, I realised I’d been… rash.

“That doesn’t mean I agree with what you did, but once I’d thought about it, it wasn’t enough of a reason to give up on us. I couldn't wait for you to come back. I had to know if there was any chance…” Her chin quivers and her teeth dig into her bottom lip, pinning it in place. “But then I saw you with Erica.”

“I told you before, Erica and I don’t have a romantic relationship. We never have.”

“It didn’t look that way.” She traces circles on the white linen tablecloth with one finger, watching the movement. She stills and raises her gaze to mine. “What do you want? What’s your idea of ‘going forward’?”

I take a deep breath. “You and me. Together. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that night on the balcony at Jack’s birthday all those months ago. And if I’m entirely honest, since before that, too. That’s why seeing all your sketches of me”—a blush rises to her cheeks—“was a relief. A surprise, sure, but mostly a relief because it allowed me to admit what I’ve always known.”

She cups her hand over her mouth, elbow propped on the table. A tear trickles from her lashes, trailing a path down her cheek. “Which is?”

“That you’re the one. You’ve always been the one. The only one. I might not have drawn any pictures, but if I had even half your talent I would have sketched you a million times over. I would have drawn nothing but you. You amaze me. Your talent, your dedication, your strength. You’re incredible, Kate.” My heart has never beaten this fast before. I run a hand through my hair to calm myself and hold her gaze. “I love you. I’m completely, utterly, obsessively, in love with you.”

Her face crumples, tears flowing more freely now. She sniffles, aggressively wiping them away with the back of her hand. “If we do this, do we have to keep it secret?”

“Fuck, no.” I reach across the table and she puts her hand in mine. God, it feels good to touch her. Her fingers tighten against my palm. “No more secrets. If you want to be with me, I’ll tell the whole fucking world about it.”

KATE

We’re barely out of the lift and he’s stalking me down the corridor, so close behind that if I slow for a second, we’ll collide.

We talked everything through over dinner. Not that I could eat much. Nico’s proximity sent my body into a frenzy, humming with anticipation, knowing I would likely find myself here, outside my hotel room, with his body pressed up against mine before midnight.

The tension from the beginning of the evening has returned in full force, but there’s a distinct quality to it now… less awkward, more explosive. It’s not as though we haven’t slept together before, but this feels way more potent… like we’re on a precipice. And once we go over the edge, everything will be different.

As long as he’s still walking behind me, I can handle it. But if he were to stop for even a second, the lurking fear he’s going to disappear might break me. He might slip through my fingers like the fragments of a dream in early morning. If we can just get inside the room…

I stop at the door, fumbling to get the card out of my pocket. I can’t find it. Where is it? I flip open my shoulder bag, rifling through it, too nervous to search in any way that’s effective.

Nico’s large hand braces against the door by my head. “Having second thoughts?”

The scent of him intensifies; I can feel the warmth of his body against my back, the gentle touch of his breath on my neck.

My body pulses with need. If I can’t get this door open, we’re doing it against it. I reach my arm into my bag up to the elbow, fingers scrabbling amidst the contents. If I don’t find the key this time, I’m chucking the bag on the floor.

“Absolutely not.”

“Thank fuck,” he mutters into my nape before pressing a kiss there. Electricity warps my spine and I arch into him, my arse grazing against his erection. Anticipation I can barely contain bubbles beneath my skin. “Because if I have to live another second of my life with that face-smash in the cab as the last time we kissed, it’ll fucking kill me.”

A laugh escapes me as I finally clasp the key card and slam it against the reader, waiting for the light to turn green and the mechanical lock to click.

We fall into the room in a tangle of limbs. I drop my bag and kick the door closed. He pins me against it, one hand on my hip. His fingers are unforgiving as they dig into my flesh. His mouth crashes onto mine, his tongue eagerly sweeping through my lips. There is nothing awkward about this kiss. It’s raw, wild and lights my body up from head to toe: he’s the torch to my taper, and every cell in my body bursts into flame.

I have never wanted anyone the way I want him. I claw at his jacket, desperate to feel the warmth of his skin against mine, to run my fingers over the hard edges of his muscles. Nico shrugs out of it without breaking our kiss. I’m aware of nothing but the pull of his body to mine, and the desperation that blisters between us.

I tear at the buttons on his shirt and one pops off and rolls across the floor. He growls into my mouth, and I pull back. We stare at the button, our breathing jagged and hot in the air.

“Thousand dollar shirt?”

“Yup,” he says, barely pausing for breath before he’s on me again, hands sliding under my thighs, hiking me up.

I link my arms around his neck, legs around his hips. His fingers slip all the way until he’s cupping my arse, holding my entire bodyweight. His hard cock nestles against the tender spot between my legs, the friction sending a heady rush of lust through my system and a gush of wetness into my underwear.

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