Page 63 of Worth Every Penny

Nico’s lips lift. “Shall I stop?”

Desperation claws within me. If I say yes, I might never get this chance again. But if I say no… if I let this continue, I’ll be betraying my father’s memory. I hesitate too long and he pulls back to look at me, but I can’t bear the scrutiny. I stare at the floor, where the pictures of his face lie scattered.

He presses his fingertips beneath my chin again, lifting it, forcing me to meet his gaze. Something dangerous simmers beneath the surface, and I know what I feel is mutual, returned with equal force.I could choose Nico.

Do I dare?

He steps back. The absence of his touch leaves me reeling. Of all the things I expected him to do,wantedhim to do, moving away wasn’t it. Did I read him wrong?

My hand reaches to my neck, my fingers ghosting over the skin where his lips had been moments before. His eyes dart to where my hand rests, and his lips pull up at the corner.

The silence that falls between us is too loud, begging to be filled with the unspoken words that hover in the air. We stand like that for I don’t know how long, waves of arousal pulsing through me. I’m pretty sure I’m going to orgasm if he continues to stare like that. Finally, he lifts the picture he’s holding, which, thankfully, isn’t the nude. “Can I keep this?”

I shake my head, nod, shake it again. “If you want to.”

“Thanks. You’re very talented.”

We stand opposite one another for a few beats longer, then he turns to leave.

“Wait.”

He glances at me over his shoulder. “Yes?”

“I didn’t say I wanted you to stop.”

His smile doesn’t meet his eyes. “I know.”

Disappointment swirls in my gut as he leaves the room, and all I can think is, ‘what does that mean?’

19

NICO

I’ve got a hard on just from being in that room with Kate. I’m so pent up I’m close to exploding.

I take the stairs, two at a time. I could have kissed her, pressed her against the wall and fucked her until she came apart in my arms. I could have done anything I wanted with her. I could sense her resistance yielding.

But to kiss her in her father’s office, the tears on her cheeks barely dry, and her brother and mother just down the hall… it didn’t feel right. She was upset, vulnerable; the way she spoke about her father messed me up. She still worships him, and I can see why Jack thinks it would do more harm than good to tell her the truth.

Butfuck, I want to tell her. To confess to it all so we can move forward without the ghost of her dad, the deal, and all the sordid history of it blocking the path.

But I swore an oath. Made a promise to a dying man. And I don’t want to take advantage of Kate, which is exactly what would have happened if I’d stayed in that room a second longer,because she was wide open for me. She would have given me whatever I wanted to take; I could see it in her eyes.

I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to hold out.

“Mate, come and have a drink,” Jack calls from the dining room. “We’ll be on the terrace.”

“I’ve got to take a call,” I shout back, continuing up the stairs. I enter my room, close the door, and lean back against it, glancing down at the sketch in my hand. It’s beautifully drawn. I meant what I said; she really is talented. But it’s the throbbing of my cock that has my attention now.

I proceed to the bathroom, tossing the sketch on the bed as I pass. I can still smell the floral scent of her perfume, like wild roses. Her skin was so soft and smooth… so supple, warm, begging to be touched. How the hell I managed to walk away from her is beyond me. There’s only one place my cock wants to be, and it’s buried deep inside Kate Lansen.

I have the restraint of a fucking saint, despite the fact my trousers are pitched like a circus tent.

I can’t go back downstairs like this. I lean one hand against the sink, my other fumbling with my trousers, unfastening the belt, button and fly, sliding my hand into my boxers.

My cock springs free and I grab the hard length of it with one fist, the need for relief consuming me above all else. I imagine my hand is hers, and I see her beautiful lips, soft and plump, and so ready to take my dick.

I pump my fist, beating this one out like a poison I need to expel from my system. It’ll only take a moment, and then I can go get that drink. Because God knows, I need it.

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