Page 66 of Worth Every Penny

I rub my temples. “I feel like a teenager.”

“Of course you do. You’re in your family home. Scene of the bikini hot tub gate. You need to break free from the past. Teenage Kate might have run away in shame, but present day you doesn’t have to.

“Go to his bedroom and outright ask him what he’s playing at. You’vegotto do it. Think of it as healing old trauma.” She lets out a little burst of laughter. “For what it’s worth, I think you should go for it. He’s gorgeous. I mean… swoon.”

“Are you joking right now? I don’t have the brain capacity to work out if you’re serious or not.”

“Deadly,” she confirms. “He’s into you. Do it, do it, do it. Go to his room. You won’t humiliate yourself. You might even end up having hot sex and loving it.” She laughs again.

“I hate how funny you’re finding this.”

“I might be laughing, but I’m jealous. Believe me. Look, I’ve got a gig to get to. Let me know how it goes. Love you.”

I check the time on my phone. It’s three thirty in the morning. I’ve tossed and turned, sleep eluding me. Damn Elly for putting this idea of corridor-creeping into my head.

I’m not going to do it. No. Definitely not. I just happen to be wearing my only set of matching lingerie because it’s a warm night, and I have nothing else to sleep in. I wasn’t at my most effective when I was packing.

The bra is under-wired and push-up, and my breasts spill just a little over the top of the lace cups. The matching knickers are red lace, and at the back they ride up revealing the curve of my butt cheeks. It’s a killer lingerie set, but who am I kidding? It’s not for sleeping in.

It very clearly states, ‘I want sex’.

My heart is racing, my palms are sweaty. Every creak the house makes—every potential footstep on the floorboards—sends my heart rate into overdrive. Because maybe, justmaybe, one of those noises is him making his way to my room…

This is ridiculous. I can’t relax enough to sleep.

I throw the covers off and stand, my body vibrating with anticipation, even though my mind is holding me back.

Don’t do this. You’ll make a fool of yourself.

But I’m done listening to that frightened voice in my head. This is myI want sexunderwear, and I’m wearing it because I do want to have sex with Nico, and I’m done pretending I don’t.

Before I know it, my hand is on the doorhandle and I’m pushing it open, slipping into the corridor.

Moonlight streaks through the window at the end of the hall.

This is crazy.But I keep going, one foot in front of the other. Closer and closer to the room he’s staying in.

And then it hits me just how stupid this really is. What am I going to do? Knock on the door and present myself like an offering?

I’m not doing it. Elly can stuff her stupid, crazy ideas up her bum. I spin one-eighty and head back to my room, but I barely make it a step before the door opens behind me.

It’s him. I know it is.The back of my neck tingles under the weight of his gaze, my skin buzzing at his proximity.

I turn towards the noise.

Nico stands, broad shoulders silhouetted in the moonlight from the window behind. He’s fully dressed in chinos and a shirt, overnight bag in one hand. Unless he was planning on moving into my room, he definitely wasn’t coming to see me.

Is he leaving?

But as Nico’s unwavering focus latches onto my body, it renders the question insignificant.He’s not going anywhere.

His eyes roam my legs, my hips, trailing more slowly over my breasts. Beneath his predatory glare, my skin is aflame, humming with anticipation that’s dangerously close to fear. For a few seconds he continues drinking me in, gaze snagging on my lips before finally reaching my eyes.

“Is this for me?” His voice is full of gravel.

A pulse beats between my legs, slickness gathering there, seeking to welcome his touch.

Nico drops his bag and steps into my space, so close that we’re breathing in each other’s exhalations.

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