Page 44 of My Sweetest Temptation

“Not G-rated,” I said, gesturing subtly toward Tristan, who was now humming a tune while lost in his coloring.

Tabi’s eyes grew large, and her mouth shaped into an O. “Did you fuck him?” she mouthed, her expression a mix of shock and excitement.

I nearly spit my drink across the table. “Oh my God, no!” I hissed, trying to keep my voice down.

Tristan looked up, his brow furrowing. “Did the water come out of your nose?”

“Yeah, buddy. But I’m okay.” I smiled, wiping a napkin over my face.

“Okay, you’re killing me. Let’s talk in code,” Tabi whispered, leaning forward.

“Code?” I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Yeah, you know, secret words.”

“I know what a code is, Tabi,” I said, shaking my head and trying not to laugh.

“Okay,” she said, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. Then she leaned in closer, resting her elbows on the table conspiratorially. “Did you go to the special room?” she asked.

“Wait. You know about the room?” I asked, raising my glass of water to my lips, but as I took a sip, my gaze drifted to the entrance and I froze.

What was he doing here?

And how did he find me?

Nico walked into the restaurant, his presence commanding as he scanned the room. When his eyes finally locked on mine, my heart did a little flip.

Shit.

“What’s wrong?” Tabi asked. She followed my gaze, and when she spotted Nico, her head whipped around so fast I half-expected to hear a snap. “Shit,” she whispered, her eyes going wide.

I set my water down with a thud as he strolled over to our table. Damn it, he looked good in his navy suit that was tailored perfectly, the silver vest giving him a sharp edge. He glanced between me and Tabi, his expression unreadable.

Then he looked directly at me; a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Hello, Winter.”

NICO

I never claimed to be a good man.

I’ve taken lives without a second thought.

And not an ounce of remorse coursed through my veins at getting Winter fired from her job. In fact, it only intensified my desire to have her close to me.

But I found myself wrestling with the need to apologize, even though I didn’t feel remorseful. The thought of Winter harboring resentment toward me...bothered me. I couldn’t shake the discomfort it brought. So I drove my ass to her apartment, but when I arrived at her place, it was empty. Frustrated, I called Luca. If anyone could locate her, it would be him.

When I arrived at the burger place, conversations hushed as I stepped through the door and eyes widened with disbelief that I was walking into a family restaurant. Others quickly averted their gazes, aware of my reputation.

But I didn’t give a shit about that. My focus was on Winter and the unresolved tension between us. I scanned the room, searching for her face among the crowd, determined to set things right, even if it meant stepping outside my comfort zone.

When I finally found her in the back, I smirked at the look on her face. She was frozen to the spot and her eyes widened like a cartoon character’s. I walked over and stood in front of her.

I looked at her friend, at the little boy beside her, and then back to Winter, who stared at me with caution. “Is there a reason why you’re here, Nico?”

“Yes, there is.” I almost responded harshly, annoyed as fuck at how much I loved that she was challenging me. Questioning me. “I wanted to apologize for getting you fired,” I said.

“You are?” she replied with a hint of sarcasm, raising an eyebrow. “So, does that mean I can go back?” The hope in her voice was almost palpable, but there was an edge to it, as if she was trying to push my buttons.

“No,” I said, my voice firm. There was no fucking way she was going back there to flaunt her ass for other people to see.

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