Page 139 of My Sweetest Temptation

I slept with Nico in his bed.

I planted my feet on the floor and started looking around for my clothes, wincing in pain with every movement. I rubbed my hands through my hair and noticed my clothes neatly folded on his desk. Before I could move, there was a soft knock and the door creaked open.

Serafina appeared, her expression warm and inviting. “Can I come in?” she asked, her voice laced with a sweetness that made me feel at ease.

“Of course.” I pulled the hem of the shirt I slept in lower, trying not to expose anything she probably hadn’t already seen.

She stepped inside, her movements graceful and poised. She approached the desk and handed me my clothes. “Here you go.”

“Thank you,” I muttered.

“How are you feeling, Winter?” she asked.

I glanced down at my freshly washed clothes; tears threatened to spill, but I swallowed hard, forcing them back.

“That’s okay,” she reassured me. “Just know that I’m here if you ever want to talk.” She squeezed my hand, a silent promise that I was not alone in this.

I managed a small smile in return, grateful for her kindness. “You know… you’re the first girl he’s brought to his home,” she continued. “He’s different with you, and that’s a very good thing.”

“Really?” I said, surprised, while sitting back on the bed.

“I see how he watches you,” she continued, her smile genuine. “How he protects you and wants to keep you safe.”

“I think last night hit him hard,” I admitted. “But I don’t know if he’s being sweet out of guilt or if he actually feels something for me.”

“What do you feel toward him?” she asked, taking a seat beside me.

“I really care about him,” I confessed, the words tumbling out. “He makes me feel things I never thought I could feel. But… it’s all so confusing.”

She chuckled, a knowing glint in her eyes. “Yes, my son is certainly intense.”

I smiled, silently agreeing with her.

“But he means well, Winter. His methods may not be conventional or what people consider normal, but don’t give up on him. He needs someone like you in his life.”

“Why?” I whispered.

“Because you are the angel who has come to save the devil from himself,” she said. “I believe you were sent here to help him find the peace he’s been searching for.”

I was taken aback, unsure of how to respond. When I looked into her eyes, I saw the deep longing of a mother who wished for her son to escape the shadows that had haunted him for so long.

“I won’t give up on him,” I promised.

“Good,” she said, patting my knee. “Now, enough with the heavy talk. We’d love for you to join us for breakfast.”

“As soon as I’m dressed, I’ll be down.”

She walked out of the room, and I blew out a breath of relief, needing some space and time to myself. The memory of last night would forever haunt me, and I still hadn’t processed what happened. I tried to wish it away like a bad nightmare, but it was real. It happened. I needed to wash their touch from my body. Maybe I should just dip my body into a tub of bleach.

I rose to my feet, and the pain suddenly came back in full force, making me sit back down on the bed. The room spun slightly, and just then, my phone rang. With a grimace, I crawled across the bed and grabbed it from the nightstand.

“Hi, Tabi,” I answered.

“Oh, my God! Winter, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

“I heard you were attacked at the club. I went looking for you right after, but Miguel dragged me back home, per Nico’s order. What happened?”

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