Page 27 of Mountain Mens' Curvy Obsession

“Anya.”

“Say it. Or do it. Whatever comes easier for you.”

“Anya.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Nico exhales sharply, shaking his head in amusement. “You’ve only grown fiercer since we last met. You’re truly a force to be reckoned with.”

“Tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“The truth. Your truth.”

He curses under his breath. “It’s ridiculous.”

“I’m not judging. I’m listening.”

“Okay. I tell you one thing from your past,” he says, and my pulse quickens as my curiosity piques. “My brothers and I came to visit one day. We were on leave. You were just a few months shy of eighteen, and that night, after dinner with you and your family, you came to me. I was outside on the sidewalk getting some fresh air. There was a full moon in the sky. You stood next to me.

“And I asked you if you were happy,” he adds. “You said you’d be happy if I were the first man to kiss you. I said I couldn’t. It wasn’t appropriate. You were still so young. And you huffed and you puffed, and you promised you would wait until it was appropriate.”

The words echo in my head. They do sound familiar. They sound like something I’d say. My determination and stubbornness feel familiar to me. I hold back a laugh as I inch closer to Nico. “And what did you say?” I ask him.

“I said I’d look forward to it.”

“Did you lie?”

He shakes his head again. “No. But then life got in the way. Miles and miles of this world got in the way. I figured I’d never see you again, until I did, the night we pulled you out of that car. And I remembered your promise. Then you let Chance and Booker in, but not me.”

And now, I’m disappointed with myself. An aching pang cuts through my ribcage. Maybe it was just the promise of a girl made to a man who didn’t expect anything to happen, but the way everything unfolded since I woke up here… I can certainly taste the mild disappointment. I can see the way he’s trying to protect himself.

“Relax, Anya. All of this was so unexpected. The circumstances are different. We’re different,” Nico adds. “I don’t have any expectations whatsoever. I just want you to be safe. To have another chance at happiness.”

“Kiss me,” I tell him, my breath rushing away from me.

He gives me a befuddled look. “What?”

“Kiss me, now.”

He’s about to object, but I shake my head vehemently. The sexual tension between us has become unbearable. I need him to cave in. I think he finally understands. Slowly, like a panther on the prowl, Nico rises to his feet, towering over me with all his might. I tilt my head back so I can look into his eyes.

“There’s no turning back, Anya,” he warns.

“I don’t want to go back.”

“Fucking hell,” Nico snarls and pulls me into his strong arms. Nearly crushing my mouth with his, he kisses me. Furiously, deeply, desperately. I moan against his lips and let his tongue slip through. I taste the coffee, the desire, the burning flame of this insanity between us.

Despite my curves, I feel small and fragile in his embrace.

“Oh, Nico,” I manage as he shoves a hand in my hair and forces my head to dip on one side so he can kiss my neck. Wet, hot kisses trail along my skin as I let my hands wander.

He grabs my ass and pulls me closer, and I feel him, hard and ready, nestled against my belly. Liquid heat seeps into my panties. I’m turned on beyond control as we practically tear the clothes off each other.

“You’re going to be the end of me, Anya,” Nico says as he takes a step back to look at me.

I stand before him, naked and panting, my lips tender from the violence of our kiss. For a moment, I feel self-conscious again, but the way he smiles as his gaze drops downward makes my breasts tingle and my nipples perk up, flattered by his admiration.

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