Page 27 of The Tempted

We left the shop with two shopping bags full of shirts and ties my suits would be ready with the alterations by the end of the week so I’d have to come back to pick them up. The both of us were starving by the time we were done so we picked up a pie at L&B Spumoni Gardens and took it back to Anthony’s. I didn’t know whether I was happy that he wasn’t home or pissed because I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to sit alone in this house with Nikki and not make a move. My self-control was teetering and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to get it back. The worse part was that even if there was I wouldn’t try. I wanted to lose control. My body yearned for me to grab onto her and not let go.

She was sitting on the couch with her legs tucked under her as she bit into a slice of pizza. It was so cliché but I hoped the sauce would trickle down her mouth, giving me an excuse to touch her.

“I thought you were starving,” she said with her mouthful. I smiled, loving that she was herself around me. There wasn’t any of that false pretense bullshit between us. She licked her lips, savoring the flavor of the sauce and a throaty noise escaped my lips.

I shook my head, hoping to pull myself together. “I ate two slices.”

She placed the slice of pizza she was working onto the paper plate that sat on her lap, leaning forward to put the plate on the table. She wiped her hands on a napkin.

“Rico can devour a pie by himself,” she said absent-mindedly flinching once the words escaped her mouth. “Sorry.”

“What’re you sorry about?” I asked, leaning back against the cushions of the couch.

She blew out a breath and stood up quickly. I looked up at her watching as she paced back and forth in front of the couch before turning around and meeting my gaze.

“We’re friends, right? Friends are straight up with one another,” she paused, looking at me expectantly.

“Are you asking me or are you telling me?” I asked, clearly confused as to where this was going. She rolled her eyes. I laughed at her agitation. “Alright, alright yes, we’re friends.”

“Have you ever been friends with a woman before?” she asked, crossing her arms under her breasts. I was torn between which of her assets were my favorite. She had an incredible ass, but her rack was pretty fantastic too. “Hello!?” she waved her hand in my face.

“What was the question again?” I asked, scratching the top of my head, trying my hardest to remember what the hell we were talking about.

“See! That right there! That’s the problem between us,” she said pointing towards me.

“I wasn’t aware that there was a problem between us,” what the fuck did I do now? I sat up straight, whatever it was I would fix it. I wanted Nikki in my life any way I could have her and if friendship was all I was entitled to I wasn’t about to fuck that up.

“What were you thinking about? Be honest because I’m pretty sure I saw your thoughts flash in your eyes.”

“I was…,” I started only to be interrupted by her.

“You want me,” she blew out a breath. “And that’s not a good thing because when you look at me like that Mikey, you make me want you too,” she stomped her foot and clenched her fists at her sides. “Who am I kidding? We’re being honest, right? Even when you don’t look at me like that I want you.” She was back to pacing back and forth. I was trying to wrap my head around her confession, but watching her sashay her hips as she moved back and forth was making me dizzy. “Friends shouldn’t want to rip one another’s clothes off. I love hanging out with you. It’s becoming my favorite thing to do even more than shopping which is surprising because you can be a dick sometimes even when you’re trying your hardest not to. You have my head spinning and my body well my body is all fucked up since you walked back into my life. Maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s me and the fact that I haven’t had sex since you’ve been back…”

“You haven’t had sex since I came home?” I asked, standing up to move closer to her.

“Out of everything I just said that is what you heard?” she asked incredulously. Her eyes widened as I stepped closer to her.

“Answer the question, Nikki,” I said, licking my lips to moisten them. I wanted to know why she hadn’t had sex. Unlike me, she was in a relationship still I wanted her reason to be the same reason I hadn’t picked up some random chick to bed because I couldn’t stop thinking of her and how much I wanted her and only her.

“No, I haven’t,” she blew out a breath and moved to take a step backward. I took another step forward, lifting my hands to cup her face in the palms of my hand.

“Why?” I asked softly as I studied her face. Her tongue snaked out of her mouth, running along her lower lip before she pulled her lip between her teeth. My dick hardened just watching her toy nervously with her lip. “You trying to tease me, Nikki?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head for extra emphasis. “I just... I… you’re looking me that way again,” she stuttered.

“Like I want you?” I asked my voice sounding hoarse.Just one taste.

I leaned closer to her and bent my knees to angle myself correctly. I could feel her soft pants of breath against my lips.Just one little taste is all I need.

“Don’t do it, Mikey,” she whispered as her eyes closed. She didn’t sound very convincing.

“Why?” I asked, pressing my lips to the corner of her mouth kissing the pretty little beauty mark just to the side of her lip.

“Because it’s wrong,” she said, sounding weak.

“I usually do the wrong thing,” I said as my thumb traced the outline of her jaw. “Give me another reason.”Make it a good one because I am about ten seconds from fucking your mouth senseless.

“I’m in a relationship,” she whispered.Wrong answer Princess.

“Tell me you love him,” I demanded softly.

“Why?” she asked, peering up from under the fringe of her eyelashes.

“Because that would be the only thing you could say that’s going to stop me from kissing you right now,” I said my lips dangerously close to claiming hers. I counted to three figuring that was enough time for her to decide if she loved the guy or not. Her reply never came. My lips fell over hers for the first time in a whisper of a touch.

“What the fuck are you two doing?” Anthony said from the front door. Nikki jumped back pulling away from me. I looked over her shoulder at Anthony. I was going to murder him. Maybe I’d even use his gun. You know, just to be a dick.

---