Page 9 of Wild For You

Wherever the night took us, we would both have a good time. Sex or not.

6

Josie

Plush, cream-colored carpet caressed my bare feet as I paced.Come on, Josie, get a grip. With each step, the silk of my dress whispered along my skin like a secret promise, and my heart danced. I paused by the window, gazing out at the picturesque town of Lawson Ridge below, the same town where love stories were woven into the very fabric of everyday life. And yet, here I was, the weaver of those tales through my lens, trembling with the kind of nervousness only felt when one stands on the precipice of their own love story.

Who knew the heart had its own kind of vertigo?I traced the cool glass with a fingertip. A crackle of anticipation zipped through my veins, sparking images of Nico's return. The way he looked at me earlier, with eyes dark as a midnight storm, had promised more than just drinks when he returned. A shiver chased down my spine, not from cold but from the thrill of toeing the line I had drawn so meticulously around myself. My guarded heart, always cloaked in self-preservation, now fluttered like a bird eager for the sky. Molly kept telling me I needed to take more opportunities and step outside my comfort zone. Well, she would be proud of me tonight. This guy could be a serial killer for all I knew, and here I was, just waiting in theroom. Every minute he was gone, it felt like an hour, especially not knowing how the night would go.

Is this what you want, Josie? To take the leap?Nico might not be my forever guy, but I wouldn’t know unless I gave him this chance. Even if he wasn’t, it would be practice for opening myself up to someone else. Hell, did I even know how to flirt anymore? My longest relationship was nine months and that was in high school. Someday I wanted my picture perfect life. The white picket fence, kids running around, and a husband who would die for us. The guys I dated previously were not going to cut it.

“Hi, I?—”

The click of the door handle cut my rehearsal short, snagging my breath. The lock turned, and time slowed to a syrupy crawl as the door cracked open, allowing a sliver of hallway light to pierce the dim ambiance of the room.

“Got our drinks but the kitchen was closed,” he announced, voice deep and steady, yet there was a hint of something else—a tremor of excitement, perhaps, or anticipation matching my own.

My gaze traveled upward, drawn irresistibly to his eyes. They were fierce and focused, like twin storms captured within irises so dark they seemed to absorb the light around us. There was an intensity in his gaze that held me captive, a silent promise that spoke of shared secrets and unspoken desires.

“Thanks,” I managed to whisper, my throat dry as if I swallowed the desert. He strode toward me, each step deliberate, closing the distance between us.

“Is everything alright?” Nico asked, setting the tray down on the table with care. His eyes never left mine, searching, probing, delving into the depths of feelings I wasn't sure I was ready to reveal.

“Perfect,” I replied. “It's just... this is all so new to me.”

“New can be good,” Nico said, a playful edge to his tone. He reached out, his hand hovering just above mine before making contact. “It's about taking chances, right?”

“Right,” I echoed, my pulse quickening as our fingers brushed.

I caught a whiff of his scent, a blend of pine and leather, earthy and reassuring. It was Nico—undoubtedly, unmistakably him—and it pulled at something deep inside me. My mind raced with thoughts of what could be, the promise held in those strong hands that knew both the weight of responsibility and the gentleness of care.

“Josie,” Nico said, his voice lowering to a huskier note that resonated within me. “There's something about you. You've got this light…”

I laughed, a sound mingled with nerves and delight. “And here I thought I was the one drawn in by some mysterious force.”

“Maybe we're both caught in the same orbit,” he suggested, his smile reflecting a shared wonder, an acknowledgment of the invisible thread pulling us inexorably together.

"Maybe we are," I agreed, feeling the walls I had built around myself begin to crumble under the weight of his gaze.

“Are we really doing this?” My whisper was a silk thread in the hush of the room, my breath a warm flutter against Nico's lips.

“Only if you want to,” he responded, his words a low rumble that vibrated through me. He was close now, so close I could count the flecks of amber in the stormy sea of his eyes.

The space between us crackled, charged like the air before a summer storm. My fingers found their way to the nape of Nico's neck. I pulled him down, closing the infinitesimal gap between us, and with a gentle insistence pressed my lips to his.

His lips were soft and my finger traced the firm line of his jaw, the careful control giving way beneath my touch. My lipsparted in invitation, and he accepted, deepening the kiss until it was all I could taste.

Nico's hands traced the curve of my spine, a painter's stroke that ignited a blaze of heat wherever he touched. Our bodies melded together, two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly.Jesus, where has this man been all my life?Every touch left me gasping.

“Josie,” he murmured against my mouth, the vibration sending shivers down my spine.

“More,” I breathed back, feeling the magnetic pull of his presence tethering me to this moment, to him.

Our passion unfurled like the petals of a night-blooming flower, each caress a petal falling away to reveal the tender heart within. Nico's kiss wandered from my lips, tracing a fiery path along my jawline to the sensitive skin of my neck. I arched into him, a silent plea for more—more of his touch, more of this exquisite feeling that made me forget everything but the here and now.

“Is this okay?” Nico's voice was thick with desire, questioning even as his hands roamed with a boldness that belied his words.

“Perfect,” I assured him, my own hands exploring the landscape of his back, muscles rippling under my fingertips like waves across a moonlit ocean.

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