Page 28 of Good Girl's Bad Lessons

Nico thrust his fingers in and out of her, each time deeper, stronger, provoking searing vibrations within her. She retaliated by grazing his upper lip, sucking it and releasing it with a pop only to catch it between her teeth again. Her chest fluttered, desire pounded her almost as fast as his fingers.

The pressure building drove her to the point of no return, and clasping the hard surface of the rock until her knuckles tightened, she let out a sexy sound. A sound until then she’d never known she could produce. “I can’t—”

Nico nudged her thighs and thrust into her, shifting his fingers to her clit. She leaned toward the rock, closing her eyes. His breath came out in rough gasps, and he slipped out midway then, before she registered it, he slammed inside her again, deeper.

His fingers flicked her clit, played with it, the tip of his index finger making circular movements on the most sensitive part of her. She bucked toward him, and with one hand he clasped her hip. “Emma, I’m so close,” he whispered, his hot breath fanning her ear.

“Me too.”

He nipped her earlobe, and suddenly a ripple of pleasure shot down her body, shifting into a savage, untamable wave, unsettling her core. Her vision dimmed, and subtle but consistent tremors washed over her. She mewled, registering the little waves around them, the rock in front of her, and most of all, the magnificent man behind her.

He called out her name and thrust one more time, and she felt rather than saw the trembling of his own body. He released his seed into her, and she clenched her muscles, milking every bit of him.

“Aren’t you glad you didn’t go back to the hotel?” she asked, cutting the silence.

“I’m afraid I’m more than glad. I’m happy,” he said, then kissed the top of her head.

Happy.

The word reverberated through her and brought a goofy smile to her lips, because she knew exactly what he meant.

Chapter Nine

“Thanks for bringing me here. You’re the best,” Emma said, and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Nico nodded. Most people on the boat contemplated the cute dolphins swimming and doing tricks he imagined they were already used to doing for tourists. He’d taken that sightseeing trip once before, when he was five or six, but the memory had been buried deep in his brain. Earlier that morning, when Emma mentioned making arrangements with the hotel’s concierge for the little adventure, he’d found himself not only agreeing, but deciding to go with her, wanting to spend more time with her. Looking forward to it, actually.

And now she kissed his cheek like they were on a damn date.

This isn’t a date. He knew the difference, because all she wanted from this month with him, besides sex, was getting her fiancé back. A man who supposedly would give her all she needed. Nico snorted. Simon knew jack about her needs. No one knew but him.

Willing the intrusive thought away, he focused on the stunning ocean.

Nostalgia flooded his chest, and he tugged at the collar of his polo shirt. The image of his beautiful mother, explaining about sea life, invaded his mind. Marco had been a toddler, so he’d stayed behind with the nanny. His mother had already started her health scares, which was why she’d taken him without telling anyone—he’d found her wanting to spend alone time with him sweet and caring.

Now it just seemed unsafe to let someone with unpredictable mood swings bring a child on a boat. Unsupervised. What if he got lost, like that cute little boy from the beach? I’ve been lost. His wanting to buy the house was a good step to find himself again.

“Male dolphins usually mate with multiple females every year, but females only mate every two to three years.” The voice of the tour guide yanked him from his reverie.

Emma snorted, then tapped his chest. “Of course they do,” she said, with a trace of accusation in her voice. “Males get away with too much even in the sea.”

“Hey, don’t look at me. You’re not a dolphin. You’re a real-life mermaid who can mate as often as you want.” A mermaid who didn’t need to get married and have kids so soon in life. Didn’t she know she had a lot of time ahead of her? He scratched his head. Not his business, but the idea still nagged at him, inconvenient like a fly buzzing over fresh food.

As a friend, he’d hate for her to go through all this to get divorced in two years. Simon wasn’t the man for her—no matter how much she wanted to believe it.

He curled his fingers into a ball.

One of the dolphins made a whistling sound, and the tourists giggled and talked to one another. Emma chuckled and snapped several pictures with her cell phone. “This rocks. They’re so cute. Can’t we take them with us?”

He fixed his sunglasses. “Nope.”

She stuck out her tongue at him. “You’re no fun, Nico Giordano. No fun at all.”

“I thought I was the best a few minutes ago.”

“The best at avoiding attachment. Even with these innocent creatures. That’s what I meant,” she said playfully.

“Ah.”

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