Page 57 of Taming Nikki

“If I open my own doors, will it break the deal?”

I chuckled. “No, but it might make me look like an ass. Why? Does it bother you?”

She shrugged. “I mean, a little. I don’t need someone to open doors for me.”

“It’s polite. But I will refrain from doing it outside of business if it makes you feel better.”

It placated her, and she relaxed against the seat. Getting in the car had forced the dress to ride up higher on her thighs and I felt my gaze slip over to her time and time again.

“You’re staring.”

“You’re my fiancée, I’m allowed.”

She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. I rested my hand on her leg and raised my eyebrows. “Can you really blame me?”

She narrowed her eyes and tried to push my hand away. When I tightened my grip, she scowled. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I can. I hope you aren’t trying to get lucky, Vitale. I’m not interested in sleeping with you.”

I rubbed my thumb across her thigh and she shifted uncomfortably, staring out the window in an attempt to ignore me. “You seemed plenty agreeable the other night.”

Her face flushed as she jerked to face me. “You mean the time where you touched me without permission?”

“I didn’t hear you say no. The only thing I heard were those sweet moans you were trying so hard to hide.”

Her mouth fell open, and the flush on her cheeks worked its way down her neck. When my hand slid higher, she squeezed her legs together, trapping it to prevent me from going further.

“You’re on thin ice, Vitale. Two people can play that game.”

Considering the painful erection straining against my slacks, I was curious what she’d do. I raised an eyebrow at her, almost missing the person in front of me slamming on their brakes. I jerked the car, avoiding them by inches.

“Fuck.”

Nicole stared wide eyed, her hand clutching the emergency handle. I scowled and kept my focus on the road until we arrived at the restaurant. She was a fucking distraction, and I was being a damn fool.

A part of me regretted bringing her with me to dinner. She stole my focus, and this meeting was important. I also didn’t want her to realize how captivated I was by her. Knowing her and her family, she’d use it against me and I wasn’t going to give her that kind of power.

I pulled myself together and offered her my hand as I opened her door for her. She took what I said to heart and waited for me. It was a point in her favor. Tonight was a test of sorts. I wanted to see if she could keep her word and be trusted to behave herself. Luckily, Don Marino had a sense of humor, so if she popped off, I’d likely be able to play it off pretty smoothly, but I hoped I wouldn’t have to.

Marino was notoriously late, so Nicole and I would have some time to ourselves before they arrived. She flashed me a look when I pressed my hand to the small of her back as we followed the waiter, but said nothing. She still wasn’t overly comfortable with me touching her. Considering what I did the last time she let me, I wasn’t surprised, nor did I feel guilty about it. If I had anything to say about it, I’d be getting a lot farther after the evening ended.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been somewhere this fancy. You sure it’s a good idea to bring me to a place like this?” Her eyes scanned the room as I helped push her chair in. I sat next to her and put my hand on the back of her seat. It was possessive, but she got plenty of looks walking through the restaurant and I wasn’t happy about it.

“Your family never ate at places like this?”

She smirked. “You really think my papa would risk bringing me somewhere this upscale? No, if I was invited, we went to Nino’s.”

When I ordered a bottle of wine for the table, Nicole made a face. I shot her a questioning look, and she shrugged.

“I don’t like wine.”

“Are you sure you’re half Italian?”

She laughed, and I found myself relaxing. She wasn’t looking to cause trouble. Her banter was lighthearted and easy, and when Nicole wasn’t actively trying to fight you, she was a completely different person. Maybe she could pull this off after all.

ChapterTwenty-Six

NIKKI

There wasa fine balance between being myself and being appropriate at a fancy dinner like this. Don Marino and his wife arrived late, and he leered at me as he pushed his wife’s chair in. Pervert. I fought all my instincts to go crass to scare him off. It usually worked wonders, but I wasn't going to blow the deal with Leo on the first night.

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