Page 47 of Our Scorching Summer

How is every single word coming out of his mouth entirely dripping with sex? Nico could rattle off different flavors of ice cream and I’d still helplessly melt in his hands.

His confidence teeters on arrogance, but it’s irresistible. “I want to see one of the signature Nico plays.”

“You want me to hit on you?” He drops his grasp around me.

I’m thankful for the iota of sanity keeping me from climbing all six feet of him. More accurate to say seven feet, if you count the package strapped in his shorts.

“You were obviously jealous of Diego flirting with me. Make up for it.”

“I don’t get jealous.”

“Of course not. Just randomly possessive the first time I want to hook up with someone on this trip.” I walk away from him, heading toward the hammocks. I try to brush off the simmering feel of his touch.

“We should’ve fucked when we met,” Nico calls out, his footsteps trailing behind me. “Gotten each other out of our systems, and then we wouldn’t be acting like this every time we’re alone.”

“I don’t sleep with people I’m close to,” I remind him.

“That’s exactly what fucking people is, Lily. I would’ve thought you’d be more experienced.”

There isn’t a response I can give him.He’s not wrong.But mixing feelings with sex always makes things complicated.

“Look, you want me to be honest? I hated when Diego was touching you.”

My heart launches into my throat.

I stop and turn toward him. “Sounds like jealousy to me.”

“Since you’re such an expert, do friends get jealous?”

“They shouldn’t.”

“You look so pretty tonight, Lily. It almost hurts being around you.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” He closes the remaining distance between us and raises his palm to bracket my neck. “Let me give you a release. It doesn’t have to mean anything more than that.”

Would it be such a bad idea to let him live up to all of his claims?Just once?

The aching throb between my legs refuses to let up. I nod, answering my own question or answering his request. I don’t know or care which one it is.

In an instant, Nico’s mouth finds mine.

Our tongues explore each other as though they’ve been forcefully separated and are reuniting after an age. I tug the strands of hair at his nape each time his lips make me moan.

How someone kisses has always been a benchmark for how they act in bed. The way Nico entirely devours me forces the concern that if we ever sleep together, I’ll be an addict constantly looking for a fix.

When we first kissed, I was fighting to control the situation. Now, I’m eager for him to take the lead.

“I know you look at me the way I look at you,” he whispers and reluctantly pulls away.

“How exactly am I looking at you?”

“Like you wantmeto be the one suffocating you with compliments as your pussy wraps around my fingers.” His mouth snakes down my neck.

I swallow.Hard.It’s officially game over.

He bends down and lifts me into his embrace. I wrap both of my legs around his torso, digging my hands into his shoulders. The collision of our lips is wild. Nico’s fingers tug on the knot of my bikini top, and I yank at the fabric of his unbuttoned shirt.

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