Page 9 of Lies like Rubies, Part Two (Savage Jewels)

“What’s eating you?” he asked the moment Lizzie was out of earshot.

“Other than the fact that Sofia’s missing?”

I didn’t like the sympathy in Nick’s eyes—it bordered on pity, and pity was the last thing I fuckin’ needed. I had little to offer Sofia—no money, no security, and certainly not the filthy fucking games that Nick and Dante played. Didn’t make my heart ache for her any less.

“How are you doing, with the clinic and all?” I deflected. I sure as fuck didn’t want to talk about feelings with the doctor, no matter how determined he seemed to forge us into a family, with or without Sofia’s presence.

Nick grinned wide and toothy, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You and Dante are two peas in a fucking pod.”

“I am nothing like him,” I snarled.

Nick’s grin didn’t drop for a second as the waitress dropped off two espressos—no, one espresso and an affogato.

“Eat dessert first,” he said quietly, dipping his spoon in the coffee covered ice cream. When I didn’t respond, he looked back up at me, a dimple peeking out from behind hissmile. “It took me years of therapy to wrap my head around the fact that it’s okay for me to take pleasure in small moments, even when my world is falling apart around me.”

Yeah, he wanted to talk about feelings.

I took a big breath, but he cut me off by taking my hand in his. “You and Dante are going to lose her if you don’t figure out how to share.”

He dragged his thumb over my palm, assessing me carefully, as if he were waiting for my rejection.

“And you won’t?”

Nick’s full lips tilted up into a half smile. “The requirement to share was made quite clear to me.” He shrugged. “This might be my first polyamorous relationship, but it sure as fuck isn’t the first time I’ve had group sex.”

My pulse stuttered as images of Sofia’s blond hair spread out over a pillow as Nick dragged his lips over her skin, rushed through me. He turned my hand and laid his thumb over my wrist, and I couldn’t hide the rush of blood through my veins.

Nick hummed and stroked his thumb over my skin, leaving fire in its wake. He might be experienced, but I sure as fuck wasn’t. The only reason I was part of this relationship at all was because it was the only way to be part of Sofia’s life.

I held on to the memory of her kiss like a talisman, praying she’d meant it as much as I did, that she wanted me as much as I wanted her. And that meant accepting Nick and Dante.

The slow path of Nick’s thumb tracing circles on my palm distracted me from whatever self-pitying thought came next. Was this cheating on Sofia? Did she care? Did she have a right to care?

Yes, unequivocally yes, but—Nick picked up my handand brushed his lips over my fingers, and my breath left my chest in a rush. He caught my eye and we stared at each other like moonstruck teenagers as I grew hard under the flimsy metal table.

Fuck.

I yanked my hand away. Not without Sofia. Not until we knew that she was fine with this. Nick might know what he wanted, and he might think he knew what Sofia wanted, but this was too new to me. I needed to hear it from her lips, that she was all in on the polycule.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop.” Nick’s voice cracked through the evening air like a shot. “You’re spiraling.”

He was right. Fucker. I took a deep breath, then another one, before gently disengaging my hand from his. I’d dated men before—that wasn’t the problem, and I needed to let him know that.

His eyes followed as I licked my lips. “I don’t—I’m not rejecting you, Nick. I just?—”

“You need Sofia first,” he finished for me, his brows furrowing. Dammit, I didn’t want to hurt this compassionate man who’d given up everything for the woman we both loved.

“I need to know she’s okay with this first,” I said, and his face cleared, lighting up into a bright smile that stole my breath away. He nodded, and to my endless fucking gratitude, we finished our coffees in comfortable silence.

When Lizzie dashed out of the restaurant and into my arms, I couldn’t stop a smile from overtaking my face.

Nick stood. “Think about what I said,” he told me.

“You didn’t say shit,” I growled, and he just cocked his head and grinned.

Luca swept Lizzie off my lap. “Time to go home, sweet Isabella,” he said, bopping her chocolate covered nose.

She giggled, the traitor, and wrapped her arms around her uncle. “Bye, Uncle Enzo!” she said cheerfully.

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