Page 53 of City of Salvation

His rough fingers held me in place so I couldn’t lookaway even if I wanted to. Clearing my throat, I answered him honestly.

“Yes.”

“Yes, what, Nikki?” The command in his tone had moisture pooling between my legs. I would do anything he wanted if he spoke to me in that confident tone while holding my chin the way he currently was.

“Yes, you can touch me the way you would your actual girlfriend.”

Panty-melting. That was the only way to describe how he looked when one corner of his mouth curled up, and how he cupped my face, running his thumb along my bottom lip. But in the next instant he was gone, walking away from me toward the bathroom door.

“What the hell, Dex. I don’t even get agood girlor some shit?”

He stilled. “That’s not what you want, Nikki. You’re not looking to be a good girl.” He glanced over his shoulder as he yanked the door open. “I have a feeling you got tired of being called that a long time ago.”

1 Puton Only If For A Night by Florence + The Machine and grab some fucking tissues. Cheers to a good sobbing session. Especially if you’re an Aquarius since we don’t do this often…

CHAPTER 23

NIKKI

ALL MEN CEASE TO MATURE PAST MIDDLE SCHOOL. ANOTHER SCIENTIFIC FACT

Incessant poundingon my door was today’s alarm clock. I groaned and tried to ignore it.

A rough voice called out, sounding sexy until his words actually registered in my sleep-deprived brain. “Nikki, if you don’t get your ass out of bed, I will come in there and get you,” Dex hollered from the other side.

“Go away,” I yelled back, throwing a pillow and the blankets over my head to block out his bitching about us having shit to do. I’d spent all of yesterday laying around, chugging Gatorade, and eating every greasy hangover food Dex brought me. He was a real mother hen, and I wasn’t sure if he was like that with everyone or…

Don’t go down that line of thinking.

“Nikki, let’s go,” he called out in a sing-song voice that was far too cheery.

What the hell could we possibly have to do?

Ryan had given me time off, deciding it was better if I kept a low profile. The new rumor about Dex and I was the perfect cover-up. Everyone assumed I wasn’t at work because I was busy fucking my brains out with my new boyfriend.

Instead, I was over here letting him see parts of me I didn’t show anyone. My stomach flipped, thinking about our moment in the kitchen.

Fucking kicker was I’dwantedto share more with him. I wanted to tell him who I was, and who was after me. I wanted us to be like Ryan and Gunner, facing problems together. They made it through a hidden identity.

Why couldn’t we?

Oh, I don’t know. Because you have an evil ex-or-possibly-current-husband hunting you down...

Thudding footsteps filled the small room, cutting off my musings. Dex’s heavy body landed on top of me, sending the air whooshing from my lungs.

“Get. Off. Me.” He was an immovable mass, and I tried to ignore how much I liked the feel of his weight on me as I pushed on what I assumed was his chest. A deep chuckle sounded in my ear, his hot breath penetrating the thin white blanket.

“Make me.”

Why were all men essentially middle school boys? His yelp made me smile from ear to ear.

“How did you find my nipple so easily?” he asked, ripping the blanket off my head, causing my hair to tangle in my face.

“My bad,” he mumbled, brushing it back and tucking a strand behind my ear. The rough pads of his fingertips had my stomach flip-flopping in excitement. It didn’t help that when my view was cleared, what I was left looking at was a shirtless Dex, straddling me. Any moisture in my mouth evaporated and traveled down south.

Shit. I’m not wearing clothes.

I gripped the edge of the blanket, holding it up under my chin. “What are you doing in my room, Dexter?” Bikersusually didn’t go by anything other than their road names once they were patched in, but I found myself curious as to what Dex’s full legal name was. I opened my mouth to ask, but the words lodged in my throat.

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