I fold my arms. “For the record, I’m not ready for anything like that.” A daunting thought materializes before my mind. “Alice, do you think that will be a problem for him?”
She readied some eyeshadow on a brush but lowers it back in her lap. “Sex? Or the lack of.”
Oh, gosh. Eva, you idiot. What were you thinking, getting involved with Angelo? I silently berate myself.
If there’s one thing I know about Angelo, it’s that he’s…experienced. He’ll expect me to sleep with him and when I don’t, he’ll move onto someone else.
Her sea-green eyes glimmer as a slight curve graces her lips. “Stop worrying. He’s not expecting anything from you and he won’t push you into anything you’re not ready for. Especially not after what happened with John.”
I narrow my eyes. “How did you know I was thinking that?”
She arches one eyebrow. “How long have we known each other?”
I giggle, thankful for her mind-reading abilities and for her knowing me well enough to know how to calm my irrational nerves.
At seven on the dot, the buzzer sounds. A flurry of butterflies infiltrates my stomach.
“Oh, gosh. It’s him,” I say. My fingers frantically twist around each other.
“Why are you so nervous? It’s not like this is the first time you’re meeting him.”
“Yeah, I know, but I’m still nervous. I have no idea why.” I giggle nervously.
She rises from the sofa and drapes an arm around my shoulder, giving me a gentle squeeze. “You’ll be fine. Just remember, you were friends first, so fall back to your default if anxiety strikes.” She releases me to answer the buzzer. “Hello?”
“Hey,” Angelo’s voice crackles through the speaker. “Is she ready?”
“Yeah, she’s on her way down.” Alice glances over her shoulder, wearing a sly smile. “Be gentle with her. She’s a little nervous to be dating a handsome stud like you.”
My jaw drops to the floor and I wish I had something in my hands to throw at her.
Angelo laughs. “Don’t worry, I’ll take great care of her.”
I grab my bag from the breakfast bar and storm towards Alice.
“I hate you,” I tease.
“Love you too, babe.”
As I descend the stairs, the hummingbird beats her wings faster with each step. My breathing heightens and by the time I reach the door and I feel ready to pass out.
I step out into the cold and find Angelo wearing his peacoat, leaning against the hood of his car with his arms folded. He wears his mischievous grin, causing my smile to spread across my face.
He pushes away from the car and swaggers towards me. All the moisture depletes from my mouth as he opens his arms and envelopes me.
“Hey, angel. You look amazing,” he says softly.
I nuzzle against him, allowing his soft coat to caress my cheek, wishing I could convince my voice to emerge.
“Let’s get in the car. I’m freezing my gonads off out here.”
My cheeks flush once I comprehend what he’s just said. Thankfully, I can just blame it on the cold. It is freezing out here.
He finds my hand and leads me towards the car and opens the passenger door for me. I slide onto the seat and flick out my hair to hide behind, since it matches the color of my cheeks.
I can’t help but admire the view as Angelo walks around his car and climb into the driver’s seat. He leans across the console and caresses my cheek with delicate fingertips, leaving a trail of warm tingles, and cups my chin, bringing me closer.
My eyes flutter closed. The warmth of his lips caresses mine before parting. The softness of his tongue traces the line of my lips. I open my mouth and allow my tongue to dance with his. Just as the world around me fades, he pulls back.
“I’ve got to be careful with you,” he murmurs. “Otherwise, I’ll be lost in your kiss forever.”
I can’t stop the wide smile from emerging. I tuck my hair behind my ear.
“I know the feeling,” I whisper.
As the mischievous grin materializes on his lips, his eyebrows raise briefly. “Ready to go?”
I nod, sitting back in my seat.
The car roars when Angelo starts the engine, and we launch down the road.
Once we reach a long straight, his fingertips glide across my hand, sending electricity to dance along my skin. I nestle my hand within his and gaze at him. He’s focused on the road, but this doesn’t dull the warmth radiating through my chest.
The nerves have settled, and we’re back to being Angelo and Eva, two friends who are now in love.
I shuffle lower in my seat to hide within leather jacket, where I can gleam in private.
Once we pull up to Uliveto, I glance out the window to see a plain brick restaurant sitting in front of us. A scarlet canopy hangs over the entrance with a matching carpet leading to the front doors.
Angelo circles the car and opens my door, offering me a hand. I accept it, and as I step out of the car, with only an inch of air between us, he leans in to kiss me. Though other guests are making their way towards the restaurant, they fade away. Just like so many times before, we’re transported to a secluded realm where only we exist. I no longer feel the cold seeping through my leather jacket as he wraps his arms around me, allowing me to absorb his heat. Even when he breaks the kiss, we remain locked within one another’s gaze.
“How many times have you wanted to do that?” I ask.
“Kiss you?”
I nod.
He tilts his head and squeezes one eye closed as if to recall the memories. “Once or twice?”
I giggle.
He nuzzles into my hair, allowing me to inhale his intoxicating scent.
“Every moment we were together,” he whispers. “It was almost all I thought about.”
“So why didn’t you?”
The tip of his nose glides along my cheek until his lips find mine once more.
“Because I respect you,” he says between kisses.
“And you couldn’t respect me without dating me?” I ask when he lets me talk again.
He nuzzles my nose and I anticipate him kissing me again. But he stays his lips. “It took every ounce of strength I had to stop myself,” he admits. “But I knew you were different, innocent, and I had to be sure this was what you wanted.”
Is it possible for me to love him any more than I do right now?
“You ready to go in?” he asks.
“Yes.”
His warm hand finds mine and he leads me inside the building. I curl my arm around his, resting my cheek against his shoulder as we stand just inside the lobby.
“Cappellini,” Angelo says to the man standing behind the host stand.
Since I haven’t quite returned back to planet Earth, I only notice the man is wearing a tuxedo. The man gathers two menus before leading us towards a corner booth, decked in red velvet and a matching tablecloth. In the center of the table is a lit candle. The lighting is dim and the entire restaurant exudes romance.
We remove our coats and hand them to the man. Angelo gestures with an open hand for me to sit. As I slide along the sofa, I allow my fingertips to caress the softness of the fabric, like I’ve done at Angelo’s club many times before. He rests his arm along the back of the sofa and closes the gap between us.
I turn my head and inhale his intoxicating scent. Is it socially acceptable to nuzzle against him and inhale till I pass out?
“Miss?” a male voice says.
“Huh?” I snap my eyes towards the voice and find the man who brought us to our table is looking at me with his eyebrows raised.
“I asked if you’d like a drink.”
“Oh, yes. Coke, please.” My cheeks now match the tablecloth and sofa.
The moment he leaves, Angelo nuzzles against my neck, leaving a trail of soft kisses.
I giggle nervously as I shy away.
When I glance sideways towards him, I see the desire he has for me within his alluring eyes
.
Well, this is new. Sort of. Yes, he’s always emitted a desire for me, but now he’s unrestrained.
He kisses my shoulder, working his lips along my neck once again. Heat flows through my body and my eyes flutter closed, while a gasp escapes my lips. With gentle fingertips, he brushes my hair from my shoulder and continues his kisses along my jawline, towards my lips. His feather-light tongue slips along my lips, seeking access. A bolt of electricity shoots through me when he finds my tongue. My senses awaken and I lose myself completely to him.
Someone coughs and I’m plummeted back to Earth.
My cheeks burn and scan the sofa, then the table, and contemplate hiding under it.
I watch her slender hands placing glasses on the table, though I refuse to greet her, or thank her for her service.
Angelo says something in Italian and the woman giggles before replying in Italian.
I gaze through my lashes to make sure she’s gone before grabbing my drink and taking a great gulp and return it to the table.
“Well, that was embarrassing,” I mumble.
Angelo chuckles and draws me closer to his side. “They’re used to it.”
“I’m not.”
He encourages me to rest my head against his shoulder before kissing the top of my head. “I’m sorry, angel. I wasn’t thinking. It’s just hard for me to resist you.”
The hummingbird beats her wings and I rise from his chest and gaze into his eyes. “Want to know a secret?”
His ocean-blue pools glimmer. “Always.”
I chew on my lip. “I kind of have the same issue.”
“Really? Since when?”
Heat stains my cheeks. “Since the moment we met.”
The mischievous grin I adore materializes on his lips. “Want to make up for lost time?”
I cast my gaze around the room to the couples at other tables. Each are in their own bubble, their own world, and not in the slightest bit interested in us. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel afraid opening up to Angelo.
I focus on his blue, silk tie as my fingertips glide along the lapels of his suit jacket. My eyes flicker up to his as my fingers continue their journey, and feel the stubbled heads protruding from his skin. He slides his eyes closed as I trace the outline of his jaw. I admire his beauty, the little imperfections on his skin, and find I can’t resist him any longer, and crush my mouth against his. Our tongues find one another, and I release a gentle moan. One of my hands slips around his neck while the other caresses his chest, fumbling with the buttons of his suit jacket. His arms tighten around me, pulling me closer. With his jacket open, I slip my hand inside and around his back, feeling the silk of his vest. His warmth, his scent, his taste, devours me, and I wish I could live in this moment forever.
“You have two choices,” Angelo tells me the moment we’re in his Shelby. “I can either take you home or you can come to my place.”
As I chew on my lip, I glance sideways at him. “What are you expecting if we go back to your place?”
“Nothing but the pleasure of your company.”
The corners of my mouth curve. “Then I’d like to go back to yours.”
As he pulls the car to a stop outside his home, he turns to face me. The moonlight filters in through the window, leaving a silvery glow around his face, his features. Once again, I find my reluctance to wait for him and grasp his lapel in my fist and pull him closer for a kiss. His fingers entangle in my hair, drawing me closer, deepening it until I almost can’t tell where I end and he begins. He mumbles something in Italian and pulls back to look at me, his eyes blazing with liquid blue fire. A fire that burns for me.
The hummingbird flaps her wings, seeking a way out.
“Can we take this inside?” I ask timidly.
He pulls back, allowing me to witness the love and desire he has for me. “Okay.”
Without waiting for him, I exit the car and meet him at the front, crushing against him, landing my lips on his.
He walks me backwards towards the front door, pinning me against it, not once breaking from me. A rush of excitement flows through me as the warmth of his body presses against me. I feel him fumble with the handle until the door swings open and we fall through it and burst into laughter.
“Sorry, angel,” he says, pulling me back into his arms. “See what you do to me?”
“It’s okay,” I say, tugging on his tie, encouraging him to continue kissing me.
“Eva, wait,” he mumbles into my mouth.
I pull back and gaze at him. What did I do?
He runs a hand through his hair, allowing trepidation to trickle into my mind.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asks.
My heart continues to hammer against my chest and my body yearns for him, but all too soon my head catches up and I question myself.
“Believe me,” he begins. “I want you, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
He brushes a lock of hair from my face before cradling my cheek in his hand.
“Maybe we could slow down a little?” I ask.
“Okay,” he says, gathering my hand and leading me into the room with the fireplace.
Without asking, guides me to sit on the white rug with him. I’m reminded of my first visit here, only, he doesn’t sit opposite me; he sits beside me, and I watch the fire dancing in his eyes. A curve caresses my lips as I admire his beauty. We remain silent, gazing into one another’s eyes, and I become lost to the world. The tips of his hair land over his eye and I use a tender finger to brush his hair to one side. He leans closer, until our noses touch. He embraces me and lies me down on the soft rug. The fur cradles me, tickling my face. He pulls back to watch me for a while. One corner of his mouth curves before he lowers back down and finds my lips. The warmth of his body rests against mine. He tastes of whiskey, and once again, it heightens my desires for him. As much as I can’t stand alcohol, I’m finding that I love the taste of it on him.
My fingertips entangle into his hair, drawing him closer still. As he deepens our kiss, his hand slips down my side until it reaches the hem of my dress. His fingertips tickle my thigh as they tiptoe under the skirt.
My eyes spring open and I twist away from him. “Stop!”
He pulls back, his eyes saturated with concern. “What’s wrong? What did I do?”
My bottom lip quivers. He was inches—no, millimeters—away from finding my scars.
“I’m not ready for this,” I whisper as shame washes over me.
He tucks my hair behind my ear. “Okay.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Baby, there’s no need to be sorry. We’re taking things at your pace, not mine.”
He lies beside me, cradling me in his arms, and I rest my head on his chest, listening to the thrumming of his heart while he combs his fingers through my hair. The tingles relax me further and nestle closer to his side.
He sighs. “Look, angel, I understand there’s a huge difference between us.”
I rise from his chest to look and him and furrow my brow.
The mischievous grin materializes. “I mean in the relationship department.”
Heat stains my cheeks, causing him to chuckle.
Though I know one day I’ll have to reveal my whole self to him, I’m still scared that when I do, he’ll be disgusted by my scars and dump me.
Was I too deep in La-La Land to realize that?
“What are you thinking, Eva?”
I take a deep breath. “That this will never work between us.”
He furrows his brow. “Why?”
“Because we’re too different. You’re outgoing and flirtatious and I’m an introvert who’s never had...” I avoid his gaze as shame washes over me.
Until now, I’ve only ever kissed Clyde, excluding John. Being trapped in my prison, I barely saw the light of day, let alone made friends.
I’m compelled to look at him when he remains silent.
As he comprehends my confession, he arches his
eyebrows. “Ever heard of opposites attract? And as for the other thing, it’s a minor detail. We’ll take things slow. As slow as you want.”
“What if I’m never ready?”
“Then I guess I’ll be celibate for the rest of my life.”
I giggle and nuzzle against him. “I couldn’t do that to you.”
Wait, did he just say what I think he just said?
“Did you say for the rest of your life?” I ask, sitting back.
He raises his eyebrows briefly. “Don’t know. Is that what you heard?”
Well, now I’m not sure.
“Do you trust me?” he asks.
I nod.
He gathers me in his arms and lies me back down before kissing me again. “This is all I want from you, for the rest of my life.”
I know I heard it that time. And so did the hummingbird as she beats her wings faster.
I can’t dim the warmth spreading throughout my body or the sudden desire to take things one step further. Though I’m unsure of myself and limitations, I trust him.
After his valiant show at the Don’s mansion, protecting me from the man who wanted to kill me, and then again when he rescued me from John, how could I not trust him with every part of me?
“Will you stay with me tonight?” he asks.
Though I heard him, my mind draws a blank.
He heaves up onto one elbow. “Is that a no?”
“It’s not a no,” I say and chew on my lip.
He narrows his eyes. “But not a yes either?”
“Um, I don’t know?” I say, like it’s a question.
Gosh, this is awkward. Why can’t I just say one way or the other? Why do I have to be so indecisive? So prudish?
After sitting up, he runs a hand through his hair. “Want me to take you home?”
I bolt up, my eyes wide. “No!”
At least my sudden outburst brought light back to his face.
He chuckles. “So what do you want?”
I lower my gaze and watch my hands comfort one another.
If I’m honest, I want to stay with him, all the time. Not just for one night, but every night. Would it be too soon to tell him?
I lift my head to look at him.
“I don’t have a change of clothes,” I finally say.
Twisted City: (Twisted City Book 1) Page 32