by CJ Andrews
After putting my emotions on lockdown, I angled myself toward him and smiled politely. “We were. Why?”
He took a giant gulp of beer then leaned closer. His voice rose above the outburst of cheers coming from a group at the bar. “She’s nice enough. I think she just has a hard time getting along with other women, that’s all. You know?”
Kendra studied Nico, a crease forming in her brow. “Really? And how exactly do you know that?”
One corner of Nico’s mouth tipped up in a crooked smile, unleashing his single dimple. “We went out once. Well, sort of. She pretty much ignored me the whole night, now that I think about it.” He scratched at his stubbled jaw and shrugged.
Logan returned at the end of Nico’s comment and patted his back, laughing. “It happens, bro. Not usually to you, but—” He let out a grunt as Nico’s elbow jabbed him in the gut.
“Anyway, her date for Logan’s party cancelled—‘insisted on bringing his wife,’ according to Alexia. I filled in, last minute, as a favor to Peter. She ditched me shortly after midnight, claiming to have a migraine, and I haven’t heard from her since.”
I dropped my arm to the table and pivoted to face Nico full-on, honing in on his eyes. “Wait, that . . . bitch you were dancing with when I first saw you was Alexia? No way. I mean, I keep thinking she looks vaguely familiar; but she’s just this plain, timid girl.”
Nico laughed. “Maybe so, but when she gets done up for a party, she’s smokin’ hot.”
“Well, if it isn't Wandering Willie. I was beginning to think you’d found something better to do.” Kendra’s booming announcement was followed by the low rumble of Nico's snickering.
I shot her a look, reminding her to play nice, then turned to greet my husband.
Will's eyes shifted between Nico and me before settling on Nico's hand, wrapped around my forearm.
Shit. How long has that been there? My stomach clenched, even though I hadn't done anything wrong. Nico’s fingers flexed, holding me tighter when I tried to wiggle free. I raised my narrowed eyes and gave him a warning glare then managed to retrieve my arm.
With a cheery smile in place, I stood and wrapped my arms around Will, genuinely thrilled—and relieved—to see him. I slid my fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth to mine for a long, slow, inappropriate-for-public-places kiss. A kiss intended to remind both men that I belonged to Will. A kiss that didn’t come close to the passionate one I’d shared with—don't go there, Danni.
I moved away and stared into Will’s eyes, searching for forgiveness. “I missed you.”
The tension in his face eased. “I missed you too, babe.”
I took his hands and introduced him to Nico and Trina.
Nico stood, rising three inches above Will, and extended his hand.
Will narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, I remember you. You’re the guy who was trying to hit on my wife New Year’s Eve too.”
Nico glanced at me and smiled. “Well, what do you think is gonna happen when you leave someone as beautiful as Danni alone? But, for the record, that night I was checking on her because she appeared to be upset . . . not that I could blame her.”
Will crossed his arms over his chest. He scanned Nico, as if sizing up the competition. “I don’t owe you any explanations, and I already apologized to Danielle. She knows why I was gone so long.”
Nico looked at me, eyebrows raised. “And?”
Logan rubbed the side of his neck. “Come on, Nico. Just let it go.” His voice had the same weary tone it did that night at Metro Sky.
“What? I’m curious.” Nico continued to stare at me.
“He was stuck in the men’s room because of a fight,” I said.
Nico held up one hand and struggled to keep a straight face. “Wait, you saying you got into a fight taking a leak?”
“No, I broke up the fight, and security had me wait around to answer a few questions.”
A low growl rumbled through me. “Stop it. Just. Stop.” I stepped between the two men, poking Nico’s solid chest until he finally collapsed into his seat.
He downed the rest of his beer then returned the mug to the table with a heavy thud, ignoring my icy stare.
As much as I wanted to avoid spending more time next to Nico, having Will next to him would be disastrous. Dammit. I took Will by the shoulders and guided him to the empty chair on the other side of me. “Sit down. Please. People are staring.” I slid my chair close to his and settled in, resting my arm along his thigh.
Nico leaned forward, his elbows propped on the table. He scrubbed his hands down his face then gripped the back of his neck, heaving a heavy sigh. I hadn’t seen him this tense since that night on the patio at Metro Sky.
“Christ, Danni, why didn’t you tell me the bullshit story he gave you?” He opened his eyes and looked at me, reaching into my soul with a gentle warmth and compassion. “I could have cleared this up for you weeks ago.”
Will slapped his palm on the table and leaned over me. “Who the fu—” He paused when I squeezed his leg. “No. I want to know what makes this asshole think my story’s bullshit.”
Everyone else at the table sat silent, shielding their faces as though that would somehow make the uncomfortable scene in front of them disappear.
Nico took a slow breath, his jaw clenching. “If there had been a fight at Elevations, I would have been one of the first people to know about it.” He angled himself toward me, leaning forward as he rested one arm on the table. “You wanna know why?” He inched closer to Will, his voice a low, menacing growl. “Because my family owns Elevations, and I fucking run the place.”
His accusation hung in the air as he drilled Will with a challenging stare.
My stomach churned. Nico had to be wrong. Why would Will lie? I turned to my husband, looking for reassurance.
Will’s eyes flashed wide, but he quickly masked his stunned expression. Seconds ticked by, filled only by distant chatter and the mellow tune from a guitar.
“Will?” I couldn’t bring myself to ask the question.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Nico let out a quick snort and continued staring through Will. Trina tugged at Nico’s arm, but he didn’t acknowledge her. He snapped up his empty mug and pushed away from the table, his chair screeching as it slid on the wooden floor. “I need another drink.”
“I'll take care of that for you,” the waitress said, intercepting Nico before he could escape to the bar. She placed his mug in the center of her large tray filled with our meals. “You sit and enjoy your dinner.” She smiled at him. “Besides, then I’ll have another excuse to come back over here.”
Amazing. Does every woman throw herself at this man?
Trina must have wondered the same thing as she let out a frustrated groan. She turned away from the waitress, rolling her eyes. I almost felt a little sorry for her. Almost.
I tilted my head enough to catch a glimpse of Nico. He smiled and winked at me, setting off a rush of warmth through my cheeks. With all the other women he could easily have, he always seemed to be focused on me.
The tension between Will and Nico lingered, leaving me trapped in the middle.
Kristi broke the silence. “You know . . . I was thinking it might be fun if we all went out after we’re finished eating. Listen to some music. Do some dancing.”
I raised my brows to give her an incredulous look.
She shrugged and bit her lip. “Well, it’s just that it would only take us forty-five minutes to get to the club Ben’s playing at. I thought we could go surprise him.”
Kendra and I burst out laughing. Earlier in the day, we’d wondered how long it would take for Kristi to suggest going. When Kristi couldn’t stop talking about Ben long enough to get a facial, we’d even joked that we should bet on it.
Kristi pouted but didn’t push the subject.
I smiled and silently thanked her for livening things up. Everyone seemed to be relaxed and having fun again . . . except for Will.
He took one b
ite of his burger then slapped it on the plate and gave it a shove. “Fuck this. I’m not sticking around here and putting up with all this bullshit.” He pushed to his feet, crashing his chair into the table behind us. “Let’s go, Danielle.”
Without a word to anyone else or a glance at me, he was gone, heading toward the exit.
“Sweetie, you can stay if you want.” Kendra crossed her arms, her hands balled into tight fists. The strain in her voice told me everything she didn’t say.
“I—I’m so sorry.” I didn’t want to go. I couldn’t stay. And I couldn’t bear seeing the pity on my friends’ faces. “I have to go.”
I grabbed my coat and rushed for the doors, keeping my face down. Nico’s voice trailed behind me, urging me to wait, but I forced myself to keep moving forward. When I stepped outside, Will pulled up to the curb and impatiently revved the engine. I climbed inside without saying a word, angling myself away from him. Today had been so much fun, and then—how did everything go so wrong?
I glanced over at Farley’s and watched Nico fade in the distance, his hands in his hair.
Will got out of the car and stormed into the house. He’d been silent the whole ride home, but his actions screamed—the way he threw the car into gear, the way he smacked the turn signals, and the way he pounded the wheel to the beat of his excessively loud heavy-metal music.
I eased the door from the garage closed behind me and hung my coat on the hook next to it.
“Your new friend is a real arrogant ass. Where the fuck does he get off telling you I lied? He’s just worried news of that fight will get out and ruin their precious reputation.” He emptied his pockets, slamming their contents on the kitchen counter. “Dammit.” He turned to face me, arms crossed. “Do you believe him?”
“Of course not.” My voice cracked. I grabbed his arm and tried to slip under it, but he brushed me off. I needed him to hold me, let me know that everything was okay. That we were okay. “Please don’t push me away. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I gasped, trying to control the pounding in my chest. “I didn’t know he was going to be there. I barely even know him.”
Will let out a bitter laugh. “You two sure looked chummy when I got there.”
“Kendra has something going on with his friend Logan, and I couldn’t say no when she wanted them to join us.” I wiggled my hand into the bend of his elbow, clinging to him any way I could.
Will peeled me away. He shrugged out of his jacket and threw it over the back of the chair. “Don’t even get me started on my issues with Kendra. Christ, I should’ve just stayed home tonight like I wanted to.” He kicked off his shoes then moved to the stairs.
“You coming back down?” I hated the desperation in my voice, but we needed to fix this mess.
He stopped but didn’t turn around. “You sleeping with him?”
The pain in his words cut through me, straight to my heart. “God, Will. No. I love you.” I dragged my hand across my face, sniffling as I choked back tears. “I’d—how could you even think that I’d—”
Sure, I found Nico attractive . . . okay, gorgeous . . . sexy. The intense way he looked at me scorched my soul, made me burn. And the way that he treated me—always making me feel special, beautiful. I couldn’t deny the struggle it took to resist the strong pull toward him.
Did I want to sleep with him? More than I dared to admit, even to myself, but it would never happen. I’d never cross that line. My heart belonged to Will, and I planned to prove it. I moved behind him, grabbing his arm to push my way past.
His body tensed when I pressed mine against him, rolling my hips but failing to elicit a response. He opened his mouth, as if to protest, but I didn’t give him the chance. Pushing my fingers through his soft, golden hair, I pulled him to me and sealed my lips over his.
He resisted, but I continued kissing his limp, motionless lips, refusing to give up—on this moment, on him, on our marriage. The slight movement against my stomach gave me hope, and I sucked in a shuddered breath.
I broke the kiss and looked deep into his eyes. “I love you. I need you. I don’t want anyone but you. Now or ever.”
I kissed him again with an unrelenting fierceness until his resistance melted. His arms slid around my waist, pulling me tighter. His lips moved against mine with an unfamiliar passion that took my breath away.
I turned to rest my cheek against his chest, squeezing my eyes to clear the image in my mind. “You’re my whole life, Will.” I took his hands and led him upstairs.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Painful Choices
Will and I spent the rest of the weekend in bed, something that hadn’t happened since . . . our honeymoon? Not quite that long, however it had been years. Will slept most of the time, but when he was awake—
“Hello, beautiful.” A knocking on my desk accompanied Nico’s familiar greeting.
I’d been so lost in my reverie that I hadn’t noticed he’d come into the office. And after that embarrassing scene at Farley’s the other night, I would have preferred to hide from him.
He chuckled. “Look at that smile. I hope you’re thinking about me.”
Heat rose to my cheeks for all the times my fantasies had been about him. I swept my gaze over him, taking in the amazing sight of the man in front of me. Why couldn’t he leave me alone?
“What are you doing here? Do you have an appointment with Mr. Jamison that I wasn’t aware of?”
He settled onto the corner of my desk. “It’s Monday. Time for lunch. I’m here to see you, silly.”
His eyes sparkled with the same playful glint I remembered from that night at Logan’s party. I pressed a hand to my chest, memorizing the fluttering beat of my heart that signaled my soul coming to life. It only ever happened in his presence. This is what I’m going to miss most.
“I wish you’d have called first. I could have saved you a wasted trip.” I signed out of my computer, gathered up a stack of folders to drop at Peter’s office on my way to lunch, and stepped away from my desk.
Nico followed closely, bumping into me when I stopped to double-check a file. His warm hands caught my waist, holding me until I regained my balance. It took an enormous amount of restraint, but I resisted the urge to lean into his broad chest.
“Sorry.” Nico shrugged one shoulder. “Guess I should have been watching where I was going.” He released me and took a step back.
“Did you need something else?” I pulled the stack of folders to my chest as if they would shield my heart.
Nico grinned. “Just thought I’d pop in and say hi to Peter . . . since I’m here.”
I’d seen that expression on his face before, the mischievous smile that warned he was up to no good. “You mean manipulate Peter into letting you drag me away from work to keep you company.”
“Yeah, that too.”
“My schedule for today is really full.” I could easily brush him off, tell him to leave. Of course I wouldn’t. I sighed, frustrated at my own lack of self-control. “There’s a little deli a block away, and I plan to walk there for a quick bite to eat. Nothing fancy, and I definitely don’t have time for an extended lunch at Giardano’s.”
“Not a problem.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and pushed a button. “London. Nico here. I’m not going to make it for lunch today. And can you tell my father I’ll call him later? Thanks.” Another push of a button, and he slipped the phone back into his pocket. “So, where’s this deli? I’m starving.”
“Do you even know the word no?” Do I?
His face sobered. “I used to. Before I met you.”
I raised my brows to stare at the smug bastard. “Fine, but this isn’t a date. It’s you tagging along to grab a quick bite to eat, and . . . you need to keep your hands to yourself. For real this time.” I pinned him with a steely glare, waiting for him to agree.
A gradual smile spread across his face. He clasped his wrist behind his back and leaned toward my ear. “Challenge accepted.” A teasing laugh followed his r
aspy whisper.
It seemed my resolve to resist Nico was being tested at every turn.
After changing into a pair of flats, I led the way out of Jamison and Walters. We were lucky enough to catch the express elevator as the doors began to close. Thirty seconds later, we were on the sidewalk, moving at a brisk pace.
“What’s the rush?” Nico reached for my arm, hesitated, then pulled back.
“Thank you.” I stifled a grin.
He grumbled something unintelligible then stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Too bad you had to leave so early on Saturday. We wound up at Ben’s gig in Hill Valley—had a few drinks, danced. It was a good time.”
“Maybe next time.” A lie, but he didn’t need to know that.
A pink-and-black-striped awning came into view as soon as we turned the corner. The cute little shop reminded me more of a boutique than a deli, but they made delicious wraps. And if Nico felt uncomfortable—well, that might not be a bad thing. He pulled the door open and guided me through, stopping short of placing his hand on the small of my back.
His obvious efforts to make me happy could easily cause my plan for this outing to backfire.
I stopped as I passed him, stretching on tiptoe to reach his ear. “See, you can do it if you try.” I bit my lip, regretting the words as soon as they were out, but flirting with Nico came naturally. And it made me feel alive. Might as well enjoy it while I still can.
“You’re lucky I can’t smack your cute little butt right now.”
My muscles tensed as though he had, and his quiet laughter suggested he knew exactly what effect his skillfully delivered words had on me. How many times had he used them before, and on how many women? Was this just a game to him? Was I just another conquest to be had?
His deep voice interrupted my thoughts. “There’s an empty table by the window. Why don’t you go grab it, and I’ll order for us?”
It was perfect, tucked in a secluded corner but fully visible from the street. I gave Nico my order and went to sit down.
“Nico?” I called after him. “Could you get me a bottle of water too?”