by Nikki Ash
“Do you need to go?” I asked while pressing my cheek into his chest. I wasn't quite ready for this to end.
“I have an associate who will handle it.”
I licked my lips and squeezed him tighter. Why was I so drawn to Nico? I should be running for the hills. “Do you not get many breaks?” I asked.
“I'm always working. It's rare that I get to enjoy an evening with a beautiful woman,” he replied in a rasp. “And I'm going to be selfish tonight and let someone else handle the mess.”
I pulled away and grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket. “So that's what you do?” I asked. “Clean up messes?”
He grinned and leaned over to hover his lips just above mine. “Something like that.”
I closed the distance between us, boldly pressing my lips to his on a moan. He responded quickly, lavishing my mouth with passionate kisses, parting my lips so he could explore my tongue. Our teeth lightly clashed. His hands roamed my body, as if we weren't in a room surrounded by people. Arching my back to get closer, I lifted my leg ever so slightly, bending it at the knee so I could put my core closer to his hard cock.
“Lydia,” he whispered. “Would you like to go somewhere private?” he asked.
I pressed my forehead to his and nodded slightly, my heaving breaths coated with lust and need. One night. Nico Mariano was too intoxicating to pass up.
He slammed his lips to mine once more in appreciation, then threaded his fingers through mine to guide me across the floor of his lavish club. I stared at him, my wobbly legs shaking with each step. Something deep within me felt rattled. It was like standing on the edge of a cliff. I'd slept with plenty of men. I'd snuck out the next morning like nothing had happened, too. But this didn't feel like just one night. This felt like something more. A contract signed in blood.
“Where are we going?” I whispered when he pulled me to a hallway.
“I have an apartment above the club,” he replied huskily. “I stay there when I'm too tired to drive to the other side of the city where my penthouse is.”
I ignored the way he casually mentioned his penthouse on the other side of the city and nodded. “Let's go.”
Each step made the tension between us grow. Ignoring the men trailing at a distance behind us, we ascended a secret set of stairs, traveled down a long, low-lit hallway, and to a large set of wooden double doors, sealed with a stainless-steel padlock.
Nico spun around and addressed his guards. “No one is to bother me until tomorrow morning.”
I chewed my lip.
“Yes, boss.”
Once inside, I didn't have time to take in the decor of the room. I didn't look at the four-poster bed, the expensive comforter, or the oak desk piled with papers. I didn't notice the pistol sitting on his nightstand. Nico slammed into me and pushed me against the wall, stealing my attention for his own.
“I've wanted to do this since I saw you yesterday.”
I shoved his suit jacket off and picked at the buttons of his shirt while he tossed his tie to the floor. I was pinned under his strong body, his leg thrust between mine and pressing against my core. He bit my lip, nearly drawing blood.
“You looked at me like I was a motherfucking hero.” His palm slammed against the wall beside my head and I jumped. His other hand captured my chin, squeezing.
“Thank you for saving me,” I whispered, a sliver of fear spiking up my spine and making me tremble.
“Don't thank the villain, baby. I'm going to ruin you.”
Nico kissed me harder, his mouth open, swallowing me whole. He pawed at my dress, tearing the straps, ripping it off until it was nothing but a pile of fabric on the floor. I cried out when he grabbed my breasts with his strong, massive hands.
Soon, he was lifting me up and carrying me to the bed. Slipping off his Gucci belt, he looped the ends, creating leather makeshift handcuffs. After slipping them over my wrists, he pushed my hands over my head. “Stay just like this. Don't move until I say so,” he demanded before standing up to undress the rest of the way and fully admire me. Slowly, he stepped out of his pants and underwear. Seeing his hard cock, jerking and solid made me swallow in anticipation. He fisted it, letting me appreciate the view, before stalking closer.
“These are in the way,” he murmured before taking off my dusty rose lace panties and tossing them on the floor. “Look at you. So wet for a monster.”
“You're not a monster,” I whispered.
My legs were hanging off the side of the bed, and he dropped to his knees so that he was eye level with my pussy. He chuckled at my words, as if it was nothing more than a joke to him, before dragging his firm tongue up my slit. I jerked when he landed on my clit, the needy nub spasming at his attention.
Nico consumed me. He knew just the right tempo, the right amount of pressure. He fingered me while eating me out, his mouth wet and hot as I writhed, arched, and cried out. But I didn't dare move my arms from above my head. Something told me that Nico would punish me for disobeying him.
And when I came, he smiled triumphantly as I grinded against his face. Light stubble along his jaw added a tantric texture to the feel-good pain of coming so hard.
“When you leave here, Lydia, you're going to remember the way I felt.” He wiped his lips on the inside of my thigh and started crawling up my body. “I don't get many nights to myself. I'm always on. Always working. Always thinking of the next chess piece I'm going to knock off the board.” He wrapped his plush lips around my nipple and flicked his tongue over the needy nub before continuing. “But tonight? It's just you and me.”
His lips found purchase on the sensitive skin of my neck. He sucked and poised his hard cock between my legs. I opened wider for him. “Can I touch you?” I asked. I wanted free of my restraints so I could roam my hands up and down his sculpted body.
“Wrap your arms around my neck, baby,” he whispered, and I obeyed. Both of us lay there, waiting, panting. Another moment passed, and he plunged inside of me.
Fuck. He was so big that the invasion of his hard cock burned. I pulled him closer with my arms and bit my lip. He didn't ease in and out of me with sensual, slow movements. He was fast and desperate. We were being so irresponsible, but the tension between us was too much to ignore. I wanted him. Bare. Impossible to forget.
Hours seemed to pass. Every single position, surface, and second was filled with his desperate pumps, my frantic orgasms, and the sound of his filthy talk in my ear. We didn't stop until we were completely spent with his cum spilling out of my sore pussy and our heaving bodies languid on his mattress.
He wrapped his arms around my body and pulled me close, savoring the feel of our nakedness. I fell asleep in the arms of a stranger, feeling like I'd known him my entire life.
Chapter Five
I woke up alone, naked, with the smell of Nico Mariano on my skin. Someone was pounding on the door. I sat up, rubbed my eyes, and looked around the empty room for signs of the man who rocked my world. “Open up, miss.”
I wrapped a satin sheet around my body and stumbled to the front door. With shaky hands, I opened it.
“Hello, Miss Love, the car is downstairs ready to take you back to your apartment.” The man standing there was the same man from last night. He averted his eyes, taking great care not to look at me.
My heart panged. Though I had no right to feel disappointed, the fact that Nico couldn't at least see me off after the intense night we shared stung. “Oh,” I replied “Is Nico—”
“Mr. Mariano is gone for the day. He instructed me to stop for coffee and bagels on the drive home should you wish.”
“How thoughtful of Mr. Mariano,” I replied before letting out a huff. “I won't be needing your services. I'll call a cab, thank you. Just give me a couple minutes to get dressed and I'll be out of your hair.”
I knew what this was going into it, but it was still harsh. The man cleared his throat. “Mr. Mariano had strict instructions—”
“Nico isn't here. I'm a free woman. I'm
allowed to do whatever I please. Excuse me. I need to get dressed so I can get the hell out of here.”
I fumed as I got dressed, furious that I felt this way. I'd had plenty of one-night stands. I knew the drill. It was the fact that he had one of his employees to fetch me that pissed me off. I didn't bother looking in the mirror. I didn't need to see the evidence of my reflection to know I probably looked like shit. After grabbing my purse, I opened the door and paused when I saw the man standing there.
“Mr. Mariano insists that you use his car to go home,” he stammered. I waltzed over to the stairs with him following behind. After pulling my phone from my purse and ignoring the various missed calls from Dax, I ordered a car and stomped down the stairs. “Please. We can bring you straight home. I would really prefer—”
I opened the front door to the club, wincing at the bright light outside. “Tell Nico thanks for the orgasms,” I replied with a smile and a wink before slamming the door in his face.
During the car ride I silently fumed to myself, feeling insecure and foolish. Of course this didn't mean anything to him. What did I think was going to happen? We'd wake up, have breakfast, and end up getting married two years down the line? Ridiculous. This was what wealthy, mysterious men did. They fucked and then got the fuck out of there.
My phone started ringing and I answered it with a wince. “Heyyyy, Dax,” I croaked while looking out the window and bracing myself for his anger.
“I was two seconds from hopping my ass on a plane. Are you okay? What happened last night?”
My chest tightened. “I ended up hooking up with a guy from the club last night. Stayed at his place and I'm headed home now. Sorry I didn't text you.”
He let out a sigh. “Shit, Lydia. I was really freaked out. How was the club? And who is the guy?”
I wrinkled my nose. “The club was extravagant. The guy was like absinthe and champagne.”
“Death in the Afternoon, one of my least favorite drinks,” Dax agreed with a scowl.
“I'm headed home now to work on my blog post for Satin Sheets. No need to fly here. I'm good. Can I call you later?”
Dax went quiet for a moment, and I sensed that he wanted to ask me more questions. “Are you sure you're fine? You didn't hook up with the owner, did you?”
I clenched my teeth and steadied the embarrassment and strong emotions coursing through me. “I'm fine, Dax. Talk to you later?”
He huffed. “Fine. Call you later. But don’t think I’m dropping this.”
“Love you,” I said softly.
“Love you, too.”
Chapter Six
Seven weeks later
The room smelled like sweat and sex. I wrinkled my nose and tried not to outwardly gag at the stench in this place. I was tired and not necessarily up for doing a review on this new club, but they promised to pay a premium for a good review, and since I hadn't really been maintaining my blog since Satin Sheets and my incredible night with Nico, I couldn't turn it down.
I was in a funk. I couldn't stop thinking about Nico and the passionate night we shared. I was tired and burnt out. Not to mention, I was still freaked out by the whole stalker situation. Every time I went to post on social media, I thought of Bradley’s frantic face and the way Nico's men dragged him away and shoved him into the trunk of a car.
“Do you not like the drink, miss?” the bartender asked while staring at me. A group of men were in the corner, arms crossed over their chests and glaring at me. The club was called Dark Knight and for a Saturday night, there was no one here. They got new management and were desperately trying to save their establishment. I wasn't the only blogger or influencer here to enjoy a free drink on the failing business. I could tell that they were hoping to get more buzz, but by the looks of my drink, they needed to stop wasting money on influencers and hire a better bartender.
“What is this called again?” I asked. It was a sad day when I couldn't even tell what they were trying to accomplish. I lifted the glass up to my nose and took a sniff. Oh God. My stomach revolted. Bourbon.
Normally, I loved whiskey, but this smelled too potent. I felt like I was going to puke.
“It's a Smoked and Salted, miss. Two ounces of Four Roses Bourbon. Twenty-five ounces of maple syrup, slightly thinned out with hot water. Five dashes of Crude Smoke & Salt Bitters. It's our most requested cocktail.”
I took another sniff and gagged. The men in the corner fumed. The maple syrup was sickly sweet. There was no way in hell I could drink this. I looked up at the bartender, who was pleading me with his frantic gaze to take a sip. I felt bad for the guy, but this sounded terrible right now. “Right,” I replied. “I'll try it.”
I lifted the drink up to my lips and took a small sip. The taste on my tongue made me shiver in disgust. It was awful. Absolutely awful. Nausea swirled in my gut and I couldn't hold back the rising vomit. Within minutes I was puking on the bartender, my sludgy lunch leftovers projected over the bar top and onto the poor man. Once it was out of my body, I clasped my sticky mouth with my hand and hopped off the stool. I felt dizzy and tired and so fucking embarrassed. What the hell was wrong with me? This was so not professional.
The bartender gagged and wiped at his shirt with his wet rag. I looked up to see some of the club owners marching my way. Yeah. This was bad for business. I grabbed my clutch and made a beeline for the door. Shit. Shit, shit, shit!
Outside, the cool air hit my cheeks, and my feet wobbled as I hailed a cab and pulled out my cell to call Dax. Something was seriously wrong with me. He answered the moment my ass landed on the stained cloth seats of the cab.
“Hello. How'd the club go? You headed home?” I could hear the sounds of the bar where he worked in the background. He probably couldn't talk for long, but for some reason, I just wanted to hear his voice.
I started to cry. My eyes watered and I felt stupid. What the hell was wrong with me? I didn't even cry when my stalker attacked me. “Dax?” I sniffled.
“Are you crying? Shit! What's going on?”
“I just puked on a bartender. I puked all over him. He was wearing my cobb salad!” My voice was shrill as I sobbed. The cab driver gave me a horrified look in the rearview mirror, and I had to force myself not to chuck my purse at his head. It wasn't his fault I was having a complete emotional breakdown.
“You puked?” Dax asked, trying to make sense of my emotional rambling.
“Yes. I'm just so tired. I hate going to these clubs. I just want to sleep and watch Netflix.”
Dax went quiet. “Are you PMSing? I know you hate it when I ask because I have a penis and I'm not allowed to make comments about your emotional state and how it correlates to your Menzies, but I'm just trying to navigate this carefully.”
I blinked twice. Wait. When was the last time I'd had my period? I did some mental calculations and nearly dropped my phone in horror. Oh shit. Ohhh shit.
“Lydia?” Dax asked. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it worse. Maybe you should go home, have a glass of wine and just relax?”
“Dax?” whispered.
“Yeah?”
“I'm late. I'm fucking late.”
Dax went silent on the other end of the line. “Go to a pharmacy right now and get a test.”
“No. No, no, no. This isn't happening. I can't.”
“Lydia! You just puked cobb salad on a bartender. You have to. Oh my God, I'm going to be an uncle!”
“You're my cousin. It doesn't work like that, Dax.”
“I'm basically your brother,” he snapped. “Wait. Who is the father?”
I swallowed; another wave of nausea laced with shame consuming me. Oh shit. There was only one person I'd slept with recently... “We don't even know if I'm pregnant or not,” I hissed into the receiver.
“Oh man. This is epic,” Dax said. Why did he sound so goddamn happy?
“I'll go take a test and let you know,” I replied. “And stop sounding so excited.”
“I'll stop when you tell me who the father
is.”
“Byeeeee.”
Two lines. Two fucking lines.
Holy fucking shit balls goddamn motherfucking cock sucker.
Did we use a condom? Nope. I was drunk. I get bad migraines from birth control, so I wasn't on the pill. It was a careless night all around. Not only did I have unprotected sex, but I fucked someone who didn't even have the decency to pat me on the ass and say good game. It was irresponsible. Stupid. What the hell was I thinking?
I was pregnant. I was actually pregnant. Like legit pregnant.
I didn't call Dax, because I wasn't ready for his questions and accusations. I wasn't ready to be a mother. I wasn't ready to raise a child with a man I barely knew. I mean, who even was Nico Mariano? Did I want to tell him? Should I tell him?
Did I want to keep this baby?
I was sitting on my bathroom floor, staring at the test and pressing my palm to my flat stomach. I tried to imagine what it would be like to raise a whole ass human. A living, breathing soul with my eyes and Nico's intensity.
No. I couldn't do this. What about my job? I couldn't review drinks while pregnant.
I licked my lips and felt tears well up in my eyes. It was moments like this that I wished I had my mom here. She'd know the right thing to say. She'd rub my back, get me a glass of water, and help me pick myself up off the floor.
I just wished I knew what to do. I lived in a one-bedroom apartment and my baby daddy wanted nothing to do with me. What if he thought I did this on purpose? He was one of the wealthiest men in the city.
No. I refused to feel bad. It took two to tango, and he didn't even bother to wear a condom. We both got ourselves into this mess. And he had a right to know, didn't he? What happened next was my choice, but the least I could do was tell him.
I spent the next few hours Googling anything and everything about being pregnant and having a baby. I learned that my kid probably had a heartbeat. I learned that I couldn't have caffeine.
I also learned that I wanted to keep my baby.