Pop turned around in the front passenger seat, putting his phone away after sending one of his men a texted order. “Your mom is right, figlio. Don’t spill any blood today. Nova was definitely acting off last night, and I’m fairly sure killing someone she considers family will not make her smile today of all days.”
I turned my head back to look at
Nova and stabbed my fingers through my hair in frustration. Her long blond hair fell almost to her waist, the sun shining down on it and making it glow. Her face had only the bare minimum of makeup on it, but she didn’t need it to begin with. She was wearing a pair of jeans that cupped her perfect ass and a long-sleeved shirt that was tight across her chest, making my mouth water at just the sight of those rounded globes.
Fuck, she got more and more beautiful every time I saw her. When she’d arrived in New York at the beginning of the summer, it had been like seeing her for the first time. Suddenly, it wasn’t just my precious little angel standing there.
She had literally stolen the breath from my chest as she’d thrown her arms and legs around me when I’d met her at the airport as I usually did. My body had responded just as powerfully as my heart had. My hands had gripped her hips reflexively and held on tighter than I ever had before.
For years, I’d kept that part of myself buried deep. I had it locked down so hard that my dick hadn’t even twitched once over the years. I knew people thought something was wrong with me, but I had only one goal in mind, and nothing was going to stop me from making it reality. I had to wait for Nova to grow up, and that meant waiting in all aspects of my personal life. She—and our future together—was worth it.
But that day, as she’d wrapped her legs around my waist like she’d done a thousand times in the past, my body had gone from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye, and I’d been seconds away from exploding in my damn pants then and there. There was no controlling how I felt. The reaction had left me shaken, and I knew if I didn’t put some physical distance between us, I would end up doing something that could ruin all the plans I had for my future with Nova.
I’d promised her the day before her arrival that I would spend the entire day with her, but after nearly nutting off at our normal greeting, I’d made up an excuse about work and quickly got the hell away from there while I still had a thread of control left. Then she’d tried to climb into bed beside me that night, as she’d done since she was three years old, and I realized that no matter how busy I stayed during the day, the nights would destroy everything in a heartbeat if I weren’t careful.
So, I’d told her she couldn’t sleep in my bed ever again, and to put temptation further away, I’d moved in to the apartment my mom had once called home before she’d married my father. It was one floor below Theo and Tavia’s and big enough for two, so I’d let Garret move in with me, hoping that would make Nova less likely to be upset about the new living arrangements.
But not getting to see her all summer as I was used to had been literal hell for me. She was so close, but I didn’t trust myself to be around her. The little I did allow myself to see her, I always made sure we were never alone, because I knew I was too weak where she was concerned. All it would take was for her to give me that damn smile that lit me up inside, and I knew I would take things too far with her.
The physical distance was a necessity, but I couldn’t go more than a day without hearing her voice. We spoke every day, just regular calls since even the sight of her on video chats had the power to make my cock so hard I spent hours jerking it raw afterward. No matter how many times I got myself off, it was never enough.
One more year, I kept reminding myself. One more year and she would be eighteen. We would get married, and she would finally be mine. Just as I’d always promised myself she would be.
Although I’d never expected for things to turn out like this. When I’d made the vow to myself that Nova would one day be my wife, I’d never dreamed I would want her as much as I did. It was becoming an obsession, bordering on a sickness—this need to have her all to myself, locked away from everyone, including her own parents.
Only I could see her. Make her laugh. Hold her. Kiss her.
One more year and everything would fall into place as it should. Just 365 more days. I could withstand this body-bending agony for that long.
The three men she was standing with were talking, and then Elias leaned in, touching his lips to her cheek while looking right at me. Taunting me.
My door was open, and I was out of the SUV before either of my parents could remind me not to spill the motherfucker’s blood yet again.
Nova’s green eyes shot straight to mine, brightening as they always had in the past. But it only lasted for a few short seconds before the light within her dimmed. For the first time in the existence of Ryan and Nova, she didn’t run and throw herself into my arms. There were no sweet giggles filling the air as I swung her around, so happy to see her and hear the world’s most beautiful sound, the one I would do anything to make last longer.
Right before my eyes, she steeled herself, seeming to lock every muscle to keep from doing what her body craved.
Something painful detonated in my chest and I knew something was definitely wrong, but I had no clue what it was.
Samara zoomed past me, throwing her arms around Nova before I could tell my own body to move forward, to fix whatever was wrong so she would smile at me like she used to. She should have been in my arms at that very moment, damn it.
“Happy birthday!” Samara squealed, hugging Nova tightly. There was a five-year age gap between the two of them, but already, Samara was several inches taller than Nova’s petite five feet. “I wanted to tell you that first thing this morning, but you were already gone before I even woke up.”
“Thank you,” Nova said with a tiny laugh. “Sorry. There was just so much to do today, and I didn’t want to wake you. You deserved to sleep in a little after passing all your exams last week.”
“I would rather spend the time with you than sleeping any day,” my sister told her, echoing my own thoughts. She took Nova’s hand and tugged her away from the three men. “You guys get her all the time. I’m stealing her and keeping her for my own.”
Max grinned down at them. “I’m not worried about it. You’ll bring her back before the end of the day. Her daddy would murder you all if you try to kidnap her.” He pulled Nova in for a quick hug. “Go have fun, birthday girl. Don’t go far, though. Delaney and I have your present, and my treasure is excited for you to open it.”
“Yeah, go on, Nova,” Lyric told her. “We can talk more about everything tomorrow. I’ll have Aunt Emmie email you all the details.”
“I’m not sure I trust the three of you trying to get rid of me,” she said with a lift of one dark-blond brow. “Don’t go pulling any surprises. I’m seriously not in the mood for that crap right now.”
“Guess you’ll just have to wait and see, little beauty,” Elias told her with a wink, and I fisted my hands at my sides in an attempt to keep from slitting his throat then and there. “Better get going. Your boy over there is getting all growly.”
“He’s not mine,” she told him, but before I could react to that, she took Samara’s hand again and pulled her toward the bar. “I’m starving,” she told my sister. “I haven’t eaten all day in anticipation for all the food Kingston and Aunt Quinn were making for today.”
I was left speechless. My feet felt rooted to the spot as I watched her walk away, my body in absolute agony. The three other men seemed just as surprised, their mouths gaped open as they frowned from me to her retreating back.