Chapter 31
Nico sucked in a breath. “Are you sure that’s what you want, Jules? You must still be in shock. Finding out your brother’s alive? That he killed your parents? That’s a lot to process.” He huffed out a breath. “When I asked you what you wanted, I was expecting something like, ‘draw me a bath. Pour me a glass of wine.”
Julia’s expression froze. Her face went white, and her eyes darted to the side. Away from his.
She edged away from him. “Sorry, Nico. I shouldn’t have said that. We’ve already had this conversation, and I know that’s off the table. Forget that I even asked.” She grabbed her purse and darted around him, heading for the door.
Cursing himself and his ham-handed response to her, he lunged after her and circled an arm around her waist, stopping her from leaving. Drew her against him, then wrapped both arms around her. Felt her shivering against his chest.
When she struggled to free herself, he pleaded, “Wait, Jules.” He brushed a kiss to the tender spot below her ear. Felt her quick stutter of breath. “Please,” he whispered. “You surprised me. That was the last thing I expected you to say.” He stroked a finger down her cheek. Felt a drop of moisture. “I wasn’t turning you down.”
He turned her in his arms, and she stared at the floor, her eyes glittering. Lifting her chin so he could see her eyes, he said, “I’m an idiot, bae.” He brushed his mouth over hers, felt her lips quivering. “I was trying to give you space.”
At that, she looked up at him. “Space is the last thing I want from you right now, Nico.” Her eyes darkened. “It’s the last thing I’ve wanted for a long time. Since the night we made…” She swallowed. “The night we had sex. But I knew you had to focus on your job. On protecting me. I said… what I said because I assumed, since Dawson is in jail, that you weren’t protecting me anymore.”
“First of all, Jules, we didn’t have sex.” He cupped her cheek in his right hand as she tried to turn away. “You were right the first time. We made love,” he said, staring into her eyes. “And every damn minute since that night, I’ve ached to make love with you again. But I couldn’t do it. Your safety was far more important.
“I’ll be protecting you as long as I’m in Seattle,” he continued. “But the primary threat to you is neutralized. Which means I want to make love with you at least as much as you want me. Maybe more.”
She stared at him for a long moment, the caution and reserve fading from her expression. “Do you mean that?” she asked quietly.
“Every word,” he vowed. One corner of his mouth curled up. “I was trying to be a sensitive guy,” he said. “A role I’m not really familiar with, as you no doubt figured out. I was walking on eggshells with you, bae. I had no idea what you wanted from me.”
“And now you do,” she said. She took a deep breath. Her shoulders relaxed. “The next move is yours, bae.”
* * *
As Julia watched Nico, his eyes darkened. His arm around her tightened, and he pulled her closer. He held her gaze as he lowered his mouth to hers, and her heart thundered against her chest. She was certain he could feel it, battering against his ribs.
The hard length of his cock pressed against her belly, but Nico didn’t rush to get her naked. Instead, he kissed her. Slowly. He traced her lips with his tongue. Tugged her lower lip into his mouth and sucked on it. Nipped it, then soothed it with his tongue.
He let her lip go with a tiny pop, and tangled his tongue with hers for what felt like hours. She melted into him, undone by his tenderness. His gentleness. As if he knew she was hanging on by a thread, and was determined to make her forget everything but him. To protect her heart, just as he’d protected her body for the past couple of weeks.
When he finally eased away from her, she was breathless. Needy. Desperate to feel his hands on her. Desperate to have her hands on him. To show him exactly what he meant to her.
“May I unbutton your shirt?” he whispered, fingering the top button.
“Oh, my God, what took you so long?” she panted.
He smiled, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he slowly eased one button after another out of the tiny buttonholes. He pressed his mouth to each inch that his fingers exposed, and a cool breeze from the air conditioning vent brushed over her damp skin, making her shiver.
She reached for his polo shirt, scrabbling at the three buttons at the top. She wanted his skin against hers. Wanted her bare breasts against his chest. Wanted to feel the connection between them. But he smiled against her skin and snagged both of her hands in one of his. “Are you in a hurry, Jules?” he rumbled against her belly.
“God, yes,” she said, trying to tug her hands away from him.
He tightened his grip on her. “Good. I want you to be frantic for me. Before we’re finished, I’m going to make you come with my mouth. With my hands. With my cock. I want to make you forget everything but me.”
“Promises, promises,” she managed to say as her shirt fell completely open. Instead of sliding it down her arms, he unsnapped her bra. It fell away, and the cool air made her nipples pucker.
“You’re so beautiful, Jules,” he whispered. “I want to spend hours with your breasts.” He bent his head and circled one nipple with his tongue. Tugged it into his mouth, then sucked gently.
She groaned and pressed closer to him. Slid her leg over his, so her center was pressed against his thigh. “Too slow,” she managed to say. “Need you, Nico. Right now.”
“Just getting started,” he murmured, circling one finger around a nipple. “I have more work to do here.”
She reached down and pressed her fingers against his swollen cock. Trailed her fingers up and down, then slowly unbuttoned his jeans and lowered the zipper. He froze, his mouth poised above her breast, his warm breath tickling the sensitive skin.
She was in over her head, and she couldn’t get enough of him. She craved his taste. The rasp of his skin against her fingers. The small sounds from the back of his throat.