by C. L. Stone
“So, that’s where it all began—the outrageous bets?”
Cole nodded thoughtfully. “I guess so.”
“And that’s all it took? To get Nicholas to loosen up, I mean.”
“No, but it was a start. I’d say it took about a year under our tutelage to reform him.”
“You mean corrupt him,” I teased.
“Oh, please. Nic may come off as the dutiful golden boy, but he has a wicked side.” I hope so.
“Sounds like you were busy, between ‘reforming’ Nicholas, developing a successful app, and still graduating with honors.”
“I see someone’s been doing her research.” He shot me a cocky grin.
“Nothing a basic internet search couldn’t reveal,” I said in a bored tone.
“Mhmm.”
“Why a dating app? Have you ever used it yourself?”
He shrugged. “Everyone’s looking for love.”
“Or a hookup,” I interjected.
“Or that,” he laughed. “And, no, I’ve never used it.”
“Do you have any other apps, besides Strike and the pet locator?”
“I always have ideas in the back of my mind, but for the past year, my focus has been on opening the club. Besides, I can’t take all the credit for the pet locator; it was the brainchild of the PAWS director. She had a rough idea of what she wanted, and I translated it into something more useful.”
I opened my mouth to ask another question, but Cole spoke first, his gaze heated. “Alright, Sherlock, if you keep that up, I’ll have to do some interrogating of my own.”
“Interrogating?” I gulped.
“Yes,” Cole said, clearing the table. “And I have very effective methods of persuasion.”
“Is that so . . .” My imagination went wild, and I nearly blushed at the thought of Cole tying my hands above my head, teasing and torturing me. Of taking me to the edge before finally giving me the release I craved. Oh, good god.
“I have to head to the club in a little while, but do you want to watch a movie?”
Relieved he’d left me off the hook, at least for now, I said, “That sounds like a great idea.”
About thirty minutes into the comedy, I was about to lose my mind. Isn’t “watch a movie” code for “let’s make out”? We had gone the whole afternoon and evening without a single kiss. Instead, we sat on the couch, his arm around me and his fingers toying with my shoulder, slowly, sensually. I felt like I was going to combust, and yet, the few times I glanced over at him, he appeared irritatingly calm.
Just when I was debating if I should turn up the heat to encourage Cole, he got up and retrieved something from the fridge.
“You better be willing to share,” I said, pointing to the container in his hand that I knew held tiramisu.
“Maybe,” he said flippantly, before grabbing a fork and returning to the couch. He dug the fork into the dessert and then took a bite, drawing out the moment. “Mmm, this is absolutely delicious.” His eyes darkened as he looked at me, licking his lips.
“You’re such a tease.”
He prepared another bite, then held it to my lips, his gaze fierce. I opened my mouth and let him feed me the tiramisu, closing my eyes the instant it hit my tongue. “Mmmm.” Tiramisu was one of my favorite desserts; I adored the sweet flavor of mascarpone mingled with bitter espresso.
Before I could reopen my eyes, Cole’s warm lips pressed against mine, his fingers tangling in my hair to pull me closer. This kiss was insistent and all-consuming, nothing like the tender one in the back of the limo. When his tongue demanded entrance, I opened to him, the taste of Cole mixing with the sweetness of the dessert. Fisting his T-shirt in my hand, I felt like I was losing control in the best possible way.
I wanted, no needed, more. I tugged on the hem of his shirt and he tore it over his head, revealing chiseled abs and toned arms. He frantically unbuttoned my top and shoved it off my shoulders before finally breaking off the kiss.
His eyes devoured every inch of my exposed skin and blush pink lace bra. “Damn, I thought you looked good in red, but pink may be my new favorite color.”
“Cole,” I said, panting. “We should . . .” He kissed me again. “We should . . .”
“Keep kissing,” he said against my lips, interrupting my statement and train of thought.
“. . . probably slow things down a notch.”
“Oh, I can take things slow if that’s what you want, sweetheart,” he said, intentionally misinterpreting my meaning as he guided me into a horizontal position on the couch. “Tell me exactly what you like.”
He leaned over me, kissing my neck, then my collarbone, his lips feathering along my increasingly sensitive skin. I put my hand on his chest, intending to push him away to give myself and my lust-addled brain some space, but, instead, I heard myself moan.
“What do you want, Emma?” Cole asked, running his fingers beneath my bra straps and along the top edge of the cups. In the back of my mind, I knew there was a reason I should stop him, slow things down, but I was well past the point of thinking straight.
“Tell me,” he demanded, grasping my wrists and holding my hands above my head. “Tell me, and I’ll give it to you.”
I squirmed in his grasp, wanting to touch him.
He tightened his hold on my wrists in response, then skimmed a finger over my lips and down the center of my chest to the top of my jeans. I thrashed in frustration, then choked out, “I want your lips on me.”
“Here?” he asked, placing a kiss at the base of my neck.
“Yes.”
“Here?” He placed another between my breasts.
“Yes,” I whispered on a long exhale.
“Here?” His lips hovered over the skin at the top of my bra.
“Please, Cole.”
He continued teasing me, and when I didn’t think I could take it anymore, his phone beeped.
He groaned in annoyance. “Damn it.”
“Ignore it,” I said, ready to beg if need be.
“I can’t, it’s my alarm. I have to head to the club. I promised Shane I’d be there by ten.”
Shane. Nicholas. I covered my chest with my shirt, feeling instantly guilty at how quickly Cole and I started shedding clothes.
“I wish I could stay.” Cole pulled his shirt on and grabbed his leather jacket. “Do you want to go with me?”
Buttoning my shirt, I shook my head. There was no way I was ready to face Shane or Nicholas after that make-out session, if I could even call it that. “I’ll take a rain check.”
“Sure. You know you’re welcome at Loft25 anytime.”
I walked Cole to the door, still feeling flustered. “To be continued,” he said, placing a brief kiss on my swollen lips.
He barely made it out the door before turning back and kissing me passionately once more. Moments later, he pulled away, breathing heavily. “I don’t want to, but I have to go.”
Speechless, I nodded, my lips still tingling. I needed for him to leave before I let things get even more out of hand. And, with Cole, that always seemed to be a distinct possibility.
11
“I was hoping we could go back to my place. What do you think? I have wine.” Nicholas’s expression was an adorable combination of enticing and hopeful.
Considering how well the date was going thus far, my answer was a definite hell, yes, but I didn’t want to give in too easily. “So, even though we just finished dinner, where I had not one but two glasses of very delicious wine, you want me to come over for more wine?”
“Okay, how about this? I have gourmet gelato in the freezer. After I give you a tour, we could have dessert.” His voice lowered on the last word and I shivered. Tiramisu kisses last night with Cole and the promise of dessert with Nicolas? I was one lucky girl. Lucky or crazy.
“Depends. What flavor?”
He leaned over the console of his Range Rover and murmured, “Dark chocolate with cherries.”
My sigh came out more like a pu
rr. “Delicious.”
Without another word, Nicholas put the car in drive and I tried to tamp down my nerves. Although I’d already shared a bed with Shane, it was in my parents’ house, so I wasn’t worried about things progressing too far. Going home with Nicholas was different; there were no safeguards to hold us back. If we were in an exclusive relationship, I would have been fine with seeing where things went. But, I was also dating Nicholas’s best friends. It seemed wrong and oh so right. What the hell was wrong with me?
After a quiet fifteen-minute ride, Nicholas pulled into the driveway of an upscale two-story townhouse. He came around to open my door and took my hand to lead me into the house. As he put the key in the lock, he turned to me. “Are you okay with dogs?”
“You have a dog?” I asked, surprised, although I didn’t know why.
He lifted an eyebrow without answering my question. “Not okay with them, then.”
I shook my head. “No, I mean, yes, I like dogs.”
“Good,” he said, opening the door. The sound of nails clicking on the wood floor was the only warning I had before being ambushed by an excited but friendly-looking black lab. “This is Ace.”
I scratched him behind the ears and laughed when his tongue lolled to the side in pleasure. “It’s nice to meet you, Ace.”
“Be careful. He may never leave your side.”
“I’m okay with that. He’s a sweetheart.”
Nicholas’s mouth lifted at the edges. “Am I going to have to hide the dog to keep your attention on me?”
“Maybe,” I teased. In all honesty, he didn’t have a thing to worry about. Whenever I was near Nicholas, my gaze was permanently affixed to him. His fitted sweater hinted at the amazing physique hiding underneath, but his face would always be his best feature.
“Okay, that’s it.” He started pulling gently on Ace’s collar. “To the laundry room you go.”
“Oh no, don’t do that! Your dog shouldn’t have to suffer because he’s cuter than you,” I said, laughing.
He let Ace go and walked back to me, pinching my side. “Think you’re funny, do you? And, technically, he’s not my dog.”
“What? Whose dog is he?”
“Cole’s.” He placed his hand on the small of my back. “Come on, time for your tour.”
I planted my feet. “Wait a second. Are you dog sitting, or . . .?”
“No one mentioned that we live together?” he asked innocently.
“And Shane?”
He nodded.
Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, I looked around wildly. “Are they here?” I whispered, although it was pointless since they would have heard us already.
“No, they’re at a movie and won’t be back for a while.”
Not ready to face all of them in the same room, I exhaled in relief. Why hadn’t it occurred to me that they might live together? They’d been roommates in college, after all.
Nicholas massaged my shoulders, his touch light and comforting. “I know this is still weird for you, but try to relax. Even if Shane and Cole come home early, they won’t be surprised or upset to find you here.”
“Is this not weird for you?” I didn’t understand how he could be so blasé. Even though Shane and Cole already assured me they were all on board with this crazy plan, I needed confirmation from Nicholas as well.
“I’m trying not to overthink it. We agreed to let you take the lead, and all I care about right now is spending time with you.” He brushed a thumb along my jawline, then pressed his warm lips against mine. “Forget about the rest for now.”
“Okay.” As much as the situation freaked me out, especially now that I realized they all lived together, I didn’t want to spend our date thinking about anyone other than Nicholas. It was the only way to be fair to him . . . and me.
“Should we talk about what happened? The bet?” he asked hesitantly.
Deciding to be as straightforward as possible, I asked, “Will it happen again?”
“Absolutely not,” he replied without a hint of uncertainty.
“Then, we don’t need to talk about it.”
“Okay.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry.”
He showed me around the townhouse, and I was impressed. Although the living room contained a huge television and oversized furniture, it didn’t resemble a typical bachelor pad. It was stylish, clean, and comfortable.
“Your place reminds me of Loft25. I’m guessing that’s thanks to you?”
Nicholas sat on the couch and tugged me down next to him while Ace curled up on the rug. “Maybe. Is that a compliment?”
“Very much so.”
“Then, yes and thank you.”
I twisted my head, checking out the door off the dining area. “You don’t have an awesome patio hiding out there, do you?”
“Sadly, no. Our backyard is just big enough for Ace to run around. I’m saving my best patio ideas for my future house.”
“Do you plan on staying in Vegas?”
Nicholas shifted our positions so that I could lean against the arm of the couch and my legs were draped over his lap. “Not really.” He absently ran a hand up and down my denim-clad leg. “We moved here after college since it’s the place for nightclubs, but it’s never been my scene.”
“Will you go back to California, then?”
“Maybe, although I don’t plan on ever returning to Pasadena.” His tone was laced with the slightest tinge of bitterness, but it was enough for me to know something was off.
“Did things not go well with your family over Christmas? You haven’t mentioned it.”
His hand stopped moving on my leg and he shook his head. “I’d rather not talk about that right now. What about you? Any idea where you’re headed after graduation?”
I wanted to ask him more but decided to let it go. Clearly, he wasn’t in the mood to discuss his family. “I have absolutely no idea. Although I enjoy the challenge of working for the school paper, I’ve never had a strong desire to be a journalist. I’m half-afraid I’ll end up working full time at Williams-Sonoma after college, or worse, have to move home,” I said glumly.
Nicholas chuckled. “I highly doubt it will come to that.” He picked up my hand and kissed each finger one-by-one, his green eyes fixated on mine. “Can’t have these pretty fingers getting paper cuts.”
I sucked in a shallow breath, way too fired up by that one rather chaste move. How would I resist him when he turned it on full force?
“Will you stay with me tonight?” I started to open my mouth, but he stopped me from voicing any objections. “No pressure to do anything. We can just cuddle, if you want,” he said with a knowing smirk.
The word “cuddle” coming out of those sensuous lips made me laugh and put me at ease. “Okay, cuddling . . . mostly.”
“That’s it.” He pushed my legs off his lap and shot off the couch. “Time for bed.”
Holding in a laugh, I crossed my arms over my chest. “What about my gelato?”
“Fine. Gelato in bed.”
“That could get messy.”
“I sure hope so.”
After finishing dessert, which I convinced Nicholas should be eaten in the kitchen, he led me to his bedroom. I’d gotten a quick look at it on our earlier tour, but now that I was spending the night, all I could see was his king-size bed.
Nicholas went to the dresser and pulled out a faded USC sweatshirt. “Will this work?”
I held it up to me and nodded, grateful to see that it was long enough to cover my ass, though barely. At least I’d worn cute boyshorts instead of a thong.
“The bathroom is through there,” he said, indicating the door to his attached bathroom.
Feeling unusually bold, I gave him a naughty grin. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
Ever-so-slowly, I took off my top and held eye contact while I unzipped my jeans and slid them down my legs. Nicholas took a step toward me, but I shook my head. “Nuh uh.” I turned my back to him and rem
oved my bra before slipping his sweatshirt over my nearly-naked body. It was soft and smelled faintly like his cologne. Perfect.
When I spun back around, Nicholas pounced, picking me up and tossing me on his bed. “You shouldn’t have done that. I was going to be a gentleman, but not anymore.”
Without giving me a chance to react, he dragged his sweater over his head and tugged off his jeans. Left in nothing but a pair of snug black boxer briefs, I could only stare. Impossibly, his torso was as incredible as his face, and that was really saying something.
Nicholas crawled up my body until he hovered inches above me, effectively pinning me beneath him. His head dipped as if he intended to kiss me, but his mouth met my neck instead. He took his time rubbing his lips and tongue along my jaw, not quite sucking or biting but almost. I squirmed under him, desperate to kiss him, touch him, anything.
“Nic.” His name sounded like a whimper, but I didn’t care. I needed more.
He finally relented, shifting to lie beside me, and assaulted my mouth in a scorching kiss. I let my hands wander freely over his stomach and chest, my fingers following the lines of every crease and dip. He hiked my leg over his hip and pulled me closer, making it impossible to ignore his hard length pressed against me.
Wrapped around each other, his hands explored my back, skirting over my bare skin. His touch felt amazing, and I couldn’t resist grinding my body against his. Too soon, he broke our kiss and rolled me onto my back. I watched as he drifted lower until he was poised over my stomach. His striking green eyes sought mine for confirmation, and I nodded.
Nicholas lifted my hands above my head, then brushed his fingers down my arm and side. He slowly inched the fabric of the sweatshirt up, kissing a trail along my stomach and sides, goosebumps prickling my skin in the wake of his lips. My breathing shallowed when he reached the underside of my breasts, and I was lost in the moment . . . until Ace let out a loud bark.
