He reached into his pocket and grabbed the two items he had been hiding. He placed a white candle on top of the cupcake and lit the end with a lighter.
“Happy Birthday, Elle.”
Elle looked over at Nero, shocked. “How did you know?”
Nero shrugged. “Josh told me.”
Should have known. The two had spent some time together and Nero had started rubbing off on Josh, who hadn’t been picked on since Nero had scared those bullies that day at the bus stop.
Elle smiled as she gave Nero a quick kiss on the lips. “Thank you.”
Nero smiled back at her. “You’re welcome, baby.”
Elle looked back at the burning candle and quickly blew it out.
“Did you make a wish?”
Elle thought about how drastically her life had changed in a matter of a month. “Yes, but I’m not going to tell, or it won’t come true.”
Nero picked up a strawberry off the plate. “I plan on making all your wishes come true.”
“I have a lot of wishes,” Elle teased.
“I think you’re worth it.” His expression was serious.
Elle’s heart melted. She never would have thought Nero could have been the sweet type.
As she watched him put the strawberry up to his mouth and take a bite, Elle went to pick up her own strawberry, but Nero swatted her hand away. He then picked another strawberry up and put it to Elle’s lips.
Elle slowly opened her mouth and took a bite. The taste was sweet and slightly sour, and she didn’t know if it was the best strawberry she had ever eaten because of the taste or because Nero was feeding it to her.
He then pinched off a piece of the cupcake and put it up to her lips. Elle started to get butterflies as she opened her mouth and placed her lips over the cupcake and the tips of his fingers as she slid the morsel into her mouth.
“How does it taste, baby?”
Elle saw the heat start to rise in his body, as well. She licked her lips. “Delicious.”
While Nero pinched off another piece and brought it to her, Elle looked him in his eyes as she opened her mouth for the cake. This time, she slid her lips farther down his fingers and sucked the tasty cupcake off. She watched Nero pull his fingers out and then suck a tiny piece of icing off that she hadn’t caught. Elle wanted to return the favor.
“May I feed you?”
Nero smiled, pleased with her question. “Yes.”
Elle’s heart started to race as she pinched off her own piece. She put it to Nero’s mouth, her body waiting in anticipation. She watched him grab her hand and take her whole fingers into his mouth and suck. She got chills at the sensation of his mouth over her fingers.
“How does it taste?” she asked breathlessly.
Nero held onto her hand and sucked the remaining icing off her finger greedily. “Delicious.”
She felt the wetness start between her thighs as he scooped up icing onto his finger and held it to her lips. Elle couldn’t pull her eyes away from him as she slid her mouth over his finger and sucked once more. She was pleased with herself when they came out clean.
As Nero scooped up another bit of icing, swiping it on her neck, Elle froze. He wrapped his hand in her hair and pulled Elle to him before he bent down and licked up the trail of icing, sucking a tiny piece of her neck into his mouth.
Elle bent her head more to the side so Nero could take more. She felt him start to kiss up her neck and to her mouth. When Nero kissed her this time, it was not light and quick; it was rough and greedy. He sucked her tongue into his mouth as his other hand went to her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Elle found herself straddling Nero and gripping his shoulders. She was just as hungry as he was. He hadn’t kissed her like this in three weeks.
She felt Nero’s hands move to cup her ass as he rose from the table, making Elle wrap her legs around him tighter to hold her up.
Nero placed her to stand at the foot of the bed, his hands trailing from her waist up her body slowly until he stopped at her shoulders, pulling the dress’s straps down to hang off her now-bare shoulders.
Elle’s stomach grew nervous, and she pulled back to stop kissing him. “Nero—”
Nero rested his head on Elle’s forehead. “Elle, I have fucking waited for you. Please, baby, I can’t wait any longer.”
Elle could feel Nero’s need and pain, aware he couldn’t hold out any longer. She thought about how Nero had clearly had this all planned. He wanted this to be special. Elle just wanted to hear him say three words to her. Three words that she had felt the moment he bumped into her in the hallway one month ago. It just took her time to realize it.
She simply didn’t want to be the one to tell him first because she was scared he would run away. Elle knew Nero didn’t treat her like all the other ones in the past, and something in her just knew he loved her, too. Nero had come a long way, but saying it would be hard for him to do. Her heart loved him and her body needed him just as badly. Elle wanted to give Nero something in return for everything he had done for her.
Elle kissed his neck as she went for his shirt buttons; she had missed the feel of his chest. She kissed and licked as she kept unbuttoning his shirt. Elle glanced up into Nero’s lust-filled eyes as she pushed his shirt off and onto the floor.
Nero pulled her hair back to claim her mouth again, his hands returning to her dress. Elle thought her heart was going to explode as he kissed her while pulling down her dress to expose her naked breasts, abdomen, and mound. She could see his surprise.
Nero spoke harshly, “Fuck, I didn’t think there wasn’t anything underneath.”
When he returned to kissing her, he swiftly went to his pants and dropped them to the floor.
Elle saw how huge Nero was right before he picked her back up to lay her in the middle of the bed. No way.
She tried to push Nero back, her nerves returning.
Nero grabbed her hands and held them to the bed beside her head. “Do you trust me?”
Elle stared into Nero’s eyes and knew she couldn’t lie as much as she wanted to right now. “Yes,” she whispered.
Elle tried her best not to tremble as Nero leaned his head down to her neck. He lightly kissed it, going lower and lower until she felt his breath over her right nipple, gasping when his tongue went out to lick the hard, pink tip. She arched her back to lean in closer as he laved and sucked it into his mouth. Elle squeezed Nero’s hands tightly when he gently bit the tortured flesh, causing a rush of wetness to seep past her folds.
“I have waited so long to taste these pretty, pink nipples.” Nero moved over to the right nipple, giving it the same attention as the other one.
He pulled his hands from hers, taking her breasts in his hands as he ventured lower to her belly, slowly and lightly kissing down while his fingers teased her nipples.
When Nero parted her thighs, her pussy glistened before him.
Elle’s head fell back when his tongue thrust deep inside her, starting a rhythm over her sensitive bud. Then her hands went to his hair when he sucked her clit into his mouth.
“You even taste like fucking strawberries.”
Nero slid a finger into her tight sheathe, and Elle started to feel a small wince of pain before Nero sucked her tiny bud harder. She felt another finger enter her a moment later before he started a motion inside her, steadily pumping.
Nero’s thumb moved to her clit. “Baby, I’m going to try my best not to hurt you for your first time. You’re so fucking tight, though.”
Elle didn’t understand him, the pleasure inside of her burning every inch of her body. She needed release. Her hips bucked upwards, following his rhythm, but Nero stopped and kissed back up her body, not giving her what she needed.
Elle desperately whimpered beneath him as he went to his nightstand and hurriedly slid on a condom; her body needed him to return.
She felt the tip of his length brush her entrance as he held her thighs apart and tightly to the bed, not wanting her to move.
&
nbsp; Elle spoke between harsh breaths, “Nero, please. I need you.” She tried to raise her hips up.
When he slowly started to enter her, going an inch at a time, it wasn’t fast enough for her. Elle cried out, wiggling her hips, “Now, Nero!”
“Fuck, baby.” Nero slid his length deeper and pushed at the thin membrane.
Elle screamed out as he tore through.
Nero quickly took her mouth with his, and his thumb went back to her pussy to find her clit, beginning to stroke.
Elle felt the pain ease away as her desire came back. She wrapped her legs around his hips and gripped his back, feeling Nero slowly start to move his hips above her, cautiously going in and out, driving her mad all over again.
She lost all sense of the world around her as Nero increased the speed and started taking his cock out more and more, only to shove deeper inside her. Elle felt the tension build in her body, growing. Her hips matched his, following his speed. She squeezed her legs tighter around his hips, wanting him to go higher inside her.
Nero pushed harder on her clit. “Do you want to come, baby?”
Elle nodded furiously and dug her nails into his back. “Yes, please.”
Nero slammed his mouth down on hers, rubbing the tiny bud expertly. His hips thrust upwards at a high speed, making his balls smack at her ass.
Elle dug her nails harder into Nero when he reached a spot high within her, making her moan out in ecstasy. She held onto him tightly as she came, reaching her climax.
Nero pumped hard into her a few more times before she heard him grumble. Holding her still, she felt the jolts making her soar with his own release before Nero fell on her, exhausted but careful not to give her all his weight.
Their breaths matched each other’s, both heavy and quick. When he’d regained control, he rolled away then took off the condom and threw it in the trashcan beside his bed.
Elle’s breathing finally calmed when Nero moved her to lie on top of his body. She nestled into his chest, completely exhausted.
Nero started the motion of his fingers going up and down her back. “Did I hurt you?”
Elle placed a kiss on his chest. “No, it was perfect.”
“Good. Next time, I’ll show you how to really fuck.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Time’s up
Elle sat up in Nero’s bed, smiling as she watched his perfect ass walk to the bathroom. Her eyes went to his opened drawer on his dresser where she could see the box of condoms laying inside. Before Elle turned away from it, she noticed a picture inside, all the way in the back.
She curiously pulled the pretty picture frame out of the drawer. The picture was of four kids surrounded by a beautiful woman. She noticed a young Nero, Maria, and Leo instantly. Aww. The fourth child she knew had to be Lucca. Elle stared at him longer, feeling like she had seen him somewhere, but she couldn’t place where. Oh, well, he probably came into the diner one night.
Elle went back to the beautiful woman. She had blonde hair and big, green eyes. She knew it was Nero’s mother. Every time Elle would ask about Nero’s family, she sensed he didn’t want to talk about it; consequently, she’d dropped it, wanting to give him time to talk about it on his own.
Elle heard the bathroom door open, and her eyes went to Nero, who stood perfectly still in the doorway.
“Nero, she’s beautiful.” Elle watched Nero take a deep breath she swore was almost of relief and walk toward her. Maybe he didn’t know how to bring it up?
Nero got on the bed and pulled her toward him. “She was.”
Elle frowned. “What happened to her?”
Nero thought for a second before he answered. “She was murdered outside a grocery store when I was in the sixth grade.”
Elle took a breath. “I’m so sorry.” She knew Nero still didn’t want to talk about it, so she would leave her death at that. “What was her name?”
“Melissa.”
Elle caressed the woman’s face through the frame. “Well, she’s beautiful, and now I know how all of you turned out so good-looking.” Elle laughed and then touched the young kid’s face, who was the only one in the picture not smiling. She couldn’t imagine how scary he was now. “Even him.”
Nero forced a laugh as he took the picture frame and put it on his bedside table where it belonged. “Yeah. Lucca is… Lucca.”
Elle looked up at him. “When do I get to meet him and your father?”
Nero shrugged. “Soon.”
I hope so. The only one she really didn’t know anything about was his father; not one thing. Elle wanted to at least know something.
“What is your father’s name?”
“Dante.”
* * *
Elle and Nero hung up their art projects on the classroom wall and took a step back.
“Nero, it’s beautiful.” Elle stared at the big drawing of Kansas City. Elle was in shock Nero could draw so well. And with a pen! She had also come to realize how in love Nero was with the city. Elle couldn’t blame him; she was, too.
Nero pulled Elle to his side. “Not as pretty as yours.”
“Nero, that’s so cute. I didn’t know you could draw,” Vincent spoke behind them.
Amo laughed. “Yeah, it’s fucking adorable.”
“Don’t listen to them,” Chloe chimed in.
Elle leaned up and wrapped her arms around Nero’s neck. “Don’t listen to them. They’re just jealous.” She gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
“You’re right, baby.” Nero turned to look at the posters. “Girls love—” He paused. “Elle, could you and Chloe give us a minute? I need to talk to Amo and Vincent.”
Elle curiously looked up at Nero. She never understood the boys, even after a month of being with them. “Sure, we’ll wait at the wall of fame.”
Elle let go of Nero and went for the door, but Vincent reached for Elle and gave her a peck on the cheek. He smiled at her wickedly.
“Happy birthday, Elle.”
“Yeah, happy birthday,” Amo agreed.
Elle laughed at Vincent’s death wish. He always tried to push Nero’s buttons, but they all knew they were just friends.
“Thanks.”
Elle quickly looked back at Nero before she left, silently telling him to behave. She could tell something was bothering him, but he gave her a reassuring smile before she went out into the hall.
The art room was close to the gym and the wall of fame made of glass and sports’ memorabilia throughout the years.
“So, I’m guessing Nero found out?”
Elle looked over at Chloe’s smirking face. “Yeah, Josh told him.”
Chloe giggled. “What are we doing for your birthday this year?”
“The same thing we always do; get fat off popcorn, cake, and ice cream, and then watch a movie.”
“Good thing I already packed a bag this morning.”
“Are you ever unprepared?” she joked.
I wonder what is taking him so long. In truth, hardly any time had passed, but Elle could never wait to get out of this place. Elle’s eyes wandered over to look at the wall, just to give her something to do. The school’s football team filled up practically the whole thing. There were so many pictures of the teams over the years. Her eyes were drawn to a particular picture of a team several years back.
The football player at the end of the line-up next to the coach was what got her attention. At first glance, she thought he was a coach because of his maturity and size, but his uniform told her otherwise.
Elle’s heart started to race; she knew him. He had a slightly-younger face of one of the scariest men she had ever seen in her life. The murder.
Chloe noticed her unmoving stare. “What is it?” Chloe turned around and followed Elle’s eyes. “Gosh, he was just as scary back then,” Chloe whispered.
Huh? Elle blinked, looking at Chloe. “What did you say?”
Chloe put her finger over the glass and pointed to the player. “Lucca, Nero’s brother. He is terrify
ing. Haven’t you met him?”
Elle started to lose her breath, her chest beginning to rise and fall at a heavy speed. She wanted to grab Chloe and shake her.
“Chloe, that’s Nero’s brother? Y-you met him? When?”
“U-uh, after you were attacked, at Nero’s house. I met him in the backyard.” She quickly got out of Elle’s hold. “Elle, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”
“Chloe, we need to get to your car.” Elle grabbed Chloe’s jacket and started running. “Now!”
* * *
Fuck-Fuck-Fuck-Fuck-Fuck-Fuck. Fuck!
Nero stared at Elle’s poster. She had written a poem on every page in excellent handwriting of all different sizes. Then she had glued them as a mosaic. The whole thing was white paper, filled with black words. It was cool to see which word stuck out at you. Nero had tried to read them, but Elle was embarrassed, saying they weren’t any good. He had caught glimpses and read a few while she was working on them, yet he had never been able to read all of them together until now.
Nero went up to the poster and ripped off a piece. She had seen them.
Nero handed the paper over to Amo and then ran his hands through his hair.
Amo quickly read the paper. “Shit.”
Vincent snatched it from Amo’s hands. “Fuck, man. What are you going to do?”
Nero grabbed the paper from Vincent, folded it up, and put it in his pocket. “I need to meet with my father. I’ll need you guys to stay with Elle. She’s eighteen now, and I don’t trust him not to make the call.”
Nero and Vincent nodded.
“Let’s go.”
When Nero got to the wall, Elle and Chloe weren’t there, and he started to worry.
“Where the hell are they?” Elle said she would be right here.
“Uh, Nero?” Vincent said quietly.
“What?” Nero turned around to look at Vincent and saw him pointing through the glass. “Fuck!”
* * *
“Chloe, could you please drive faster?”
Nero (Made Men #1) Page 24
