“Nico.” I tapped his shoulder. “People are looking.”
The devil leaned over the man and whispered, “This isn’t over. Sleep with one eye open—while you can.”
With a final shove, Nico straightened. He stood guard while the ghoul tripped and stumbled away. And then, he turned to me. Cupping my cheek, he brought our faces together. The air thinned and my body both relaxed and came alive at once.
“I can pretend I don’t care in the name of business,” he rasped. “But the second someone else touches you…it’s over.”
My gasp of surprise was cut off by his mouth dropping to cover mine.
Chapter 30 – Nico
This…this right here.
This was why she was here. Rae was the light in my dark world. She might be draped in inky satin, her hazel eyes flashing with a deep intensity and her darker hair curling around her ink stained shoulders. But she wasn’t part of the darkness. She was my salvation.
I plundered her mouth. The kiss drew on for an unseemly long time, rising to the point of desperation. She was just as hungry as me. After the initial shock, Rae wrapped her arms around my shoulders and tugged me close. She tasted of smoke and fire. Of sin, and every other good thing. I crushed her to me, drinking in her soft moan of pleasure.
Rae was my declaration of rebellion. The only warning the don would have that his reign was coming to an end. I wouldn’t be told who I could love, who I could have.
I chose Rae.
And now, the famiglia and all of Boston knew it.
Drawing back, I grinned down at her. “Let’s dance.”
Hazel eyes snapped open, and Rae looked around uneasily.
I threaded my fingers through hers, tugging her along and ignoring her protests.
No one else was on the dance floor. I nodded to the band. The lead musician returned the signal, and the song shifted seamlessly from a soft background drone to a vibrant two-step beat.
In complete shock, Rae stood firmly planted in place.
“Come on, Southern Girl, show me what you got,” I dared her. I lifted my arm and forced her into a reluctant twirl.
She would never,everknow that I’d been practicing this at night in my bedroom for the last week.
I dipped her graceful figure over my knee, then led us along the length of the dance floor.
“There’s no going back from this,” Rae hissed as I spun her around.
“Did you ever stop and think that was intentional?” I grinned.
Rae rolled her eyes. “You could have given me a heads up.”
I laughed. It was real. Freeing. “What would have been the fun in that?”
She was into the song now, shimmying her body and gliding in time to the beat. “They’ll fire me. You can kiss your spy plan goodbye.”
What she didn’t realize was that her tattoos and heavily pierced ears would throw them off the scent. The difference between this sinful gown and her uniform was night and day. No one was looking that closely. Only me, because I sawher.
“I’d rather kiss you.” I dipped her again and pressed a swift peck on her lips. “And they don’t know it’s you. Keep the mask on.”
Rae looked skeptical. “My tattoos give it away.”
“They’re usually covered by that monstrosity my grandmother makes you wear,” I pointed out.
“You just have an answer for everything, don’t you.”
