Page 91 of Made in Love and Blood

Nico nodded. “You walk the stage for your diploma tomorrow, babe.”

“So, I’ll stay tomorrow and come after graduation.”

He eyed her curiously. “Why the change?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes things are just bigger than me, you know?”

His teeth flashed in a smile. “Yeah, I know. Hard to believe, huh?”

“That’s probably another part of growing up, right? I get to figure all that shit out.”

Nico outright laughed. “That, and so much more. Come on, get the door open so you can help me haul this stuff in.”

She put the key into the deadbolt. “How was work?” Frankie asked, grabbing the duffle.

He grabbed one of the two boxes in the hallway. “Not very interesting today. Except for the part where the Skip gave me keys to a place in Vauxhall.”

“Like an apartment?”

Nico made a noise under a breath. “Or like a house.”

“A whole house?”

“I mean, it’s nothing big, but—”

“A house, Nico?”

The two stood in the entry foyer of the penthouse, the light from the wall of windows in the living room making the white walls even brighter around them. They stared at one another, neither moving an inch, nor saying anything.

He broke the silence first.

“He owed me, that’s all,” Nico said.

“For what? How long have you been working for this guy? It can’t be long; you’ve only been around for a handful of months. I mean—”

“Frankie, stop.”

She did. Especially as he stepped forward and his warm palms found the sides of her throat so he could tip her head back and stare down at her.

“What’s the problem?” he asked.

She didn’t know.

“I just...I don’t understand,” she mumbled. “It makes me nervous, I think.”

He dropped a peck to her lips. Then, another and another.

“Don’t be nervous. This is what I want, babe.”

That made her think.

“Is he connected? This...boss. Your Skip?”

Nico smiled widely. “Yeah, you’re spot on.”

“That makes me more nervous.”

“Don’t be. I happen to be good at what I do.”