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I almost shudder.
It’s not my business.
I shouldn’t care about Nick’s love history, but...he’s opening up to me. And I hurt for Nick Brandt with every word.
“I’m sorry, Reese. More than you’ll ever know,” he says. “I’m just giving you the explanation you’ve deserved for months. Carmen grew up, became obsessed with money and power, and she thought with her fame and my family’s position, we could be unstoppable.”
I blink at him, slowly taking it in.
“I broke up with her,” he continues with a sneer. “Always the same game. She’d come back. I’d push her away—I’d try. We do have history, so I fell into her trap one too many times. Not long before Grandma got sick and plunged us into a crisis, I realized I was too old for that bullshit. I said goodbye once and for all, but she didn’t get the message. I knew showing up in public with another woman would be a clear indication it was over. For everyone. Her and the gossip traders.”
“I know,” I say tightly.
“Let me finish.”
We lock eyes and I nod slowly.
“I could have taken anyone, Reese, not just the original stand-in I had lined up before she canceled, and I asked you. When that fell through, I realized I didn’t want anyone. I wanted you. What I’m telling you is...the date part was always real to me. I just went about it like a fucking moose.”
Wait, what?
He wanted me there? On a date? For real?
“Anyhow, I hate that it poisoned shit between us for so long,” he says, walking over to me. “I never wanted you to hate me.”
With my heart in pieces, I pick up his hand.
He laces his fingers through mine.
“Nick, after everything you’ve done...I could never hate you. I—” God. I can’t believe I’m about to admit this. “I didn’t even totally hate you after that night.” I sigh. “You told me you just needed a plus one like a business thing, but everything about that night seemed like a date. Especially that kiss.”
There, I said it.
I named the ten-ton elephant in the room.
His smirk turns into a grin.
Heat pumps under my cheeks and I smile back.
“I hoped it was more than an impulsive moment before Carmen came barreling at us. It was obvious I was there to make her jealous. I didn’t hate you. I was just—hurt.”
“Fuck, Reese. I’m so sorry.”
He moves in closer, gently pressing his palm against my face, lifting me to stand with him.
My breath becomes a shallow quiver.
My eyes are lost in gilded green eyes full of light when he turns my head, caresses my chin, and brings those lips I’ve craved for months home.
Holy God.
His tongue is warm, smooth whiskey on my lips. A hunter in my mouth searching for my heat, my whimper.
It’s sweet and playful and everything that’s quintessentially Nick, moving in determined strokes, conquering me from within.
My arms fly around him, my nails digging into his back, hugging him tighter. I’m becoming an animal in heat. I’d have a better chance of stopping a nuclear reaction.
Nick groans into my mouth, sheltering me against him, dragging his hands to my ass.
When he squeezes, when he grinds against me, it happens.
I’m dead.
I’ll have to tell the rest of this tale from the afterlife because that’s how bad he destroys me—before he’s even been inside me.
We stay locked in hushed whispers and fencing tongues for what feels like forever. Me, pressed against his hard slab of a body.
His tongue moving fiercely in my mouth in one forever-kiss before he breaks away with a muffled rasp. He turns his head back to the city, taking a ragged breath.
Holy shitballs.
Dazed, I bring my fingers to my lips, touch them, and drop my hand.
I’ve never been kissed like that.
The way we lashed tongues that night at the gala was just a preview. I don’t think I even have words for what the hell just happened.
Honestly, I’m not that experienced. After Abby got pregnant, I knew that couldn’t be my life. I ran away from dating to focus on school and work. I’ve never even gone all the way.
Still, a woman knows when she’s been kissed by a master.
And the way I know it with Nick vibrates my bones.
The job, Abby, even Millie feel so distant in the wake of that riptide against my mouth. It’s the break from life I’ve needed.
The only thing I want to focus on now is Nicholas Brandt and every seething rock-hard inch of him.
He looks at me like I’m prey. “Reese, I didn’t plan—”
“Don’t apologize,” I rush out.
“Millie’s here, we can’t—”
“Dude. You can’t just kiss me like that and then apologize.”
“You don’t regret it, then?” he says, his voice matching the smolder in his eyes.
I shake my head violently.
“I’m still your boss, you know,” he whispers.
I shrug, a smile digging at my cheeks.
