I brought a date.
Big deal.
Last week, Avery mentioned one of the guests couldn’t attend. If anything, I did them a favor by bringing Renée and not wasting a two- hundred-fifty-dollar plate.
I can’t fucking wait to get out of this tux and into something that doesn’t resemble a straitjacket. Maybe it’s why my brother is so uptight; there’s no circulation in his body.
I slide out of the back doors of the wedding hall after dancing for hours and inhale a deep breath, taking in the faint smell of smoke and the salty ocean air. My heartbeat, racing from dancing, edges back into a steady rhythm as I scan the terrace. It’s completely empty, but out on the cliff’s edge, beside a waning fire, I happen upon a familiar dress next to the flames.
The woman’s back is turned to the party. She’s looking out into the pitch-black swell of the expanse ahead.
There’s not a single person, animal, alien, or living thing that can deny it: Lily Rodin is absolutely fucking gorgeous.
I’m not sure when she left the dance floor, but I’m fucking glad she’s here alone.
At least, I hope she’s alone.
The silver glow of moonlight reflects off her pale complexion. Her long, raven-black hair hangs down her back, barely covering the strip of exposed skin cradled in the low dip of her dress.
I can’t figure out what happens to me when I see her. My heart’s rhythm becomes languid in my chest, each beat thudding slowly, and my throat dries.
I let my gaze greedily slide over her shoulders, down her hourglass waist, then settle on her curvaceous ass.
It’s one of those asses you’d see in a photograph and swear it was edited beyond belief. But no, here she stands, sculpted to perfection with an ass you can write poetry about.
Truthfully, no part of her body compares to her achingly beautiful face.
The first time I met Lily two years ago, she spent half the night teasing me and the other half gushing about some guy. There was no denying that I wanted her, even if only for the sake of quenching an urge. However, according to my brother, life isn’t a bowl of cherries. Whatever the fuck that means.
I can still hear his voice ringing in my ear.
Nothing is to happen between you. Goldfish have an easier time remembering where they are than either of you have recalling the name of the person you last slept with. Do not make things awkward. I’m planning to marry Avery, and you will not fuck it up for our family.
Apparently, Lily and I were flirting the moment we laid eyes on each other.
The familiar rush of rebellion had kicked in after Luca’s chat. I’d wanted to haul Lily to any room with a bed and make her moan my name like a prayer just to spite him.
But I was a good brother, still am a great brother, and I’d respected his wishes. Fucking my sister-in-law’s best friend is an awkward situation I’m not prepared to handle.
Rodin and I are friends.
Just friends.
It’s not worth fucking up a good thing.
My eyes return to admiring my friend from afar. Just a bit longer can’t hurt.
It would be a crime to not appreciate an untouchable goddess. Besides, what’s the harm in a quick goodbye before my long trip to the airport tomorrow and my summer away?
“Beautiful,” I say.
Lily turns, and her green eyes find their way to mine. Those heart- shaped red lips pull into a gorgeous smile.
Fucking hell, she somehow gets prettier every time I see her up close.
She glances back toward the ocean when I join her. “It is.” “I meant you.”
The fire crackles.
Lily inspects me as she always does. Her stare snags on my open button-down for a curious second.
“It looks like something’s wrong with your shirt.” “Don’t pretend you don’t prefer it this way.”
She waves me off. “You’re so full of yourself.” “You love it.” I give her shoulder a soft nudge.
“Debatable, but just so you know, ego is the enemy of love.” Beneath her long, thick lashes is a scattering of faint freckles.
I laugh off her jab. “If there’s one thing you do best, Lily, it’s outwit my wit. What are you pondering out here, all by yourself?”
“I don’t know. Love’s in the air.” She gently shrugs. “And we’re always where we are, standing on our own.”
“We’re not alone right now.”
“I suppose not.” Lily tilts her head. “You do have Renée waiting upstairs.”
Does she really think I’d crawl into bed with an unconscious person? I’m not some fucking jerk. “She’s about a ten-hour nap and two bottles of Pedialyte away from being able to consent to company, let alone anything else.”
“Not what I meant, Nico.” She rolls her eyes with a heavy sigh. “Have you ever thought about settling down? For real? Not just collecting memories with strangers that turn out to be nothing?”
I kick a loose pebble. “No, I haven’t.” “I don’t know why I asked.”
The way her lips drag slightly at the edges makes me want to take my response back.
But it’s the truth.
The idea of someone else relying on me makes every hair on my body pin straight. “Truthfully, I don’t think I’ll ever have something like my brother and parents do. I’m not cut from the same cloth, y’know? They all
talk of compromise like it’s some kind of otherworldly experience, but to me, it’s like surrendering myself.”
Lily nods because she understands better than anyone. “And that’s why I like you, Nico—”
“You like me, huh?”
That earns me a push with her shoulder. “It’s because you’re honest with what you want and what you can or can’t have.”
If I were being honest, I’d tell her how much I want her and how annoyed I am that I can’t have her.
“Reminds me, have you decided if you’re ready to take a risk this summer?”
Lily blinks at me. “What risk?”
“Extra plane ticket. Brazil. The summer of your life.”
Sure, it’s a long shot that she’d ever agree to go with me, and maybe exchanging my first class ticket for two economy seats on a whim after visiting her at the Mademoiselle wasn’t my best idea, but it’s obvious Lily needs a break.
She settles her hands on her waist. “I already told you I can’t go with you.”
“Why not? There’s nothing wrong with two friends taking a trip together.”
“Have you always been this obsessed with asking questions?”
I smile wickedly, tipping my head toward her. We’re inches from touching. A gust of wind would cause her to tumble into me—if the elements decided to play favorites. “It’s kind of my thing.”
“I guess memory isn’t.”
I clear my throat and do my best to imitate Lily’s serious tone. “Job.
School. Responsibilities.”
One of her fingers rams between my ribs. “Shut up.”
“Alright!” I raise my palms in surrender. “But you should take some kind of break. If I remember correctly, summer looks really good on you.”
“Only summer?”
I chuckle. “You, Lily, are the muse behind every season.”
“Do you keep a list of pickup lines tucked away in your pocket?” She aims for my side again, but I break right, dodging the playful nudge.
“Are you always this aggressive?”
“Maybe when someone’s misbehaving—or sometimes in bed.”
That’s unexpected. “Now, I’d love—”
“Don’t even think about it.” She waves her hands around in frustration. “The champagne and tequila shots have completely gone to my head. I was obviously kidding.”
The moon gleams around us, and the lights from the dance hall glimmer in the corner of my eye. My eyebrows shoot up, and I eye her suspiciously. “Sure.”
“Back to what I was saying earlier, before you rudely interrupted me—I can’t travel right now. I’ve got about a month’s rent in my bank account.”
“Well, everything’s already paid for, so technically it would be a crime for you not to go.”
“Not all of us can drop everything to travel, Nico. It’s a nice life—don’t think I feel otherwise—but it’s not for me.”
“Why?” There’s no way her plans could bring an ounce of happiness. Now, a summer with me would bring her all sorts of fun. I have a beautiful suite awaiting me in Rio, only a short walk from the beach. We’ve been to enough parties together for her to know that we can have a really good time. There’s also the undiscovered possibility of what such close proximity could lead us to discover about each other.
“You’re annoying, did you know?”
I pat my trousers, search for my phone, and pull it out of my back pocket. “It’s because I’m right.”
“What are you doing?”
“Hold on.” It takes a few minutes to email her the plane ticket.
A barely audible chime echoes from her small purse on the ground. Lily bends at the knees to retrieve it. “No, Nico. No. I can’t go with you. Take it back.” She shoots up, shoving her phone a few inches from my face.
I swat her hand away gently. “Cut loose, princesa. You don’t always need a plan for everything.”
Lily tosses her phone back into her purse and keeps her eyes focused on the endless horizon. “Maybe not, but I definitely don’t need any distractions.”
“You sure?” I take a step toward her. She takes a step back. “Yes.”
“Am I distracting you now?”
“Absolutely not.” The way her gaze slips off the obsidian sky and down my bare torso tells an entirely different story. Watching her fight wanting
me has never felt so sweet.
Lily gasps, waking me from my trance. “A falling star.”
Above us, silver streaks dance across the sky like arrows, one after the other.
I lean close to her ear to whisper, “Make a wish.”
To my surprise, Lily practically sews her eyes shut and purses her lips.
The slope of her petite nose wrinkles in concentration.
Ah, fuck it.
I follow suit, despite never before acknowledging falling meteors, and make a wish.
Hey, universe. You’re obviously running through the motions here, and I already have everything I want, but if this isn’t entirely bogus, maybe cut Lily some slack? Okay. Thanks.
I open my eyes to catch her watching me with a wide smile. “What’d you wish for?”
A scoff leaves my throat. “What, are you a rookie? I can’t tell you. My wish won’t come true.”
“Right.” A silent moment passes. “Well, I think I’m gonna call it a night.” Lily gathers her things and begins strolling toward the hotel. For some reason, the idea of her abandoning my side sends a slash of regret through me.
“It would be amazing,” I call to her.
Her face softens when I close the distance she put between us. “What would be?”
“Us. Together. In bed.”
Shock splatters into her eyes. “Of course, you’re thinking about that right now. Did you waste your wish on something so silly?”
“If I made it my wish, we wouldn’t be in bed at all. Hell, we could try the hallway, the ocean, right here in the grass like animals, and it would still be the best you’ve ever had.”
Lily folds her arms across her chest. “I don’t believe it.”
Our bodies are inches away from touching. I want to close the space between us so badly, and sink into her just for tonight. “I could prove you wrong.”
“That’s the kind of thing men say when they’re all mouth.” In her heels, she’s a few inches from my eye level, and I can just about taste the way our breaths mingle. She smells sweet, floral almost.
“If you’d like me to be all mouth, I’m at your beck and call.” I reach for her neck. My thumb grazes the dip of her collarbone, feeling her chest fill with oxygen.
“I suppose I could find use for a servant.” Lily doesn’t pull away. Instead, she drops her arms and leans into me. The cool silk of her dress glides over my skin. Her breasts press against me, sending a rush of blood below my belt.
“For you, princesa, I’d be on my knees, eternally at your service.”
Lily holds my gaze. My heart pounds against my ribcage. My palm cups her jaw, and she lets me. I slide my tongue across my lips, and Lily watches as if I’m a ticking bomb.
“Now that, I’d like to see.” Her voice drops an octave. The familiar song I’ve heard when she’s sweet talking her way into free drinks or entertaining a new target for the night—who, let’s be honest, likely disappoints her. I’m certain I’d be able to show her every shade of pleasure.
If she’d let me.
“Shouldn’t we just get it out of our systems?” I pull her face to mine until my forehead’s gently meeting hers.
“Probably.” Her voice sucks me in like a black hole. “But it would be
really bad for us to go there.”
Her hand travels down the V of my stomach and onto the suffocating fabric of my pants. My pulse spikes. She’s inches away from the throbbing erection already jutting against her hip bone.
“Bad can be so, so good, though.”
Lily moans into the space between our mouths. “You’re such a cliché.” The game of temptation teeters between us, and I close my eyes,
savoring the moment.
I’m used to taking the lead in situations as potent as this, but I’m struggling to understand who’s taking charge here—her or me. I indulge in my curiosity and let her take control of the moment.
Lily shatters the tension. The slick, wet clasp of her teeth pinches into my bottom lip. My body is entirely rigid. She tugs me closer. Her tongue traces over my flesh, and when she’s had enough of a taste, she releases me.
“Fuck,” I manage to breathe onto her lips. She smiles. I fall apart.
My free hand molds into the curve of her lower back, pulling her wholly into me. I lean in to truly and finally kiss Lily Rodin.
Lily’s soft mouth caresses mine without an ounce of tentativeness. One taste of her, and you’d think I hadn’t gotten off in weeks from how desperately I crave burrowing every inch of me deep into her.
Oh, God.
My head’s completely lost.
This is a million times better than I ever imagined.
“I told you,” I whisper through our exploring tongues. “So fucking amazing.”
The delectable taste of her mixed with the bitter flavor of champagne and the slightest hint of mint is priceless.
“Don’t speak,” she moans.
I roughly grip the hair at her nape with an unusual possessiveness. “I know you like how much I talk about you.”
“Shh,” she scolds, but her groans are enough to tell me she’s enjoying this as much as I am.
The kiss avalanches into a subconscious goal to erase any previous lips that may have wandered here.
Not sure why the fuck I care about who’s kissed Lily Rodin prior to this moment. I never once thought I’d want to drink every drop of her, but I’m on a mission to make this the only kiss Lily remembers.
I fight to leave pieces of me here in the imprint of my fingers on her ass. Pieces of me there in the bite marks across her neck. In her hair, between the lines of her palms, in her mouth’s succulent warmth.
The spiraling need to claim every square inch of her builds with each passing second.
Fucking hell. This can’t be real. She can’t be real.
“Are you kidding me, Nico?” My brother’s deep voice cuts the momentum of our kiss.
Did I imagine it?
“Nico.” The stern scolding clips at my ears. Nope, it’s him, alright.
Lily tries pulling out of my grasp, but it takes me a moment to give up her taste.
Luca is such a fucking asshole.
My lips finally unhook from hers, and the panic in her eyes jolts me back to reality. “Hello, brother.”
The euphoric darkness doesn’t leave my voice. I refuse to meet the guaranteed death glare on his face.
My thumb tries to swipe the red smudged lipstick off her chin, but she shoos me away, resolving to do it herself.
I run my hands down my shirt—the shirt Lily was eager to turn into shreds—and take my sweet time turning to face my brother’s furious expression. Luca’s in his element, with bulging eyes, a tree-trunk-sized vein in his neck, and a scowl that could shatter glass. No use in being frightened; I would fight off a whole squad of Luca clones to experience that kiss again.
Tense silence simmers between us like a volcano on the brink of erupting. I throw on my calmest expression and flash him a smile. “Having a good night?” I ask.
He glares at me, sucks in a deep calming breath, and faces Lily. “From him, I’d have expected this, but from you, Lily? This is disappoin—”
She doesn’t let him finish. “Sorry, Dad.”
A cocktail of anger and irritation brews inside me.
“Lily, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to sound harsh, but—” Luca attempts an apology.
I shove away the sour feelings. I’m a pacifist at heart, so lightening the mood is the best course of action.
“I promise there wasn’t a single disappointing thing about that.” I smile at Lily, but she rolls her eyes and picks up her bag.
“I’m going inside.” She leaves us to our duel. “Hey,” I yell after her. “One o’clock tomorrow.”
Then I turn and blink at my older brother, who could easily have steam spilling from his ears.
Let the scolding begin.
