Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I tried to spring away, but Nico had me held tight, only releasing me slowly, inch by inch.
“Sorry,” he murmured, not sounding apologetic at all as he walked us through the arch.
We paused at the exit, letting the man run past.
“You alright?” he asked once the runner was gone, watching me with those gorgeous blue eyes of his.
“Yeah. Yes,” I said, sucking in a deep breath. “I wasn’t paying attention,” I admitted, trying to shrug it off.
He gave me a nod. “Do you want to run or just walk the rest of the way?”
“Maybe walking will be better.”
That was what we did, taking some time to enjoy the sights. I hesitated in the spot where I’d fallen, where I’d been grabbed. But we made it past the Pool and out the exit where I’d run toward Nico just a few weeks ago.
“How’re you feeling?” he asked as we walked back to our building.
“Better.” About the park, that was. Not about my unexpectedly overwhelming desire toward him. “I think I just needed a little help to get back out there. I don’t know if I’m going to be doing the North Woods by myself often, but I’m glad I could go back through there.”
“Good. I’m glad. And if you ever need a little support—or just some company—I’m happy for the push.”
“Thanks, Nico. Really,” I added as we stood in the elevator.
“Anytime,” he said as the car stopped at my floor. “I mean it,” he added as I exited. “Anytime.”
With that, the doors slid closed and I made my way to my apartment.
I had my key in my hand.
But as I went to stick it in the lock, the knob turned.
My pulse pounded hard once, twice.
Had I forgotten to lock it?
Been that distracted by the idea of seeing Nico again?
It was possible.
Not like me, but possible.
With my throat tight, I eased my way into my apartment, moving through it room by room, terrified someone might jump out at me.
But there was no one.
And as far as I could tell, nothing was askew.
I must have just been careless.
A strange discomfort clung to me for the rest of the day, though.
Eventually, long enough time passed that I forgot all about it.
CHAPTER NINE
Nico
Zeno had managed to track the car down to another traffic camera a few blocks down.
Unfortunately, it had heavy tint and plates that traced back to nothing—likely snatched off of some abandoned car somewhere.
He’d been working through thousands of hours of camera footage from traffic cameras and security cameras coming from dozens of establishments, following the possible paths the car might have taken.
I was going to owe him a shit ton of money when this was all done for all the hours he was putting in on this.
In uncharitable moments, I wondered if it was going to be worth the money. If Matt wasn’t the man I hoped he was, if our friendship was nothing but opportunism and lies.
That said, there was some part of the whole situation that wasn’t sitting right with me. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to sleep at night without knowing who’d done it and why.
As far as Lorenzo and Zeno could tell, there was no one actively threatening the Family.
But I didn’t trust that there wouldn’t be some kind of blowback on us. I didn’t want anyone to die because I didn’t investigate this to the bitter end.
As the days stretched on with no progress, though, I was starting to lose hope.
As for being neighbors with Blair, well, we saw each other here and there. We were both relatively early risers, so she would often be coming in when I was heading out. But we only exchanged a few quick words.
No more intimate dinners.
No private runs through Central Park where I have to save her from danger.
And definitely no getting to watch her eye-fuck me in my doorway.
I’d been trying to convince myself since then that it wasn’t technically anything personal. That it was normal for a woman to have a reaction to a half-naked and half-hard man that she found reasonably attractive. Add in the fact that she was still grieving. And, of course, that her marriage had clearly been on the rocks for a long time, so she’d likely been in a dry spell.
Biology was not personal.
Try telling that to my cock, though.
Anytime I thought about that scene, I was rock-hard in seconds. I’d tried not to give in to the temptation, telling myself that if I let myself, it was only going to make the situation worse. But after the third night lying awake, my cock straining, balls aching, there was just no choice.
Did I try to think of someone—anyone—else?
Sure.
But within seconds, it was Blair’s hands on me, her mouth on me, her pussy clenching around my length as she cried out against my ear.