Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 154525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
“Uh, I...don’t—”
He closed the space between them in a second, grabbing her by the face so he could make her look up at him. A twinkle of insecurity glinted in her eyes. But it dimmed when he dropped a fast kiss to her lips.
“First, that was a joke. A poor one, at that. My bad.”
Frankie scrunched up her nose. “It’s okay.”
“No, it isn’t. Just because we’re here doing all this together on the regular doesn’t mean shit, Frankie. I don’t take what you don’t give. You don’t have to ever do anything you don’t want to do, including that or otherwise. And, because this is what matters the most to me that you understand, if we are ever doing something that you just decide isn’t for you, that’s fine, tell me so. It’s done. You might be mine, but you decide how I get it. Every time.”
Frankie’s teeth played with her lip as her gaze slid toward the door while she whispered, “I just haven’t done that before.”
“Oh, baby girl,” Nico chuckled huskily, turned on already. He kissed her chin, sucking the same way he’d done earlier. He watched her lashes flutter closed at the sensation. Letting her go, he told her, “Just that would make me lose it, Frankie. It’s you. I have no fucking control. I can barely stand it just thinking about it.”
“Okay,” she sing-songed airily.
“Are we getting dressed?” Carina demanded from outside the room.
That woman was relentless.
•••
Six weeks later...
Nico toyed with the new pinky ring that he still hadn’t gotten used to. The large blue sapphire sat nestled in a basic white gold setting. The ring wasn’t fancy, but it didn’t have to be to feel like the weight of the world on his hand, either.
“Hey, how late am I?” Carina asked.
“Not too bad. They’ve been running drills. Before that, the coaches had them doing lap runs with squats and lunges. I am not made for this exercise shit, so thanks for the good genetics,” he told the woman now sitting at his right.
Carina laughed. “Don’t mention it, please.”
“Sorry.”
“We just are who we are, family, Nico. The specifics don’t have to matter. Not really.”
“Yeah, I get that,” he agreed quietly.
He focused on Frankie in the far-right corner of the field. She slowed down after letting the ball roll beyond the boundary line, stopping altogether for a breather. While a good portion of her summer had been spent in NYU’s stadium getting acquainted with the team and working her body to the point of exhaustion every day, she still looked healthy and good.
She practiced her heart out and loved it.
But today...she took more breaks than usual.
“I guess Sal had a thing last-minute, so I hope she doesn’t mind me taking his place today,” Carina said at his side.
Nico sunk deeper into the sideline chairs, trying not to worry so much about Frankie as she jogged for a water. “Let me guess, the Anthony and New Jersey mess is starting to spill over to Giorgio?”
“Marco finally went crying back to Daddy, apparently,” she agreed.
“Of course, he did. Marco never takes care of his own problems if it takes real work or it can’t be fixed by punching someone into submission.”
Carina remained silent, taking in his commentary.
“I bet his business and profit with Anthony took a real hit after Big Mike chose to remove his business from their territory altogether.”
More than a couple clubs on Mike’s end got torched, too. Big Mike had to send a message for that.
“Sal did want me to ask you something,” Carina said quietly.
“Oh? He could call; ask himself.”
“Well, he keeps expecting to see you at the estate. And yet...”
“I’m not allowed there, but for the outside, remember?”
“You haven’t given him the chance to adjust the rules, Nico.”
“I’m also busy,” he muttered.
“Too busy to have dinner with your girlfriend’s father once in a while?”
“She’s not my girl—”
Carina’s head snapped his way, shutting him up instantly. “What would you call her then?”
Nico bent forward to use his knees as arm rests while he weaved his fingers together. He kept his gaze on Frankie as she went for a second water bottle, chugging it back in mere seconds.
“What would you call her?” Carina asked again.
Nico cleared his throat. “I’d like to call her my wife, but...I’d have to have one of those dinners you mentioned before I even broached that, wouldn’t I?”
Without another word, Carina sunk deeper into her seat.
“So, yeah,” he said lamely. “That’s what I want to call her. Girlfriend is...not even close to describing what she is to me. At least wife let’s everybody else know.”
“Is your father still hammering you about her?”
“Every single week, never fails.”
Nico hated those dinners, and somehow, managed to get through them each time. Marco made it a lot harder, but Carmen and Vanna usually sat at the table with them, too. He enjoyed the way Marco picked and then got pissy when Nico didn’t take the bait.