O c e a n D r e a m s P u b l i s h i n g
M i n n e s o t a
Copyright © 2020 by Naomi Porter
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author’s imagination. Locales and public names are
sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance
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Neighbor Nik/ Naomi Porter -- 1st ed.
ISBN 978-1-952423-12-3
Dedication
To all the readers who have fantasized
about a sexy, bad boy neighbor. This one is
for you!
XO,
Naomi
1
Rita
“HE’S FINALLY HERE!” Granny had the
brightest smile on her face. Not much made her
happy these days. Her best friend Bea had moved
into an assisted living home a couple of months ago
after falling and breaking her hip. Granny hadn’t
been the same since.
I tried to take her to visit Bea at least once a
week. On that day, Granny would wake up before
the sun with the most energy she had all week. All
because of Bea. It hurt my heart that I couldn’t do
more for her… for them.
“Who, Granny?” I went to the front window to
see who she was talking about but only saw a
moving truck and movers.
“Nik, you know Nik? Bea’s grandson.”
I shook my head, having no clue who she was
talking about. I didn’t recall Bea having any
children, much less a grandson. I knew about a
sister in Mexico and assumed that was where most
of her family lived. Maybe Granny was getting a
little senile. She turns seventy-six next spring.
A scowl appeared on her tan, leathery face.
“Yes, yes, yes! I told you about him, Bea’s
grandson, Nik.”
Nope. He didn’t ring a bell, but I’d never tell
Granny as much.
“Oh, sure!” I put my hand on the side of my
head as if I just remembered to appease her. “Bea’s
grandson Nik, yes, of course. How could I forget?”
I’d roll my eyes or smack my head if she wasn’t
staring at me with her beady brown eyes.
In the last year, her memory started failing, and
I could tell her health was dwindling but didn’t
want to believe it. When Granny was gone, I’d
have no one. The very thought of being alone in the
world scared the shit out of me.
“There he is!”
I couldn’t see this Nik guy, only a few movers
who were unloading a big truck. One in particular
had his shirt off. Compared to the others, he
probably worked out religiously—what a show-off.
Maybe Nik was on the other side of the moving
truck. Lord forbid Granny was imagining him.
Mercy, I sent up a quick prayer for the almighty
God to help her.
“Go say hi. Welcome Nik to the neighborhood.”
Granny patted my arm, pushing me away. “But
don’t be too friendly.”
Now I did roll my eyes. I knew what she meant
about being too friendly. Granny believed I was still
a virgin and wanted me to stay that way until I fell
in love and got married. I lost my V-card back in
high school and had been with several men, none of
whom I’d ever consider beyond a one-night stand. I
wasn’t looking for a husband. Granny was my
focus, and love had been on the back burner for
years.
“But I’m cooking.” And how would I talk to
someone who wasn’t there? “My sauce might
burn.”
“The spaghetti can wait. Go be a nice girl. Just
not too nice.” She pushed me along. “I’ll turn down
your sauce.”
I rolled my eyes. Nice girl. If she only knew
how not a nice girl I was when she wasn’t around.
“Okay, Granny. I’ll go…” Humor her. What can
it hurt?
I tugged on the bottom of my torn denim shorts,
making sure they hadn’t crept too far up my ass,
and fixed my pink tank top. I wasn’t wearing a bra
today since I had no plans to go anywhere. After
work on Thursdays, I cleaned the house and
cooked an Italian meal of some sort. We might be
Portuguese, but we loved pasta.
What I didn’t expect to do today was be the
welcoming committee for a new neighbor. Oh well.
What was a girl to do? Not much of anything. What
Granny says goes.
I slipped on my flip-flops at the door and
opened it. A wall of penetrating heat smacked me
in the face. My weather app had said it was going
to be 101 degrees, not typical for Pasadena. It was
a scorcher of a day.
This little welcome would be fast, like ten-
seconds fast.
I strode across the street, waving at a few
elderly neighbors peering out their windows while
trying to keep my tits from bouncing. Dammit, the
asphalt was hot too. I hurried without caring about
my jiggling boobs.
I rounded the front of the moving truck and
stopped mid-step when the shirtless mover
appeared—the
very
sexy,
dripping-in-sweat,
muscles-galore mover.
“Watch it, asshole! That flatscreen is top of the
line!” the shirtless guy barked. “And you.” He
started in on two others carting a chair into the
house. “Don’t scratch the leather!” Like a cocky
smart-ass, this guy strutted around with boundless
confidence. He must be the one in charge.
And I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Maybe I
should get his number; I always liked a mouthy bad
boy. They were the best hookups because, again, I
wasn’t looking for a husband. But a woman had
needs, and I didn’t want to like the guy satisfying
me.
What was I thinking? The heat must have
melted my brain. I couldn’t do that in the off
chance Granny was watching. I needed to have on
my good girl crown.
“Yes, sir,” the scared movers said in unison.
Wow. Poor guys.
“Just shut it and keep moving!”
What a prick. A delicious prick with tan,
glistening skin, but no tattoos. Damn. I loved ink.
No biggie though. I wouldn’t mind licking between
the ridges of his six-pack abs. This guy was sheer
perfection. An Adonis with jet-black hair slicked
back, dark penetrating eyes, thick thighs, and a
bulge in his crotch.
One night with him to take the edge off would
do. Then I might be able to maintain my good girl
image for another couple of months.
I inhaled a breath and pressed on, looking for
Nik. The sooner I got this over with, the better, or I
might climb that mover like a tree and offer up my
—
“Who are you?” Bad Boy Adonis stood tall with
his hands on his hips. He didn’t intimidate me in the
least. I knew the type, except he was the most
handsome I’d ever seen. He could be as cocky as
he wanted in my book.
“Hey. I’m from across the street. I’m looking for
Nik.” I jerked my chin toward the house. “The new
neighbor.”
The mover said nothing as he appraised me with
a hungry glint in his black eyes. They shined like
marbles as his gaze seared my skin. Sweat dripped
down his temples and skittered off the edge of his
jaw. He was built like a baseball player and towered
above my five-two frame.
My mouth opened and closed. Words lodged in
my throat while I observed his Adam’s apple
vibrating. A cyclone of rampant pheromones
rendered me speechless as I gawked—drooled—
and soaked my panties.
A dog barking snapped me out of the lust-filled
haze I’d fallen into. That damn Skip broke my
connection to Mr. Mover.
I licked my lips and swallowed. “Is he around?”
“I am.”
“Aww, that’s cute, but get over yourself. I’m not
interested. I’m looking for Nik.” This guy was too
much—a cocky son of a bitch, that was for sure. I
really might have to give him my number before I
head back home. Maybe.
He smirked, and the corner of his lips twitched.
“I am.” He took a step toward me as amusement
danced across his features. He sure was pretty to
look at.
Wait. He’s what? Interested? Of course he was.
I could be cocky too. I was sure I was giving off the
vibe I’d like to get on my knees for him.
Too bad Granny might be watching, or I’d show
this boy what Rita Rocha liked and how good she
gave it.
“Already said I’m not interested, big guy.” I
looked around. The movers were busy unloading.
“I’ll just check inside for Nik.”
I meandered up the steps and stopped at the
door. “Hello. Nik?” I poked my head in the
doorway.
A mover appeared. “Did you say Nik?”
I smiled. “Yup. Where is he?”
His gaze drifted behind me.
At the sound of a throat clearing, a shiver shot
up my spine despite the triple-digit temperature.
“I’m right here.” I recognized the gravelly
voice. It belonged to the shirtless guy.
I froze, my mind racing with what to say. Here
I’d been drooling all over the mover, fully
expecting him to finish his job and me never seeing
him again. But the sexy-as-fuck, shirtless guy was
my new neighbor. He was sweet Bea’s grandson.
Holy shit! Granny would say one hundred Hail
Mary’s on my behalf if she knew how I’d behaved
around her best friend’s grandson.
I whirled around to face him. “Welcome to the
neighborhood!” I exclaimed with a ridiculous
amount of zeal. “I’m Rita Rocha. As you know, I
live across the street. My granny knows yours…
Bea.” Jesus, I felt like a child mentioning my
grandma and his.
“Nik,” he replied with tension in his square jaw.
Like a fool, I waited for him to say more, but he
didn’t.
“Um… Where’d you move from?”
“Why?” He narrowed his eyes. Leisurely they
dropped to my tits. I did everything possible not to
look down or touch them. I knew what caught his
attention. The universe was cruel. How could my
nipples betray me when it was hotter than hades
out here?
I snorted, toeing a rock on the concrete porch.
“I don’t know. Just thought I’d ask. You always this
talkative?”
“You always so nosy?” He glowered, eyes
locked on the firm pebbles beneath my pink tank.
“Huh, I see.” I crossed my arms over my chest,
blocking his gaze. Hope he got a good view of what
he would never get to touch. Or lick. Or suck.
Christ! I was turning myself on.
“See what?”
“That you’re nothing like your Nana Bea. She is
sweet, and you’re”—I jutted my chin out defiantly
—"a jerk.” Look at me, playing hard to get. I
needed to do something. The attraction I felt
toward Nik was more intense than my love of
cannolis.
Momentarily I thought I felt a seismic
connection. Like the earth rumbled beneath my
feet, the sun brightened, and my heart expanded.
Nik smirked, pursing his kissable lips together. It
nearly made me weep; they were so full and
tempting.
“Don’t let me keep you.” He jerked his chin
toward my house.
Rude bastard! Maybe I had felt a rumble like a
mini earthquake and not a mutual attraction.
“You can count on that.” I brushed past him,
our arms lightly touching. I swayed my hips, giving
him a show when I felt his eyes on me. I hoped he
enjoyed the view because it would be his last.
“Hey! What does that mean?”
“That I’d never let a rude, cocky bastard such
as yourself keep me.” I raised my hand, giving him
the bird and marched across the street.
Once inside my house, I went straight to my
bedroom before Granny saw me. I needed a
moment to myself—a moment to stew and rant
over my new neighbor, Nik Tevez, assuming his last
name was the same as Nana Bea’s.
Why did he have to be so goddamn gorgeous?
Sexy?
And an asshole?
“Rita?” Granny called.
“Coming…” I exhaled a frustrated breath and
went out to the living room. “Yeah?”
Granny looked up from her rocking chair and
stopped knitting. “Did you invite Nik to dinner?”
Why would I do that? “No. He’s very busy
moving in, Granny.”
She clucked her tongue. “He needs to eat. Go
invite him.” She resumed knitting. It was pointless
to argue with her. She wouldn’t care anyway about
the way Nik treated me. She sure as hell didn’t
need to know I flipped him off and called him a
bastard not five minutes ago.
I swallowed my pride and made my way back
across the street.
Nik shook his head when he saw me. “What?”
“Still the charmer. Granny wanted to invite you
over for dinner.”
His black eyes narrowed as if trying to read me.
“What? She did.”
He put his hands on his hips and turned his face
up toward the sky, letting out a breath. “Can’t.”
“That’s what I hoped you’d say.” I whirled
around and started to cross the street.
“Wait!”
I stopped, keeping my back to him. “What?”
“What’re you having?”
This was a tricky question. I didn’t want Nik to
join us for dinner, so I had to be smart and quick
with my answer. Now, what would a guy like him
hate?
Shit, nothing came to mind. Think, Rita, think!
“You’re taking too long to answer.” Nik’s voice
was directly behind me. His hand gripped my waist,
and I was pulled into him. “I’ll eat anything.”
I gulped, hearing the innuendo in his statement.
But I recovered in a snap. “Pigs’ feet.”
“Love it.”
“Lengua… you know, cow tongue?”
“My favorite. Are we having both? Throw in a
little pussy for dessert, and I accept your
invitation.”
I whirled around and slapped him across the
face. “You filthy son of a bitch!” I stepped back as
he cupped his cheek. I didn’t mean to hit him. I just
reacted because his dirty talk had me soaking wet,
and Nik Tevez could never know how much he
turned me on.
A wry smiled played on his lips. “You want me.”
“The fuck I do.”
“What time is dinner?”
“I rescind the offer.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Granny will
get angry.”
“She’ll get over it.” I turned around, but Nik
caught my wrist and pulled me back.
“I’m supposed to stay away from you, Nana
Bea’s orders. But you’re making it impossible to
honor the promise I made her.”
“Let me help you. Go to hell, Nik Tevez!” I
jerked my hand and he released me. “I’m not
interested.” I made my way home.
“The fuck you’re not.”
“Obey your Nana Bea and stay the hell away
from me.”
“I never obey anyone!”
Jesus, why did that make me deliriously happy?
I didn’t say anything as I trotted into my house. I
closed the door and pressed my back against it. My
heart thudded against my ribs, mirroring the
throbbing in my shorts.
Why did his Nana Bea want him to stay away
from me?
“That you, Rita?”
“Yes. It’s me.”
“Get cooking. Nik will be hungry.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her he wasn’t
coming. “Yes, Granny.” I went into the kitchen and
prayed Granny would forget about Nik coming to
dinner.
I also prayed for my mind to be wiped clean of
Nik Tevez. But I doubted God paid attention to
ridiculous requests like mine because I was weak
against bad boys.
Bad boys like Nik Tevez and his all-consuming
black eyes and confident, cocky attitude.
I was so screwed.
2
Nik
I STEPPED OUT of the shower and toweled off. I
still sported a partial hard-on after jacking off to the
image of Rita’s fine ass and taunting tits. I should
feel guilty about breaking the promise I’d made
Nana to stay away from Lucia’s granddaughter.
But I wasn’t.
Rita was no little girl like Nana had called her.
No, Rita was all woman with curves for days on her
little body. The things I could do to that woman
would be plentiful. I’d sample every inch of her
over and over until she passed out from exhaustion.
She never told me what time to be over for
dinner.
Yes, I was going.
I needed to see her again. Tease her until she
bent to my control. Then I could be done with her
and walk away.
Images of bending Rita over a table or getting
her on all fours brought my cock back to life. I
didn’t have time for round two with my hand. I
wanted to be at Rita’s by five thirty. If Lucia was
like my nana, she had to eat before six.
I threw on a worn-out pair of jeans, a black T-
shirt, and biker boots. A little gel to keep my hair
slicked back and a spritz of my favorite cologne
and I was ready to go.
I strutted across the street, noticing the looks
shooting my way from the old couple next door to
Rita’s. Everyone on this street was old as dirt. Nana
Bea had said it would be quiet; she was right about
that.
I knocked twice and didn’t hear any activity
inside the house. After a minute, I rang the doorbell
and waited.
Nothing.
What the fuck? I hadn’t noticed Rita and her
granny leaving the house.
I hit the doorbell again as irritation flooded my
veins. This woman wouldn’t ignore me.
The door flung open.
Rita glowered with her plump lips puckered.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered through
clenched teeth.
I took her in, raking my gaze over her tan legs
and those damn short-as-fuck shorts. Her nipples
were teasing me. Who needed food? Not me. I’d
suck on her little buds all night with my cock deep
inside her, and it would be all I needed.
“You invited me.”
“I rescinded the offer.”
“No take-backs. That would be rude.”
“Is that Nik, Rita?”
“Yes, Granny.” She sighed. “I guess you can
come in.”
I smirked at the disgust in her voice. She so
wanted me.
“Don’t sound so excited.”
“Shut it. Let’s just get this over with so you can
leave.” When she closed the door and went in front
of me, I swatted that pert ass of hers.
She yelped, face instantly red. Her wide, dilated
eyes betrayed her. “Dream on, lover boy.”
She definitely wanted me.
“How are you, Nik?” Lucia asked as I appeared
in the living room. Rita had stormed off, to the
kitchen I assumed.
“Fine, Ms. Rocha. And you?” I leaned over and
kissed her cheek just as I used to when I was a little
boy. I hadn’t seen her for the last eight years while
I served in the navy. I’d joined straight out of high
school. Come to think of it, I didn’t recall ever
seeing Rita around while I lived with Nana Bea.
“Oh, getting old. Have you seen Bea? How is
she this week?”
“I saw her Monday. She’s doing well.”
“That’s good. Rita is taking me to see her
tomorrow. I can’t drive anymore.” She twisted her
lips. “You look good, Nik. Handsome as ever.”
“Thank you, Lucia.” She was just as sweet as
my nana.
“Dinner is ready, Granny. I’ll serve it up. Two or
three pigs’ feet for you, Nik?”
I choked on my spit. She hadn’t been kidding.
Sick.
Lucia cackled, slowly making her way to the
table. “Stop teasing him, Rita. She made her
delicious spaghetti sauce. One taste and you’ll be
hooked.”
I was already hooked on Rita’s smart-ass mouth.
I needed to feel her full lips wrapped around me.
I thought I smelled Italian food, but Rita got me.
Little shit. I’d have to teach her a lesson about
teasing a starving man. And my appetite wasn’t all
about food either.
“I was hoping he’d run out the door.” Rita
snickered as she leaned over the table, placing a
bowl of salad and garlic bread on it.
That fine ass stole my attention.
“Be nice,” Lucia chided. “Sit down, Nik.” She
pointed at the chair at the head of the table. There
were two place settings on the sides, and Lucia
took one. That put Rita on my right side.
“Water, iced tea, or wine?” Rita asked.
“Water. Thanks.”
She arched her brow, seemingly surprised by my
answer. I didn’t drink when I had to work, which
was in two hours.
A glass of water and a bowl of spaghetti
appeared in front of me. The slight brush of Rita’s
breast against my shoulder nearly unraveled me at
the seams.
Was she teasing me on purpose? Tempting me?
Rita seemed different from the usual type of
woman I screwed. But I couldn’t put my finger on
what the difference was compared to others. I
didn’t do relationships or have girlfriends. I just
liked to fuck. It’d been my experience women
couldn’t be trusted, so I was a one-and-done kind
of man. My opinion of the opposite sex was why
Nana wanted me to stay away from Rita. She didn’t
want me to use Rita for a night and then never see
her again. It would undoubtedly make life
complicated with her living across the street and
our grandmas being best friends.
Shit. I should have thought this through before
coming over.
“Eat, Nik, before it gets cold,” Lucia told me as
she put a slice of garlic bread on my plate. So much
like my nana.
I nodded, twirling my fork in the noodles. My
mouth watered from the aroma. Hard as she tried
not to, Rita’s hazel-green eyes kept flicking my
way. I stuck a large bite into my mouth and
groaned. I couldn’t help the obscene sound I made;
the sauce was the best I’d ever tasted.
“See. You’re hooked, aren’t you?” Lucia
grinned as she forked a bite.
I turned my attention to Rita, my heart beating
uncharacteristically fast. “I am hooked. I may want
seconds or thirds.”
“There’s plenty.” Lucia didn’t notice Rita and
me staring at each other.
The heat radiating off Rita would be my
undoing. Now that I was in her granny’s house,
having dinner, I remembered all the times Ms.
Rocha had fed me dozens of popsicles and cookies
by the handful. Suddenly her words ran through my
head as I held Rita’s gaze. Eat all the cookies you
want, Nik. My sweet Rita isn’t here to enjoy them.
It all came back to me then. Lucia’s sad face
each time she mentioned Rita. The little girl who
lived thousands of miles away on the east coast
because Lucia was estranged from her daughter.
Nana had told me Rita’s dad was an alcoholic and
controlling. He wouldn’t let Rita and her mom visit
Lucia. It fucking broke my heart back then.
And now? I was at war with my fucking
conscience.
I couldn’t be a selfish jerk and dirty up Lucia’s
sweet Rita. I couldn’t break my promise to Nana.
Shit. Why did I come?
No question Rita wanted me as much as I
wanted her. But I wasn’t the right guy for her. I’d
only hurt her because no woman would ever have
my heart or the power to destroy it. I could tell Rita
was the kind of woman who would want a
relationship, a commitment, and I couldn’t give her
one.
“Do you need help unpacking, Nik?” Lucia’s
voice painfully cut through my thoughts.
“No. I got it.”
“Rita can help you.”
“Granny, I’ve got work.”
“I don’t need help, but thanks for the offer,
Lucia.”
“Two people will get the job done faster.” This
little old woman was relentless, much like my nana.
It was no wonder they were best friends.
“My girlfriend will help me.” Where the hell did
that come from?
“Ooh. Bea never said you had a girlfriend.
That’s so nice. You should bring her over for
dinner.” Her gaze moved to Rita. “Don’t you think?
What are you making Sunday?”
Daggers were shot my way. It was better if Rita
hated me, then she wouldn’t want me. Though I
didn’t know what this stabbing pain in my chest
was all about.
“That’s okay, Lucia.”
“No, no. You come to dinner on Sunday with
your girlfriend.”
“Excuse me.” Rita was out of her chair and
disappeared from my sight.
Dammit.
Why did the draw to Rita have to be stronger
than my resolve?
“What’s your girlfriend’s name?”
I looked at Lucia, baffled. I blurted the first
name to pop into my head. “Kira.” I shortened
Shakira’s name in case Lucia recognized it.
“Oh, Kira is a pretty name.”
“Yeah…” I took a gulp of water, hoping it
washed down the disgust I felt with myself.
I looked up when Rita appeared. Tension filled
the room to a suffocating level. As much as it
would potentially hurt both of us, I hoped she hated
me and would stay away.
“Ready for seconds?” Rita asked but didn’t wait
for an answer. She snatched my plate and took it to
the stove.
“Sure.” What else was there to say? I watched
her slop noodles and sauce onto the dish. She did it
with attitude, and those goddamned pursed lips
gave away her frustration. I’d be lying if I said it
didn’t turn me on even more.
“There’s more if you want.” She set my plate in
front of me.
I almost grabbed her by the wrist. Almost. The
need to touch her was like nothing I’d ever felt.
Sure I touched women when I had sex with them.
But I didn’t want to hold or caress them. I wanted
to plow into them with my rock-hard cock. I
wanted to do that to Rita too, but it went deeper
than fucking. It was the craziest shit I’d ever
experienced.
Lucia talked about the recent fires up and down
the state of California. I nodded and made the
typical sounds to show I was interested in what she
had to say. But I wasn’t.
All my thoughts revolved around Rita. Rita
Rocha, who now avoided eye contact and only
responded to questions in the fewest words
possible.
As I finished the last bite, I was ready to go. I
couldn’t take being in the same room with Rita. I
wanted to confess that I didn’t have a girlfriend.
But it didn’t matter. She was off-limits. I’d known
she was before I moved in across the street. But
here I was hours later, eating with her and Lucia.
I’d always been a glutton for punishment.
“Thank you for dinner. It was delicious.” I
wiped my hands on the napkin.
“You’re welcome. Rita is an excellent cook.”
Lucia smiled proudly at Rita. “When you come on
Sunday with your girlfriend, she’ll make something
extra special.”
Rita groaned as she cleared the table. I felt bad
for her, which was strange. Lucia was just as pushy
as my nana.
“If she’s available, I’ll bring her.” I pushed back
my chair. “I should be going. I work tonight.”
“Oh yes. Don’t want to be late for work. Thank
you for coming, Nik.” Lucia gingerly stood. “I’ll
tell Bea what a good boy you are.” She patted my
arm. “Walk him to the door, Rita.”
“I can find it.”
“Oh no, Rita will see you out.”
“Come on,” Rita snapped after tossing a dish
towel onto the counter. “Don’t want you to get lost
finding your way out.”
I snorted at her sarcasm. It would be my
horrible luck that I liked everything about the
woman I wasn’t supposed to like or pursue. Maybe
that was it. I only wanted Rita because she was
forbidden. That had to be it.
She opened the door and gestured, waving me
out. “Make sure to be sick or have to work Sunday,
okay?”
Her request stopped me in my tracks. “You
want me to lie to Lucia?”
“Don’t act appalled. I’m sure you’re quite
familiar with lying.” She started to close the door,
but I stuck my foot in the way.
“Come here.” I reached for her hand and tugged
her out onto the porch.
She gasped and swatted her hand at me. “What
are you doing? Don’t touch me.”
“Why? Because I get your juices flowing?”
“Believe me, the only juice you get flowing is
stomach acid. And even if I did like you, I don’t
screw around with another woman’s man.”
I grinned, caging her in against the wall. “So you
do want to screw me.”
“Is that all you can think about? No. I don’t. I
don’t even like you. Now go on, I have a date to
get ready for.”
The muscles in my neck coiled. “What date?
With who?”
“Neighbor Nik, that is none of your business.”
She ducked under my arm and had the door open
before I could stop her. “Good-bye.”
“You don’t really have a date.”
“Oh, but I do, and he gets my juices flowing like
a waterfall.” She closed the door and left me
standing there with my hands fisted. I was ready to
beat the crap out of any man who dared to touch
Rita Rocha.
What the fuck was happening to me?
I stalked across the street to my house on the
verge of exploding. I couldn’t feel whatever the
hell I was feeling for Rita. It had to stop. Stop now.
After work, I’d drink a little and find me a
blonde to bring home. I couldn’t be with a brunette
anymore. I’d imagine she was Rita.
3
Rita
“RITA, YOUR ORDER is up!”
I tucked my phone into my back pocket,
grabbed the Belgian waffle and sausage from under
the heat lamp, and took it to my customer.
“Hey, what’s up?” Toni hip-bumped me while I
stewed near the water station.
I hadn’t told her about Nik moving in or having
dinner with him at my place. I dreaded going home
because this evening, Granny had wanted him to
bring his girlfriend to dinner.
I pinched my face tight, bracing for Toni’s
reaction. “It’s a guy.”
“Excuse me? Did you say guy?” Toni’s blue
eyes darkened as she narrowed them at me.
“He moved into Bea’s house across the street
three days ago. Her grandson, Nik.”
Toni grabbed my arm and squeezed. “Three
days ago!” she whisper-shouted and squeezed my
innocent arm even harder. “After work, you’re
telling me everything. Promise?”
I nodded. “Promise.”
We were in my car two hours later with the AC
blasting. Toni had a stupid grin on her face. I knew
she’d totally be into me hooking up with Nik, but I
didn’t want to only have sex with him. There was
something about him, a vibe that made me want so
much more than dirty, likely mind-blowing sex.
“Sucks he has a girlfriend.”
“Yeah.”
“Steal him away from her.”
I glared at Toni. She was ruthless when it came
to men and getting what she wanted. Me, not so
much. I respected people’s relationships. I wouldn’t
appreciate a woman trying to take my man away
from me, like the bitch who stole my dad away
from my mom.
“No.”
“Don’t be such a goody-goody.”
“I’m not. But I do live by a code.”
Toni snorted, tossing her blonde locks off her
shoulder. “If the boy cheats on his woman, he was
never really hers to begin with.”
“I don’t agree.” Not entirely anyway. Even if a
person wasn’t really in love with their significant
other, they should end it and not cheat. I never
thought my dad really loved my mom. The way he
yelled at her and hit her was proof. But did he
leave? Divorce her? Hell no. He fucked around all
the time until Soria forced him to leave my mom.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“Nothing. He’s my neighbor. Bea’s grandson.
I’ll treat him as a friend.”
“Ooh, you friend-zoned him.”
“Yup.” And it was torture every time I saw him.
“Good luck not crossing your imaginary line.”
“I don’t need luck.” I tapped my hand on the
steering wheel. “Granny wouldn’t want me with
him anyway.”
“How do you know?”
“I just know.”
“You’re an idiot. You don’t know shit.”
“And you’re a bitch. Now get out of my car.
Granny is waiting for me.” I wasn’t angry at Toni.
Just irritated because she might be right like always.
She laughed, shoving my shoulder. “Neighbor
Nik has you all moody and sexually frustrated.
He’ll be taken out of the friend zone in a week.”
She winked and got out of the car. Before closing
the door, she said, “I can’t wait to meet him!”
I rolled my eyes at my best friend. She was
probably right about Nik getting out of the friend
zone, but only if he ended it with his girlfriend.
I wouldn’t be the other woman or the reason a
relationship ended.
4
Nik
I RAPPED ON my boss’s office door like a
respectful employee. When Wolf said, the boss
wants your ass in his office, I had nearly punched
him… for no reason. I just needed to blow off some
steam. Of course, I hadn’t hit Wolf. He was a scary
motherfucker, and I valued my life.
“Enter.”
“What’s up?” I stayed in the doorway, hoping
this wouldn’t be a long talk. I hated talking.
“Shut the door and sit.” Derek folded his hands
on his desk.
“What’s going on?” I dropped into the chair
beside him and eyed the monitors on the table.
Derek was in charge of security and the bouncers at
Club Rendezvous. He was a good guy. We weren’t
all that close, but we sometimes partied together
after hours.
“You tell me. I hear you’re meaner than usual
these days.”
I smirked, cocking my head. “Says who?”
“The girls… Wolf.”
“Fucking Wolf. Did he get his feelings hurt
when I snapped at him yesterday?” Wolf was twice
my size and a fucking biker. A one-percenter. I was
sure he didn’t think twice about me. “What girl
complained?”
Derek crossed his arms over his chest and
leaned back in his chair. “Doesn’t matter. What’s
got you wound up and rejecting pussy?”
“Ah, I see. Monica complained.” I knew the
bitch was pissed at me because I turned down her
offer to suck me off in the supply closet three
nights in a row. She apparently missed my cum
after a week of not getting it. Whatever. I didn’t
want her anymore, not with Rita fucking Rocha
living across the street, taunting me with her tight
little ass in shorts that should be illegal to wear.
Derek chuckled, shaking his head. “Dude, it’s
Monica. That pussy might be well worn, but her
mouth can handle giant cocks with ease.”
“And pencil dicks like yours will get
swallowed.” I so didn’t want to be talking about
this with Derek. Being a smart-ass was just my way
of derailing an unpleasant topic.
He slapped his leg, laughing. “Fuck off,
asshole.”
“Just calling it how I see it.”
“Enough. You’re deflecting. I’m worried.
Thought I’d ask what’s up.”
“Nothing’s up.” Quite literally.
“I heard through the pussy grapevine that your
dick is broken. I got some shit in my desk to help
with that… just sayin’.”
I saw red. “Which one of the bitches was
talking shit about my dick?”
“All of them. You took ’em home and then left
them horny and shit? That’s bad form, my friend.”
I scratched the top of my head. “It’s a woman.
She’s cock-blocking me and doesn’t even know it.”
Derek’s blue eyes went wide. “You’re shitting
me. You really can’t get it up?”
This was why I never talked. “Fuck off.”
“Man, this is serious. But it’s an easy fix. If
she’s cock-blocking you, it’s because you like her.”
He tapped his chin with this finger. “You need to
fuck her. It’ll get you back on track.”
“Great advice, Dr. Derek.” He wasn’t usually
such a pig. He had his own woman issues and had
recently started rejecting the ladies too. I was sure
he was blue-balled like me. “She’s off-limits.”
“Why’s that?”
“I promised I would leave her alone.”
“Since when do you make promises, much less
keep them?”
I tensed my jaw. “Beats the hell out of me. I
only ever make promises to Nana. She wants me to
stay away from Rita. Says I’ll just hurt her.”
“Fuuuck. That sucks, man. Nana Bea would
hand you your ass if you broke your promise.”
“Exactly.” I respected Derek a little more for
understanding my predicament. He knew my
struggles with trusting women too. I told him all
about it one night over a bottle of tequila. As I said,
he was a good guy and not usually such a pig.
“What’re you gonna do?”
“Suffer. Which means so will the rest of you,
because I’ve got gallons of pent-up sexual
frustration coursing through my dick and no chance
of relief unless it’s my hand and thoughts of Rita.”
“Rita… the name slides off the tongue like
warm honey. Bet she tastes just as sweet.”
I was out of my chair with my hands around his
neck. “Don’t you ever talk about Rita, think about
her, or breathe her name again. You get me?”
Derek raised his hands in surrender, a cocky
curl in the corner of his lip. “Yeah. Never happen
again.”
I released him and paced with my hands on my
head. “I shouldn’t have done that.” Fuck. I just
attacked my boss. I was losing it.
“It’s cool. But you better find a way to deal. I
can’t have you assaulting my employees or
patrons.”
I stopped and glowered at him.
“Nik, if Rita’s who you want, go after her. Do
right by her. Maybe she’s special and that’s why
you can’t get it up for any other woman.”
He had a point. What was it about Rita that kept
me from fucking anything with long legs and big
tits? This had never happened to me before.
“Yeah. I’ll think about it. We done here?” I
needed to get out of this small, suffocating room.
“Sure. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Yeah.”
I left Derek’s office feeling like I was going to
come out of my skin. Women eyed me, flashing big,
beautiful smiles.
Nothing stirred inside me. All I could see was
Rita’s pretty hazel-green eyes. And I kept walking.
Tomorrow would be different. I’ll talk to Rita,
be neighborly… her friend.
Friend. I shook my head.
I was totally screwed up. I didn’t have women
as friends. But if I wanted to do right by Rita and
make Nana happy, I had to try to be a better man—
not the manwhore, the one-and-done guy I’d been
since high school.
I needed to be boyfriend material and worthy of
Rita Rocha.
5
Rita
SEVEN DAYS HAD passed since that sunny SoCal
day when Nik Tevez moved in across the street and
stared at me with his penetrating black eyes at my
dinner table. No man had ever affected me quite
like Nik. All my senses were at a heightened level.
And my emotions? They were so out of this world,
they were floating around in orbit near Venus.
Granny had bugged me about asking Nik to
Sunday dinner as if it were a regular thing. She said
she enjoyed the company of someone other than
me. Of course, I tried not to let her statement hurt
my feelings. I knew she missed Bea something
awful, so I didn’t dwell on Granny’s words.
To my relief, Nik and his girlfriend couldn’t
make it to dinner. He’d made an excuse about
having other plans through a small crack in his door
when I’d gone over to ask if they’d be over. It was
strange, but I’d accepted his reply and quickly left.
Granny had refused to accept his reply, but I’d
managed to distract her with a trip to Target. She
loved to shop. I, on the other hand, hated shopping.
But I would do it if it meant not seeing Nik.
Our shopping trip turned out to be fun. Granny
had the best time strolling down every aisle and
savored the mocha frappuccino I bought her on the
way home.
Monday, while I mowed the grass, Nik had
waltzed out of his house shirtless and mowed his
lawn as well. He didn’t acknowledge me as a
neighbor would with a wave or nod. But then I
didn’t do those things either, so we were even in
my book.
Each time we had faced each other, my heart
rumbled louder than the sound of the lawnmower. I
felt Nik’s eyes on me, though I couldn’t see them
behind his aviator sunglasses.
We’d finished around the same time and both
retreated into our individual homes.
That night, I had touched myself while thinking
of Nik. I came harder than ever before while
getting myself off. I’d imagined his lips around my
clit, his teeth biting down on it when I pinched my
little ball of nerves. It was so phenomenal, I did it
again the next morning.
Wednesday afternoon, I had tested Nik. It was
another triple-digit day, perfect for washing my
white Ford Fiesta. I put on my shortest pair of
shorts and a red bikini top that showed lots of side
boob. I’d tied my hair up in a messy bun, brought
my wireless Bluetooth speaker out as I always did,
and put on my dance playlist—the one full of songs
I couldn’t help but shake my ass to.
I’d barely gotten my bucket filled with water
and car soap when Nik’s garage door opened. He
tinkered on his Harley while I lathered up my car to
the rhythm of The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights.”
In the hour it had taken to wash and dry my
Fiesta, I’d made sure to bend over frequently. Mrs.
Lopez, from next door, had stopped to chat when
she got her mail. She was a loud talker and laughed
even louder. Making a show of things was her
specialty. I’d gone along with it purely to tease Nik
and make him want me.
Again, neither of us had acknowledged the
other. It was the strangest thing if you asked me,
ignoring your neighbor. But each time Nik was
breathing the same air as me, my body started to
buzz and hum. And like before, Nik had gone inside
his house not long after I had retreated into mine.
I’d taken an hour-long shower yesterday, letting
my mind run wild, imagining what Nik would do to
me if he’d joined me.
Today, a week after Nik moved in, I planned to
push him a little more. It was wrong, but that damn
Toni bugged me about Nik every day at work. Have
you talked to him? Tell him you like him. Just kiss
him, he’ll get the idea.
But I always thought about his girlfriend and
how heartbroken she’d be if he cheated on her. I
knew I’d be devastated if it were me, just like my
mom had been with my dad.
So I didn’t do anything Toni suggested. But I
also couldn’t help myself from doing nothing. Or
feeling nothing. Mostly, I just wanted Nik in my life
in some form… like a friend.
From what I could tell, he worked nights. He
was usually up and about when I got home from
working the breakfast shift at Breakers Diner after
12:00 p.m.
Julian Thompson had come into the diner ten
minutes before my shift was over. This guy had
been after me since high school, but clean-cut and
preppy wasn’t my type. Julian was what I’d call a
pretty boy. Respectful, funny, and the smartest
person I knew. After we graduated four years ago,
he went to UCLA, majoring in economics.
I hadn’t seen Julian until last month when he
started showing up during my morning shift. He
would sit in my section, order stuffed French toast
with bacon and coffee, and leave me a ten-dollar
tip. He also asked me to dinner… every single time.
So I thought to myself, Rita, Julian can help
you with Nik. I also had a second thought: Why do I
need help with Nik?
Granny would never approve of me dating him.
She’d commented about guys riding motorcycles
being bad news. I was sure she felt that way
because my mother had always been drawn to
bikers.
Even so, if Nik really wanted me, he would
have dumped his girlfriend and marched his sexy-
abs-of-steel body over and asked me out.
But he didn’t do any of that.
And I couldn’t forget about his girlfriend, who
was perched on the back of his bike—four out of
the last eight nights—when he’d get home from
work after two in the morning.
Well, okay, she hadn’t been over the previous
two nights. But still.
Yeah, I’d been spying on him—on them—from
my bedroom window. Not gonna lie. I had serious
issues with Nik. Obsessively so.
In one week, I had turned into a stalker freak.
To quell my curiosity, I invited Julian over to my
house. I wanted to see if Nik would do anything. If
he ignored me, I would be able to forget about him.
Or so I told myself.
As I pulled into my driveway, Nik was out
washing his Harley. The timing couldn’t have been
more perfect.
Julian parked his expensive new Acura on the
street. When he got out and waltzed toward me,
Nik raised from his squatting position. I could tell
he was checking out Julian in his white button-
down shirt and royal-blue striped tie and gray
slacks.
“Do you mind if we sit here?” I pointed at the
steps on the porch. “I don’t want to wake Granny.”
I wasn’t lying. She usually napped after her eleven
o’clock lunch.
Julian loosened the neck of his shirt. “Sure.”
It wasn’t as warm today, ninety-two, but in the
shade, it was pleasant with the gentle breeze
blowing in the air. It swirled around me, making my
insides buzz and hum.
Clearly, a sign that Nik was breathing the same
air as me again.
Julian talked about his trip to London last
month. I nodded and smiled, but my gaze rarely left
Nik’s. My fuzzy mind had to have been why I said,
“I’d love to visit the UK someday.”
“I’ll take you next spring. I’ve already got
another trip lined up.”
“Oh, uh. We’ll see.” I knew full well I’d never
go with Julian anywhere. So why didn’t I just say
no? It was Nik across the street getting me all
flustered. I was sure of it.
Julian and I talked about the old days, laughing
and having a jolly time. But through it all, Nik
didn’t seem to care. Though he had taken an extra-
long time washing his bike.
The man was positively sinful in low-slung jeans
and a black muscle shirt. From the porch, I could
see the tension in his shoulders. His movements
were clipped and rough.
“Rita?” Julian put his hand on my bare knee,
which was bare since I was wearing the Breakers
Diner uniform of shorts and a T-shirt. “Did you
hear me?”
The clinking of metal hitting the ground made
me stiffen. Nik looked directly at me, or so I
thought. Those damn sunglasses were becoming a
problem.
“No, sorry. What did you say?” I straightened
when Nik stalked toward my house. The very sight
of him made my heart race and my clit throb. The
buzzing and humming grew more intense in my
core with every wide stride he took.
Julian took his hand off my knee. “Never
mind…”
“Rita?” Nik’s voice was tight and laced with
irritation.
“Hey. What’s up?” I tried to act casual and
unaffected.
“Nana asked about Lucia. When are you taking
her to Palm Vista?” He was talking about the
assisted living facility Nana Bea lived at. Nik
gripped the back of his neck, showing off his
massive bicep. His aviator glasses may have made
seeing his eyes difficult, but I sensed his black
depths were locked on me.
It was a strange question, but it seemed genuine.
So I gave an equally honest reply. “I work a double
shift tomorrow so maybe Saturday afternoon. I’m
not sure.”
“Are you going to introduce us?” Julian’s voice
startled me. I had totally forgotten about him.
“Oh, sorry. Julian Thompson, Nik Tevez. Our
grandmas are best friends.”
“Good to meet you, Nik.” Julian extended his
hand, but Nik shoved both his hands into his jean
pockets. His frigid attitude was so thick, I’d need a
blowtorch to melt all the ice surrounding Nik.
“I need help making Nana’s favorite, lasagna.
Think you can help me later today so I can take it
to her tomorrow?”
I gaped at his request. Nik wanted my help
cooking? Shocked didn’t begin to explain how I
felt. Why wasn’t his girlfriend helping him?
“I hoped to take you to dinner.” Julian cut in
and put his hand back on my knee.
“Oh… um…” I wasn’t prepared for this
situation—both guys wanting me to do something
with them on the same day. I chewed on the corner
of my lip, unsure of what to say. I didn’t want to
have dinner with Julian, but I also didn’t want to
hurt his feelings. Being alone with Nik could be
fantastic or a disaster.
“Rita?” Nik’s commanding tone shot straight
into my panties, heating me in ways no man had
done before. “You gonna help me or what?” His
jaw ticked as if at any moment, he would lose all
control.
I feared, sort of, what he might do if I said no,
so I didn’t. “Yeah, sure. What time?”
He exhaled. Was he relieved?
“Four. We’ll go to the store to get what we need
first. I work tonight…”
“Okay. Sure.”
Nik gave me a short nod and left.
“What about dinner tomorrow night?” Julian
asked.
I rolled my eyes. Nice going, Rita.
“Sorry, Julian. I’m busy…”
Nik strode straight into his house and slammed
the door.
Damn. My neighbor was impossible to read.
6
Rita
I LIED TO Granny and told her I was going out
with Toni. Guilt flooded my lungs. I hated lying.
But what would she say if she knew I was going to
Nik’s?
“She’s here,” I hollered so Granny could hear
me over the telenovela she was watching. She
could speak and understand Spanish as if it were
her native tongue. Nana Bea had taught her, and in
return, Granny taught Bea how to speak
Portuguese. “I’ll be back in a few hours. Call if you
need anything.”
She waved me off. “Go on, I can take care of
myself.”
Stubborn old woman. I bet she could, but she
was all I had left in the world. I couldn’t risk
anything happening to her.
I ran across the street to Nik’s and knocked on
the door. Nervous energy rushed through my veins.
I kept looking back at my house, praying Granny
didn’t see me. Praying I didn’t make a fool of
myself with Nik.
What was taking him so long? I rang the
doorbell a few more times. Hurry up!
“I’m coming!” He flung the door open. “Jesus,
woman, have some patience.”
“Let me in.” I blew past him. “I don’t want
Granny to see me here. I told her I was going out
with Toni.” The door slammed behind me. It made
me jump, and I whirled around.
“Who’s Tony?” Nik’s black eyes narrowed and
glided up and down my length, searing my skin with
his fiery gaze. He looked angrier than a grizzly bear
who had been disturbed in the middle of
hibernation.
Somehow I needed to tame this bear.
“Oh jeez, my best friend, Toni… girlfriend.
Who are you, my father?” I shivered with disgust at
my choice of words. He couldn’t be my dad—or
rather a sperm donor, as I referred to the man who
knocked up my mom and destroyed her life and
mine. After the dirty thoughts I’d had of Nik each
night and morning, and hell, all day long, he
definitely wasn’t my kin.
“First the preppy boy, whatever the fuck his
name is, and now you mention a Toni. I’m just
trying to figure out what kind of girl you are.”
I put my hands on my hips and tilted my head.
“Obviously not your type. Now show me your
kitchen.”
“What do you mean, not my type?”
I followed Nik to the back of his house, and I
was without words. His kitchen was spotless. Not a
spoon, cup, or dish was in the sink. Impressive.
“I just mean you and I are different.” I shrugged
and took in the cleanliness around me. “Your
kitchen is the cleanest I’ve ever seen in a dude’s
house.”
“Don’t call me a dude.”
I snorted at his gritted reply. “Touchy. So what
ingredients do you have for lasagna? I’ll make a list
of what we need to buy.”
“I don’t have much. See for yourself.” He
jerked his chin toward the fridge. “I only have beer
and milk.”
I opened the door. Only beer and milk. “What
do you eat?”
“I eat at work or grab something while I’m out.”
“What about your girlfriend?”
“My what? Oh, oh yeah, girlfriend. She eats
before she comes over.”
What a weird relationship.
“Strange. You never eat together?”
“What’s with all the questions? Mind your own
business.”
Touchy.
“I hope you treat her better than you do me.”
Nix that, I didn’t want him treating anyone else
better than me. Wishful thinking considering he had
a girlfriend.
“Is that guy your boyfriend?”
I studied Nik. He was all hard lines and ridges
with a square jaw and smelled good. I wanted to
ask what cologne he was wearing so I could buy
some and douse my pillow with it, but I refrained.
That would be weird.
“Who? Julian?”
Nik hiked a thick black brow. “That’s his
name?”
“Be nice. Julian didn’t name himself. And no,
he’s not my boyfriend. Let’s go.”
“We’ll take my bike.” He led me to the garage.
I had hoped he’d say that. I’d never been on a
motorcycle before. My dad had always touted that
the back of his bike was for his old lady. It was a lie
because my mom never got to ride either. Dear old
Dad was just a selfish, unfaithful bastard.
But there was something sexy and dangerous
about motorcycles, much like the owner of this
Harley.
I sighed as if indifferent. “If we must.” I didn’t
want Nik to think I liked him. Then I’d be the
crazy, obsessed neighbor across the street. Maybe I
was, but I’d never let him know.
Nik secured a helmet on my head. I cringed. It
was probably the same one his girlfriend wore.
Sick. I hoped she didn’t have lice. Or any other
diseases. Shit. Anything she had, Nik might have.
He opened the garage door and straddled the
bike.
“Get on. Keep your feet on those bars.” I
looked to where he was pointing. “Try to avoid
touching the pipe. It gets hot.”
“Okay.” It never occurred to me to wear pants
on the off chance we took his bike to the store. I
mean, it was still hot outside. I internally groaned,
climbing on behind Nik, and kept several inches
between us. I wasn’t sure what to do with my
hands, so I placed them on the tops of my thighs.
“Scoot closer and put your arms around my
waist. You’ll need to hold on. When I lean to the
right or left, you follow. Okay?”
“Got it.” Suddenly I was nervous but did as Nik
said. I tingled all over as my inner thighs pressed
against his hips. My chest was to his back as I held
onto him. I could melt into him. My heart fluttered
as I inhaled his natural scent mixed with that
freaking intoxicating cologne.
This was a bad idea. Really bad. And I
desperately needed to find out the name of his
cologne so I could buy it.
“You ready?”
“As ready as I will ever be.”
We were off, breezing down the street. The
wind was warm but pleasant. I never felt so free in
all my life. I held onto Nik, not too tightly,
appreciating how his solid body felt against my
chest. I could ride like this forever. Wherever Nik
wanted to take me, I’d go just to have my hands on
his taut stomach.
He didn’t take the main road, which I found
odd. We weaved in and out of neighborhoods,
around a couple of parks. It took twenty minutes
longer to get to Trader Joe’s, but I didn’t mind. I
had nowhere else to be.
At a stop sign, his large hand covered mine on
his stomach. He kept it there and brushed his thumb
over my skin. Neurons sparked inside me. As if I
needed more stimulation beyond what the bike’s
vibration was doing to my lady parts. I inhaled a
deep calming breath, but it didn’t help.
The second he let go, I missed his touch and
pouted the remainder of the way to the store.
Pathetic for sure. I blamed Nik for my reaction. We
could’ve taken my car, then I wouldn’t know the
feel of his body against mine. Or his thumb,
stroking my hypersensitive skin.
Nik turned off his bike. “How’d you like it?”
“I liked it more than I thought I would.” I
hopped off first and removed the helmet.
“Yeah?” He grinned, showing his perfect white
teeth. It turned me molten inside. Well, more
molten. “I’m glad.” He attached our helmets to the
bars.
We entered the store, and within seconds,
several women ogled Nik. I couldn’t blame them.
This masterpiece dressed in well-loved jeans, a
black T-shirt, and boots was like a Jackson Pollock
abstract painting—loud, chaotic, edgy. This tall,
muscular, handsome man also gave off a sinful
vibe. He was a woman’s wet dream—my wet
dream.
Although other than his dirty, sarcastic mouth
and loads of attitude, I hadn’t found anything
genuinely immoral about him. I mean, here we
were shopping for items to make his nana a lasagna.
Talk about sweet.
Nik grabbed a cart and I took the lead, figuring I
knew where everything was in the store. He didn’t
talk from behind me as I got what I needed. But I
also had the distinct feeling he was watching me.
The heat on my neck went straight down to my
nether region.
How could such a mundane experience have me
so turned on? It was ridiculous.
“Did you want me to make enough for you to
have leftovers for you and your girlfriend?” I had
two jars of organic marinara sauce in my hand. I
looked over my shoulder when he didn’t reply.
“Nik?”
His lips were pressed thin, jaw ticking. “Make
what you want.”
“Okay. That doesn’t help at all. If your girl—”
“Goddammit! Stop mentioning her.” He ran his
fingers through his hair in an aggravated manner.
“You know what, just get what you need.” He
pulled out a fifty from his wallet and slapped it in
my hand. “I’ll be out on my bike.”
Shit. This boy had a short fuse.
“Fine.” I took the cart and made my way to the
meat section. This guy confused the living snot out
of me.
By the time I got everything on my list, I’d been
in the store for fifteen minutes. It hadn’t taken me
that long to gather the items I needed, but I wanted
to give Nik time to cool down.
Maybe he’d had a fight or something with his
girlfriend. If so, I’d be lying if I said I felt terrible
for mentioning her. I wasn’t one to get in between a
man and his woman, not usually anyway. But I
prayed he would dump her ass and ask me out.
I could tell he was watching me as I took my
time going out to where he parked. I liked having
his eyes on me.
“What took you so long?” He grabbed the
canvas shopping bag and looked inside it. “This
isn’t a lot. What were you doing in the store?”
“What’s with the third degree? Just figured I’d
give you time to cool down.” I snatched the helmet
off the handlebar and put it on. “I’m sorry for
pissing you off, okay?” I huffed a breath.
I never liked apologizing, especially when I
didn’t think I did anything wrong. I grew up hearing
my mom apologize to my dad for everything and
nothing at all. But for whatever reason, I felt the
need to defuse Nik.
He climbed onto his bike, and I got on next. We
didn’t say anything else on the way back to his
house, which only took ten minutes because he
didn’t take the same route we came. It was for the
better. I didn’t know if I could play nice right now.
Back at his house, he left me alone while I
rummaged
through
his
kitchen
cabinets.
Surprisingly, he had a decent skillet and everything
else I needed to make the lasagna.
While I cooked the meat and got ready to
assemble the ingredients, I wondered where he’d
disappeared to. How was I to teach him how to
make this dish if he wasn’t around?
My first thought was he was on the phone,
making up with his girlfriend. I hated her and didn’t
even know her.
While I mentally cursed his girlfriend, Nik
appeared in the arched doorway. “Need me to do
anything?”
“I thought you wanted to learn how to make
lasagna?”
“Nah. Not really.”
“Wow, okay. So you’re using me to make this
for Nana Bea. Nice. Asshole.” I gritted my teeth,
stirring the sauce.
“You and your damn mouth. It’s going to get
you into trouble. You should put it to better use.”
I whipped my head toward him, finding he was
behind me now. I sniffed something different.
Something pungent.
“Were you smoking weed?”
“Needed to take the edge off.” His hands were
on my hips, rubbing up and down. Butterflies took
flight in my stomach. Not an everyday occurrence
when a guy touched me. “Smells good in here.”
He was a lot more chill than before, but he
shouldn’t be touching me when he had a girlfriend,
so I moved out of his grasp.
“This takes fifty minutes to bake once in the
oven.”
“Do I make you nervous, Rita?” The
amusement in his voice made me scowl. He was
toying with me.
“No.”
“Liar.”
“Whatever.” I didn’t look at him while I
assembled the lasagna. But in my peripheral vision,
I could see him smiling as he hovered close. Goose
bumps spread across my skin.
I gulped, trying to stay focused on my task,
instead of wishing Nik would kiss me. Maybe rip
my clothes off and have his way with me. I
squeezed my thighs for going down that dangerous,
delicious road.
But it was wrong to wish such things. Granny
would have a fit. So would Nik’s girlfriend.
“So, where do you work?” I needed to get my
mind on something else.
“I’m a bouncer at a club.” He went to the fridge
and took out a beer. “Want one?”
“Sure. Thanks.” I could stand to take the edge
off too. “I can see that. Put those muscles to good
use, huh? Which club?” I smiled, spreading ricotta
on the second layer of lasagna.
“It’s near the beach.” He guzzled and so did I.
I set the bottle on the counter and sprinkled
mozzarella next. “Which beach? In Pacific
Palisades, Santa Monica, Malibu? Or is it down
south?”
“You sure like to ask a lot of questions.”
Why was he deflecting? “And you sure like to
avoid talking about yourself.” I started the third
layer.
“Malibu.”
“See, was that so hard? Which club?”
Nik laughed and leaned against the counter,
putting his bottle to his lips. “Club Rendezvous.”
“Ooh, I’ve heard of it. A-list type of club.
Haven’t been there.” I was just about finished
assembling the lasagna. It smelled amazing.
“Good. You don’t need to.”
I furrowed my brow. “Why not?”
“It can get wild… dangerous even.”
“Maybe I like wild and dangerous.”
“I sensed that about you.” He set his bottle on
the counter and wrapped those muscly arms around
my waist.
“What are you doing?”
“I want to kiss you.”
Oh God. I clenched down low. I turned to face
him as hope bloomed in my chest. Maybe he broke
up with his girlfriend. “But what about your—”
His mouth crushed mine. It was everything.
Pillowy lips moved over mine, nipping and sucking,
kissing me for all he was worth. His tongue
demanded entry. I opened the gate and he stormed
in, probing and curling it with mine. Nik consumed
me like a starved man. My knees almost buckled as
a wave of desire exploded in my belly.
“Shit, Rita. You taste better than I imagined.”
His fingers gripped my head, allowing him to
deepen the kiss.
I can’t believe Nik imagined kissing me. Holy
shit!
Nik Tevez was better than I dreamed of. His
kisses weren’t too soft or light, or too hard or
messy; they were perfect in every way. Our tongues
tangled and lashed against the other. I was beyond
aroused now. If I didn’t stop this asap, we might
cross the line and fall into bed… Not that I would
mind discovering all I could about Nik. But I didn’t
want just sex, I wanted so much more. Plus, this
was wrong. Nik had a girlfriend.
Speaking of Nik’s woman… I pushed him back.
“What are you doing?” I gasped for air, covering
my mouth with my trembling hand.
“Kissing you. Couldn’t you tell?”
“Don’t get smart. You have a girlfriend.”
“The fuck I do! I don’t have girlfriends or
relationships, Rita. I only said I did so you would
stay the hell away from me. What good it did.”
I was seeing Nik with a new pair of eyes. He
didn’t have a girlfriend.
“Then, who’s the woman you brought home
after you got off of work?”
He blinked as if surprised.
Crap.
He stepped toward me and I stepped away from
him.
“Were you spying on me, Rita?” His gravelly
voice made me tremble inside. I hoped he couldn’t
see me unraveling right before him.
I backed up some more. I needed distance, a
concrete iron wall between us. “Just answer the
question.” The stabbing pain I felt in my heart was
as if he had betrayed me, only God knew why. Nik
didn’t owe me any explanation. He was a free man
and could do whatever he wanted.
He wasn’t mine.
But I wanted him to be.
“Just random women.” He shrugged as if no big
deal. It may not have been to him, but it was a huge
deal to me.
“All four times was a different woman?” The
thought tore me up inside. Nik with four different
women in the last seven fucking days. Standing
before me was a manwhore and it bothered me,
when before Nik, I didn’t give a shit about such
things. Live and let live and all that crap. But I
couldn’t stop the way I felt in this moment.
“You were spying. Why?” He stepped toward
me. A wild look flashed in his eyes as he stalked
toward me like I was his prey… his next meal. Girl
number five. Five in seven days.
“I need to leave.” Why did I care who he’d
been with or how many? Probably because I liked
Nik and the thought of him with four different
women, fucking into the wee hours of the morning,
made me sick.
“What about the lasagna?” He proceeded
toward me.
I moved onto the other side of the breakfast
table, keeping distance between us. My heart
thudded against my ribs. I was so stupidly hurt and
angry.
“Cover it with aluminum foil and bake for fifty
minutes. The oven is already preheated.”
“You’re not leaving, Rita.” Damn him for saying
it as fact.
“I finished what I came here to do.” I eyed the
side door, my escape. I knew he hadn’t closed the
garage when we got back. I could run out the door
and be at my house in thirty seconds.
He stopped, blocking my escape. “You’re not
leaving.”
I gulped as he appeared feral and… determined.
I squared my shoulders, ready for battle.
“Why would I want you touching me after
you’ve been with four other women? I’m not going
to be just another notch on your bedpost.” I crossed
my arms over my chest. “I should have chosen to
go to dinner with Julian instead of helping you.”
Nik roared and flipped the small round table and
it crashed on its side. I screamed, having nowhere
to run. “That fucking mouth of yours!”
It all happened so fast. Nik grabbed me and I
was thrown over his shoulder, having the air
knocked out of me.
SLAP!
I yelped, jerking in his arms as his hand made
contact with my ass for a second time.
SLAP!
7
Nik
SLAP! I SPANKED Rita a second time. SLAP!
And a third.
“What the fuck are you doing? Put me down,
you crazy asshole!” She beat on my back, but I
didn’t stop. I was on a mission.
Her. On my bed. Naked.
SLAP! I spanked her again for getting mouthy
with me.
“I’ll press charges. Have you arrested.”
I smirked at her weak threat and entered my
bedroom. I tossed her on the bed and ripped off my
shirt, literally shredding the motherfucker.
Rita gaped. Her fucking mouth. I’d own it. Just
like I’d own her pussy.
“Like what you see, baby?”
She blinked and shook her head. But she also
didn’t move from the bed or run for my open
bedroom door to escape me.
I wouldn’t chase after her if she did. I’d let her
go.
But Rita wanted this. Wanted me, just as I
wanted her.
I chuckled, unbuckling my belt. “Liar.”
“You hit me.”
“I spanked you for getting mouthy with me.”
“That makes it better?”
“You mean to tell me you’re not wet for me?”
My gaze dropped to her spread legs, zeroing in on
her pussy. “I told you to put your mouth to good
use.” I removed my biker boots while holding her
heated gaze.
“I’m not wet for you,” she whispered, biting her
lower lip. Her hazel-green eyes were fully dilated.
“Liar.” I dropped my jeans and stepped out of
them. My cocky, confident self was on full display.
Getting between a woman’s legs had never been so
fucking hot.
Rita stared, stunned by my shock-and-awe
strategy. I’d never taken a woman and tossed her
over my shoulder before. Much less broke my
furniture. Most women just got on their knees or
the bed on their own accord.
But not Rita, who still hadn’t moved. I could tell
she was at war with herself. Debating what she
wanted to happen. Whether to run out the door and
to the safety of her home or take her clothes off.
What she should do was run. I knew it. She
knew it.
Yet she rested on her elbows, her pretty eyes
locked on my crotch, my tented crotch. I had a
monster hard-on with Rita’s name on it beneath my
boxers. It felt spectacular to have while in her
presence. More so, after being dead for days.
To test her, I slowly stroked my cock and hissed
because goddammit, I ached something fierce for
Rita.
She licked her lips, chest rising and falling like
she’d run a marathon on a hundred-degree day.
“Rita…” I growled her name to get her
attention. Derek had been right, her name slid off
my tongue like honey, and I was about to find out if
she tasted just as sweet.
She flitted her gaze up to mine. “Hmm?”
“What do you want?” I was giving her the
power to send me to blue-ball hell. I’d been
fortunate to have never visited that evil place
before, but there was a first time for everything.
I’d been spoiled with more pussy at my disposal
than I could ever plow through, working at Club R.
I only took what was offered. I didn’t chase
women. I didn’t flirt with them. I didn’t buy them
dinner or send them flowers or talk to them like I’d
done with Rita.
I used them, plain and simple. Yeah, I was a
fucker, a dickhead, a bastard. Nana had encouraged
me to talk to someone about my distrust of women.
I didn’t need to talk to a fucking quack. I knew
why I didn’t trust women.
Women lied. They shattered your fucking heart
and left you. So romance didn’t matter. Or it hadn’t
mattered before Rita.
“I…” Her mouth opened and closed.
I stepped closer to the bed. My knees touched
her sandals. She visibly shook, and my guess was
she shook with arousal. “Yes, Rita. Tell me.”
She swallowed and inhaled a deep breath.
I was closer to having her, seconds away from
being buried deep inside her.
“No girlfriend?”
It pissed me off how she was hung up on the
girlfriend bullshit. I was to blame for it. Me and my
big fucking mouth, trying to honor the promise I’d
made Nana. She’s a good girl, Nik. Leave her
alone. Promise me, she’d said in one breath. In her
next, she’d said, I want you happy. Rita can make
you happy, but first, you must treat her like she
means the world to you.
Treat her like she means the world to me.
I’d promised Nana to stay away because why
not? No woman would ever mean the world to me.
The day I moved in and Rita came over to
welcome me to the neighborhood, something
changed in me. I couldn’t explain it. It was like she
had imprinted on me like those fucking wolves in
that vampire movie. All week I had tried to fuck
her out of my mind at work and at home. But my
goddamned cock wouldn’t get hard for any other
woman.
The ones I brought home? The ones Rita saw on
the back of my bike? They’d given it their all,
prancing around nude, playing with themselves,
stroking and sucking on my limp dick. They did all
the things that would generally turn me on. But
nothing they had done affected me. It frustrated the
hell out of me and even scared me. Like, was my
dick broke or some shit?
No, it wasn’t broken, because all I had to do
was think of Rita’s fine ass, full lips, or sassy
attitude and my cock would stand to attention and
salute.
After a week of torture, I needed relief and not
by my own hand.
“I already told you, I lied about the girlfriend.” I
flattened my hands on the mattress and leaned
toward her. “Do you want this? Do you want me?”
“I do.”
Thank fuck. I knew it.
“But you probably have a disease or something.
I should go.”
My joy plummeted as she crawled off the bed.
“I always wear a condom. I’m clean.” Of
course, why should Rita take my word for it? She
wasn’t a stupid woman. I could tell the day I met
her she wasn’t gullible or ditzy like some women
I’d met. But I was clean. I didn’t take STDs lightly.
Rita’s hazel-green depths were shiny and glossy.
The disappointment in them broke a piece of me.
None of this made any sense. Why would she
want to leave when the chemistry between us was
like a megaquake on the Richter scale? We were
beyond epic together, and I hadn’t even gotten her
under me yet.
“But what about all the other women you’ve
been with in the past?” She blinked, squaring her
shoulders.
I wasn’t ready to talk about myself or my anger
and trust issues.
“What do you want me to say? It’s not like we
were together.”
She nodded her head over and over. “I know, I
know. I guess I…”
“You what?”
“I like you, Nik. If I didn’t, I could fuck you on
the spot. God, you’re so damn sexy and infuriating.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.
Then today, spending time with you… I just can’t
let you screw me like the others. I’d feel used and
worthless.”
“No,” I gritted out and went to her. I cupped her
face firmly in my hands. “You aren’t worthless and
never will be. You’re not just a warm body to me.”
Pouring my heart out to a woman ranked up there
with bamboo shoots under the fingernails. Or, hell,
getting my dick chopped off. It was excruciating as
hell, admitting my feelings.
She furrowed her brow and laid her hand on my
chest. “I’m not? Then what am I?”
Fuck if I knew what she was to me. But she
wasn’t like any of the dozens of women I’d fucked
over the years. I opened my mouth and word
vomited.
“The calm to the storm brewing inside me.
When I see you or I’m near you, I feel anchored,
steady and safe. I feel…” I swallowed down the
growing lump in my throat. This being vulnerable
shit wasn’t me at all.
But making Rita understand she meant more to
me was more important than my own feelings and
insecurities.
“You feel what?” Both her hands were on my
chest now—one over my heart, slamming against
my rib cage.
“I feel at peace. And Rita, I never feel like that.
I’m always angry. On the edge of losing control and
exploding.” I bit down on my back molars and
gripped Rita’s waist because I was so afraid she
was going to run out of my bedroom and out of my
life forever.
The pull I had in my core, drawing me to Rita,
was a fierce motherfucker. It put this pressure in
my chest, a tingling in my limbs, and a burning
behind my eyes. If she left me, rejected me, it might
be catastrophic. I didn’t know if I could handle the
abandonment.
She rubbed her small hand over my heart,
staring into my eyes, into my soul. Who was this
woman? How could she tear down my walls, rip me
open with her caring hazel-green eyes, and get me
to bare my fucking soul?
I didn’t have a clue. Here I was practically
naked because I was sure we were going to fuck.
But instead, this felt like a come-to-Jesus moment.
An anointment, a cleansing of my spirit. Just me,
sweet Rita, and the Man himself above.
I didn’t deserve Rita Rocha. Hell, I hardly even
knew her. But my heart seemed to know who she
was and so did my soul.
“Nik?” My name dropped from her lips all
breathy and soft, and it made the hairs on my arms
rise.
“Yeah, baby?” I squeezed her trim waist,
enjoying the chance to touch her.
“Can we start over? I mean, being who we
really are and not hiding what’s here.” She patted
the spot over my heart. “If we like each other, let’s
not pretend we don’t.”
Could she break me any more than she already
had? Her request was genuine and sweet. No
chance would I deny her.
“Anything you want, Rita. You name it and it’s
yours.” Who was I? Clearly, a man possessed by a
beautiful, caring woman.
“Okay, I want you to date me.” She went for it,
hardcore making her demands. I liked her even
more. She wasn’t afraid to go after exactly what
she wanted. It was refreshing, when so many
women I’d known only wanted sex and gifts,
nothing more. “I want to hold your hand on the
beach and feel your arms around me as we watch
the sun dip below the ocean. I want to cook you
dinner, flirt while we eat it, and make out on your
sofa. I want to do this the old-fashioned way. Are
you up for that, Mr. Tough Guy?”
I chuckled as I looked down at my plaid boxers.
I still had an erection, one she didn’t seem to care
about.
“Rita, look at me. Do I look tough to you?”
The smile on her face brightened my dark
world. “I see your point. You look irresistible to me.
I’m pretending you’re in a pair of swim trunks.”
She blushed after glancing down at my crotch.
“Don’t look at it, baby. It already feels rejected
and dismissed.”
“I’m not rejecting anything. I’m just asking for a
little time to know if I want to give you the goods.”
“The goods?”
“My body and heart.”
“Fuck, Rita. You’re asking too much of me. I
need you, girl. Desperately.”
“Seven days. That’s what I need. Tomorrow
we’ll go to the clinic together to get tested. When
the results come back, if we’re both clean and we
still like each other, we’ll have sex.”
“Jesus, you don’t ask for much, do you?” I
wrapped my arms around her and tugged her closer.
“You should know, I can sometimes be
demanding.”
“I’m learning that as we speak.”
“Does it scare you?”
“No.”
“Do you have any demands?”
Did I ever. “Your lips on mine, but first, one
question.”
“Okay.”
“Why do you need to be tested? How many
men have you slept with?” My voice came out
harsher than I intended. But the thought of another
man putting his hands on my Rita set something off
inside me.
“You sound jealous.”
“I feel murderous.” I flexed my jaw, biting down
on my back molars. It was no exaggeration. I could
squeeze the air out of any man who put his hands
on my woman.
“I want you to have assurances that I’m clean
too. It isn’t about the number of men I’ve been
with—”
“Which is how many?”
“Four. Two in high school and two since.”
Christ, that was four too many.
“What about you?”
“Huh?”
“How many women have you been with?”
“Too many.”
“Oh.” Her gaze dropped to my chest, and her
body tensed in my arms. I had disappointed her
again.
With my thumb, I lifted her chin so our eyes
connected. “Nobody before you has mattered to
me. Just you, Rita. Only you.” And it would always
be her, I felt it deep in my heart, but it was too soon
to admit such insanity.
“Kiss me, Nik.”
I dropped my lips to hers, covering her mouth
and inhaling her. Our tongues danced, twirling in
slow motion.
Damn, this woman was sheer perfection. I ran
my hands up her back, pushing her into my body.
Sorry, Nana, but the promise I made you… I’m
breaking it.
8
Rita
I SMILED AT elderly people while I sat across
from Granny, who’d been shining brighter than the
sun since we arrived at Palm Vista. She always
looked this happy and beautiful when she was with
Bea. It made me sad they couldn’t be together
more often.
My phone chimed with a text—another one
from Nik.
Granny and Bea glanced my way. I grimaced
and put my phone on silent.
This was the third text he sent today. The man
had been positively adorable in the last twenty-four
hours. After we both confessed our feelings and
made out in his bedroom, it was like a switch
flipped with him. I was all he could think about. It
was the same for me with him.
NeighborNik:
Make
it
okay?
How’s Nana?
Me: Yup. She’s perfect. Talks
nonstop about you.
NeighborNik: I doubt that. I’m her
little hellion grandson.
Me: You are quite the devil.
NeighborNik: In 5 days you’ll meet
my devil.
Me: LOL You call it DEVIL?
NeighborNik: Fuck yeah. You’ll
find out why. I wanna see you
before work.
Me: K. How about 5?
NeighborNik: Perfect. See you
then.
I put my phone down and exhaled. Four hours
before I could see Nik was a lifetime away.
Yesterday after he visited Bea and took the
lasagna I’d made to her, I met him at a park near
our neighborhood and spent the afternoon with
him. We’d found a quiet, semi-private spot under a
tree and got cozy on a blanket I brought.
I had no idea Nik could be so sweet. He bought
a small container of fruit and fed me grapes and
strawberries and played with my hair while I
yammered on about Toni and our high school years.
Not once had he complained about me talking his
ear off. He seemed totally content just being with
me.
We kissed a lot too. It was glorious having a
man find me irresistible. And no other woman had
stolen his attention. He seemed to only have eyes
for me.
The time spent with him, though short, was the
best day of my life.
“What has you smiling over there, Rita?”
I lifted my head. Granny and Bea were staring
at me with curious expressions. Crap!
“Just texting with Toni. You know how silly she
can be. The girl makes me smile all the time.” I was
going straight to hell for lying to them. I had to
wonder how I had gotten to be so good at it.
“Thank you for the lasagna. It was delicious.”
I nearly choked on my spit. “Oh, you’re
welcome, Bea.”
“Rita made you a lasagna? When?” Granny
didn’t take her eyes off me.
“She made it at Nik’s house.”
“What? Is this true?”
“Yes, Granny. It’s true. I helped him assemble it.
That’s it.”
Granny turned toward Bea and told her about
the blanket she was knitting. She ignored me the
rest of the time at Palm Vista and on the way home.
When we pulled up to the house, she got out of
the car and said she was taking a nap. It was what
she usually did after visiting Bea. But this time, I
knew she wanted to get away from me, and it cut
me deep.
“Okay, I’ve got some errands to do.”
“Bye.” She waved me off.
I left the house and ran across the street to
Nik’s. I was furious with him. How could he tell
Bea I made the lasagna when he knew I was hiding
us from Granny?
I knocked on the door and it opened seconds
later.
“Hey, beautiful.” He leaned down to kiss me,
but I pushed him away and went inside the house.
He closed the door. “What’s wrong?”
“Why did you tell Bea I made the lasagna?”
He furrowed his brow and scratched the scruff
on his jaw. “She knew I didn’t make it and wanted
to know who did.”
“And you told her I did. Why, Nik? Now
Granny is angry with me. She’s ignoring me.”
“Rita, I didn’t want to lie to Nana. I mean, come
on. I can’t cook worth shit. She knows this.”
“Then you could have told her your girlfriend
made it!”
He grabbed me and hugged me tightly. “Stop
talking like that.” His lips were on my neck. “I
don’t have a girlfriend. If I did, it would be you.”
Hearing him say he didn’t have a girlfriend
should’ve hurt my feelings, but it didn’t. Even if I
wanted to be his girlfriend, we were too new. And
to be real, Nik was a bad boy who would never
commit to anyone. Again, I didn’t care. As long as
he didn’t sleep with anyone else, that was good
enough for me. For now, anyway. Eventually, it
wouldn’t be enough, but I didn’t want to think
about that right now.
“She’s furious with me.” I buried my face in his
firm chest and inhaled his cologne, which I had
found out was called Bad Boy. Fitting, right? Its
peppery, spicy notes mixed with Nik’s natural scent
soothed me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you any
problems. Maybe we should just tell Lucia we’re
dating.”
I lifted my head so I could see his eyes. “Are we
dating?” My heart swelled with hope in my chest.
“If you want that, yeah, we are.”
“What do you want?”
“You, Rita. I only want you. I just never dated
before. Like, I’m not sure what’s different about it
from what we’re doing.”
“Not a lot of difference, I guess. I mean, there’s
dating others or dating exclusively.”
He tugged me with him and dropped onto the
sofa, pulling me on to his lap. Clasping my face
between his large hands, he pressed a firm kiss on
my lips.
“I don’t want you dating anyone else.”
“And what about you?” I arched my brow. “No
leggy blondes with big tits. No other women,
period.” This felt like we were agreeing to be in a
relationship.
“Done. I haven’t touched anyone since last
Saturday.”
“But, you had a woman on your bike Tuesday
night.”
“Doesn’t mean I touched her. Devil is dead with
any other woman but you, Rita.”
I turned in his lap and straddled him. Devil was
alive and well. I rocked my hips, stroking my heat
against Nik’s cock.
He growled low and squeezed my hips. “You
shouldn’t do that. We have five more days before
we can get dirty.”
“Whose stupid idea was it to wait seven days?”
I nibbled his bottom lip.
A small smile graced his handsome face. “It was
a brilliant idea. I’m kind of enjoying it, actually.”
“Stop lying. Every time I leave you, you’re rock
hard like now.” I could feel his full length as I
tortured him and myself.
His fingers slipped into my hair and he dotted
kisses along my jaw, lulling me into a trance.
“Yes, you leave me blue-balled. But when I
fuck you, it’s going to epic.”
I inhaled a deep breath as he continued kissing
down my neck. I rubbed his shoulders, feeling his
broad, corded muscles flexing.
“I can’t wait,” I said through a heavy breath as
his mouth crashed to mine.
Nik stopped us before we got out of control. He
was far more decisive than me and determined to
make good on my stupid request to wait seven days
and do this right—the old-fashioned way.
I had to admit, I liked him even more for it.
His hand rubbed up and down my back as he
cradled me in his arms. His lips were pressed to my
forehead. I could get used to this… to us.
“Rita?”
“Hmm?”
“Will you go out with me tomorrow?”
I smiled, my heart fluttering with excitement.
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
“Sort of?”
I frowned. “Sort of? What do you have in
mind?”
“Sunday and Monday are my days off. Let’s go
to San Diego for the night. I’ll take you to a nice
restaurant. We’ll walk along the beach, make out in
the sand, and just be together.”
My smile grew wider. An overnight trip was
more than a date. Something told me Nik didn’t do
this with just anyone. Then I thought about Granny.
“That sounds wonderful, but I can’t leave
Granny, and I work Monday morning.”
He tipped my chin up with his finger. “You
don’t leave her ever? I want to be with you, Rita.
Call in sick Monday or switch with someone.”
“I want to be with you too. I can switch my shift
easily enough, but I never leave Granny alone
overnight.”
Nik’s jaw ticked and his forehead pressed to
mine. “Can’t your friend stay with her or check in
on her? I wouldn’t ask this but it means a lot to me,
Rita. Being alone with you, doing all the things that
are important to you.”
God, this man. The sincerity in his voice killed
me. I didn’t want to disappoint him.
I cradled his face and touched my nose to his.
“I’ll ask Toni to check in on her.”
“Ask her to check in on her next Friday too.”
“What are we doing next Friday?”
“It’ll be the seventh day. I don’t want to be
interrupted all day or night.”
A shiver danced up my spine at the promise in
his voice. “But you work Fridays.”
“Not next Friday. I took it off so we can
discover each other from top to bottom.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. I was
falling hard and fast for this man. “Okay, I’ll ask
Toni. You’re amazing, Nik Tevez.”
“You’re the first person to say that.”
I drew back. Intense black eyes were on me.
The cocky smirk I adored was absent.
I didn’t know Nik’s story, his life story. I had a
feeling it wasn’t pleasant. I hoped he would trust
me with his secrets, the things that made him sad
and hurt. It might not be what he wanted, but I
wanted to know everything about him. Because
once I gave my body to him, he’d own my heart.
And I wanted to own his, too.
9
Nik
I WENT INTO the employees’ lounge for my
fifteen-minute break. I had four hours until my shift
was over, and I couldn’t wait to leave this place.
Before Rita, I loved coming to work. The music
and the scantily clad women offering themselves to
me all night long were fucking awesome. Being a
bouncer had been a dream job for a horny son of a
bitch like me.
Now I was hating it.
Dropping onto the sofa, I gulped water from my
sports bottle and soaked up the quiet.
Wolf had asked if I wanted to party after work.
He had a pair of twins lined up… redheads. No one
at work knew about Rita except Derek. At some
point, the Club R crew needed to know I was off
the market.
Fuck. Was I off the market?
The door opened and Julie walked in. Shit.
“Hey, Nik.”
“Julie.”
She plopped down next to me. Her hand went
on my thigh. “Want to hook up tonight?” Her hand
traveled up.
“No.” I plucked her hand off me and moved it
away.
“I heard you’ve been turning down women left
and right. Even having a bit of trouble getting an
erection. I’m sure I can help you with that.” She got
on her knees between my legs.
Any other time, I would have sat back and let
her take me into her small mouth. My cock fit all
snuggly and shit in it. Julia liked to deep throat,
choking and gagging on my dick. I’d never fucked
her pussy. She didn’t do it for me, with her straight-
as-a-rail body and bony hips. She was too thin for
my liking, but her mouth had made up for the rest.
The sound of my zipper jerked me back to
reality.
I covered her hand, stopping her. “No, Julie.”
She huffed and stared at me. “What’s your deal
these days?”
“None of your damn business.”
“You’ve met someone. Haven’t you? That’s
what people are saying around here. That the only
thing to stop you from fucking anything with a pair
of tits and a pussy is if you were dead or you fell in
love. But I find it hard to believe a man like you
would fall in love. That would require trust and
transparency, and you can’t do either.”
Fucking bitch. She didn’t know shit about me.
I stood in front of her. She was still on her knees
and glaring.
“A man can change his mind just as quickly as
women do. If I don’t want you or any other woman
in Club R, that’s my prerogative. I don’t owe you
or anyone else an explanation.”
“So you have fallen in love.” She crossed her
hands over her chest. “It won’t last, you know.
You’ll get bored. And what happens when she finds
out what a manwhore you are?”
“You’re a bitch.”
“Yeah, I am. I’m also the kind of girl who
knows who you are and can deal with it. Is she a
nice girl? Does she know your habits? I bet she
doesn’t.” Julia got to her feet and left the
breakroom.
“Whoa! What’s with her?” Donovan, one of the
owners of Club R, said on a chuckle. “She looked
pissed as hell. You turn her down like the others?”
I grunted with a nod. I hated how everyone
knew my business.
“Good for you.”
I raised my eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to
mean?”
Donovan sat across from me on another sofa.
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
“Standards is what I was talking about. The women
here spread their legs for anyone. And hey, if that’s
what they like, good for them. It doesn’t work for
me though. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great for a
quick fuck. It’s what they like. In the breakroom,
utility closet… back seat of your car. But I’m
pushing thirty. I need something real, and I’m not
going to find it here.”
I studied Donovan. He was a smart, educated
man. He didn’t fuck off like his brother, Derek, or
the rest of us. But I also knew he had a wounded
heart. He never hid the fact and admitted he’d do
anything to get his old high school sweetheart back.
Sadie was her name, if I remembered correctly. One
night he drank half a bottle of tequila and talked
nonstop about her. I felt sorry for the dude.
“Because what you want is in Seattle, right?”
Donovan sighed and reclined back. “Yeah, man.
Sadie is in Seattle, living her best life… without
me.”
“Maybe you should go after her.”
He shook his head. “Naw. She doesn’t want me.
You can’t force a woman to love you. So when they
offer it, don’t screw it up as I did.”
“I won’t.” I jerked my chin to the door.
“Break’s over.”
He threw up a hand and I left.
I wouldn’t screw up with Rita. She was the real
deal. I may not deserve her, but I’d do everything
possible to make her happy.
It was around midnight when a commotion on
the dance floor caught my eye. I elbowed Wolf and
we ran over to break up a fight between two guys.
The crowd was thick that formed around us,
cheering at the two who were punching each other
in the face.
“Calm your ass down!” I restrained one guy
with his hands behind his back while Wolf got the
other. Donovan and a server came to settle the
crowd while we dragged the guys out of the
building.
“Don’t hurt him… please,” a woman cried and
tugged on my shirt. “He was only protecting me
from my ex-boyfriend.”
“I’m just taking him outside. You’ll be banned
from the club. The owners don’t permit any
fighting.”
“Okay. Just don’t hurt him.”
I glanced at the woman. Her mascara was
running down her face and she was trembling. She
didn’t look much older than twenty-one, and I
couldn’t help but wonder why the guys were
fighting. But I didn’t ask because it was none of my
business.
Wolf and I took the guys to a side door where
we kick people out for causing trouble and blacklist
them. I could hear Donovan behind us. Wolf and
the ex-boyfriend went through the door first. It was
business as usual. We did this sort of shit several
times a month.
As I passed through the door, Wolf released his
man and shoved him aside. Suddenly he pulled a
knife and charged toward the man I was still
holding onto. It happened so fast. The woman
screamed. Wolf went for the idiot with the knife as
I turned to block. A burning pain shot through my
bicep.
“You motherfucker!” Wolf had the ex-boyfriend
in a chokehold with one arm and removed the knife
with his other hand.
“Oh my God, oh my God!” the woman
screamed and grabbed onto her… current
boyfriend?
I gripped my arm as blood oozed out.
“Jesus Christ,” Donovan muttered. “Toby, I
need a clean rag.” He was on his phone. “Derek,
get the police over here. A customer Nik was
tossing out sliced his arm with a knife.” He went
silent as he moved me to the side and looked over
the wound. “About three inches. Yeah, definitely
stitches.” He ended the call.
“I don’t need stitches. Just get me a Band-Aid.”
Donovan snorted. “I call the shots here when it
comes to my employees. You’re going to urgent
care to get that stitched up.”
I groaned. “I’ll take myself. I don’t need an
escort.”
“Nope, I’m taking you.”
We both looked to the right when flashing lights
and sirens approached. It would do me no good to
argue with the boss. Plus, it hurt like a bitch and
there was a lot of blood. I wasn’t dealing with a
scratch, so it would be wise to have a doctor look it
over.
Once I gave the officer my statement, Donovan
and I went to Urgent Care. Surprisingly, I got in and
out quickly. Blood covering my arm helped.
Donovan insisted on driving me home. Again, I
didn’t fight him because my right arm hurt and I
wasn’t sure how well I’d do riding my bike. It was
nearly two in the morning when we pulled into my
driveway.
“I appreciate the ride and you paying the bill.”
“Hey, any good boss would do the same.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“Good thing you’re off tomorrow… er, I mean
today.” He winked. “Rest that arm—no heavy
lifting. Don’t want you busting the wound open.”
“I won’t. I’ll see you Monday night.”
“Nah, just take the day off. You’ve earned it.”
“Paid time off?”
Donovan laughed, nodding his head. “Of
course. Getting injured on the job warrants paid
time off. Just don’t sue me.”
“No chance. Thanks, man. See you Tuesday.”
“Take it easy.”
I slammed the car door shut and went up to my
front door. I wasn’t in the house ten seconds before
my phone chimed.
Rita: Who dropped you off? What
happened to your arm?
Nik: My boss. Nothing. Just got a
cut.
As I waited for her reply, I went to the fridge for
a bottle of water. Strangely it took longer than I
expected. Then the doorbell rang.
I opened the door, and Rita’s gaze fell on my
arm. Her pretty hazel-green eyes widened.
“What happened?”
“Get in here.” I took her hand and jerked her
inside the house and closed the door. “Just a fight
between two customers and one pulled a knife.”
“Oh my God!”
I kissed her. “I’m okay.”
“How many stitches?”
I laughed. She was a smart cookie. “Fifteen.”
“Shit. Does it hurt?”
“It’s not bad.”
She made a pouty face. “Poor baby. Let me help
you get into bed.”
“I’d feel better if you joined me in bed.”
A smile stretched across her beautiful face.
“Granny would have a fit.”
“Just get back before she wakes up.”
She took my hand and led me to my bedroom.
“I’ll stay for a little bit. Let’s get you in bed so you
can rest.”
“Nurse Rita, I’d like a sponge bath.”
“I bet you do.” She unbuckled my belt, then
unsnapped my jeans and tugged them down,
leaving my boxers in place. “Now sit.”
I smirked. “Yes, Nurse Rita.”
She rolled her eyes. “Does shit like this often
happen at Club Rendezvous?”
“No. This is a first. But I told you it can get
rough there.”
“Yeah, I don’t like that much.” She removed my
boots and socks, then my jeans next.
I slipped my arm around her waist and tugged
her to me. “I’m okay, baby.” I kissed her chin, then
her cheek.
“Let me help you with your T-shirt. We’ll do the
left arm first so I can easily slip it off your right
side.”
I let her go to work. I liked having someone take
care of me for a change, someone other than Nana
Bea.
“Can I get you anything? Something to eat?
Drink?”
“I got water right here.” I showed her the bottle.
“I just want you, Rita. Take your clothes off.”
Her eyes flashed up to mine. “What?”
“Baby, I could have died tonight. I need a taste.
Tomorrow may never come. Life is precious.”
“Laying it on a bit thick, don’t ya think?”
I ran my hand up the back of her thigh and
under her itty bitty pajama shorts. My hand tingled
feeling her smooth skin. I cupped her bare ass, and
my cock sprang to life. I growled. “Fuck, Rita, no
panties. Now I really need you naked.”
10
Rita
NIK GROWLED AND squeezed my ass cheek.
“Fuck, Rita, no panties. Now I really need you
naked.”
I gently placed my hand on the side of his face
and kissed him. I could feel his dick grow firmer
against my leg and his hand traveling to my butt
crack, sliding down. I was so damn wet and
throbbing with need. But Nik was hurt tonight, and
I didn’t want to cause him any more injury.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Then get undressed and you won’t.”
“But your arm.”
“I don’t need my arm for what I want to do to
you. Now take those fucking clothes off so I can
fuck you with my tongue.” He bit my lip hard and I
clenched. I wasn’t an idiot. I’d wanted this since
the day I laid eyes on him.
“How will you do it?”
He tugged my bottoms down and they pooled at
my feet. I removed my tank top, dropping it on the
floor. Nik growled again as he palmed my breast,
then squeezed it. He sucked on my nipple, and I
nearly came on the spot.
I let my head fall back, pushing my breast
farther into his mouth. “Oh yes.” We were so doing
this now. I couldn’t stop even if the house were in
flames.
Nik released me with a pop. “Get on the bed.
Now.” His gruff, demanding voice made me shiver
with need. “I want your feet at the edge of the bed,
legs bent.” He dropped to his knees on the floor. I
finally understood how he would do this.
I got into position quickly.
“Open up for me, baby. Let me see your pretty
pussy.” He kissed a trail up my inner thigh as I
spread my legs for him, obeying his every
command. “This is going to be fantastic. You’re not
completely bare like some women who wax all
their hair off. I like a little hair to rub my nose in.”
I stilled. What in the hell did he just say? His
statement was like a bucket of ice-cold water
dumped on my exposed hairy lady parts. Surely he
hadn’t meant to offend me, but the last thing I
wanted to hear about was him eating out some
other woman with a hairless pussy.
“Jesus, Nik, shut up. You’re ruining the
moment. I don’t want to hear about the other
women you fucked with your tongue.” Okay, Rita.
Calm the fuck down. I may have gotten a little
more impassioned than I intended.
Nik raised his head and locked his eyes on mine.
“Shit. I’m sorry.”
The pain in his eyes made my chest burn. “It’s
fine. Proceed.”
“No. It’s not fine.” He wedged himself between
my legs, covering my body with his. His hands went
into my hair. I noticed the slight wince when he
used his right arm. “It was a stupid thing to say. I
don’t do a lot of talking normally, but my mouth
seems to run wild with you. I’m sorry, Rita.” His
lips crushed mine, and he totally stole my breath
away while grinding his cock against me.
“Make it up to me,” I said against his mouth.
He kissed me hard, a feral glint in his eyes. He
was making my heart race with anticipation. I was
clenching and so damn wet, I worried if it would
bother him. Some men didn’t like to go down on a
woman if she was super wet. Or that had been my
experience… twice.
“Gladly.” He moved back down.
Nik wasted no time getting right to it. His slick
tongue swiped against the sensitive skin just above
my tight puckered hole and glided up and over my
slit. My pelvis rocked into his face. I nearly came
undone. He licked me over and over, pressing
firmly with a flat tongue.
“Oh Jesus. Oh God! Oooh God!” My body
writhed on the bed. I couldn’t get enough; it felt so
incredible.
“We’re not in church, Rita! Fucking say my
name!” Nik changed from leisurely licking to
ravenously eating.
I’d never experienced anything like it. My
orgasm formed in quick succession as he eagerly
nibbled on every part of me, sucking and humming
like I was the best damn meal he ever had. Hearing
him making so much noise added to my enjoyment.
“Yes!” I screamed when he inserted a finger,
then another. He rubbed my clit and I blew. “Nik!
Oh, Nik!” I buried my fingers in his thick, black
hair and pressed into his face. I held him there as I
bucked and clenched around his fingers.
I panted as I came back down to earth and
loosened my grip on Nik’s head. I never felt so
open, so relaxed.
“Fuck, Rita. That was one big-ass climax.”
I issued him a lopsided grin and blew out a
breath as my body melted into the bed. “You turned
me to jelly.”
He was back between my legs and kissing me. I
could taste myself on him, smell me all over him. It
aroused me. I looped my arms around his neck and
kissed him back with the same hunger he’d
devoured me with moments ago.
Nik slid his good arm under me, and I was lifted
up and placed on a pillow. He broke the kiss to pull
a blanket over me.
“What are you doing?”
He killed the lights. “We’re going to bed.” He
rolled me onto my side and curled behind me.
“But, I wanted more.” I was glad he couldn’t
see me pouting, but my voice had betrayed me and
he probably heard my disappointment.
“You’ve had enough for tonight, sweetheart.”
He lightly stroked my arm.
Sweetheart?
“What about you?” I swung my hand behind me
and wrapped it around his solid erection.
Nik stiffened. “No, baby. We’re done. I’ll be
okay.” His arm went over my stomach.
Was he for real? What man would decline to get
his?
“Nik. Seriously. Let me get you off like you did
me.”
His lips were on my neck and his grip around
my waist tightened. “Baby, I feel amazing. Better
than I’ve ever felt. Let me hold you.”
Well, shit. How could I refuse him?
“If you’re sure. I like to give as much as I like to
receive.”
“I can tell that about you. All the more reason
for me to be selfless tonight. Hell, you’re the first
woman I’ve ever treated this way.”
I believed I was, and it stunned me.
I covered his hand with mine and settled in
against him. “Okay, Nik. But very soon, I’m going
to make you come so hard, you’ll see stars and
never want another woman again.”
“Rita, I’m already there.”
11
Nik
I GROANED WITH my eyes still shut as I felt my
arm throbbing. Last night came flashing back. Club
R and the fight Wolf and I broke up. My arm
getting sliced open, then stitched up. Rita and her
sweet pussy. I could still smell her on my face. And
falling asleep in each other’s arms.
Wait.
I turned to the spot beside me. It was empty. I
sat up much too fast and saw stars. Not the stars
Rita had told me she’d give me when making me
come hard. No, I was tired and felt weak. I reached
for my cell phone and saw a note beside it, with a
fresh water bottle and ibuprofen.
I smiled, lifting the paper. This woman knew
how to take care of me, that much was for sure. My
smile grew wider as I read the note.
Neighbor Nik,
Imagine me kissing you good morning.
I didn’t want to wake you but needed to
be home before Granny woke. I’ll be
back at noon like we planned.
XO,
Rita.
Strangely, I could feel her kissing me.
Tomorrow morning, I’d get to wake up with her in
my arms, and I couldn’t wait.
Who was I? I almost didn’t recognize myself
anymore. Part of me wanted to let my guard down
with Rita. To let her into my heart completely. I
wanted to trust her. Trust that she wouldn’t
abandon me. But maybe I was being an idiot. Even
though she wasn’t like any other woman I’d been
with before, I wasn’t sure I wanted to chance
letting her in.
She was sure as hell nothing like my mother,
who I could hardly remember anymore. My mom
never wanted me. Since the day I was born she
regretted not getting an abortion. That was why
Nana Bea was more like my mother than my
grandma. I was six when my mother left me.
The last words she ever said to me came
roaring back. I’m leaving, kid. Don’t fuck up your
life as I did. Keep your dick wrapped up.
“Mommy, where are you going?” I’d asked with
tears in my eyes. In my heart, I knew though. I
knew I’d never see Marilyn Tevez again. Before,
she would leave for days at a time but she’d always
told me when she was coming back. This time had
been different.
“You don’t have a mommy, Nik. Nana Bea is all
you need.”
“Don’t leave. I love you. Please, Mommy. Don’t
leave.” I’d wrapped myself around her long,
skinny leg, holding on with a death grip.
“Fuck, Nik. I don’t need this shit.” She’d
pushed me off of her and I’d stumbled, falling on
my ass. “Women are nothing but trouble. They
can’t be trusted and don’t you forget it.” She’d
stormed out of the house as I sobbed on the living
room floor.
I never did forget her parting words even
though Nana Bea had said she didn’t know shit and
to not believe anything she says. When I got to
high school, Marilyn’s warning had been validated
by my first and only girlfriend, Cece. I was so in
love with Cece and her big brown eyes. I’d given
her the best of me and did everything to make her
happy, or so I thought. But I wasn’t enough. She’d
told me I was too hard to get close to. I didn’t open
up to her the way she wanted and I had a short
fuse. Everything she’d said was true.
Cece broke my heart and ended up screwing
one of my buddies at a party. It was then I’d vowed
to never give a woman the power to hurt me.
I’d shut myself down and became a one-and-
done man.
I only fucked and got out. There were no
flowers, love letters, or cuddling after sex.
And I sure as hell always got mine.
But last night, Rita got a side to me I didn’t
know existed. I selflessly gave to her, wanting to
please her and make her mine. It was crazy how I
hadn’t had sex or gotten sucked off in over a
week… and I wasn’t dying. I was okay.
I checked the time on my phone. It was 10:12
a.m., around the usual time I woke up every day. I
dragged myself out of bed and headed for the
shower. I had a few things to prepare for before
Rita and I left for our overnight trip.
I couldn’t wait to be alone with her, but I was
also scared. This step I was about to take with her
was monumental. It might also be too soon. We’d
only met two weeks ago. But I wasn’t stupid. What I
felt when I was with Rita soothed my soul and
chased away the darkness. I had to try with her. I
only hoped she didn’t destroy me.
Rita
I stared at Granny shellshocked. She couldn’t have
said what I thought she said. I shook my head
emphatically. “No.”
She sighed. “I know I should have told you
sooner, but I just didn’t know if I could trust her.”
“No.”
“Yes, Rita. It is true.” The guilt in Granny’s eyes
nearly destroyed me.
My chest felt like it was about to cave in on my
lungs. I couldn’t breathe as I stared out the front
window at Nik’s place. His garage door was open
but I couldn’t see him.
“I can’t deal with this now, Granny. When I
return tomorrow afternoon, we can discuss her
further.” I checked the time. I was ten minutes late.
“Remember, Toni will check on you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“I know. But it’ll make me feel better.” I kissed
her cheek. “I love you, Granny.”
“I love you too. If Nik gives you any trouble,
I’ll deal with him.”
I cracked a smile. She took the news of Nik and
me dating surprisingly well. It had apparently been
her plan all along since the day he moved in. It was
Nana Bea who was most concerned, but Granny
assured Bea that Nik and I were a perfect match.
“He won’t give me any trouble. He’s good to
me.”
“I knew he would be. He’s always been a good
boy.”
I laughed. “Nik wouldn’t agree with you.”
“He has some issues, but the love of a good
woman can heal those. You can heal those.”
“Maybe. But if I go—” I stopped myself. “I
can’t think about her right now. I just want to be
happy and enjoy my time with Nik.”
“Yes. Go. Have a good time but not too good of
a time.” She waggled her finger.
“I’m almost twenty-three, Granny. Please don’t
have any unrealistic illusions of me.”
She cackled and snorted. “Rita, I know who you
are. Just be safe, use protection.”
I gaped. “But we’re not going to have… you
know.”
“Why else are you going away with him for the
night then?”
“To be together.”
“That’s odd.”
“Why? Because we want to take it slow?”
Her eyes brightened. “And here Bea was
worried Nik would hurt you. She’s a crazy old
woman sometimes.”
Now I was fifteen minutes late. “I gotta go,
Granny. Nik is waiting.” I kissed her cheek again. I
grabbed my backpack and tugged it on. We were
taking Nik’s bike so I had limited space for an
overnight bag. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Go. I’ll be fine.”
I waved and ran out the door and across the
street into the garage. Nik was tinkering on his bike.
“Hey! Sorry I’m late.” I went straight to him
and threw my arms around his neck and planted a
wet kiss on his lips.
“No worries. Everything okay?” He cupped my
face in his big hands and kissed me again.
“Um, yeah. Let’s go.” I tried to step back but
Nik wouldn’t release me.
“Rita.” His voice rumbled through my core. “I
can tell something is wrong.” The way his dark,
penetrating eyes considered me sent a shiver down
my spine. I’d swear he could read my mind.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just go. I
need to get out of here.”
“Fine. But you’re going to tell me what’s
bothering you.” He’s stroked my cheek with his
thumb.
“Yeah, sure.” I wasn’t looking forward to that
conversation. “How’s the arm?”
“It’s fine. Hop on my hog, baby.” He swatted
my butt, making me squeak.
“Don’t do that. It gets me excited.”
He growled low. “I knew you liked getting
spanked the other day.” He waggled his brows.
“I do. I’ll make sure to be a bad girl later so you
can punish me.”
Nik’s eyes flashed and a dark, hungry
expression crossed his devilishly handsome face as
he got on the bike.
“We better get on the road before I take you
inside and make you get on your knees.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and
whispered, “You wouldn’t have to make me.”
12
Nik
AFTER RITA AND I checked into our hotel, she
changed into a bathing suit and I put on the new
boardshorts I’d bought this morning. We were
quick about it because she was irresistible, and I
didn’t want to devour her just yet.
After riding all the way here with a hard-on, I
was hurting something fierce. Still, for Rita, I
wanted to make today special and not be locked
away in our room. We had all night for that.
The day was perfect, but then the weather
always was in San Diego. We walked hand in hand
along the boardwalk for a while before grabbing
some Coronas and fish tacos. Rita hadn’t stopped
smiling since we got here.
“God, these are to die for.” She groaned as she
inhaled another bite. We had sat down to eat with
her on my lap, and I squeezed her inner thigh for
the dozenth time.
“Baby, you better stop sounding like you’re
coming. I can’t walk around the beach with a
permanent erection. There are families here.”
She giggled and pressed her back into my chest.
“After last night, I haven’t been able to stop
thinking about your talented tongue.”
“Shit, see. I’m fucking hard for you, Rita,” I
grumbled in her ear.
She laughed some more, finishing her last bite.
“I could eat these all day long.”
“Damn, woman. I could eat you all day long.” I
splayed my hand over her stomach and rubbed my
thumb over her soft skin. I’d finished my food in
six bites, two for each taco. I’d just been sipping
my beer and holding my girl while she took her
sweet time eating.
She turned in my arms, a flirty smile playing on
her lips. Her tits looked amazing in her blue-and-
white striped bikini top. Full and plump, spilling out
on the sides. It wasn’t lost on me that men ogled
her. If they looked too long, I’d shake my head and
they’d turn away. I kept my hands on Rita at all
times so the assholes around us knew she was mine.
She touched her nose to mine. “Then leave
room for tonight.”
“I’m a bottomless pit when it comes to your
pussy.”
“Nik,” she whisper-shouted, covering my mouth
with her hand. “Families, remember?”
“Then stop teasing me.”
She rolled her eyes, the little shit. “Let’s hit the
beach.”
We played in the water for a little bit, kissing
and hugging. It wasn’t warm like the water in the
Gulf of Mexico, but Rita didn’t seem to mind when
I splashed her. Nothing about today or being with
Rita was like I’d ever done. All my walls were
down with her, and I had to admit I liked this
feeling of wholeness and peace I had.
She laid out a large beach towel, big enough for
two, and I relaxed on my back with her curled into
my side.
“We shouldn’t stay out here too long like this or
we’ll get burned.” She rubbed my chest. “You’re
already looking a little red.”
“I’ll be all right.”
“You’ll be burned with your skin hurting. I need
you well.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“Well, I want to lick every inch of you, but I
don’t want to hurt you.”
“Baby, you could never hurt me.” Only shatter
my heart.
She straddled me and rubbed against my cock,
waking Devil from his sleep. “I’m feeling horny.”
“I could tell.” I ran my finger over her cleavage.
“Let’s go back to the room.”
She didn’t need to ask me twice. I sat up with
her in my lap and kissed her hard until we were
both panting and breathless.
“Let’s go.”
13
Rita
NIK RUBBED SOAP over my breasts as the
steamy water sprayed down my back. This thing we
were doing together, naked and touching but not
having intercourse, had a powerful effect on me. I
could feel him taking up residence in my heart,
filling every nook and cranny a bit more each time
we were intimate.
I was getting attached to Nik, needing him, and I
wasn’t sure I was okay with it. I never wanted to be
dependent on a man. To do so would give him
power over me. But with Nik, we seemed to fall
into step with each other. Sure we could be volatile
sometimes, but we were also gentle and nurturing.
My parents were only ever explosive.
I trembled as his hand stroked between my
thighs. I lifted my head, meeting his gaze.
“You were lost there for a minute. Where’d you
go?” The concern in his black eyes made my heart
hurt. I didn’t want to talk about feelings, the future,
or her—my mother.
“I’m right here with you, handsome.”
“Rita.” My name came out like a growl. “Talk
to me.”
“I have a better use for my mouth.” I pushed
him against the tile shower wall and dropped to my
knees.
“No. You said you’d talk to me.” He grabbed
my chin and our gazes locked. “You’re avoiding
something. What is it?”
I wrapped my hand around his semi-hard dick
and kissed the tip.
He hissed, flexing his thighs. “Rita…”
I cupped his balls and licked his slit and a growl
filled my ears.
“Fuck, you’re stubborn as hell.” His comment
made me smile. “Fine. I’d be a goddamned idiot if I
didn’t let you suck me off. But after”—he jerked
my chin up and his eyes were narrowed on me
—“we’re talking.”
I didn’t respond because I’d do whatever it took
to not tell him what was bothering me earlier. It
could wait until tomorrow. Maybe until we got back
to Pasadena. Any sooner and it would ruin our trip.
I continued caressing his cock with my tongue,
drawing it in slowly and then pulling it out. Each
time I took him in a little farther. Nik’s was by far
the largest I’d had, not only long but thick, tan with
a beautiful head.
Can a dick be beautiful? Whatever, Nik’s was
and I loved the feel of it in my mouth.
He buried his hands in my wet hair, rolling his
hips as my suction increased. Though the water was
lukewarm now, it didn’t bother me. My only focus
was pleasuring this sexy-as-fuck man in front of me
just as he’d done to me last night. I wanted to make
Nik blow his load in a seismic blast, and I’d drink
him down, milking him for all he was worth until
his legs gave out.
“Oh, Rita, damn, you’re fucking incredible at
this. I don’t want to know how many cocks you’ve
sucked. Just know mine will be the last.”
I cut my eyes up to his, stunned by his words.
They must have fallen from his lips unbidden. I
knew he didn’t do girlfriends or relationships. Sure
we were enjoying each other, but did I really think
it would last? That we would stay together?
I mentally shook my head, refocusing on my
task at hand. Now was not the time to analyze us.
Instead, I picked up my speed and sucked
harder. Nik’s legs shook, and his thrusts were fierce
yet steady. I could feel him pulse against my tongue
as he got closer to erupting.
When his grip closed around my head like a
vice, I sucked him all the way into my throat.
“Fuck! Oh fuck, Rita. I’m coming!”
I held still, trying not to gag as he spurted his
release.
Nik leaned into the tile wall, bending at the legs
and breathing like he just completed an Ironman
Triathlon. I couldn’t help but smile because I knew
I gave a damn good blow job.
I slowly let his softening dick leave my mouth,
making sure it was clean and kissed the tip again.
“Woman… I don’t know what to say.” He
exhaled a heavy breath.
“You’re welcome.” I fluttered my lashes and
reached around him to turn off the water. “Let’s
dry off and take a nap before dinner.”
“Yeah. A nap is what I need. If I can walk to the
bed. I might need to crawl. Or hell, you could
probably carry me, you’re so fucking awesome.”
I tossed my head back, laughing as an image of
me trying to lug this massive man to the bed flashed
in my head. “You’ll need to crawl if you can’t
walk.”
“Thought so.”
Before climbing into bed with Nik, I braided my
wet hair so I’d have beachy waves once it dried. I
was tired but knew my exhaustion was nothing
compared to Nik’s.
We wrapped ourselves around each other. Nik
started to snore almost instantly, further proof of
how tired he was.
Was it possible we could be a real couple with a
future together? I always wanted a baby but was
too jaded to think I’d ever find a man who’d be
faithful and not beat the shit out of me as my dad
had done to my mom. I was fortunate he had never
struck me, but seeing him unload on her might have
been more painful.
I hated him and her for the rotten childhood I
had. My parents were supposed to take care of me,
protect me, and love me. But no. They were both
so goddamn selfish, only doing for themselves, I
was left to my own devices. That was until Dad left
and Mom went off the deep end with drugs and
whored herself out when I was in middle school.
Men filtered in and out of our apartment at all
hours of the day. If it hadn’t been for a neighbor
calling CPS, I didn’t want to think what would have
happened to me.
I had heard everything when I wasn’t in school.
Thirteen-year-olds shouldn’t hear shit like their
mom moaning and crying out in pleasure and pain.
Or men grunting and groaning and the headboard
hitting my bedroom wall. I’d seen several of them
naked with shriveled-up dicks when they
accidentally entered my room instead of Mom’s.
I’d hoped they’d done it by mistake instead of
wanting me to see them.
The memories from that time in my life made
me sick. I snuggled closer to Nik, breathing him in
and absorbing his warmth. I felt safe in his arms.
Protected. Cared about. But none of that mattered
right now as hot tears pricked my eyes.
How could she call after all these years, begging
Granny to make me return to Virginia? She was out
of her mind. It had to be the drugs if she thought I’d
ever want to see her again. She’d let me down in
more ways than one.
“Rita, baby, what’s going on?” Nik’s arms held
me against his firm body as he shushed me. I hadn’t
even realized I was bawling and shivering until
now. “Talk to me, baby. Please. Goddamn. I can’t
take seeing you like this. What the fuck is going
on?”
“Sh… She called this morning. My… my
mother…” I stuttered as my body trembled. “She’s
si…sick. She wants me to go back…” I inhaled a
ragged breath. “Back to Virginia.”
“What? I’m confused, Rita. Why is this so
upsetting to you?”
I didn’t think I could tell him what my mother
made me do before I was taken from her. At this
moment, I felt disgusting. I didn’t want Nik to know
or to even look at me. I launched off the bed and
ran to the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and
locked it.
The rapid knocking made me jump. “Rita? Open
up.”
I shook my head, but of course, he couldn’t see
me.
He knocked some more. “Come on, Rita. Let
me comfort you.”
Since when did bad boys, manwhores, comfort a
crying woman? He wasn’t the type of man to do
tender, yet he had shown me tenderness the last
couple of days. Guilt burned in my chest for calling
him a manwhore. He might have had sex with
dozens or even hundreds of women, but I cared
about Nik. I liked him a lot for reasons unbeknown
to me. What I felt went beyond his looks. I felt a
connection between us, like he could see into my
soul and, for whatever reason, we were linked. And
that meant he could shatter me.
“No. I need… I need to be…”
“What do you need, baby?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, letting tears stream
down my face. His voice was laced with concern. I
imagined his handsome face pressed against the
door. “I need to be alone.”
“Fuck no! You need me!” He banged on the
door. “Goddammit, open up!”
“I don’t need anyone! Just leave me alone. I.
Don’t. Need. You.” I was losing it and ruining our
trip. Ruining what we only just started days ago.
God, I hated myself for not keeping my distance
from him. How could I be so stupid to think my
past would fade away? That I could be in a real
relationship? I was dirty and scarred. I only had
casual sex and not often because I didn’t trust men.
Shit, shit, shit!
I backed up against the wall and slid down it to
sit on the floor. I tugged a towel off the bar and
covered my naked self, then buried my face in my
hands, bracing for Nik’s backlash.
If we ended what we started, it would be painful
—especially when Nik brought women home—but
I needed to let him go. He didn’t need to deal with
my drama or issues.
God, I would miss him though. I quietly sobbed
so he wouldn’t hear me.
Several minutes passed. I couldn’t hear Nik.
Maybe he left, tired of my shit. I wouldn’t blame
him if he did. It would be for the best.
Nik was better off without me
14
Nik
I NUMBLY SAT on the edge of the bed, facing the
bathroom door. A cocktail of emotions ran through
my veins: anger, confusion, sadness. Rita didn’t
want me. She said she didn’t need me. Not that it
should surprise me. She was an independent
woman. She never cowered away and had
challenged the fuck out of me.
But she rejected me. I wasn’t what she needed
or wanted. Once again, I wasn’t good enough.
Fuck, it hurt too.
I dragged my hand across my cheek, eyeing the
door. What was I supposed to do now? I couldn’t
leave her here and go home. It would be a dick
move to make her find her own way home since I’d
brought her on my bike.
I guessed I’d just wait. Eventually, Rita would
come out, right?
Fuck if I knew.
I dug a pair of boxers out of my bag and slipped
them on. I hadn’t been asleep that long, forty
minutes maybe. I felt like a chump for not noticing
her crying sooner. I was just out of it, thoroughly at
peace with her in my arms.
Nice going, Nik.
It killed me to not know what had her so
unraveled and sobbing. The muscles in my neck
and shoulders coiled as a protectiveness appeared,
the likes of which I’d never felt before. If someone
hurt Rita, I’d rip them to shreds with my bare
hands.
I stared at the door. She was eerily quiet, but I
could still sense her inside. She was okay. I just
needed to wait.
And so I waited and waited. After a little more
than an hour, the click of the lock had me on my
feet. Rita appeared wrapped in a towel. Her
beautiful hazel-green eyes were swollen and red. I
was afraid to approach her, fearful I might scare her
off.
“Oh, you’re still here.”
I furrowed my brow. “Where else would I be?”
She shrugged her shoulder, still standing in the
doorway. “Just thought you left when I didn’t hear
any noises.” She bit her bottom lip. “I need my
clothes.” She pointed at her backpack.
“Then get them.”
She hesitated before padding past me to the
chair where she’d placed her bag. Was she afraid of
me? Rita snatched the bag and returned to the
bathroom seconds later, then locked the door
behind her.
Son of a bitch!
After half an hour, I was ready to break the door
down. I needed to do something. The room felt like
the walls were closing in while Rita stayed in the
bathroom. I hated being separated from her, but
there wasn’t anything I could do about it. That,
more than anything else, pissed me off.
I put on some clothes and boots, wishing I had a
beer or tequila. Shit, even a cigarette would help
take the edge off. I fidgeted with my fingers,
thinking about the joint I had in my wallet. I shook
the idea of lighting it out of my head. Instead, I got
to my feet and paced.
The one time I made an effort to take a woman
somewhere other than a dumpy motel that charged
by the hour, it fell apart. This was why I didn’t do
relationships, why my heart had been as hard as
steel. But fucking Rita had broken through.
I stopped at the bathroom door and touched it.
If I didn’t do something, I might go insane with
worry. Eventually, anger would replace my
concern, which I needed to avoid.
I lightly tapped my knuckles on the wood so I
wouldn’t scare her.
“Rita? I’m going to step out for a little bit. Do
you want anything? I’ll stop by the liquor store we
saw up the street.” I waited for a reply. When I
didn’t get one, I knocked again. “Rita?”
“No. I’m good.”
Fuck. She wasn’t okay. She didn’t fool me.
“Call me if you change your mind.”
I didn’t want to leave her, but I needed air to
clear my head. I drove around for a while, but not
even being on my Harley made me feel better. I
was twisted up over Rita. If she didn’t want me, I’d
let her go. I would never beg a woman to stay like I
had when my mom left. I once thought I was meant
to be alone. I could be a coldhearted bastard, not
giving a shit about anyone else but myself. Then
Rita warmed my soul and revived my cold, dead
heart.
Fuck, I hated the fear I felt of never being with
her again. Never kissing or touching her. Why
would the universe bring her into my life and then
rip her out of it?
I should just leave her a wad of cash and she
can call an Uber or some shit like that to take her
home. If she didn’t want me, fine. Good riddance.
I’d go right out to the desert, find me someone to
fuck and forget about Rita fucking Rocha. I could
sell Nana’s house and move. Then I wouldn’t have
to see the woman who’d stolen my heart like a thief
in the night.
I roared, hating the thoughts permeating my
head. For once in my life, I thought I’d found
something good, and dammit, Rita was fucking
amazing. She made me want to be better, deserving
of her. Whatever shit was going on with her, I
needed to fix it. At least understand what made her
fall apart. I wanted to help her, make the hurt go
away.
Shit, I never wanted to do that for anyone
before. I spied the liquor store and pulled into the
parking lot. I didn’t waste time grabbing a bottle of
tequila, orange juice, and grenadine. I took a couple
of minutes to puff on a joint in the alley to help
calm my nerves.
Once calmer, I stopped at a little market. I
grabbed some snacks and a cheap bouquet of
flowers. Before I made my way back to the hotel, I
ordered a pizza to have it delivered. I was sure Rita
wasn’t going to want to go to a restaurant tonight,
which was okay with me.
I just hoped she’d come out of the fucking
bathroom.
And let me hold her.
I checked my phone to see if she’d texted. She
hadn’t. I’d been gone over an hour already. It was
longer than I’d intended, so I rushed back to the
hotel. I didn’t want her thinking I was never coming
back. There was nothing worse than feeling
abandoned.
The last thing I expected was to see her sitting
on the bed, propped up against the headboard. I
carried in the stuff I got and set them on the table in
the corner. She didn’t look at me as I spread out the
goodies I bought.
“Need a shot, baby?” I held up the tequila.
She nodded, keeping her eyes downcast.
I poured the equivalent of two shots for both of
us in glasses the hotel provided. I took them over to
Rita’s side of the bed and held a cup out. She
removed it from my hand. Again, no eye contact.
I sighed and turned away.
Rita grabbed my hand. The small gesture put my
mind at ease—a little. “I’m sorry for ruining
today.” Her eyes lifted, connecting to mine. They
were filled with unshed tears. “I’m ready to talk if
you want.”
I set my cup on the nightstand and sat next to
her, cradling her pretty face in my hands. “I want to
talk. I want to do whatever you want.”
“Anything?”
I stroked my thumbs over her soft cheeks.
“Anything.”
“Well, maybe you should hear what I have to
say before you decide.”
What the fuck did that mean?
She downed her drink and I did the same,
suddenly feeling anxious. I stayed beside her with
my hand now holding hers.
“I don’t trust men. My dad cheated on my mom
my whole life and beat her. He left us when I was
ten.” She paused, and my heart hammered in my
chest. “My mom was heartbroken. I never
understood it. How could she love a man who hurts
her, you know?”
I nodded. “It’s messed up, baby.”
“To numb herself, she started drinking, then
moved onto drugs. But drugs cost a lot more than
cheap vodka, so she started pimping herself out.”
“Fuck.” I found myself holding my breath as I
watched Rita’s tears streak down her face.
“It got to a point where selling her body wasn’t
enough. So on the last day of school, my eighth-
grade year…” Her voice trailed.
Fucking hell, I was about to explode in a fit of
rage if she told me her mother… God, I couldn’t
even think it.
“I wasn’t raped. I can see the questioning in
your eyes.”
I blew out a breath. Thank fuck.
“Men were in and out of our apartment all times
of the day. I’d seen naked men, heard them having
sex with my mom. It was awful. I was just a little
girl when it all started. But in eighth grade, my
body changed. I had curves and breasts.” She
stopped and looked at her empty cup.
“Want another?”
“Please.”
I refilled our glasses, trying to hide the slight
tremor in my hands. The direction this talk was
going in freaked me the fuck out. I didn’t want to
hear Rita had been assaulted, but the way she acted
was enough to know whatever happened hadn’t
been pleasant.
She didn’t gulp the tequila, but I swallowed
mine all at once. It didn’t help to calm my nerves.
“She made me let her and one of her regulars
take pictures of me in my underwear and without a
bra.”
I nearly launched off the bed in a fit of rage.
“Baby—”
She held her hand up. “Let me finish. Please.”
I nodded and took her hand, entwining our
fingers together. I needed to touch her, be
connected to her.
“The police had come and arrested Mom and
the dude. I’d overheard them telling Granny when
she came for me two days later that Mom
confessed she’d done it for money to buy drugs.
My mom was going to post the pictures of me on
the internet.” A sob ripped from her chest.
I tugged Rita into my arms and held her tightly,
vowing to protect her from this day forward. I
didn’t need to hear any more. I understood why she
didn’t trust men, but she could trust me.
“I’m no good for you, Nik.”
“What? Are you fucking kidding me? Rita
Rocha, I’m not good enough for you.” I kissed her
temple, feeling fiercely protective of this beautiful,
sweet, caring woman.
“It doesn’t bother you what they did to me?
They took pictures of me in awful positions and
threatened to hurt me worse if I didn’t do what they
said.”
“Of course it bothers me but not because you
did something wrong. Your mom and that man are
to blame, Rita, not you. You were an innocent
child.”
Hearing my own words hit me like a ton of
bricks. I’d been an innocent child when my mom
left me. I’d always thought I wasn’t enough, that I
disappointed her, but her taking off was on her. Not
me.
I tipped up her chin and kissed her lips softly. “I
just had a major breakthrough.”
She furrowed her brow, sniffling. “What kind of
breakthrough?”
“We belong together.”
She wiped her tears away with a look of
confusion in her hazel-green depths. “We do?”
“Yes! We’re perfect for each other. We’ve both
been through some shit and don’t trust the opposite
sex. Because of this, we won’t hurt each other.”
“Hmm. Keep talking.” The corner of her lip
curled.
“I’ve never felt more at peace in my whole life
than when I’m with you. I want to be a better man
for you. I want to deserve you. I want to make you
giggle and scream my name out when I feast on
you.”
“I do like the sound of that.”
I kissed her hard, then pulled back because,
goddammit, I was on a roll. “I want to date you.
Make love to you. Cook with you. Fuck, one day, I
want to marry you and have a family together. I
want to grow old with you. Rita Rocha, I want it all
with you.”
Tears were streaming down her face again, but
the smile behind them made my fucking world
sparkle.
“Nik Tevez, I want you to make love to me. I
know we were waiting and the results of our tests
aren’t in, but I’m clean. I… trust you. If you say
you’re clean, I believe you.”
“I am. I wouldn’t lie to you, Rita.”
“Then kiss me because I need you. I want you.”
She needed me. Wanted me. Her words made
me deliriously happy.
Our lips crashed together.
The earth shook, and it felt like our separate
paths became one. Some crazy shit right there. I
laid Rita out on the bed and took her clothes off.
Contentment and joy glittered in her hazel-green
eyes. The strength of it reached all the way into my
core.
15
Rita
NIK’S INTENSE, PENETRATING stare made me
feel exposed, like he could feel what was in my
heart and knew my thoughts. For the first time in
my life, I wanted a man to know me on an intimate
level.
Butterflies danced in my stomach. I was falling
hard for this man. Once our bodies connected and
we were joined as one, I would be his.
Who was I kidding? I was already his. That was
how powerful the draw to Nik had been… and
without sex. In less than three weeks, Nik Tevez
had broken down my walls and taken up residence
in my heart, and I never wanted him to vacate.
I lifted my pelvis to encourage him to proceed.
He was wedged between my legs, cock at my
entrance, but he didn’t push in. He just stared.
“What are you waiting for?”
“You’re so beautiful.”
My cheeks heated. “So are you.”
“You know, I’ve never gone slow when it came
to sex. I fuck. I fuck hard and fast.”
“No need to talk dirty to me, I’m already turned
on.”
He smiled, shaking his head. “What I’m trying
to say and failing at is with you, I like taking my
time. I don’t want to rush. I want to make love to
you and savor every moment.”
Oh my god. This bad boy knew how to speak to
my heart. Unbelievable.
“I’m okay with that. But just so you know, I like
it hard and fast, and very dirty sometimes.”
I felt his cock twitch and I clenched.
“You are the perfect woman, you know that?”
“Keep talking like that and you’re going to have
me begging for your cock.”
“Begging might be fun but I won’t torture either
of us anymore.” In one strong thrust, I was arching
my back as our groans littered the air between us.
“Fuck, Rita. I think I’ve just died and gone to
heaven.”
“Me too. I didn’t think you’d get it in so easily.”
“Did I hurt you?”
“No.”
He moved in and out slowly. “We fit perfectly.”
His tongue brushed across my bottom lip. “I could
stay inside you forever.” He picked up his pace,
kissing me with a passion I’d never experienced
before. Our tongues touched, our moans swirled
together, and it was everything.
I fell into step with his rhythm with our gazes
locked. Each time he rubbed against my clit, he
drove me higher and higher. Nik sucked on my
neck, his hand roaming over my breast. He kneaded
and pinched my nipple and I yelped, arching into
his hand.
“Yes… Oh, Nik… I’m almost there… I’m
almost there.”
He increased his speed and moved his hand
between us. I screamed when his finger flicked my
clit, driving me wild.
“Shit, Rita, I can’t hold on much longer. Come
for me, baby, come now!” He drilled into me hard,
squeezing my ball of nerves, and I went over the
edge.
I cried out his name as my body tensed. I dug
my nails into his shoulders as I rode the wave of
ecstasy. It felt like it would never end. I hoped it
wouldn’t. I came so hard, it dripped down the crack
of my ass.
I tried to calm my erratic breaths, but it was
impossible with Nik pounding into me. He didn’t let
up through my orgasm, making it all the more
intense.
“Fuck yeah, baby, this is it. This is it!”
I yelped as he drove his cock to the hilt, nearly
knocking the air out of me. Nik stilled. Warmth
encased me from the inside out.
“Holy shit,” he hissed. “I’ve never gone bare
before. That was freaking magical, baby.” His lips
found mine. Leisurely, we kissed, our bodies still
connected and hearts as one. We melted into the
bed, wrapped in each other’s arms.
Nik
I held Rita in her afterglow, skating my hand up and
down her back. I’d never made love to a woman
before. She would be the only one to get this side of
me.
When I came inside her, I’d seen stars. It was
like an asteroid had blown open my heart and
Rita’s sweet essence magically pieced it back
together. Now she owned it.
“Nik, why don’t you trust women?”
I swallowed down the instant emotion in my
throat. Rita deserved to know my past, just as she
had told me hers. This was the moment where I let
her in.
A knock at the door stopped me. “Pizza
delivery.”
Her head lifted off my chest. “You ordered a
pizza?”
“Shit, I forgot about it. Be right there!” I slipped
out from under Rita and quickly tugged on my
jeans. I opened the door and took my wallet out
from my back pocket.
“Oh damn, man. Sorry to interrupt.” The dude’s
cheeks flamed red. He didn’t look much older than
sixteen. “Twenty-four… thirty.” He averted his
eyes away.
I snorted, taking out thirty dollars and handing it
to him.
“Thanks.” He passed the pizza box to me and I
kicked the door shut.
Rita was sitting up in bed with the sheet
covering her breasts. I was ready for round two, but
the pizza smelled fucking amazing.
“You didn’t say two words to him.”
“What’d you want me to say?” I opened the
box and drooled. “Hungry?”
“Starving. You could have said, ‘How’s it
going?’”
“I don’t do meaningless chitchat.”
“But you could greet the person. Like in the
grocery store or the post office.”
I handed her a napkin and a slice of what was
called Epic Supreme. It was loaded to the max. It
even had pineapple on it.
“God, this looks delicious.”
I watched her take a bite, and my cock
twitched. “I don’t go to those places.”
She giggled. “To the store? Where do you buy
your milk?”
“The mini-mart where I get gas.”
She tossed her head back, laughing. I couldn’t
help but chuckle because her laugh was infectious.
“And you don’t talk to the clerk?”
“No.” I took my first bite and groaned. “Oh
man, this is the best pizza I’ve ever had.”
“Who do you talk to?”
I chewed and swallowed. “You, baby.” I leaned
over and stole a kiss. “I only talk to you.”
“I don’t believe it. What about at work? Or with
Nana Bea. You talked to Granny.”
“That’s idle chitchat—meaningless shit. Serious
stuff like feelings and the past, I only do with you.”
I kissed her again.
She considered me a long second. “I sort of feel
special then.”
“I told you, you are.”
She fluttered her lashes. Her eyes were a bit red
and puffy from crying earlier, but she was still the
most beautiful woman on the planet. “I believe
you.” She wiped her hands on the napkin and
tossed it aside.
I finished off my slice as she climbed out from
under the sheet and straddled me. Her tits pressed
against my bare chest, and her pussy rubbed over
my abs, coating me with her desire.
I filled my hands with her plump ass cheeks.
“You are so damn sexy.”
“So are you. I think I’m ready for round two.”
She rocked on me, her tits bouncing. I hadn’t seen
anything hotter.
“I know you are. You frosted my stomach with
your cream.”
She bit her lips, picking up her speed. “I did that
so you’d know I want it down and dirty.”
I groaned and took her nipple into my mouth.
“I’ll give it to you any way you want,” I mumbled
and sucked on her. I could smell her as she got
herself off on me.
She flashed a mega-watt smile and suddenly
stopped. “But first, answer my question from
earlier.”
I knew what she was referring to. The pizza guy
had interrupted us.
“My mom isn’t in my life,” I told her honestly.
“I was six when she told me she couldn’t do this
shit… being a mom. She also told me to not fuck up
like she did and always wrap it up. I cried and
begged her to stay.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Nik.”
“I thought I was bad or not good enough, so she
left me. Nana Bea told me she was messed up, but
you know, that shit scars a kid.” I exhaled a breath,
staring into her eyes. “I had one girlfriend in high
school, Cece. She always wanted me to open up.
Bare my soul. But I wouldn’t do it. I stayed
detached and cocky.” I shrugged. “So she dumped
me, saying I wasn’t good enough for her. The next
night I caught her fucking my best friend at a party.
After that, I sealed up my heart and vowed to only
fuck women.”
She caressed my shoulders. Her soothing touch
made everything bearable. Hell, it might even heal
my old wounds.
“Thank you.” She pecked my lips.
“For what?”
“For baring your soul. I want you to know, you
can trust me with your heart. I’ll always tell you the
truth, even if I know it will piss you off. But I have
to admit, I’m afraid. What if we don’t work out?
What if in six months or less we hate each other, or
in six years? It would kill me to hurt you.” Her eyes
welled with tears.
I felt the shift in her. I held her in place because
I knew she was about to run.
“Rita—”
“Maybe we should stop, before one of us gets
hurt. We could be friends. Neighbors.” She worried
her bottom lip, but I rescued it from her teeth.
“Stop what we have? Is that what you really
want? Because it’s not what I want.”
“And if we don’t work out?”
“What if we do? What if we have a beautiful,
passionate life together?”
“I would love that.”
“So would I.” I captured her lips and kissed her
breathless. With my good arm, I put her on her
back, not breaking the kiss. Her hands went to
work, unzipping my jeans and tugging them down.
My cock sprang out, and once I had them off, I
plowed right into her. I was intent on giving it to her
down and dirty as she requested. “Turn over,” I all
but growled, slipping out of her.
Her eyes flashed at the tone of my voice. She
did as I commanded, and I slapped her perfect,
plump ass. She yelped, and my cock hardened even
more.
I slapped her again. And again. Her back
bowed, and she let out an erotic moan.
I licked across the red handprint I’d left and
then sank my teeth in. She wanted down and dirty,
and I was gonna give her what she asked for.
She cried out, fisting the pillow.
I leaned over her, putting my mouth to her ear.
“Promise me something.”
“What?”
“Never run away from me. If you’re not happy,
I’ll let you go. Just don’t run. Don’t disappear.”
She didn’t say anything. Her silence made the
muscles in my neck coil.
“Rita?”
“I won’t run. I promise I won’t disappear.”
At her words, I drove my cock deep inside her,
and we both moaned. I set a brutal pace. I fucked
her hard and fast, playing with her pussy at the
same time. God, this woman made me feel
emotions at a heightened level.
Rita had the power to destroy me. Being with
her could be phenomenal and the best decision of
my life, or it could cause me the most severe pain I
ever felt. Putting my heart on the line was a risk,
but I was willing to take it for the chance of a
future with her.
“I… I’m coming!” She mewled and clawed the
bed. Watching her come undone fucking sent me
off the cliff with her.
“Fuck!” I roared, gripping her hips.
“That was spectacular.” She panted. “Whew!”
She dropped onto the bed, and I slipped out of her
and fell beside her.
Minutes passed as we lay in peaceful silence. I
couldn’t help but wonder what Rita would do about
her mom.
“Baby?” I skimmed my finger down her arm.
“Hmm?”
“What about your mom?”
I felt her body go rigid. I turned on my side and
tugged her into me, spooning her.
“I’m afraid to see her. I don’t really see the
point after all this time and what she did.”
“I can understand that.”
“If your mom called and wanted to see you,
would you?”
“Yes.”
She twisted around and our noses nearly
touched. “Really?”
“Yes. But our situations are different. Mine left
me. You were taken away from yours for your
protection.”
“Yeah.” She dropped her gaze. “That’s a big
difference.”
“But if you want to see your mom, I’ll go with
you.”
“Really? You’d do that for me?”
“Rita, Rita, Rita… Baby, when are you going to
get that I would do anything for you?”
“It might take me a while to getting it drilled
into my thick skull.”
“Hmm, drilling sounds good.”
She giggled, shimmying her body against mine.
“I love being skin to skin with you.”
“Me too, baby. What are we going to do when
we get back to Pasadena? I like having you in my
bed.”
“Well, you’re just across the street.”
“It’s too far. I don’t want you running back and
forth.”
“Yeah, the neighbors might start talking about
us.”
I snorted. “I don’t give a fuck what they say.”
“You don’t, Neighbor Nik? That’s what the
couple next door call you… well, after I called you
that. It has a ring to it, don’t you think? Neighbor
Nik.”
“I hate it. How about Boyfriend Nik?”
“Hmm, that is catchy.”
“Husband Nik.”
“Oooh, that makes my heart flutter.”
“And for our down-and-dirty days, what about
Daddy Nik?”
“What? No, no, no. I will not role-play during
sex like that. Ew!”
“Well, which makes you the happiest?”
“Bad Boy Nik makes my heart flutter and my
pussy tingle.”
“Damn, double the impact, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Bad Boy Nik it is. Now how about another
slice of pizza? You need nourishment for round
three.”
“How many rounds are we going to go?”
“As many as it takes until we both pass out.”
“Wow, you really are a bad boy, Nik.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
Epilogue
Rita
Six months later...
MY STOMACH WAS tight as I held my breath. I
was doing everything I could to keep my emotions
in check.
“Are you sure about this? It’s not too late to
change your mind.” His strong arms snaked around
my waist, tugging me against his rock-solid body.
“Yes, I’m sure. You and Nik will be starting
your lives together soon. Husband and wife— you
don’t need Granny around.”
“But I do need you around.” I pouted, looking
around Granny’s new room in Palm Vista. It was
three down from Nana Bea’s. “You’re never in the
way.”
She waved me off as she milled about putting
her clothes away—stubborn old woman. Moving to
Palm Vista was her idea after Nik proposed to me in
bed on Christmas morning. I’d woken up to him
feasting on me and a small Christmas tree on the
nightstand with twinkling lights and a ring box
under it.
The proposal was understated. Marry me, Rita,
he’d said with his head between my legs. It came
out fierce, like a command and totally Nik. He had
me screaming yes all morning.
However, the ring was not understated at all.
The three-carat oval diamond sparkled more than
the lights on the tree. When I’d asked why he
bought me such a giant diamond, he’d said Because
you’re worth it. And so men will see you’re taken.
I sure loved my possessive bad boy.
We’re having a small wedding next month. Both
of our mothers will be attending. We haven’t seen
either in person, only talked to them. Frankly, I was
nervous as hell, but Nik had suggested calling them.
He thought it might help us move past the events in
our childhood.
He never ceased to amaze me.
Granny patted my arm. “You two should get
going so you can finish moving into Nik’s.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me?”
Nik’s lips were on my neck. “Baby, she’s happy.
Let me take you home to comfort you properly.”
Granny laughed and swatted him on the arm
because, in typical Nik fashion, he wasn’t quiet.
My man always spoke his mind no matter who was
around.
“Lucia, you ready for dinner? It’s almost five. I
don’t like to be late.” Nana Bea entered Granny’s
room.
“Don’t rush me!”
I giggled. They were always like this, thick as
thieves and annoying the crap out of each other.
They reminded me of Toni and me.
“Hi, Rita. Hi, my handsome Nik.” Bea kissed us
both. “When do the new buyers close on the
house?”
“In three days,” Nik replied. “We should get
back to it and finish cleaning it out. The carpet
cleaners come tomorrow.”
I was a little sad to be selling Granny’s house,
but we didn’t need two homes. Nik’s was bigger,
with an extra bedroom and bath, and his kitchen
was twice the size of Granny’s. With the money we
made, Granny could afford to move into Palm Vista
to be close to Bea again.
“Fine. We’ll go,” I grumbled. “Call me if you
need anything.” I hugged Granny.
“I’ll be fine, Rita. Live your life with Nik. You
only have one.”
“I know. I love you, Granny. We’ll be back
Friday afternoon.” She wanted a full report on the
new buyers. They were a married couple with a
baby. I was curious to see what they looked like
too.
“Come on, baby.” Nik tugged my hand. He was
so damn excited to have me in his bed every night
starting tonight. Since we got engaged, we’d been
working on his house, painting and putting my own
touch on it so it would feel like my home too. He
was so good to me. There wasn’t a better man than
my Nik.
I kissed Granny one more time and Bea too,
then let Nik drag me away.
Within thirty minutes, we were home and
panting heavily after a quickie on the kitchen table.
He sure liked bending me over it. We had our
routine with sex. I assumed other couples had one
too. We always got down and dirty either before or
after Nik made love to me. It was never one or the
other.
To put it simply, we had a lot of sex.
“Fuck, I needed that.” He kissed my cheek.
“Look at me.” He leaned to the side to see my face.
“I love you.”
I sighed, smiling. “I love you too.”
“So I’ve been thinking…”
“First, are you going to let me up?”
“No. Just listen to me.” Honestly, you’d think
by now I’d know his tricks. If he pinned me down
and he said, So I’ve been thinking, it usually meant
I would disagree. Nik loved having the upper hand
but not in a caveman sort of way. My feelings
mattered to him more than his own. Lucky for him,
I happened to be easygoing about most things.
“I’m listening.”
“When I’m home from work, I want you naked
at all times.”
“What—”
“Shh!” He slapped my ass, making me squeak.
“You’re supposed to be listening.”
I clenched around his semi-boner. He’d be hard
again in no time for round two, which would be in
our bed.
“You’re lucky I like it when you spank me.”
He caressed my bottom. “It’s that mouth of
yours that gets me going.” He kissed me, our
tongues curling together. I was so ready for round
two, but he pulled back. “So, naked. It just makes
sense. We won’t have to fumble with clothes. Think
about how freeing it will be.”
I laughed. This man was something else. “You
really are a bad boy. But what if someone comes to
the door?”
“Easy. We don’t answer it.” He pulled out and
turned me around. Our bodies slammed together
and he lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his
waist, and he carried me to the bedroom. “What do
you say?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“We won’t have a lot of time to live this way.
When we have a kid, there goes our freedom to
fuck anytime we want. We really should take
advantage of this opportunity before it vanishes.”
He had a point. We’d talked about starting a
family in a couple of years. I bet the time would fly
by.
We dropped onto the bed together. Nik’s body
pressed mine into the mattress as he wedged
between my legs.
“Well, I’m waiting for an answer.” He took my
left hand and gazed at the ring, then kissed it. He
did that a lot. He’d then entwine his fingers with
mine, like now, and raise both hands above my
head and kiss me breathless.
“Okay… I’ll give being naked at all times
whenever you’re home a try.”
“I’ll make sure you don’t regret it.” He kissed
his way down my neck. “You’ll see. You’re going
to love all the attention I give you.”
“As if you don’t already spoil me.”
“Rita, it’s not spoiling, baby. It’s showering you
with love.”
The End
Surf ’s up in the next Bad Boys We Love
sizzling short read. Leo and Scarlett’s
accidental baby romance will be deliciously
gnarly! Preorder your copy today to have it
delivered to your reading device on Jan 8,
2021!
Preorder your copy of
…Today!
If you love bad boys and romance, check out
Naomi Porter’s St. James Billionaire duet
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Hmm, it takes a village, people to get a book from
idea to publication. So without further ado, let me
acknowledge those who made this project possible.
Thanks to my editors, proofreaders, literary friends
(Sarah Bailey!), friends, and especially my
husband. Without you, this would be an impossible
journey and I’m sure the outcome would be less
than perfect.
So,
THANK YOU, EVERYONE!!!!
XoXo,
Naomi
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Naomi Porter always had a knack for storytelling,
and she’s finally putting pen to paper to share with
you, the reader. Whether she is trying to stay warm
in the freezing winter weather or cool in the
sweltering heat, she’s pounding away at the keys of
her laptop to bring you the latest MC, billionaire
romance or an outlandish, heart-stopping sexy
drama. No matter what story she’s telling, you can
bet it has hot, sexy men, confident women, and
plenty of… steam and passion.
Look for more bad boys, bikers, and billionaires
coming soon…
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