“Hey, Nikki.”
“Yeah.” I sigh dreamily.
“It’s still Antonio to you.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Antonio
SEVEN YEARS AGO – NEW YEAR’S EVE
Miami
Thirty minutes later, we’ve gotten all the small talk out of the way and have found the rooftop patio. The fresh air and background music are a welcome relief after being crammed inside the loud club.
We snag a love seat barely big enough for the both of us and pull it to the far corner, away from loud conversations.
“How cute are these mini disco balls everywhere?” she asks in delight as we get comfortable in our seats.
I did not come here looking to spend the night with a woman, but I’d be lying if I said that one look from Nicolette didn’t almost throw me on my ass.
Clearly, the woman is drop-dead gorgeous. My hands itch to touch her silky blond strands and hold her petite body close to me.
But her eyes?
Her big blue eyes pulled me in and have kept me captive ever since.
It feels like things are reshuffling in my chest to make room for her, as insane as that may seem. I’ve just met the woman, but my heart and mind seem to have made an agreement that they don’t want to go back to living a day where this woman is a stranger to me.
Her vibrant smile and effervescent personality are keeping me hostage, and I don’t mind it one bit.
Nicolette.
Nicolette.
Nicolette.
My Nicolette.
Jesus Christ. I need to snap out of it. I know I haven’t been in a relationship in years, but I’m hardly pressed for female companionship. At least for one night only. But this? This is different. As much as I would love to see her writhing beneath me, my dick isn’t the driving force behind my madness.
It’s my heart. I know it is. It’s been dead for years, only to beat to life the second I laid eyes on her.
Nicolette.
“Tony?”
Shit. Even the way she says my name drives me wild. Something as simple as “Tony” on her lips is enough to set my soul on fire. “Yeah, sorry?”
“So, you’re a tourist.” Those words should remind my heart to simmer down. I don’t even live here. But I’ve never been a man to turn down a challenge.
“Yeah. I live in New York. Just down here to visit family for a couple of days.”
Her jaw drops. “Where in New York? It is a big state and all.”
I chuckle. “New York City. Manhattan. Upper West Side. Do you want my building number and access code to get in, or would that be too much?” I smirk.
Her eyes go wide as her mind seems to calculate this information.
