Page 33 of Mateo & Nicole

“Why’s that?” she rasped.

“Because you said yes.” He withdrew from her, his eyes blazing with the honesty of his words.

“You really shouldn’t say stuff like that to me,” she said under her breath.

“Why not?” he ground out, surprising her with the ferocity that laced his words.

Nikki gaped at him.

His expression softened as he reached out to caress her face again. “I’m going to tell you something right now, and I expect you to believe me and drop whatever this hesitancy thing is you’ve got.” He didn’t wait long enough for her to retort. “I asked you out because I wanted to spend time with you. I get that this might seem strange because of our past, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is where we ended up. So, we’re going to go into that building, eat until we can’t take another bite, then dance the night away.”

Nothing sounded better than what he’d just described. And she berated herself for allowing those doubts to once again creep into her mind. Mateo wasn’t her ex. He was nothing like any of the men she’d spent time with.

She took in a deep breath and nodded.

After they enjoyed a steak dinner, Mateo didn’t waste any time taking her through the building toward the dance floor. There were no pretenses, no dancing around the fact that he wanted her close.

Immediately, his arm reached around her back, and he pulled her so tightly against him that she had no chance of escape. His eyes poured over her features before returning to her eyes. She couldn’t think of a single time when he hadn’t been smiling while they were together.

It wasn’t lost on her that they’d gotten their share of looks. This town might not be tiny, but it was small enough for people to know who Mateo was. She wouldn’t have been surprised to find out that he’d dated every single woman who gave her the side-eye.

But Mateo didn’t seem to notice. He only had eyes for her, and it thrilled her to no end.

They swayed and danced to the music, allowing her to abandon any notion that Mateo wasn’t being anything but honest. With each passing song, she started to believe it herself.

When they were both out of breath and needing some fresh air, they exited the building and took a walk out on the balcony. Mateo held her hand, his thumb tracing over the back of it as they found a place away from prying eyes.

She leaned up against the building, letting her gaze roam up his body to his face that hovered inches from her own. He moved in closer, resting his forearm against the brick above her as he stared right back at her.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?”

A smile tugged at her lips, and she looked away, but she couldn’t resist his gaze and looked at him once again.

“I mean it. I don’t know if you’ve been told enough because clearly you don’t agree with that sentiment.”

Her mouth fell open, and a slice of indignation raced through her. “I don’t think I’m ugly,” she snapped without thinking. “I’m very happy with the body that God has sought fit to bless me with.”

His smile only widened, which spurred her to continue.

“But I’m also not an idiot. I know what society deems beautiful and what you—” She snapped her mouth shut and her eyes widened as the full weight of what she’d nearly admitted came crashing down on her.

He arched a brow, his lips turning down slightly. “What I… what, Nikki?”

She shook her head and attempted to move out from beneath his stare, but he boxed her in.

“No, none of that,” he said, his voice drilling deeper into her soul with each syllable. “You keep saying stuff like that, and I want you to tell me exactly what you think it is I’m feeling.”

Nikki pressed her lips together. He wasn’t going to let her go without an explanation, but this wasn’t supposed to be the moment she told him that he’d been shallow his whole life so he couldn’t possibly find her attractive.

Heat burned beneath her flesh, and in a moment of desperation, she reached up with both hands and framed his face between them.

Mateo stiffened only briefly at her touch, but then he allowed her to pull him closer. Her lips claimed his, tasting his sweet essence and tender affection. He slipped an arm around her waist to pull her even closer to him. The arm that had been above her head had lowered as well, and he placed his hand behind her neck.

This kiss was nothing like the ones she’d experienced before in her lifetime. It was passionate and all-consuming. It spoke of a desire that neither one of them seemed capable of sating. She melted into him, giving her entire soul to this kiss and wishing for it to never end. The way Mateo reacted to her touch said it all.

He wanted this as much as she did. And she’d been silly to assume he was anything like the men in society who refused to date women with real curves.

Their kiss ended the second someone exited the building and moved in their direction. Nikki was breathing harder than before, her heart stumbling over itself as she found Mateo’s piercing gaze.

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