Page 93 of Niccolo

And I swear I could see her nipples harden beneath the material of her dress.

In fact, I was halfway hard myself.

I wanted nothing more than to drag her into a bedroom inside the house…

Throw her down on the mattress…

Lift up her dress…

Softly brush my lips against her –

And then everything changed.

It was like someone had flicked the ‘Off’ switch.

Her eyes squinted as she caught sight of something, and all the color left her cheeks.

I looked over to see what it was –

But it was just Fausto and Aurelio talking to my family.

Huh – the asshole cut his ponytail off,I thought.Wonder why.

I turned back to Aurora and tried to read her expression.

She seemed to be lost inside her own head, making calculations –

“Bellaaaaa?”I teased her. “Earth to Aurora – come in, Aurora.”

When she turned back to me, her expression and voice were all business. “Americans have a saying: dance with the one who brought you.’”

Shit!

Shit, shit, SHIT!

I couldn’t figure out where I’d gone wrong, but I seemed to have stepped on a landmine.

Maybe I’d pressed her too hard.

Some women like a challenge. Perhaps I’d signaled I was too easy, and all her interest had evaporated.

I tried a callback to when she’d corrected me on the French quote. My humor was gentle rather than biting, but it was an attempt to reengage her in our previousrepartee.

“I think it’s specifically people from the region of Texas, and I believe the saying is, ‘Dance with the one who brung you.’ Lucky for both of us, then, that you’re neither American nor Texan, hm?”

Suddenly, I heard Valentino shouting.

I looked over to see him and Aurelio about to go at it.

Val, you little prick –

If you fucked up my chances with the most interesting woman I’ve ever met –

Thank God Massimo and Lars intervened.

Massimo handled Val while Lars gently put his arm around Aurelio’s shoulders and tried to guide him away.

Aurelio, being Aurelio, acted like an asshole and pushed Lars away.

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