Page 111 of Bad Boy Next Door
I leaned back to see her face. “Oh, god. I’m so sorry.” I kissed her forehead. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. I knew I was hurting you… Shit. Iama fucking animal.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I wanted you to hurt me. I wanted tohateyou, hate everything about you so I wouldn’t miss what we have.”
I sucked in a hard breath.
“But even the anal…,” she continued. “Once I got used to it… Nick, I don’t think you’re capable of hurting me. I feel like your body knows just how far you can take it with me.”
I looked into her eyes. She was telling the truth.
“Does that mean you trust me?”
“Yes.” A smile broke onto her face. “You’re my first, you know. I was a trust virgin. Even my sister… I’ve never fully trustedanyonebefore now.”
“Promise me,” I said.
“Promise you what?”
“That you won’t do that again.” I held her close. “When I make another mistake, and I will—shit—I’m not perfect… Promise me we’ll talk. That you won’t run off.”
“I promise, Nick. I’m so sorry.” She leaned back to look into my eyes. “Nick Downey, I don’t deserve you.”
“You deserve everything in the world, Jade Cuoco. Certainly me.”
Her eyes changed, filling with a sadness that hurt inside my chest.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
“I was so scared, Nick. I still am.”
“Scared of what?”
“I don’t know. That I’ve shown you too much—all my ugly, crazy stuff. Scared that you’ll leave me.”
“I’m not going anywhere, baby. Not ever, if you’ll have me. You’ve made me believe I can do more than I ever imagined. You’ve planted wants in my mind. Dreams. Dreams for me, for us. You’ve already made me better, and you make me want to be even better than that.”
“I love you so much, Nick.”
“I love you, too.” I crushed her lips beneath mine. Probing into her mouth with my tongue. I lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around my waist, filling my entire body with joy and an absolute love for this girl—my perfect match in every possible way.
Our kiss went on for a minute, or an hour, I couldn’t begin to be sure, and then the gate to the street clanged closed, invading the magical bubble surrounding us.
I tried to erase the intrusion by deepening our kiss.
“Nick!” Mac yelled. “Fuck, man. Get a room, Brute Squad.”
Jade pulled away from my lips, but stayed in my arms, and I carried her toward the staircase—wedidneed a room. Then I turned back, remembering to grab her suitcase.
Shane and Dillon entered the courtyard behind Mac.
Spotting me, Shane raced forward, his face distorted with fury. “It’s your fucking fault,” he yelled, pointing toward me. “Happy now? Are you?”
I shrugged. I was pretty goddamned happy.
“You should have listened,” Shane spat out. “It was a five-man job. It would have been a piece of cake if you’d come, but no. You’re too good for us now. You and that little twat.”
I set Jade down and punched Shane in the jaw. He stumbled to the side, nearly falling.
Dillon and Mac stepped in between us, hands up. But I was already done. Shane was not worth more punches.
Holding my arm, Jade asked my brothers, “What’s wrong?”
“Keagan.” Mac shook his head. “Keagan got arrested.”
