if any of his relationships progressed into something serious. As such, through no one’s fault, none of them did. He always broke it off as gently as he could. He couldn’t stand not being on good terms with anyone he was once involved with. It made him feel like a prized jerk. Plus, if his mother ever heard that any of her sons didn’t treat a girl right, she’d have their balls on a plate.
The girl Paolo had been referring to broke off from her group on the dance floor and came straight at them. “Hey, you wanna dance?” she said, sounding a little out of breath. She was tall, willowy, and very blonde. Her short white dress hugged her lithe body and her long hair fell down in loose waves. She had a sexy and innocent vibe going that Nick usually found appealing.
He gave her an apologetic smile. He was too busy to dance or to flirt. He was too busy waiting for someone he wasn’t even sure was going to show up. It was getting kind of late, but in case she did show up, Nick didn’t want to be seen dancing with another woman. Rose had enough reservations about him. He didn’t want to give her any more.
“You don’t wanna dance with me, beautiful. I’m just gonna step on your feet. But my friend here is an excellent dancer.” He nodded to Rafael, who was seated beside him.
Whatever sting that rejection must’ve brought her disappeared when she got a good look at the handsome Brazilian. Rafael gamely stood up and said something to her in that smooth accent which made her giggle. Then he took her hand and led her back to the dance floor.
“She wasn’t really my type,” Nick explained with a shrug to his brothers, who were gaping at him.
“Not your type? But everything with a pussy’s your type.”
“Drop it, P,” Angelo said, sparing Nick the trouble of replying. “He’s really into Rose.” He paused, waiting for Nick to confirm or to refute. “I mean, you’re always looking at her,” he added when Nick still didn’t say anything. “And I don’t mean just her womanly parts.”
“All her parts are womanly parts,” Paolo said with a suggestive grin. “That ass—”
“Watch it,” Nick warned, turning serious.
His brothers laughed.
“We’re just messing with you, Nicky. Rose is cool. I like her. She’s such a ball buster though,” Paolo said with a regretful shake of his head.
“That she is,” Nick agreed, although more fondly. Now where the heck was she?
****
“Hey, you wanna dance?”
Rose paid a split-second glance at the tall guy with dreadlocks who spoke to her then went back to scanning the dance floor. “No, thanks. I’m just looking for someone.”
“So was I. I think I just found her.”
Rose turned to give him an incredulous look. Did that cheesy line actually work on some girls? “Sorry, I’m not interested,” she said.
“C’mon. A drink then, if you don’t wanna dance.”
“She’s with me,” said a cold voice just as Rose was about to reply. She turned and saw Nick standing close. His body language was unmistakably meant to stake his claim on her and to warn the other man away.
“Sorry, dude,” dreadlocks said, stepping back politely with hands raised, a gesture of deference to the unmistakable alpha. “I didn’t know she was taken.”
“No, actually,” Rose said, looking pointedly at Nick. “I’m not taken. But I’m still not interested,” she added to dreadlocks. “You need to check your entitlement and learn to respect when a woman tells you no.”
He backed away, but not before shooting Nick a sympathetic look.
“Wow, you really know how to win people over to your feminist cause,” Nick said with a low, teasing laugh. He stepped back to scan her from head to foot. “You look real pretty tonight. I mean you always do, but…” His smile was pure male appreciation as he took her all in.
As angry as she was with him, Rose was glad she made the extra effort with her appearance. She’d chosen a fitted grey dress, black
The girl Paolo had been referring to broke off from her group on the dance floor and came straight at them. “Hey, you wanna dance?” she said, sounding a little out of breath. She was tall, willowy, and very blonde. Her short white dress hugged her lithe body and her long hair fell down in loose waves. She had a sexy and innocent vibe going that Nick usually found appealing.
He gave her an apologetic smile. He was too busy to dance or to flirt. He was too busy waiting for someone he wasn’t even sure was going to show up. It was getting kind of late, but in case she did show up, Nick didn’t want to be seen dancing with another woman. Rose had enough reservations about him. He didn’t want to give her any more.
“You don’t wanna dance with me, beautiful. I’m just gonna step on your feet. But my friend here is an excellent dancer.” He nodded to Rafael, who was seated beside him.
Whatever sting that rejection must’ve brought her disappeared when she got a good look at the handsome Brazilian. Rafael gamely stood up and said something to her in that smooth accent which made her giggle. Then he took her hand and led her back to the dance floor.
“She wasn’t really my type,” Nick explained with a shrug to his brothers, who were gaping at him.
“Not your type? But everything with a pussy’s your type.”
“Drop it, P,” Angelo said, sparing Nick the trouble of replying. “He’s really into Rose.” He paused, waiting for Nick to confirm or to refute. “I mean, you’re always looking at her,” he added when Nick still didn’t say anything. “And I don’t mean just her womanly parts.”
“All her parts are womanly parts,” Paolo said with a suggestive grin. “That ass—”
“Watch it,” Nick warned, turning serious.
His brothers laughed.
“We’re just messing with you, Nicky. Rose is cool. I like her. She’s such a ball buster though,” Paolo said with a regretful shake of his head.
“That she is,” Nick agreed, although more fondly. Now where the heck was she?
****
“Hey, you wanna dance?”
Rose paid a split-second glance at the tall guy with dreadlocks who spoke to her then went back to scanning the dance floor. “No, thanks. I’m just looking for someone.”
“So was I. I think I just found her.”
Rose turned to give him an incredulous look. Did that cheesy line actually work on some girls? “Sorry, I’m not interested,” she said.
“C’mon. A drink then, if you don’t wanna dance.”
“She’s with me,” said a cold voice just as Rose was about to reply. She turned and saw Nick standing close. His body language was unmistakably meant to stake his claim on her and to warn the other man away.
“Sorry, dude,” dreadlocks said, stepping back politely with hands raised, a gesture of deference to the unmistakable alpha. “I didn’t know she was taken.”
“No, actually,” Rose said, looking pointedly at Nick. “I’m not taken. But I’m still not interested,” she added to dreadlocks. “You need to check your entitlement and learn to respect when a woman tells you no.”
He backed away, but not before shooting Nick a sympathetic look.
“Wow, you really know how to win people over to your feminist cause,” Nick said with a low, teasing laugh. He stepped back to scan her from head to foot. “You look real pretty tonight. I mean you always do, but…” His smile was pure male appreciation as he took her all in.
As angry as she was with him, Rose was glad she made the extra effort with her appearance. She’d chosen a fitted grey dress, black
Similar Books
