Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
He looks surprised. “You’ve never been kissed?”
“Not by a boy,” I mumble.
“By a girl?” His eyes gleam, and mischief plays on his lips. “Do tell.”
I can’t help but laugh. Massimo is funny and charming, and it suddenly occurs to me that my nightmare evening is turning into something a lot more fun than my pity party for one.
“I mean, it wasn’t a real kiss. She tried, and I got scared and turned away.”
“You don’t like girls?”
“I don’t know what I like.” I sigh. “I know it’s pathetic. Twenty-one years old and never been kissed.”
“It makes you unique. Not pathetic.”
“What’s wrong with me? Am I that hideous I can’t get laid?” I say, slipping back into my self-pity. I hate it. But I can’t help it. The wine has made me pitiful.
Massimo pulls a ghastly face. “Yeah, you’re hideous. A real little monster. I can’t stand looking at you.”
“Oh, you’re a funny man now,” I say sternly, but I can’t help but laugh. “Quit being so nice. At least if I was going to marry your brother, I would’ve been kissed tonight at our engagement party.”
“I can see the whole no-kissing thing is a problem for you.”
“Tonight it seems to be.”
“I take it you’re a virgin too.”
I hide my horror behind sarcasm. “No please, don’t hold back. Feel free to ask me anything.”
He grins. “We’re friends now.”
“We are?”
“Yes, and friends share things. Friends also help friends out.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means I’m going to kiss you now.”
The way he looks at me sends a thrill down my spine. I lick my lips nervously and his gaze tracks the movement with keen interest.
Massimo De Kysa wants to kiss me and I want him to. I mean, I shouldn’t, but right now I need to feel wanted.
“I-I—” Before I can get the words out, Massimo’s lips are on mine. Soft but confident and commanding lips. Lips that know what they’re doing. I open my mouth and his tongue sweeps in and brushes against mine. My eyes close as I fall deeper into the kiss and my whimper falls between us.
A whimper that makes him groan, and the desperate sound sends fireworks through me.
My first kiss and it’s making me see stars.
He slides his hand around my jaw, and the kiss deepens. The kiss I didn’t know I was desperate to taste. The kiss spinning my world on its axis.
When he pulls away, I gaze up at him. Utterly kiss drunk.
“My first kiss,” I whisper.
“Your first kiss,” he repeats with a devastating smile.
Our eyes lock, and seconds later, his lips come back to mine. But this time there is something more urgent in them. Something unrestrained and needy. His hand cups my jaw again as his tongue drives hard into my mouth, and I melt into him, wanting more, needing more. Everything in me is on fire. My heart pounds. My clit aches and begs for more, more, more.
Unfortunately, he rips his mouth from mine.
“We definitely need to stop,” he says, his voice ragged.
But I don’t want to stop.
This time, I kiss him, and by the way he responds, he clearly doesn’t mind. He takes my face in his hand and slides his tongue in my mouth and his groan is deep and rough.
But without warning, he rips his mouth away. “We can’t do this.”
“We can’t?”
He tucks my hair behind my ear. “As much as I want to, I can’t let this go too far.”
“Why?”
“Because it would be taking advantage of you.” He smiles and it’s full of warmth. “And I might do a lot of questionable things but taking advantage of beautiful woman while they drown their sorrows beside the Pulitzer Fountain is not one of them.”
He smiles and my stomach flips because Massimo De Kysa, the most handsome man in New York City, thinks I’m beautiful.
He helps me to my feet. “Come on, little monster, I’m taking you home.”
“But your brother’s engagement party—”
“It can wait. Come on.”
He tries to lead me down the steps but I stop. Because I can see what Massimo is giving up because of me, and I don’t want to ruin his night just because I can’t get my shit together. “Please don’t miss out on the celebration. I’m being a brat—”
“Yes you are. But I’m hardwired not to let a beautiful woman sit on the steps across the road from an engagement party of her almost-fiancé and drink alone.”
He smiles and it’s genuine, and something tells me I can trust this man.
Which is utterly ridiculous.
Yet, when he holds out his hand, I accept it and let him lead me across the road to his car.
We slide in the back and he gives his driver my address.
“You know where I live?”
He cocks a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “I know where your father lives and I know you live with him.”