“A man after my own heart.” I smiled. “When do we have to leave?”
“We have time,” he said, pulling me over to the bed. But I didn’t let go and we tumbled in a tangle of limbs and laughter. Nicco gazed down at me, brushing the hair from my face. “I wish we had more time.”
“Me too.” The pit in my stomach was back. “Is Luis okay?”
“He’s fine. Although I don’t think he got much sleep.”
“He stayed up all night?” My brows furrowed.
“He just wants to make sure you’re safe.” Nicco brushed his nose over mine, stealing a kiss.
“I need to brush my teeth.” I pressed my palms into his chest, giggling when he began to pepper tiny kisses down the slope of my neck.
His soft laughter washed over me. “You think I care?”
Nudging him off me, I sat up. Nicco stood and fetched the coffee and donuts. “Breakfast, amore mio?”
“And after breakfast?” My heart sank at the thought of leaving Nicco. I was grateful for our night together, but it wasn’t enough.
Not when I wanted forever.
“After breakfast, I’m going to carry you into the ridiculously small bathroom, strip the clothes from your body, and wash every inch of your skin, just so I can dirty you up again.”
Oh my.
My stomach clenched. “Suddenly, I’m not feeling very hungry for coffee and donuts,” I admitted.
“Eat, Bambolina. You need your strength.” He gave me a pointed look, offering me the paper bag.
“Fine, but you know my mom always says a moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips.”
“Hush,” Nicco said. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”
“Which is why eating donuts for breakfast isn’t a good idea.” I fought a smile. This was so nice. So normal.
“Hey,” he leaned in, brushing my cheek, “don’t do that.” He must have noticed my expression fall. “We have time.”
But it wasn’t enough.
It would never be enough.
After breakfast, Nicco had made good on his promise to dirty me up. He’d loved me in the shower and again on the bed before finally succumbing to Luis’ insistence that we had to leave.
Our time had run out.
“Everything good?” Nicco asked Luis as we stepped outside. He took my bag, offering us both a reassuring nod.
“We need to get back though before anyone suspects anything. I’ll give the two of you a minute.” Luis headed for the SUV.
“Don’t cry, Bambolina.” Nicco swiped the tears rolling down my cheeks.
“I’m trying to be strong,” I replied. “I just hate this.”
“I know.” He cupped the back of my head, drawing me close. “I do too. But hopefully, it won’t be for much longer. Now we know who Mike Fascini really is, we can make plans.”
“What does that mean though?” My voice cracked, my heart already in tatters.
“It means we do whatever is necessary to find a way out of this.”
“Okay,” I conceded because what else could I do? Nicco didn’t have a magic answer.
There was no answer.
“You can do this, Arianne. I know you can.”
“It’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one—” I swallowed the words. I didn’t want to argue. Not after such a perfect night. “You’ll go back to Boston?”
“I will.” Nicco looked gutted, guilt etched into the lines of his face. But it was more than his expression. It swirled around us, thick and heavy and suffocating.
“So I guess this is goodbye.” A fresh wave of tears threatened to fall, but I swallowed them down.
“I love you, amore mio. Remember that.” Nicco held me tighter. “You have to remember that.”
“Arianne,” Luis called from the car.
“I should go,” I whispered, pain flooding my chest.
“This isn’t goodbye, Bambolina.”
It sure felt like it.
Nicco kissed me. Hard and bruising, not caring we had an audience of one. By the time he brushed a final kiss over my lips, I was breathless and nowhere near satisfied.
“Go,” he barked roughly. “Before I ask you to come with me.”
I walked away, forcing myself to put one foot in front of the other, until I reached Luis.
“Ready?” he asked.
I nodded, unable to speak. Glancing over my shoulder, I mouthed, “I love you,” before climbing into the car, hoping he wouldn’t hear the sound of my heart breaking or my tears falling.
Chapter 13
Nicco
Watching Arianne climb into the SUV was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. After their car disappeared, I didn’t stick around. I grabbed my bag and hopped on my bike, the familiar rumble of the engine beneath me settling my soul.