Hold Him Like Gravity (Lombardi Family #4)

Chapter Eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Rico

I hugged Kick closer, then slowly lowered her down onto her side on the couch so I could get up.

Dragging my pants back up, I made my way down the hall and into the bathroom, cleaning up, then making my way into Kick’s bedroom to grab the covers off of her bed.

She’d been out cold on me for a solid half an hour before I moved and I hoped that if I could keep her warm, she would stay asleep and get the rest she so desperately needed.

“Hey, bud,” I greeted Evander who watched me cover up Kick from his position on the counter. “She didn’t feed you, huh?” I asked, walking over to scratch his head. “Listen, if I feed you, will you let her sleep?” I asked as I started to look through the cabinets until I found the little metal cans of food.

He watched me as I emptied it into his bowl, then stared up at me expectantly. “Oh, right. The milk,” I said, going into the fridge to get it, giving it a sniff, then pouring some into the other side of his bowl. “Heard you’ve been nicer to her lately,” I said as he ate. My own gaze slipped to the couch where Kick hadn’t moved an inch, her burgundy hair slightly covering her face, her lips parted in sleep. “I get it,” I added.

I expected to feel, I don’t know, done. Like I’d been thinking leading up to this. That I would fuck her out of my system, then I could move on. Stop obsessing about her. Stop picturing stupid shit like buying a new condo, one with extra bedrooms for kids, with enough room for a dining room that could seat us all.

“Christ,” I sighed as the cat finished his milk then started to clean himself.

I needed to get home, get some sleep myself. See if a little distance could make me more clear-headed.

Though some part of me was struggling to make my way to the door. Even if I knew it was the best for both of us.

What we had was fun.

But we both needed to move on now.

“Let her sleep, okay, man? She needs this,” I told Evander before locking the door, then making my way out.

Every step away from her apartment felt wrong as fuck. But I forced my legs to keep carrying me. Out of the building. Onto the street.

I spotted two guys hanging out a few buildings down and had the most insane urge to walk over there and beat their faces in on the off chance that they might want to break into Kick’s apartment.

And on that fucking crazy note, I walked my ass the whole way home in the cold. Which did jack-shit to chill the feelings I felt growing for Kick.

“Well, well, well,” Bass said as soon as I was inside the apartment, flicking on the lamp to reveal him sitting there with a drink in his hand.

“The fuck you doing sitting there like some mom waiting on her teenager out past curfew?”

“And where have you been, young man?” Bastian asked, a smirk tugging at his lips as I made myself a drink and moved to drop down on the couch. I saw him take a breath, and the light spark in his eyes. “Smelling like blueberries all over,” he said.

“Don’t.”

“Hey, it’s good, man. You’ve been wound like a fucking top. Can’t be good to go that long without a fuck.”

“Man, it’s been, what? A week or so since you moved in?”

“As an expert in going without sex, man, I feel like a week is too long. So, the fuck you doing home?”

“What are you talking about?” I asked as I sipped my whiskey, praying it did something to slow my swirling thoughts. All of ‘em involving Kick.

“Been mooning over this chick since before I got out. Figured if you finally sealed the deal, you’d be spending the night at least. Weekend. Month. Let me have this place all to myself,” he said, waving around the apartment. “Though, I’d have to take down all this art.”

“What’s wrong with the art?” I asked, glancing around. Granted, I hadn’t given it a lot of thought. I’d found the prints at some shop I’d popped into for paint. They, you know, matched the decor. That was all the thought that went into it.

“It’s bad, man,” he said, shaking his head at me. “I knew guys on the inside who did better work with pencils down to the nub on the backs of letters from their families.”

“Feel free to put something better up while you’re here.”

“While I’m here?” Bass asked. “This place is mine.”

“Where the fuck am I going?” I asked.

“I give it six months, ten max.”

“Until what?”

“You’re condo-hunting. Something with a few extra bedrooms. Bigger kitchen. His-and-hers closets…”

“It’s not like that,” I insisted, but even I heard the lack of emphasis in my voice.

“Sure sure. Out of curiosity,” he said, shooting me a smile, “did Renzo, Dav, and Elian say the same thing when they were in your shoes?”

“None of them were in my shoes. Renzo was securing a truce.”

“But fell in love with his wife.”

“Dav has always had this weird will-they-won’t-they with Cinna.”

“And then the two fully fell in love and are raising their teenagers together.”

“Elian, well, Elian always wanted a wife and kids. So that wasn’t surprising at all.”

“Let me ask you something,” Bass said, leaning forward so his forearms were on his thighs.

“Alright…”

“What the fuck makes you think you’re so different?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“All your closest friends, guys you see as family, they’re all settled down and it’s good for them, right?”

“Yeah.”

“The fuck makes you so different?” he asked, then got to his feet and walked off to his room.

Well, that wasn’t nearly as distracting as I would have liked.

Though, he did have a point, didn’t he?

Why did I think I couldn’t have what Renzo, Dav, and Elian had? If it was just because I never saw myself settling down, then I only needed to look at work-obsessed Renzo or only-down-for-a-fuck Dav to see that not looking for it didn’t mean you couldn’t latch onto it when it came your way.

Yeah, the one difference was that Kick was working for me. But it wasn’t like this was some dream job of hers that, if things got weird, she would feel really depressed to leave. It was just a way to pay bills. If things didn’t work out, she could find another job. Or, hell, keep working for me.

Why was I trying so hard to make it be a one-time thing? When, clearly, I wanted more than that.

Suddenly, I wished I’d stayed the night.

I imagined Kick would wake up—for her sake, hopefully after many hours of sleep—to find me gone. Then she’d likely sweat it for the whole morning, wondering if it was going to be awkward to come in to work. Maybe not coming in at all.

My gut twisted at that.

But, hell, if she decided not to show, I knew where to find her. I could track her down, tell her I was being a fucking idiot, and that I wanted to give this thing between us a chance.

Chance for what, I honestly didn’t know.

All I did know was that I liked what we had going on. And I wasn’t ready to let it go yet.

Even with that plan in play, though, I barely got any sleep myself. Then, deciding it was useless to keep trying, I got myself showered and dressed and dragged my ass in to work.

Where I drank too much coffee and kept checking to see if Kick had shown up yet. When she finally did, it was one minute before her shift started, and there was already a line around the block. Everyone wanted to order their meat for the holidays coming up. So it was impossible to try to catch her alone to talk to her.

That didn’t mean I couldn’t look at her, though.

And she looked better.

Sleep had done wonders for the dark circles and bags under her eyes. Her eyes were brighter. Even her skin looked more glowing. Though, whether that was sleep or orgasms was anyone’s guess.

“Kick,” I called after the worst of the rush had finally slowed down. “Can I see you for a minute?” I asked.

That, of course, got a chorus of Ooohs and Uh-ohs from her coworkers as she gave me a tight nod before following me silently back into my office.

“Look, we don’t have to talk about—“ she started, gaze averted.

“Good,” I cut her off, grabbing the back of her neck. “Because I really didn’t have talking in mind.” Then my lips were on hers.

Fine, I had.

But then there she was.

And all my thoughts flew out of my head.

All the tension that had worked its way into Kick’s shoulders on the walk back to my office left her body in a rush as she melted into me.

Her arms went around my neck as I reached behind her to lock the door before turning and walking her back to my desk. I scooted her up on it, my lips never leaving hers.

When my body pressed against her knees, her legs parted for me, inviting me between. As soon as I moved in, her legs wrapped around my hips, holding me against her, and rocking her hips against me.

“You’re gonna have to be quiet,” I murmured against her neck as my hand slid up under her shirt. “Think you can do that?” I asked, even as a little whimper escaped her when my hand slid into the cup of her bra.

Despite the night before, she was still desperate to be touched, arching into my hand as I rolled her nipple, rocking against me restlessly.

We didn’t have long. Everyone would wonder why she’d been called into the office, would get suspicious if she didn’t return quickly enough. I wouldn’t put it above the idiots to stop and listen outside of the door.

So as much as I wanted to spend as much time teasing her as possible, making her come until she was breathless and shaking, I knew we had to make this fast.

I pulled against her legs, then reached down, grabbing the waistbands to her pants and panties, then drawing them down.

My fingers slid up her thigh, then teased up her pussy, already finding her soaked for me.

“Work your pussy for me,” I demanded, reaching to press her fingers between her legs when she hesitated.

I reached into my wallet, pulling it out and finding a condom, then reaching to free my cock, and slide it on.

On the desk, Kick was writhing, her breath going fast and shallow as she worked herself.

I wanted to keep watching, to see her drive herself to that edge, then fall and crash into the orgasm.

But I grabbed her legs, pulling her closer, then thrust inside of her, watching as she arched off the desk, as she pressed her lips together to keep from crying out.

Her hand stayed between her thighs, working herself for me as I lifted her legs and started to fuck her. Not as hard as I wanted, too aware how sound carried if someone was passing by the door.

It wasn’t long before Kick lost the battle with her silence, her moans growing louder. And as much as I wanted to hear them, I reached down, pressing my hand over her mouth as her walls tightened around me, then spasmed hard as she came.

I let myself come with her, reminding myself that I’d get a chance to get her alone and take my time with her again. Just not right then. At work. With my employees and her coworkers just feet away.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, slowing our breathing, waiting for some calm to come to the chaos in our bodies.

But when the moment was over, we moved away in unison. I dealt with the condom as she got her panties and pants back on.

“Do I look disheveled?” she asked, running a hand down her clothes.

“Might wanna fix your hair,” I said, the ponytail having come loose from moving across the desk.

“Better?” she asked after redoing it.

“Yeah.”

I mean, to me, she looked freshly-fucked. All flush skin and bright eyes. But to her coworkers who thought she might have gotten in trouble, I doubt they would see it as that.

“I, ah, better get back out there,” she said, then rushed past me before I could stop her.

Not that I knew what I’d say anyway.

But I guess I had the rest of the day to figure it out.