Page 28 of Single Malt Drama
Nicolina
My Parisian friendsoften talked about their sex lives. Though I’d rarely went to the nightclubs with them, I’d learned a lot about the dating game—or so I thought. Never once, in all their conversations had anyone mentioned the downside of teasing a man.
What do they call the female equivalent to blue balls?I rolled to my back and stared at the ceiling. I shouldn’t have whispered in his ear. Sure, I loved the way he looked at me with heavy eyes, and knowing I’d had a physical reaction on him made me feel powerful. However, getting that close to him, smelling him, feeling the warmth of his skin on my lips, left me wanting so much more.
To make matters worse, the sounds of Enzo’s and Shanna’s lovemaking echoed down the hall. The couple had been going at it for what seemed like hours.
“Nic?” Marco knocked lightly on my door.
My stomach fluttered at the sound of his voice. “Come in.”
He poked his head inside. “Did I wake you?”
“No.” I let out a humiliating laugh, far too high pitched to be attractive. Then again, why should I care if I sounded like a hyena? This is Marco—he’s seen me shoot milk out my nose.
Because I’m in love with him.The thought made me break out in a cold sweat. On some level I’d always known I loved Marco, but I’d never allowed myself to act on it. Given our current situation, now wasn’t the time to start. I had to put a stop to my feelings. We were friends, and I desperately needed our relationship to get back to normal. Anything else would end in disaster.
He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “I couldn’t sleep with all the racket going on at the end of the hall.”
“Me either. Honestly, how much longer can they continue?”
“Hours and hours.” Chuckling, he plopped down beside me. “Want to watch a movie?”
He came into my room in the middle of the night to watch TV?“Sure, or we could go for a swim.”
“Hildie warned me to keep my cut dry for twenty-four hours, but I’ll go downstairs with you if you want to take a dip.”
I’d forgotten about his injury. He’d limped around most of the evening. I couldn’t ask him to go up and down the stairs again. “A movie sounds good. I don’t have a swimsuit.”
He grinned his thinking-about-sex grin and opened his mouth as if to speak, but snapped it shut.
That’s odd. I struggled to come up with an explanation for his holding back. My brothers talked about two kinds of women—the fuckable ones and marriable ones. Which was I to him? Which do I want to be? Both? Yes, both sounds nice.
I caught myself smiling and forced a frown. What am I thinking? Neither. I am neither to him.
He cleared his throat. “What’ll it be? Action, horror, rom-com?”
I waved my hand. “You choose.”
“What’s wrong?” He leaned forward putting his face in front of mine.
I couldn’t explain something I didn’t fully understand. Rather than trying and ending up sounding like an idiot, I sighed. “I’m tired. Your brother and Shanna have finally finished. We should go to sleep.”
Marco pressed his lips together and gave me a quick nod before grabbing a pillow, punching it twice, and making himself comfortable in my bed.
“What are you doing?”
Before he could answer, a door slammed downstairs. The unexpected sound sent a shiver down my spine.
Marco bolted for the window and looked outside. “Enzo and Shanna are leaving.”
“This late? Something must have happened…” The memory of hiding in the secret cargo hold replayed through my mind. “Call them. Make sure everything is all right.”
He turned toward me.
I don’t know what he saw in my expression, but he crossed the room and wrapped me in his arms. This embrace had nothing to do with sex. It was gentle and warm and dangerous. “It’s okay, Nic. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
The thin veneer of pride holding back my emotions snapped. Clinging to him, I struggled to get my words out. “You can’t promise me that. No one can.”