Page 39 of City of Salvation
When the hell did I start having trouble talking to a woman? We stood there in awkward silence for a few seconds before she moved, breaking the spell.
“I should probably grab some different shoes,” she said, shuffling toward her room before pausing and facing me once more.
“You’re not going to have a bottom lip if you keep chewing on it, Nikki. Spit out whatever you’re worried about.” The flash of annoyance and anger brought a smile to my face.
“How are we supposed to explain why we’re always together all of a sudden?” she asked.
The question took me by surprise. I hadn’t thought about it.
“I’ve never had to address that during a protection detail, so I’d say we don’t have to worry about it.” I shrugged, stepping around the counter. “What we need to be worried about is the fact that you haven’t had any food, and you’re about to go do some strenuous shit.”
I couldn’t quite read the look she gave me, but after a few seconds, she nodded and disappeared down the hall.
CHAPTER 18
DEX
IF YOUR BURRITO ISN’T WRAPPED IN FOIL, IT DOESN’T FUCKING COUNT. THAT’S NOT EVEN A SEXUAL EUPHEMISM…WELL, UNTIL NOW
We rodemy Harley through the warm Tucson night, the engine's purr resonating in my ears, the hot desert air rushing past us. My hands gripped the handlebars, forcing me to focus. Nikki’s body was pressed close against mine, her hands clinging low on my waist, a few mere inches from where I’d like her to touch. The city lights blurred into a streak of colors as we weaved through the sparse traffic on the way to Lotería.
The white walls of Lotería's building came into view, standing stark against the dark night. We’d made it with fifteen minutes to spare. I cut the engine, and the muffled sound of the crowd waiting to get in over by the main entrance carried through the night, laughter blending with the warm breeze.
I threw my leg over my bike before lifting Nikki off. She could get off herself with no problem, but I used any reason I could find to get my hands on her—like I’d done on the sofa earlier. Nikki pulled the helmet off and the dim streetlight cast a soft glow on her, accentuating the golden highlights in her tousled blonde hair. The flush of adrenaline from the ridegave her cheeks a pink hue, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“God, I love being on the back of your bike.”
Pride swelled in my chest at how she’d specifiedmybike. Who knew if she even meant it that way, but I sure as fuck was going to take it as such. The evening air carried her coconut scent on it, and I had to shove my free hand in my pocket as we walked toward the side entrance to resist the ridiculous urge to hold her hand.
“Beto!” I yelled as we got closer.
“Dammit, Dex.” Nikki’s manicured hand whacked me in the chest. “Do youhaveto yell? Just go look for him.”
I scoffed at her suggestion. “First of all, ow. And second, I already got him a damn burrito. Now I gotta go find him to deliver it?” The delicious scent of some bomb-ass al pastor taunted me. If he didn’t come get his food soon, I was going to inhale this one, too.
“Don’t you dare eat Robert’s burrito,” she hissed.
My head snapped to her. “Did I say that shit out loud too?” If I had, this was getting out of hand because I’d sworn I kept that one inside.
The left side of her mouth pulled upward, revealing a dimple. The sight had me thinking all sorts of wild shit, like the fact that I’d like to kiss the cute little indent.
“No, you didn't say it out loud. The look on your face was enough to tell me you're considering devouring it before it ever makes it to Beto." She chuckled, walking away.
I pulled on her arm, yanking her toward me without thinking it through. She let out anoomphas her back hit my chest. Her scent invaded my senses and I leaned to whisper in her ear. “Tell me, Nikki, did I have the same look on my face before I devoured your soaking pussy? Because I’m justtrying to figure out how you correctly guessed what I was thinking.”
I wanted so badly to run my tongue up her neck, following the trail of crimson that was currently creeping up it with every dirty word I whispered. But she was so still that I paused, thinking maybe I’d pushed too far. Misread what I could say without making her feel awkward or uncomfortable.
Shit.
Nothing pissed me off more than when men made unwelcome sexual advances on women, and here I was, doing exactly that. Her hair hit me as I spun her around, needing her to see my face when I apologized. When I caught her blue eyes, I dropped my hands to my side, not wanting to make the situation worse.
“Sorry, Nikki. I shouldn’t say that shit to you. You’ve made it clear you just wanna be friends, and there I go crossing a line.”
The nervoustap tap tapof my fingers on my jeans seemed deafening, a reminder of her silence as she stared at me like I’d grown a third head. It was making my skin feel too tight, and I needed to fill the space. “Do you want me to find someone else to watch over you? Or, like, stand ten steps behind you?” I asked.
Still, there was nothing from her, though her lips were now tightly pursed. It seemed as though she was battling to contain her thoughts while I continued to blurt out words in my desperate attempt to fix my fuck up. What puzzled me was how badly I needed her to tell me she forgave me.
“You wanna slap me? Would that help? I mean, violence tends to help me. Okay, now I’m rambling. Dammit, woman, say something,” I called out desperately, pacing in a circle. Itwouldn't have surprised me if Ryan's employees thought I was high on something, given the way I was fidgeting.