Page 7 of Nico (Members From Money Season 2, #154)

Her tapered brows lifted. "How did that go over with your dad? Or did you manage to get away with it?"

"I was caught when that dull and excruciatingly boring CFO asked me a question."

"And?"

"Dad almost had a coronary. I did my best to answer the question appropriately. Got a weak 'B' for my effort." He nuzzled her neck.

"No tie?"

"No bloody tie. I hate the damn things, makes me feel as if I'm choking."

"Your shirt is wrinkled."

He gave up trying to seduce her and lifted his head. "You sound like my dad."

"Don't know if that's good or bad?"

"It's relative." Tilting her chin up, he brushed his lips against hers. "Will I see you later?"

"It feels like we're living together."

"Is that such a bad thing?" he asked casually. "It makes it more convenient. You don't have to be rushing from one place to the next."

"I happen to love my house."

"I'm not going to stop asking."

"I'm sure you won't." She pushed away from him. "And I have work to do. Inventory."

"All right." Tugging her against him, he rubbed his lips against hers. "See you later."

"I did not say I would come over."

"Please?" He flashed her a smile that had her shaking her head.

"Okay, fine. Now go."

"Going."

Staring at the door after he left, she pressed her hand on her chest and took several breaths to steady herself. She was not seated around her desk before the door opened to admit Andre.

"I don't have time."

"Make time." Shutting the door behind him, he crossed the room and sat on the edge of the desk, one elegantly clad leg swinging.

As usual, he was dapper and handsome in a flamboyant pumpkin colored suit, with a silk striped vest with a mix of black, pumpkin, green and red stripes.

His thick dark hair was immaculately styled, and he had a black silk bow tie knotted at his throat.

"I see things are heating up." Picking up an invoice, he stared at it for a second before looking at her. "Any chance of wedding bells yet?"

She cast him a look that spoke volumes. "Not a chance. We're just getting to know each other." She made a point of starting an email.

"Darling, it's plain as the nose on my face that gorgeous man is head over heels in love with you."

Her heart bumped, then settled. "We don't know that."

"How do you feel about him?"

"I care about him."

"Care? That's it?"

She gave up trying to word the damn message and sat back. "Okay fine. I might care a lot, and I'm enormously attracted to him. But I have no intention of jumping into marriage."

He clucked his tongue. "You're thinking about that stone cold mother of yours. You're not her."

She shrugged. "I hope not. But I'm still being cautious."

"What does he have to say about it?"

"He wants me to move in with him." She shook her head at the pleased look on his face. "The answer is a firm no. Not yet."

"Darling you're killing me." He eased off the desk and dusted off an invisible speck of lint from his slacks. "Careful you don't string him out and lose him in the process."

"If I lose him because I want to wait, then it wasn't worth it."

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Men like Nico Coulter can pretty much get any woman they want." Blowing her a kiss, he drifted from the room and closed the door behind him.

Getting back to the email wasn't happening and she sat there pondering. She was afraid. She would only admit that much to herself, but she was scared that if she gave into her emotions, there would come a time when she was so lost in them, she would lose herself in the process.

It frightened her how much she cared about him.

Nico was the first man who had sneaked through the armor she built up and gotten to the core of her.

After the disaster of what had happened to her before, she was extremely careful.

And Nico was different very different. He was a very rich and powerful man.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she forced herself to get back to work.

*****

In the end, she gave in and decided to accompany him to the function.

It was a charity event where they were trying to raise money for dementia research.

She admired the fact that his family was actively interested in trying to end that ugly fight against the debilitating illness.

They were not just opening their checkbooks; they were trying to make a difference.

She was also swayed by Nico's persuasive arguments. She told him he was clever, having caught her when she was weak her mind dulled and dazed from sex.

"Anything to get my own way." He murmured. It was a pleasure watching her get ready. He had also convinced her that it made better sense leaving from his place and had assured her that his mother was not going to pop on over unexpectedly.

"I already told her I was going. She picked out my suit."

She gave him a droll look which had him wincing a little bit.

"I hate to shop and was actually going to rent a tux."

"Rich people don't rent tuxes."

"This one does. I'm not going to wear it again. She did not trust me to pick one up and it's a black-tie event." He grabbed her hands. "Which explains why I need you with me, desperately. I would be out of my depth."

"I'm pretty certain you are used to functions like that, considering you grew up in a household like yours."

"But it's been so long since I attended one." He pointed out.

Now he stood with his suit on, his tie unknotted and not wearing shoes as he watched her transform from cool and confident gallery manager to stunning and spectacularly beautiful date.

He felt the pride shimmering inside him as he stared at her.

The dress was stunning a kind of dull gold shimmery figure-hugging number with a scooped neckline and barely any material at the back.

He knew she wasn't wearing any underwear at all and had no idea how he was going to go through an entire evening with that information.

Her hair, glossy and healthy looking, tumbled down her back. She was wearing discreet diamonds in her lobes and some chunky hammered gold necklace around her neck. And she smelled divine. Like sex on feet.

When she walked over to help him with his tie, he grabbed her around the waist. "We could get married. Just run off to Vegas and do it in one of the gaudy chapels with an Elvis look-alike as a priest. We're dressed for it."

She spared him a glance and continued knotting the tie.

"First of all, if and when I get married, it would be in a chapel with lots of flowers and the dress will be ice blue or champagne colored.

Second, we're dressed for a charity function.

" Patting his shaven jaw, she stepped back to stare at him critically. "You look good in a tux."

Even though he was only half joking, he was disappointed at her response.

"File it in your mind darling. This is not happening again."

"I'll do one better." Grabbing her phone, she had him posing while she snapped pictures.

"Now both of us. Shoes." She waited until he slid into the Italian loafers, his mother had also picked those out.

And then took a selfie. He was gorgeous, she thought with a pang as she studied the photo.

His hair was unruly as usual but brushed back from his intelligent forehead.

Turning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. The killer heels she had on put her on level with his eyes. When she started to ease back, he held on and deepened the kiss, turning her bones into liquid.

When he ended the kiss, she leaned into him and just hung on and breathed. "Nico." His name was a sigh as she tried to get her breathing under control.

He rubbed his hand up and down her bare back. "We could skip the function."

"No, we couldn't." With a laugh, she stepped away from him and went to get her coat.

*****

He had to admit without an ounce of bias that he had the most beautiful woman on his arm. In a room filled with women who glowed with beauty. He held onto her and did not care if he was possessive. He was going to keep her chained to his side for the rest of the evening.

There were a few seconds of awkwardness when they faced his family.

Nadine's greeting was friendly enough, but she was given the once over by his parents.

Linda Coulter looked resplendent in emerald green that vied with her eyes.

Diamonds dripped from her throat, ears and wrists and she was obviously the queen of the party.

She greeted her son with a glow in her eyes, before turning those bottle green gaze on the woman next to him.

"We should have you over for dinner."

"Mother..."

"In due time." Sadie was determined not to be intimidated by the power couple, and they were intimidating.

"We hope it will be soon. Our son is obviously taken with you."

"I'm taken with him as well."

"Which means..."

"That's enough." Nico sent his mother a steely look. "Don't make me regret my decision in attending. Now, I will take my date and grab flutes of expensive champagne and appear as if I'm having the time of my life."

They watched the couple weaving their way through the crowd. And Linda noticed her son's arm wrapped around the woman's waist.

"I've never seen him like that before." She murmured and was not sure she liked it.

"He's smitten." Nadine grabbed a flute from the passing wait staff and took a sip.

"Smitten?" She smiled as her mother sent her a cool look.

"Obviously."

Looking over at the couple, Linda could not help but feel a touch of apprehension.