Page 130 of Pretty Ruthless Monsters: Complete Series

A laugh escapes me in spite of the heaviness in my chest. It’s strange to hear Nico talk about my dad like this, showing nothing but respect for a man who used to be one of his biggest rivals.

“Enigma was always one step ahead,” Nico continues, a wry smile on his face. “Always thinking about his people, always planning for their safety. It drove me crazy, but I couldn’t help but admire him for it.”

His words paint a picture of my father that aligns with the man I knew, the leader I looked up to. It helps soothe some of the doubts that have been gnawing at me.

“Not to mention,” he says, a small grin playing at the corners of his mouth. “Your dad must’ve been a good father, because he raised an amazing woman as a daughter.”

My heart thuds at his words. I’m not even sure he meant to say them, to admit he thinks I’m amazing. It’s like they just came out unconsciously. The sincerity in his eyes catches me off guard, making my breath hitch.

I swallow hard, trying to regain my composure. “That’s… that’s a flawed argument,” I manage. “You had a shitty father, and you’re still one of the most incredible men I know.”

Nico’s eyes widen slightly, surprise flickering across his face. For a moment, neither of us speaks. The air between us feels charged, electric. His hands tighten on my hips, and I’m intensely aware of how close we are.

Something shifts in his gaze. He moves one hand from my hip, slowly sliding it up my back until he’s cupping the nape of my neck. His fingers tangle in my hair, making my back arch as he gives a gentle pull.

“I wanted to hate you so badly,” he confesses.

I nod, a wry smile tugging at my lips. “I wanted to hate you too. Fuck, I tried so hard.”

“Do you?” he asks quietly. “Hate me?”

I think about everything that’s happened between us, everything that got us to where we are now. The rivalry between our families, the tension, the fights. But also the moments of understanding, the unexpected kindness, the growing attraction neither of us could deny.

I think about how he’s been there for me through this crisis, how he’s supported me even when I pushed him away. I remember the way he looked at me in the club, the electricity between us when we danced. I recall the gentleness in his touch, the fire in his eyes.

I shake my head slowly. “No,” I finally admit. “I don’t hate you. Not even close.”

He leans in closer, his breath warm against my skin.

“Ti sei insinuata così tanto sotto la mia pelle che non so come tirarti fuori, mia cara.”

I don’t understand most of what he’s saying, but I recognize the last part—“mia cara.” It’s the nickname he’s been using for me more and more, but this time it sounds different.

When he first started calling me that, it was dripping with sarcasm, a biting reminder that we were supposed to be enemies. But now? Now it sounds honest. Real.

I don’t know who moves first. Maybe we both do. But suddenly, our lips meet in a kiss that’s soft and tentative at first. It’s like we’re both afraid to break the spell, to shatter this fragile moment.

The kiss deepens slowly, unhurriedly. There’s no rush, no desperate need to consume each other. Instead, it feels like we’re exploring, savoring every sensation.

I lose myself in the kiss, in the feeling of his lips moving against mine. It’s not about the attraction that’s always simmered between us, not about the heat or the passion. This feels different. Deeper. Like we’re connecting on a level I didn’t even know existed.

My hands move of their own accord, sliding up his chest to wrap around his neck. His free hand tightens on my hip, pulling me closer. Our tongues dance together, slow and sensual, as the kiss grows more intense.

The world fades away until there’s nothing but this moment, nothing but Nico and me and this kiss that seems to go on forever. I feel like I’m drowning in sensation, in emotion.

Gradually, what started as slow and tender becomes more passionate, more urgent. Nico’s hand slides from my hip to my lower back, pressing me against him. I arch into him, a soft moan escaping me.

His hands start to wander, tracing patterns on my skin through my shirt. The touch sends shivers down my spine, lighting a fire deep down inside me as his hands move to the hem of my shirt.

The kiss breaks, and we’re both panting, eyes locked. In one fluid motion, he has my shirt off and tossed aside, revealing the bare skin of my chest and the marks etched onto my breast.

His gaze travels over me, pausing at the new addition. “When did Killian do this?”

There isn’t any anger or even a hint of jealousy in his voice, like I’m half-expecting. Just genuine curiosity.

“Couple of days ago. I asked him to do it.”

There’s a glint of something like satisfaction in his expression. He traces his fingers over his own mark, surrounded now by the other two. His touch sends another wave of shivers through me.

“I like it better like this,” he murmurs, his eyes never leaving the marks. “Mine, right there with the others. It feels complete.”

I nod, a strange sense of pride swelling within me. “I like it too.”

Something in my admission seems to please him. His hand palms the back of my head, and he pulls me into another kiss. This one is different—hungrier, more insistent.

His lips trail down my neck, sending sparks of pleasure through me. His hands move to my back, pulling me tightly against him. I can feel his cock pressing against my stomach, sending a wave of desire washing over me.

I want him right now, right this second, more than I’ve ever wanted anything.

My hands move on their own, reaching down to tease him through his pants. I want to feel him, all of him. But as soon as my hand closes around his hard length, he stops me, grabbing my wrist gently but firmly.

“Don’t start what you can’t finish,” he warns, his voice dangerously low.

I smirk, heat already pooling in my core at the challenge. “What makes you think I won’t finish?”

There’s a flash of something hot and primal in his eyes, and he suddenly grabs my hand, pulling me up.

“Stand up,” he orders.

I obey, my heart pounding as he steps back, his eyes raking over me. “Strip.”

The command sends another jolt of wet heat through me, and I don’t hesitate for a second. My jeans and panties hit the floor, and I kick them to the side, letting them join my already discarded top.

His eyes darken as he takes in the sight of me, naked and wanting. “Get on your knees.”

Again, it isn’t a request, and my body responds instantly. Something about submitting to him right now is giving me such a fucking rush, and I sink to my knees in front of him.

He doesn’t have to tell me what to do this time.

My hands move to his belt, quickly unbuckling it and pulling it free of the loops. I pop the button on his pants and slowly lower the zipper, peeling back the fabric to reveal his obscenely tented boxer briefs.

I hook my thumbs into the waistband and pull them down, freeing his hard cock. It springs up, thick and heavy in my hand. I wrap my fingers around him, slowly pumping as I savor the feel of him.

But Nico has other ideas. With a gentle tug on my hair, he urges me forward until my lips are just a breath away from the head of his cock.

“Suck it,” he orders, his voice gravelly with desire.

I lick my lips and lean forward, taking the head into my mouth and swirling my tongue around it. I taste the salty tang of pre-cum, and a moan vibrates in my throat, humming around his length.

Nico’s hands tangle in my hair, guiding me as I take more of him into my mouth. I hollow my cheeks, sucking hard as I bob my head, taking him deeper with each stroke.

“Fuck, Quinn,” he groans, his hips jerking slightly. “You’ve got a fucking amazing mouth.”

His words spur me on, and I moan my approval, the vibrations making him hiss and tighten his grip on my hair. I suck and lick, taking him deep into my throat, then pulling back to swirl my tongue around the head.

“Goddamn, that’s good,” he growls. “Wrap your hand around the base, squeeze tight. Yeah, just like that.”

I do as he says, tightening my grip at the base of his shaft as I suck and lick, teasing the head with my tongue. I love the way he watches me, his eyes dark with lust, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths.

“You know what I love most about this?” he says, his voice husky. “Knowing that it’s my cock in that pretty little mouth of yours. How many men would kill to be where I’m at right now?”

The filthy praise sends a rush of heat between my legs, making me even wetter. I moan my agreement, the vibrations making him groan and tighten his hold on my hair. He begins to thrust gently, his hips moving in a slow, steady rhythm as he slides in and out of my mouth.

“That’s it, take it,” he encourages, his voice rough. “Wrap your lips around me and fucking suck me deep. Deep as you can.”

But just as I’m getting into a steady rhythm, Nico surprises me by pulling away. I whimper at the loss, my lips feeling sensitive and swollen as I look up at him.

“I’m not going to come in your mouth, mia cara,” he says, his voice thick with desire. “When I come, I want to be inside you.” He strokes my cheek gently, in contrast with the dirty things he’s telling me to do. “Get on my cock. Ride me.”

His words are a command, but they’re also an invitation—an invitation to take what I need, to use him to satisfy the ache that’s burning inside me.

Without wasting a moment, I straddle him and line myself up with his cock. Slowly, I sink down, feeling myself stretch to accommodate his thick length. His hands come to rest on my hips, guiding me, encouraging me to take my time.

“That’s it. Take it all. Ride that cock.”

I sink down farther, my breath catching as I feel him fill me completely. It’s overwhelming, just like it always is with him—a perfect mix of pleasure and pain.

“God,” I moan, giving myself a moment to appreciate how full I am right now. It’s as if his cock was made just for my body. “Feels so damn good.”

A smile spreads across his face, and he reaches up to cup my cheek. “Then move, mia cara. Take what you need. Use my cock to get yourself off.”

I don’t need any more encouragement. I start to move, lifting myself up slowly before sinking back down, taking him deep. It’s slow and steady at first, a sensual, hypnotic rhythm.

Nico’s hands tighten on my hips as I ride him, his eyes never leaving mine. “That’s it, just like that. Fuck, you have no idea how good that pussy feels.”

Hearing him talk dirty stokes the fire burning inside me. I quicken the pace, lifting and lowering myself on his cock, finding a rhythm that has pleasure coursing through my veins.

“Yeah, there you go,” he encourages. “Such a good little wife, fucking yourself on my cock.”

“You close?” His voice is raw, his eyes hooded with desire.

I nod, breathless, as I drop my forehead to his, my hair creating a curtain around us. “So close.”

His hands tighten on my hips, and he urges me to keep moving, a hard roll of his hips lifting me momentarily before I sink back down.

“Then come for me. Ride my cock and let yourself go.”

His words are my undoing. I cry out as the pleasure takes hold, my body bowing as I grind down on him. My hands splay across his chest, nails digging into his skin as I start to surrender to the wave that’s crashing over me.

“Look at me, mia cara.” Nico grips my chin, forcing my head up so our eyes meet. “Turn around and let Atlas see how gorgeous you look when you’re coming all over my cock.”