Page 6

6

SILVER

B zzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.

A low hum against my side tears me from slumber. In the brief moment of hungover wake-up confusion, a sharp spike of fear runs up my spine at the feeling of two strong arms wrapped around my shoulders.

I’m so used to being and living alone that I only manage to still myself when I see Salvatore’s face. For such a rock-hard man, he’s wearing such a gentle smile as he nuzzles his way tighter into me.

Seeing him brings warmth to my heart, which quickly transfers to my cheeks as I remember what we did last night.

With a gentle peck to his cheek, Salvatore’s golden eyes open. The smile never breaks, and his gentle fingers make their way up to my cheek.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he says.

And yet again, my cheeks start to burn uncomfortably.

“Now, where did that come from?” I giggle to hide my embarrassment and shuffle out of his arms.

“The bottom of my heart.” Salvatore’s calm confidence is followed by a cheeky wink as he stretches out with more room on the recliner. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?” His eyes trail me across the room as I head for the door.

“To see if the storm has subsided.” As bad as the storms can be, and as much as I want to get home, I hope it hasn’t.

I’m not ready for our time together to end, at least not until I’ve gotten the chance to follow up with what we spoke about last night anyway. His tongue felt amazing, but I want the rest of him.

But I’ve got a feeling that the Lion is a busy man who will have to return to his life as soon as the opportunity presents itself. So I plod my way through the diner and back to the front, still wearing nothing but a smile, praying that black clouds hang overhead and spikes of ice rain down.

“How’s it looking out there?” Salvatore calls from the hallway. His head is the only part of him sticking out of the door.

“It’s…” My heart sinks as I reach the giant glass windows looking outside. Snow still falls, and there are clouds, but they are the furthest thing from dangerous I’ve seen in a long time. “It’s clear.”

“You sound sad about it.” Salvatore steps into the hallway, wrapping the blanket we shared around his broad shoulders.

“I am a little,” I sigh. Admitting it makes me sound pathetic, but I’ve got one chance at letting him know I’m not finished with him yet. Better make it count.

“Why? I thought you’d be happy to get out of here.” He shrugs and makes his way over to me.

In another heartwarming gesture, Salvatore wraps half the blanket around my shoulders and yanks me into his side.

“I…” Don’t want to lie to him, but being honest will make me sound pathetic. So I let the word ring out for a while, hoping it would buy me enough time to come up with a proper excuse.

“Ah, I see what’s going on here,” Salvatore jumps in before something comes to mind. “And you don’t have to worry, my pretty little thing. I don’t plan on going anywhere yet.”

Trying to contain the excitement of his words is a fool’s errand. I’m practically vibrating at the thought of spending more time with Salvatore.

“How did you know?” I do my best to play it off coyly.

“Your depressed stare at my car.” He squeezes me tighter into his side while he chuckles playfully. “Jokes aside, it’s because I don’t want to go anywhere either. Hell, I’d spend the rest of my life here if it meant spending it with you.”

God, so cheesy. Yet, it’s exactly what I need to hear.

“As fun as that sounds, I’d rather spend it at my place. Maybe even in my bed,” I say. Salvatore’s jaw nearly smashes into the tiled floor below us at my suggestion.

“Then why the hell are we standing here?” He claws for my wrist and half-sprints back to the office to gather our things.

Before I know it, we’re in his car, traveling down the snow-covered roads toward my one-bedroom apartment.

I can’t keep my hands off Salvatore the whole drive over. They wander across his body, gently tease his thick girth with my fingertips, and mostly give him payback for how he left me last night—a desperate mess ready for the next step.

Sure, we’re going to have some fun, and the wicked grin my touching brings across his face tells me I’m playing straight into Salvatore’s fantasies.