Nicholas led me to the dance floor, where couples were slowly congregating. I hadn’t realized how tense I’d gotten until his arms were around me and I was sinking into him. Between his parents, my dress, and Shane’s unexpected arrival, I desperately needed the reprieve.

“On a scale of one to ten, how miserable are you?”

Nicholas’s soft words surprised me, and I lifted my head to look up at him. “What makes you think I’m miserable?”

He raised an eyebrow, and I sighed. “Okay, it hasn’t been the easiest evening.”

“If it makes you feel any better, my mother never likes my girlfriends.”

“She likes Alyssa.” That pang of doubt I could never quite extinguish when it came to Nicholas shot to the forefront. “I saw you talking to her.”

His answering groan immediately made me feel better. “More like trying to escape her. She can be relentless when she wants something.”

“And she wants you?”

“She wants a rich husband from her family’s social circle. I’m merely one of several eligible men on that list. Look.” He inclined his head, and I followed his line of sight to see Alyssa smiling up at a man. His body language indicated he was interested in her cleavage, at the very least. “He’s another one.”

“He’s not near as hot as you are.”

Nicholas laughed. “His bank account is much larger, though.”

“Well, in that case . . .” I moved as though I was going after him, but Nicholas yanked me back into his arms. “Not a chance. You’re mine.” His eyes flashed with possessiveness before fading to a heady combination of passion and tenderness. Like a lock clicking into place, I finally, finally, took him at his word. He wanted me. Even if part of me also belonged to Shane and Cole, I was his and he was mine.

The realization made me long to drag him to the nearest exit without looking back. Instead, I rested my head against his shoulder and pressed a light kiss to his neck, happy my heels made the small intimacy possible. He seemed to sense the shift in my mood, because he held me closer and murmured sweet words in my ear. We swayed to the music, and for the first time all night, I found a place where I belonged.

When we left the dance floor a few songs later, Jonathon and a man around his age who I hadn’t met approached. After the introductions were made, Jonathon turned to me. “Emma, would you mind giving us a few minutes? We need to discuss business.”

I started to agree, but Nicholas squeezed my hand. “It’s a party, Dad. Why don’t we discuss business in the morning?”

Jonathon’s gaze turned steely. “There’s an executive position open with Edward’s company we thought you would be interested in. Surely, you can spare ten minutes.”

“Thank you, Edward, but my father has misinformed you. I’m not interested in leaving Vegas for the foreseeable future.”

“Don’t be foolish, Nicholas,” Jonathon said between gritted teeth. “This is a rare opportunity.” His gaze flicked to me before returning to his son. “You can’t pass it up to continue playing around in Vegas.”

Apparently, Nicholas’s father wasn’t on Team Emma after all. It was just as well. My regard for him was diminishing by the second.

“I’m not playing around. I own and run a profitable business.”

“A nightclub is a lark, not a business.”

Okay, I’d had enough. What the hell was wrong with the Hayes family? Even at twenty-five, Nicholas was easily one of the most successful people I’d ever met. How could his parents not be proud of what he’d accomplished?

“With all due respect, sir, Loft25 is hardly a lark.” The words were spoken before I had a chance to reconsider. “And do you even know—or care—that Nicholas is amazing at renovation and design? It’s his passion, and the only reason he hasn’t followed his dream is because he feels obligated to work for your foundation, which is a total waste of his talent. Now you want to push him into some dull, executive position that he would hate? You should be ashamed of yourself.”

When I finally shut my mouth, I was breathing hard and my skin was hot. Jonathon didn’t say anything, but his face had turned an unseemly shade of red. It might have actually matched my dress.

I dared a glance at Nicholas and found him staring at me with wide eyes and the most dazzling smile. He turned to his father, his smile not faltering for even a second. “On that note, we’re leaving. Wish Kat and James our best. Edward, nice to see you again.”

Nicholas tugged on my hand, and I almost tripped on my stilettos trying to keep up with him. He didn’t speak or look at me, and I could feel the guests’ stares as we passed. Suddenly remembering Shane, I found him in the crowd and mouthed “it’s okay” so he hopefully wouldn’t worry.

Once we were outside, Nicholas led me past the valet stand and down the sidewalk until we were in a small, deserted courtyard surrounded by trees. When he finally stopped, he dragged my body up against his and kissed me. It was ferocious in its intensity, and despite the chilly night air nipping at my skin, I felt hot all over.

He kissed me until I couldn’t breathe, then he withdrew just enough to look into my eyes. “I can’t believe you stood up for me like that. No one has ever . . .” His voice cracked, but he eventually continued. “Ever done that for me before. Not even Kat.”

“I meant every word.”

His thumb brushed over my cheek. “I know. Your candidness—it’s one of the things I love about you.”

My heart stuttered, but instead of overthinking his words, I gave into my feelings. My doubts were gone. I knew what I wanted.

“I’m ready to seduce you.”

Nicholas hesitated for maybe three seconds before lifting me into his arms. “Nic! What are you doing?”

“You’re too slow in those shoes.”

I laughed, or was that a giggle? I was going to pretend it was the mature laugh of a woman about to get it on with her extraordinarily hot boyfriend. “In a hurry?”

“Damn right.”

Deciding there was nothing wrong with allowing him to make good use of all those muscles, I rested my head against his shoulder. He’d been walking for a couple of minutes when he stepped onto a wooden dock and I suddenly realized we weren’t headed for the car.

“Where are we going?”

“To The New Yorker.”

“The magazine?”

He chuckled. “No, the yacht. I told you my father grew up in New York, right?” I nodded mutely, trying to let the word yacht sink in. “Well, he named the boat after himself. Thought he was being clever, I think.”

“Right. Why didn’t it occur to me that your family has a yacht?”

“And it so happens to be docked right here.” He gently set me on my feet. “Much closer than the guesthouse and completely private.”

I’d never seen a yacht in person, and this one was easily as impressive as any I’d seen on TV. Much like the Hayes mansion, the boat was sleek and even slightly futuristic. Was it another example of outdoing the Joneses by buying the flashiest toy around?

When we went below, we bypassed the main deck and headed for the staterooms. Nicholas opened a door in a surprisingly long hallway and flipped on the light before allowing me to walk in ahead of him. The room wasn’t large, but it made good use of space, with a slim couch nestled under the long window and a combination dresser and desk on the opposite wall. The bed, the only feature I was interested in, took up the middle of the room.

A jolt of nerves hit my system when Nicholas closed the door and leaned against it, waiting for me to make the next move. I knew I was ready for this, but it had been a long time for me, and I wasn’t accustomed to taking control.

I turned on a lamp in the corner of the room before kicking off my heels. As much as Nicholas might have appreciated me keeping them on, I had every intention of stripping down to only those stilettos for Cole and Cole alone. I strode back across the room, turned off the overhead light, and latched onto both of Nicholas’s hands.

Without saying a word, I pulled him across the room until we were standing in front of the bed. I wavered between taking it slowly, teasing him to the point of insanity, and moving full steam ahead. My trembling arms seemed to answer the question for me as I shoved his jacket off, then loosened and removed his tie. His breath fell heavy on my forehead while I slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.

As my hands roamed over his stomach, my tongue traced the crease running between his pecs and up to his neck. His skin was hot to the touch, and I longed to feel more of it against my own bare skin.

I reached for his belt, but his hands closed over mine, stopping me. “Screw seducing me, Cinderella. I can’t wait any longer to touch you.”

He bent down, kissing me like he was taking right back up from where he’d left off in the courtyard. The intensity radiating from him urged on my own need, and I stood on tiptoes, trying to fit against him. He was so much bigger than me, it should have felt unnatural or awkward. Instead, I wanted to climb his body and hang on while he took me any and every way.

Cool air touched my back as he unzipped my dress then slipped it over my shoulders. It fell to the floor in a puddle, and I kicked it to the side. My hands strayed back to his waist and fumbled with his belt before undoing his pants and shoving them down his hips. He stepped out of them, then picked me up and sat on the bed.

Straddling him, my thighs gripped his hips, and his erection pressed into me, right where I wanted it. On the same level now, our gazes met and held. He was so beautiful, I couldn’t resist tracing his cheekbones, his jaw, his lips. Green eyes, usually pale in color, had darkened to a hungry jade. They were telling me he wanted me, and more than that, loved me. He hadn’t come right out and confessed it, but I could see it. Feel it.

His hands wandered over my back, unclasping and removing my bra. He went to work on my breasts, sucking and nipping at my sensitive skin. He drew a nipple into his mouth, and goosebumps broke out over my skin. I wanted more—to move, to feel him, to let go.

“Nic,” I moaned, “I need you now.”

Hoping to urge him on, I slipped fingers under the waist of his boxer briefs and stroked him, eliciting a groan. He was hard and smooth as silk. I was contemplating taking him in my mouth when he rolled me onto my back, reversing our positions. Within seconds, he’d removed his boxers and slid my thong down my legs.

While he reached down to retrieve his wallet and several condoms, I admired the way his muscles bunched and released. There was an elegance to the way he moved that transfixed me. Every inch of his lightly tanned skin was toned and smooth. Perfect, really.

Nicholas rolled on a condom, then paused at the edge of the bed to stare down at me. “I’ve wanted this, you, since that first night.” Crawling onto the bed, he hovered over me. He was so close, his breath brushed over my lips when he spoke. “It’s more than that, now. You know that, right?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice. Beyond my undeniable attraction to him, this was more for me too. But now was not the time to get into it. Not when my body was thrumming with desire. I lifted up just enough to reach his mouth. His lips devoured mine, and I grabbed onto his impossibly broad shoulders. Without breaking the kiss, he gripped my hips and entered me with one thrust.

I cried out, my back arching off the bed. He stopped to give me time to adjust, but I immediately started moving against him, needing the friction. He smoothly thrust in and out of me, and our bodies seemed to melt into each other until I couldn’t tell where I ended and he began. Just as my release felt within reach, he slowed his pace and nibbled on my neck and collarbone.

Reaching up, I yanked on his hair in retaliation. Nicholas chuckled, then continued tormenting me with his tongue and teeth and hands. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I grabbed his ass and drew him to me while running my tongue along the seams of his lips. He finally gave in and thrust faster, rougher. I clung to his shoulders, and it only took the faintest brush of his fingers against my clit for me to shatter. He followed me over the edge before dropping onto his elbows to keep from crushing me.

Once his breathing was under control, he placed a tender kiss on my lips, then disappeared into the bathroom. Suddenly chilled, I pulled the sheet up and didn’t even try to hide the grin rising to the surface. That had been pretty freaking perfect.

Nicholas returned and slid under the sheets, pulling me into his arms. “Please tell me we can do that again. Soon.”

“I guarantee it.”