Prince of Hearts Page 5

  And I really didn’t expect to like it so damn much.

  I kicked the starter and the bike rumbled to life beneath us. Lina let out a little shriek of excitement as I took off down the road. I wasn’t lying earlier when I’d told Enzo I wanted to ride, to clear my head. But now I had Lina on the back of my bike, I imagined taking the road out of town and hitting the highway. Miles and miles of open road. Just me. My bike.

  And my girl.

  Lina wasn’t mine though, even if part of me wanted her to be. Something deep inside me already felt tethered to her. Protective and possessive. It didn’t make any sense. None of it. And it wasn’t like I could act on it. She was too good for a guy like me.

  Somewhere around halfway to her dorm, she pressed her cheek against my back, gripping me tighter. I almost felt disappointed when we finally rolled into the small parking lot behind Donatello House. I hadn’t gone around front to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention. I cut the engine and heavy silence filled the space between us.

  “Wow, that was... wow.” Lina climbed off the bike and pulled off the helmet, shaking out her curls. “I had no idea it could be so invigorating.” A slow smile broke over her face. “You’ll have to take me on a proper ride sometime. I mean... if you want.” Embarrassment stained her cheeks, and I chuckled. I was pretty sure there was a joke in there somewhere, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment.

  “You look good on my bike,” I said.

  And that I fucking meant.

  “Thanks for the ride.”

  I tucked the helmet into my chest and gave her a small nod. “You should go inside.” My eyes flicked beyond her to the door.

  “I think I’ll have to go around front.”

  “Your key operates both doors.”

  “Oh, okay.” Lina rocked on her kitten heeled boots. I couldn’t resist letting my eyes sweep down her body again. She was everything I could never have.

  Everything I’d never wanted.

  Until now.

  I swallowed, lifting my gaze to hers. “Go on.”

  “Goodnight, Nicco.” Lina smiled.

  “Goodnight.”

  She didn’t move. Her eyes didn’t leave me even for a second. Slowly, she walked over to me and slid her hand against my face. “Thank you, for coming to my rescue again.” There was a playful lilt in her voice.

  “Anytime, Bambolina.” I smirked but it was wiped away when Lina leaned in, her lips brushing my cheek. She hesitated just for a second, but it was enough for me to turn my head and let my lips slide against hers.

  Rookie. Fucking. Mistake.

  The moment I tasted her, everything shifted. All I could think about now was pulling her down on my bike and devouring her. She tasted too good. Too tempting.

  She tasted like my fucking downfall.

  “Nicco.” My name was a whisper against my lips as I ran my tongue against the seam of her mouth. My hand slid into Lina’s hair, anchoring her to me as I kissed her deeper, harder. Her body shuddered, a soft sigh getting lost between us. I wanted to paint her skin with my lips, brand every inch of her. This wasn’t even a real kiss. It was fleeting and cautious. But I already knew I wanted more.

  I wanted everything this girl—this stranger—had to give.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered when I paused, my lips hovering over the corner of her mouth. “Nicco, what are—”

  I jerked back as if I’d been struck by lightning. “You should go, Lina. I’ll wait until you’re inside.”

  “I see.” Her lips thinned as she stepped back, putting a thousand miles between us, the invisible tether between us almost snapping. “Well, I guess I’ll be going then.” She didn’t hesitate this time. Lina walked away from me with her head held high, without so much as a backward glance.

  It was no less than I deserved, but it hurt all the same.

  I wanted her.

  I wanted Lina the way I’d never wanted another girl before. But I couldn’t be that guy. I couldn’t give her hearts and flowers and romance.

  I couldn’t be the prince she deserved, because my life wasn’t a fairytale.

  It was the stuff nightmares were made of.

  Chapter 5

  Arianne

  “G ood night?” I peeked over at Nora as she slipped into our dorm room wearing an oversized MU hoodie and her shoes from the night before.

  “Oh. My. God. The best.” She flopped down on the bed, arms stretched out by her sides, a dreamy expression plastered on her face. “I think I’m in love.”

  “With Kaiden?”

  “With his tongue. Seriously, Ari, he did this thing—”

  “Whoa, too much information.” My cheeks heated, my stomach clenching. “You stayed over?”

  “He brought me breakfast in bed. Can you believe that?”

  “That’s... nice.” At least, it seemed like a nice thing to do. It wasn’t like I had experience. I’d barely even been kissed.

  Nicco kissed you.

  Technically, I’d kissed him first, but still, I could vividly remember the way his lips felt against mine. The roughness of his day-old stubble against my soft skin. The way tingles had zipped through me, firing off in all directions. It was imprinted on my mind.

  He was imprinted on my mind.

  Unfortunately, the look of regret as he’d jerked away from me was also imprinted there.

  One thing was certain though, Nicco gave me whiplash.

  “Ari?”

  “Sorry, what?”

  “I was telling you all about Kaiden and you’re over there, lost in your own thoughts. Wouldn’t happen to be thinking about a certain brooding hotty who practically dragged you out of the party, would you?” Nora pushed up on her elbows, grinning at me.

  “Who, Nicco?”

  “Oh, he has a name. Nicco, you say? Funny because the two of you looked far too close to be new acquaintances, and yet I’ve heard nothing about a guy called Nicco. Spill.”

  “There’s nothing to spill, not really. He helped me out... the other night.”

  “The other night?” Her brows pinched. “But we’ve only been here two nights... no,” she gasped. “He helped you out with the Scott situation? But you said you came straight here.”

  “It was confusing.”

  “I can see why you’d be confused over a guy who looks like he does.”

  “Nora!”

  “What? The guy was hot. If tall, dark, and brooding is your thing, which it obviously is.”

  “He’s very bossy.”

  “So what happened after you left the party?”

  “He gave me a ride... on his motorcycle.”

  “Sweet baby Jesus, he’s got a bike? That just upped his hotness by at least ten.”

  “You have a scale of hotness?”

  “Not important.” Nora rolled her eyes, sitting up fully. “So did anything else happen?”

  Everything and nothing, I wanted to say.

  The kiss had been unlike anything I’d ever experienced. But then, Nicco had pulled away like a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped all over him. It left a sour taste in my mouth. He felt the chemistry between us, I was almost certain he did. But he was hesitant. And I couldn’t help but wonder if I was the problem.

  “Ari...” Her brow rose.

  “We kissed.”

  “Thank God,” she shrieked with delight.

  “Seriously?”

  “Oh, come on. Nicco is totally into you and you’d be a fool to not want to sample the goods.”

  “You make it sound so crass.”

  “It’s only sex, Ari. Everyone does it.”

  “Yeah, but I want my first time to be right.”

  “I hate to disappoint you, but first times are usually a huge let down. All the fumbling and awkward condom conversation, not to mention it’s usually over in less than five minutes.”

  “At least you’ve had sex.” She’d gotten all the teenage rites of passage stolen from me: homecoming, first kisses, first base, prom, the party after prom... sex at the party after prom.

  “It’ll happen. We’re in college now, the world is your oyster.” She gave me a warm smile. “Hey, who knows, maybe Nicco will be willing to pop your cherry.”

  “Stop, just stop.” I picked up a pillow and threw it at her. Nora caught it, falling back onto the mattress in a fit of laughter.

  “Okay, I’m sorry,” she finally calmed down. “So what do we know about him?”

  “He’s a sophomore.”

  “And?”

  “He rides a motorcycle and has a cousin named Bailey. Oh, and his best friend is the guy from the coffee shop.”

  “The guy from earlier, with the intense eyes and tats? No freaking way.”

  I nodded.

  “What is he studying?”

  “I don’t know.” Okay, so maybe I didn’t know much about Nicco at all.

  “Well, he’s someone. Didn’t you see the way Kaiden almost peed his pants when Nicco warned him to behave?”

  “You didn’t ask?”

  “We didn’t exactly talk much.” Nora smirked.

  “Will you see him again?”

  “Who, Kaiden? Maybe.” She shrugged. “The sex was good, but I don’t want to tie myself down. It’s only fall semester. What about you? Will you see Nicco again?”

  That was the million-dollar question. After his strange dismissal last night, I wasn’t sure he’d seek me out again. But something deep inside me felt like our paths would cross again eventually.

  And I couldn’t deny part of me hoped they did sooner rather than later.

  BY THE TIME MONDAY morning rolled around, I’d almost forgotten about the kiss with Nicco.

  Almost.

  I found myself looking for him, hoping to catch a glimpse as I walked from building to building, class to class. Nora teased me about him constantly over text. She even asked me if I wanted her to text Kaiden and snoop, but I told her if she dared, I’d call Gio and tell him all about his baby sister’s freshman activities. He might have been off pursuing his dream of becoming the next great football player, on an all-expenses paid scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, but he was fiercely protective of Nora. Protective enough that he wouldn’t hesitate to drop everything and drive back to Verona County if he thought Nora was in trouble.

  It was lunchtime when I finally saw him. I’d arranged to meet Nora in the food court, where I found her flirting with yet another guy.

  “There you are,” I said, approaching them. “I almost didn’t see you for all the people.” I shot her a knowing look before sliding my eyes to the guy. “Hi, I’m Lina.”

  “Dan. I’ll catch you tomorrow?” he asked Nora and she nodded. “See ya.”

  He left and I turned to her. “Another guy? You work fast.”

  “Oh stop, we were talking.”

  “I heard you can catch all kinds of disgusting things from talking.”

  “So you didn’t spot hotty the second you got here?”

  “I...” My eyes flicked over to where he sat with Enzo and some other people, my brows crinkling when I noticed the girl sitting a little too closely to him.

  My stomach sank.

  “They look friendly.” Nora linked her arm through mine, guiding me toward the pasta counter.

  “He can talk to whoever he likes.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” My best friend was too busy eyeing today’s selection.

  I risked peeking over at him again, only this time, he was looking right back. His intense gaze pinned me to the spot. Our connection was severed though when Enzo nudged his ribs. He cast a dark look in my direction before commanding the attention of everyone at their table.

  Releasing a heavy sigh, I picked some lunch and followed Nora to the service counter. Once we had paid, we found an empty table. Montague had an impressive food court; something more fitting for a shopping mall. But it was no surprise really, given the college’s very private, very elite status. Montague University was built with old money.

  Old Italian money.

  Founded by the original settlers during the first wave of Italian immigrants who arrived in New England during the late eighteen hundreds, MU was on the cusp of celebrating its Centennial.

  Celebrations my father and mother had a personal hand in planning.

  “You’re sitting at the wrong table.” Sofia, the girl from the coffee shop, glared down at us.

  “Excuse me?” Nora rolled back her shoulders. “I didn’t see a sign that said it was taken.”

  “Well,” Sofia flicked her hair off her shoulder, shooting her girlfriends a smug look. I noticed Emilia glaring at me as if I’d stolen her favorite toy. “I’m telling you now, we sit here.”

  “Come on, Nora, it isn’t worth it.” I grabbed my tray to get up, but Nora slammed her hand down on top of it.

  “We’re not moving, Lina. If they want to sit here, there’s plenty of room.” Her eyes went to the empty chairs.

  I might have spent the last few years locked away from the world, but I knew girls like Sofia and Emilia. They were self-absorbed and spoiled and had claws sharper than any lion.

  “Nora,” I whisper-hissed, shrinking into my seat as people around us began to stare.

  “Ladies,” Tristan appeared out of nowhere, slinging his arm over Sofia’s shoulder. “What did we miss?”

  “Oh, nothing.” Sofia smiled sweetly. “We were just telling Lina and her friend that this is our table.”

  He snorted. “Seriously, babe?”

  “What?” She pouted. “We always sit here. Everyone knows that.”

  “So let’s all sit then,” he shrugged, “there’s enough space.” Chairs scraped and people stared as Tristan and his friends began to sit down. Emilia shot around the table to take the seat at Scott’s side, smirking at me as if she’d won this round.

  “What do you possibly see in her?” Nora grumbled beneath her breath.

  “She gives great head.” Tristan grinned, leaning over to high five Scott and their friend. Sofia acted mildly offended, swatting his chest. But her anger quickly melted away as my cousin began kissing her.

  “Disgusting,” Nora said what we were both thinking.

  “So, Lina, how is your first day of classes going?” Sofia asked me, her voice saccharine sweet. The table fell quiet, watching the two us.”

  “Babe, lay off—”

  “It’s just a question, Tristan, lighten up.”

  He threw me an apologetic glance. If Tristan made a big deal out of standing up for me, it would look suspect, something I couldn’t afford.

  “It’s fine,” I said. “Classes are good, thank you.”

  I felt Scott staring at me, and I hated that Tristan wasn’t the only one who knew the truth. It wasn’t like I wanted to deceive people about who I was, but my parents agreed that it was for the best initially. At least, until I’d settled in. If people knew I was Roberto Capizola’s daughter, heir to the Capizola empire, things could turn sour for me pretty quickly. Even with Tristan’s protection.

  “What about you, Nora? How is your college experience shaping up so far?”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Nora stiffened.

  “I heard you’ve been making yourself at home, if you know what I mean.” Sofia snickered, and Scott and his friend followed suit.

  “Something you want to say?”

  “Guys talk, especially in the locker room.”

  “You mean Kaiden...” Her teeth ground together. “What an asshole.”

  “Watch your back with that one,” Scott added, “he’s known to get a little handsy. If you know what I’m saying.” His gaze found mine again, a smug expression on his face.

  A deep shudder worked through me as I averted my gaze. Thankfully, Sofia chose that moment to steal the limelight. “Oh, is that the time,” she said. “I need to go. Girls.” They got up, lingering while she made moon eyes at my cousin.

  “See you after practice?” Tristan asked her.

  “Maybe, if you’re lucky.”

  “Will I see you after practice, Scott?” Emilia made no attempt at hiding the lust in her eyes as she flipped long golden hair off her shoulder.

  “I... uh... sure, maybe.” His eyes found mine as he stumbled over the words.

  She gave him a placated smile and took off after her friends.

  “Sorry about them,” Tristan said the second they were out of earshot. “I can talk to Sofia, maybe explain—”

  “Please,” it came out a low groan, “don’t make things any harder for me than they need to be.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” He let out an exasperated breath. “I think you made a good impression the other night,” Tristan whispered out the corner of his mouth. “He hasn’t stopped talking about you.”

  I went rigid, curling my hand around the chair. “We’re just friends.”

  He chuckled. “You know he wants to be more than friends, right? It’s time to grow up and live in the real world.”

  A frown crossed my expression. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing.” He let out an exasperated breath. “It means nothing. Just give Scott a chance, yeah? Who knows, the two of you could become the golden couple of MU before the year’s out.”

  “How about you lay off my girl, Capizola?” Nora arched a brow at him. “We’ve barely been here three days.”

  “I’m done,” I announced, breaking the strange tension that had descended over the five of us. “Nora?”

  “Yeah.” She got up. “It’s a little too crowded.”

  “Watch your back, Rossi,” Tristan called after me. He was joking, I knew that, but after what happened with Scott, and the fact my cousin knew nothing about it, things between us felt wrong.

  “Who the hell do they think they are?” Nora hissed as we emptied our trays and headed out of the food court.

  “The elite of MU.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Did you see Sofia’s friend practically drooling over Scott? If only she knew...”

  “Whatever. If she wants him, she’s welcome to him.” Because one thing was for sure, I had no intention of going out with Scott Fascini ever again.

  We reached the doors, but I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder to where Nicco and his friends were sitting. Enzo was staring right at me, his eyes sharp and cold.