"You red leather rocket,
You little foxy queen,
Everybody's watching pretty little thing."
Niccolo's POV
Tonight was supposed to be a simple casual, planned out night. Tino and I would come, play some pool, drink some beers, then head home for the bonfire happening on the beach. Simple. Nowhere in the night was I expecting this. Her. Nothing about her is simple. The instant she enters a room, her confidence demands admiration. Everybody has an urge to look at her, at least once. The beauty of it all, she doesn't care if people want to or not, whether they like or hate what they see. She is unapologetically her own person, oozing a captivating presence that subconsciously seduces you.
Now, here I am struggling to breathe in the stifling atmosphere that is her. I have never met a woman so sure of herself, so alluring to the point of mental paralysis. And that alone is the sexiest thing a woman could embody. This is why I say she is off-limits. It's a dangerous territory to venture into when you don't want to be catching any form of feelings. Where you don't want to be understood by another, you don't want another to read you or discern the real you.
Tino handed me a beer, which I immediately took a long swig from. He mumbled something about breaking, I was too preoccupied to care. I watched as she spoke with my sister, Elena whispering in her ear ever so often. They would chuckle before taking sips of their ciders. Her long dark hair was loose with full-bodied and bouncy waves. She had a pair of black and white abstract patterned pants, a white strapless crop top which was finished off with a black snake patterned sleeveless leather jacket. At the moment, she sat on one of the bar stools, her legs open with her boots balancing on each side stretcher of the stool. She had her hands resting flat in between her legs, swaying ever so slightly back and forth. She looked up, catching me staring at her and proceeded to confidently hold my gaze.
I'm unsure of how long we were like this before I tore my eyes from her as I noticed Camila walking into the bar, heading towards us. She hugged the girls, greeting us from where they stood. They huddled in a triangle form, holding a secretive conversation. I heard the knocking of balls hitting each other, as well as the sides of the pool table. This caught my attention and I composed myself before standing, pool stick in hand.
We began playing the game as Tino managed to sink a solid colored ball as he took the first shot. We alternated between each other at each turn, Sierra and Elena doing the same. Cami was too busy chatting up other men to be bothered. However, I noticed this irritated Tino. They have had an off and on type of fling happening between them, even though he tries so hard to deny it. He's my cousin and I know him. But he is so stubborn, not allowing himself to truly open up to someone. Cami is the type to give off a 'fuck you' attitude when she feels hurt, insulted or upset. So, I know this flirting was deliberate for him to see. His distraction caused him to miss a couple of shots.
Elena had one or two lucky shots. She isn't the best player and she just enjoys the game. However, Sierra was experienced. She knew how to play, how to judge the angles and the right amount of pressure to use to achieve her outcomes. I was impressed and this wasn't going to be an easy win, but it would be a win none the less. We were down to 3 balls each. By this time, Tino and Cami had disappeared and Elle had left to take a phone call. I leaned over, placing the tip of the stick in between my fingers, eyeing up the direction I needed. Just before pulling back and hitting the white ball, I felt a body brush up against me from behind. At first, I thought it was someone trying to get past with the crowds surrounding us. However, I looked up noticing Sierra wasn't in her original spot. I remained in my leaning stance, looking to my left and right and unsuccessfully locating her.
That's when the body behind me shifted further to my side, her nails tracing a line across my shoulder blades. In my peripheral vision, I noticed those abstract patterns and the soft luscious bare skin of her torso. She was so close that if I turned my head to my left I would be able to feel that skin underneath my lips. I closed my eyes before she leaned over, rubbing herself against my bicep, whispering into my ear causing me to snap my eyes open.
"Do you plan on taking the shot there?" Her voice held a smooth velvet-like tone. She knew exactly what she was doing, and for a moment I forgot what I was trying to do.
I stood up straight, placing my stick diagonally across the corner of the table. I had yet to turn to face her but I could see she stood there confidently. I was determined to break her. In a swift movement, I caged her body between mine and the table, lifting her onto the side of it with my hands under her arms. I noticed her facial expression change and scrunch up stupefyingly. She snapped her eyes to mine, ready to let loose with that feistiness within. Before she got a chance to, I leaned further into her causing her to place her hands flat on the table behind her to stabilize herself.
"If you want to play games, be prepared to end them too," I growled at her, shooting my gaze from her eyes to her lips.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I was trying to end this game of pool though." She shrugged her shoulders, once again regaining that confident composure.
I smirked, looking to my side for a brief moment. Without warning my hands landed on her thighs, just above her knees. My hand covered most of it as I squeezed where my thumb and middle finger were placed. Her body reacted in a quick jerk, her hands going straight to my wrists attempting to pull them off, as she hissed in the middle of a partial giggle.
"Oh, did I find a delicate spot?" I taunted her, squeezing once more.
"Ok, Niccolo this is not funny. Stop it!" She tried her best to stifle the laughs fighting to escape.
Something about the way she said my full name with her accent that stirred a feeling within, intoxicating me with impure thoughts and needs. I quickly let go, stepping away from her and creating a good distance between our bodies. This is why I need boundaries around her. Why these dangerous waters cannot be swum in.
"Play fair!" I pointed my index finger in her direction before picking up my pool stick.
I used my hand to gesture for her to leave this side of the table. She was still sitting on it, staring into my eyes. Don't challenge me, Princess. Don't do it. She slowly jumped off and made her way back to her stool. Good girl. At this point, Tino and Cami reappeared from fuck knows where. They scanned the table, getting an idea of where the game stood. I took my original position to take my shot. I hit the white ball, sinking the solid red one in the process. However, I missed my second attempt at a shot.
Sierra rose from her stool, eyeing the table to distinguish which balls she should go for next. She sunk 2 of her balls, missing the third and last one. This time, she stayed standing from the anxiety filling her as we reached closer to the end of the game. My shot was on the opposite side, giving me a full view of her. Leaning over, I watched her taking off her jacket, chucking it onto the stool, exposing her shoulders. She grabbed her hair with her right hand from behind, gathering the whole lot and bringing it all to one side. Her left shoulder stood bare, her skin glowing and begging to be bitten into. This, however, was done innocently as she concentrated on the table before her while placing her thumbnail in between her teeth. For fucks sake, she looks more beautiful in her natural state than in her playful one. Her playful side is meant for a good time, meant to be sexy which it is. Her beautiful side is one that deserves to be worshipped and watched throughout the days that pass.
I close my eyes, taking in a deep breath, then opening them to encompass my view onto my solid yellow ball. I took a shot on impulse, misjudging the pressure and sinking the white ball as well. Shit! Her face immediately lit up, a smug look spreading across her lips as she waited for the white ball to come out on her side. She had one ball left to sink before the black one, with two attempts that I just handed to her on a silver platter. As expected, she sunk her last striped ball and was now taking her position to take out the black one. She placed the tip of the stick in between her delicate fingers, swiping the stick back and forth to gain the desired momentum.
She looked up at me through her eyelashes before taking the shot, sinking the black one with the white following behind. I started getting excited until it stopped at the brim of the hole. Damn it. Out of the blue, I hear Elena scream from behind me in joy. Where the fuck did she come from? She patted me on the back with a wide grin.
"Better luck next time, Fratello."
She practically skipped to Sierra, pulling her into a bopping hug as they laughed with Cami and Elle praising her.
"What happened there Cugino (cousin)?" Tino placed his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it.
"Don't even ask. Where the fuck were you?" I turned to face him.
"Oh, you know. Teaching someone a lesson." He winked at me as I shook my head.
Elena had gone with Cami to the bar while Sierra sat on the stool, typing ferociously away on her phone indicating her irritation with its contents. The girls returned from the bar, a rack of shots in their hands. I am not in the mood for drunk females tonight. I'm cutting them off right after this set.
They placed the shots on the table, laying them out for each other. Tino and I made our way towards them, stopping to lean against the pool table that was a couple of steps away. I crossed my arms over my chest while listening to their conversation.
"What happened to Vodka?" Sierra questioned them, slipping her phone into her pocket.
"Ask Cami! She wanted BJ's and made a scene with me." Elena shot Camila a glare.
"Oh, stop whining! These are much tastier." Camila waved her hand around Elena's face, causing her to huff.
They got ready to take the shots, both Camila and Elena preparing themselves with their hands around the glass.
"How often do you have these?" Sierra asked, a mischievous grin on her face.
"All the time." Camila shrugged.
"So then, why are your hands involved?" Sierra raised one brow at them.
"Oh! You take them the traditional way! I am totally down for that! Pun intended!" Camila exclaimed causing the girls to laugh.
"Please tell me what is happening is not what I think it is," I whispered to Tino, my eyes never leaving Sierra.
"Oh, it's happening. It's definitely happening." Tino shifted on the spot.
"For the love of God..." I trailed off.
I wanted to walk away. It would have been better to do that, but my curiosity was too stimulated at the thoughts of what was to come. I watched as Sierra linked her hands behind her back after swiping all her hair to one side. Her head dipped down, wrapping her mouth around the top of the shot glass. She lifted the shot, tipping her head back, allowing the liquid to smoothly fall into the back of her throat. I thought that was the worst of it done until I noticed her tongue swirl inside the glass, licking up the remnants of cream and liqueur. Good God...
She brought the glass back down, her hair now falling all around her face. Before taking the second one, she whipped her head back, her hair flinging behind her. She turned her head to the side, her face facing in my direction as her hair followed suit, cascading down the other side. She then wrapped her mouth around the second glass and swiftly lifted it as she held it in place with her lips pressed against the side. Watching this whole scene repeat itself was one thing, having her look right at me into my eyes while bringing the glass back down was a whole other thing! Bitch did this on purpose!
I looked at her in disbelief as she placed the glass down. Her hands came from behind her, wiping away some cream left on her bottom lip then sucking the tip of her finger. I was so fucking turned on, it was beginning to ache with the restriction of space. The smug smirk on her lips told me everything I needed to know. She didn't need to look in my direction again, she made her intentions perfectly clear. She knew she had undeniably won this battle. She wants to play this game, then we shall play. I will start a fucking war, babe.