Nicco

Ch. 14: Who the Fuck is Jaime?

NICCO

Over the next few moments, I feel torn as I observe my assistant. Regret mixes with indignation. Her soft expression hardens, but, tactfully, Aria supplies in light, unaffected tones, "If you're hungry, then we should eat."

Without another word, she reaches for my trousers and fishes out her panties from the pocket, her legs slide off of my lap, and, immediately, I miss the weight and warmth of her body on mine. I tuck in my cock and zip up my pants. Paying me no mind, Aria gets partially dressed again and returns to her chair wearing only her shirt and underwear.

Oh, fuck me.

My assistant is not even trying to seduce me at this moment, she might even be upset with me, but already I am distracted by her long, bare legs and shapely ass. The tiny scrap of lace that is her underwear does nothing to hide her feminine curves. With her back to me, she walks away, and every step she takes, every sway of her hips, is grace and sensuality defined. My hands itch to pull her back on my lap and—

No.

I am not an animal. I am a gentleman. Surely, I can keep my eyes and hands to myself over the next thirty minutes of our meal.

Aria takes her seat, and I pour her a glass of wine. We begin to eat. After a few bites, Aria's eyes close, and her chewing slows down. She seems to be savoring every flavor of each dish. It is clear that she is a girl who loves to eat. Aria's obvious enjoyment is infectious. It melts away some of my surliness.

"How is your dinner?" I ask quietly.

Aria breathes out, "Fucking delicious. You've outdone yourself, Nicco."

Pleasing her, again, pleases me. A smile pulls at my lips, but I refuse to let it out. The food should be fucking delicious. Earlier today, I hired a private chef to prepare everything for us. From scratch.

This was all I wanted, really. To make Aria happy. To see my girl enjoy herself. Against my better judgment, it makes me want to engage with her some more. Perhaps, I reason with myself, if I can draw out a few of Aria's secrets, then I will finally be able to overcome this ridiculous infatuation of mine.

I recall what my assistant once said to me about her parents.

My mum and dad expect... perfection.

As her admissions echo through my mind, I decide to ask about her childhood, hoping to uncover some of the mystery that is Aria Yue Senarath.

"My childhood?" she repeats.

I nod, taking a bite of my pasta. "What was it like?"

Aria sips her wine and shrugs. A rosy glow kisses her cheeks. She is on her second glass for the night. "Nothing special. My parents got divorced when I was a kid, so I lived with my mum during the school year and visited my dad over the summers. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"I imagine you grew up very differently from me," she notes in droll tones.

"I suppose you could say that I had a blessed upbringing. My parents showered my sister and me with everything we could ever want."

Aria teases, "Did you go to a private boarding school in Switzerland and vacation in San Tropez?"

I grin sheepishly. "Maybe?"

She is not too far off the mark. In high school, my parents sent me to several different boarding schools across Europe, including one in Switzerland, and I have been to San Tropez more than once.

"Where did you go to school?" I ask.

Her gray eyes dim as she gives a slight pause. "A place called... Hawkins Prep. Hawkins isn't quite on par with boarding schools in Switzerland, but it was pretty elite for San Francisco."