Page 64 of Gilded Princess

“Don’t get it twisted, Leo. I wasn’t the one who cornered you and stole a kiss underneath a willow tree.”

His jaw clenches and he pushes up from his faux relaxed position to stand in front of the couch. “Stole? Stole a kiss?”

I lift a shoulder and an eyebrow but keep my mouth shut. It’s a dare, and I’d bet my inheritance that he’ll rise to the challenge.

He eliminates the space between us in three steps. Some of the rage in his body visibly deflates. But I’m not sure if it’s another act or not. He leans toward me, close enough to feel the heat from his body. Leo’s like the sun he throws off so much heat. One of these days, I know I’ll get burned.

But not today.

“Oh, baby, we both know it was a mutual meeting of lips,” he murmurs.

I stare at his lips for a beat, imagining them against mine. “And teeth.”

He takes another step toward me, and I hold my ground even though the urge to back up pounds at my legs. You know that feeling when your instincts kick in, when they flip their switch and yell at you to run because there’s a predator in your vicinity?

It kind of feels like that right now. Surprisingly, I don’t hate it.

He steps into me, his big body brushing against mine in the most tantalizing way. Leaning down, he grazes his nose from my collarbone to my ear and whispers, “And we also both know that I could’ve taken you underneath that tree if I wanted to.”

My lashes flutter and my breath hitches at the imagery he just offered, and my voice wavers. “No. Never.”

His big palms slide around my waist and settle on my lower back, pulling me flush against him. My back arches, and I gasp at the contact. My eyes flash open, connecting with Dante’s first. He captures my attention, and I miss whatever Leo whispers against my skin.

My blood pounds in my ears, drowning everything out. All I can do is focus on the way Leo feels against me and the way Dante looks at me. It’s a heady combination, and I let my imagination run wild for a few precious seconds. My body feels both heavy and dizzy with lust.

Dante’s expression shifts so drastically that it takes me a moment to catch on. His brows drop low over his eyes and he stands up faster than I can blink.

“Matteo.” Dante’s voice cracks like a whip through the room, dissipating some of the haze.

I feel Leo stiffen, his muscles bunching underneath my palms. Jesus, I don’t even remember sliding them up his chest like that. I can’t see Matteo from this angle, but a thread of anxiety punctures my desire.

“That better not be a fucking gun in my back, or we’re going to have a fucking problem, brother.” Leo practically spits the words through gritted teeth a few inches from my skin.

Tingles race down my spine, and I can’t tell if it’s from Leo or the mention of a gun.

“Oh, we already have a problem. Get your fucking hands off of my girl,” Matteo growls out.

Leo pulls back and whirls around, getting in Matteo’s face. “Your girl? You miss the part in story time where I had my girl’s pussy rubbing against my cock last week?”

“Shut the fuck up, or I swear—”

“What? You’ll what? Shoot me? Go ahead, motherfucker.” Leo’s words are coated in venom and dripping with derision. He holds his arms out to the side, taunting Matteo.

I stare between the two of them in disbelief, my jaw dropping. I step in the middle of the three of them, their testosterone-filled triangle standoff suffocating.

“Jesus, what is wrong with you guys?! And why the hell do you have a gun out?” I pin Matteo with a scathing glare. “I don’t care how mad you are, that’s no excuse to point a gun at us.”

Matteo clenches his jaw and tips his chin up. “I’d never point a gun at you. I was giving my brother a warning.”

My eyebrows hit my hairline. “Next time, try using your words instead of throwing a temper tantrum. And you.” I spin around to face Leo. “Your little flex was unnecessary. You didn’t need to tell them like that.”

Leo narrows his eyes, and after a moment, nods once. I guess that’s all I’m going to get from him right now. One more to go. Turning to face Dante, I put my hand on my hip and say, “And you could’ve intervened and dissolved it.”

I look at each of them one more time before giving in to my desire to flee the situation. I don’t really know what else to say, and with the way my hormones are ruling over my common sense, I know that if I don’t get out of here now, I’m going to do something I’m not quite ready for.

At the hallway, I look over my shoulder and see that they haven’t moved yet. All three of them stare at me with an intensity I wasn’t expecting.

A shiver works its way down my back, and I can’t deny it any longer. I enjoy having their attention on me.

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