Page 25 of SINS & Temptation

Dory, having inhaled her cannoli in a few ravenous bites, leaves me standing here like a greedy child caught red-handed, a tray of cannolis in one hand and a nibbled one in the other.

“It’s not what it looks like,” I stammer, my cheeks flushing with warmth.

“It looks like two women gossiping as if the world is their cannoli.” Enzo steps closer, his presence overwhelming, and plucks the tray from my grip, handing it to Dory. “We’ll join you in a minute.”

Recognizing her cue, she exits with a subtle wink and a sweet smile, biting into another cannoli as she leaves. When she’s gone, his eyes lock onto mine. “What did she tell you?”

I don’t want anyone to get in trouble. “Nothing. I mean, other than you’ve always been a control freak.”

He sweeps my hair behind my shoulder, his gaze fixing on my heart-shaped freckle. “Lies,” he whispers, his breath feathering my skin.

Goosebumps scatter across my arms, and the electricity between us could power all of Italy. When his eyes fall to my lips, I nibble them nervously.

Softly, he takes my hand, gently pulls the cannoli from my fingers, and devours most of it in one bite.

“Hey,” I object, giggling as he chews.

“Are you kidding me? Those vultures will hoover them up in three minutes flat,” he says, his words muffled by the mouthful of cannoli. Then, with surprising tenderness, he feeds me the last bite.

His expression shifts, a frown creasing his brow as he checks his watch again. “I need to leave.”

“I know.”

He doesn’t pull away and neither do I. It’s as if neither of us wants this fragile tether between us to break. Slowly, he begins to turn, heading for the door.

I can’t let him leave like this, thinking some part of me is pissed at him when he’s probably about to dive into something incredibly dangerous.

I can’t let him leave like this, thinking I’m pissed at him when he’s about to dive headfirst into a storm. Rescuing me from Andre was risky enough, but ripping countless innocent women from Andre’s clutches? That’s not just dangerous—he’s asking for an all-out war.

“Enzo, wait.”

The second he turns around, I kiss him, pouring all my desperation and fear into it. Then he’s kissing me, fierce and unrestrained, totally losing control.

He slams me up against the wall, the impact sending a shiver down my spine. His hand cradles my neck, fingers threading through my hair, while the other tightens around my waist, pulling me flush against him, forcing me to feel every inch of his hard cock.

It’s nothing but scorching heat—hunger and raw emotion colliding in a frenzy of everything we want to tell each other, but can’t say.

My hands grip his shoulders, clinging to him as if he’s my only anchor in a storm. Every touch, every kiss, feels so impossibly right.

His breath sears my skin as his mouth moves down my jaw, nipping and kissing, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

My heart races, pounding damn near out of my chest as his hand makes its way to my breast. Instinctively, I wrap a leg around him, gripping his hair, wanting him so bad, I can hardly breathe.

Knock-knock. “Sir, it’s time.”

Enzo steps back from me in a rush, the fog of arousal dissipating like smoke. His eyes, now cold and distant, avoid mine entirely. “Yes. It’s time.” He clears his throat, the shift in his demeanor stark. “Is the jet ready?”

Jet? How far is he going?

The bodyguard nods. “The pilot is on standby. Your brother is in the car.”

Enzo straightens, collecting himself with a swift, practiced efficiency. He pauses for only a second before saying, “Let’s go.”

No lingering gaze. No last look. As abruptly as snapping off a twig, he breaks away and leaves.

The molten mess of me crumbles as each fragment of my heart splinters with raw, jagged pain.

This is Enzo.

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