Page 45 of SINS & Temptation

Both girls’ faces light up with pure delight as Truffles appears, front and center, as if delivered by Amazon. They squeal with excitement, their eyes sparkling with joy, and race toward him.

Enzo seizes the moment, grabbing my arm and pulling me close, his hot breath grazing my ear. “We still have unfinished business, Bella. And I’m taking care of it.”

“When?”

“Tonight.”

After stuffing ourselves with pizza and an assortment of cookies, Enzo watches as I teach Sofia and Lili a flurry of dance moves. The girls twirl and giggle, their faces lit with pure joy, their laughter echoing clear down the hall.

Enzo leans against the wall, arms crossed, a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips as he watches us. Or rather, watches me.

I guide the girls through a few moves, my usual method to gauge a little dancer’s potential and see if they’ve had some training. Then I join Enzo and watch with delight.

Sofia moves with stunning grace, her dark hair cascading like a dancer’s veil, her steps infused with a melancholy exuberance. Every motion she makes is a blend of elegance and a quiet sorrow.

Lili, on the other hand, is a whirlwind of energy, her boundless enthusiasm radiating with every step. She mirrors each move her sister makes, infusing them with her unique flair, her curls bouncing wildly in sync with her exuberance.

“They’re naturals,” I remark, captivated by how effortlessly they execute each move. “Dance was always my escape. My safe space.”

I sense Enzo’s gaze before I meet his eyes. His golden eyes warm with barely a smile, sending a rush of warmth through me. “And now, you’ve given them a safe space.”

In this moment of soft words and tender emotions, my heart swells with feelings for this man. Despite the thick sweatshirt and jeans I threw on before lunch, a shiver runs through me the instant his fingers brush mine.

By early evening, we retreat to an extravagant home theater I didn’t even known existed, concealed in the lower level. Sheesh, how big is this place?

“We all need a safe space,” Enzo says. And I suppose he’s right. Enzo, his family, his team—they’ve carved out these pockets of sanctuary, ensuring safety when they’re most vulnerable.

I feel closer to him. As trapped as I’ve felt, it’s as if his entire existence is confined within one immense cage, squeezing tightly around his broad shoulders, leaving me wondering how he breathes through it all.

The plush seats and state-of-the-art sound system are definite perks, but it’s the movie—an animated classic not yet in theaters—that seals the deal.

As the opening credits roll, the girls snuggle in under plush blankets, their eyes wide as they fight a flurry of yawns.

Truffles curls up at their feet, his tail thumping lazily.

Surprisingly, Enzo takes his place in the middle, his broad frame occupying more space than seems fair, creating a comforting barrier around him.

Sofia’s eyelids flutter, Lili’s head nods forward, and Truffles stretches out, surrendering to sleep. Even Enzo seems more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him, even with them all sticking to him like refrigerator magnets.

“I’ll be back,” I whisper, tiptoeing out of the room. I need to grab my phone and snap about a hundred shots of this. I’m in my room for only a moment when I see no less than a dozen calls from the ever-annoying Agent Knox.

“Everything alright?” Enzo’s voice rumbles through the room, startling me. I quickly shove my phone into my bag. I don’t want the epitome of a possessive Alpha male to know I’m being agitated by a Fed. Who knows what would happen?

I turn around, and my mouth falls open.

Here he is, Enzo Ares D’Angelo, displayed in all his magnificent glory like a tempting, unwrapped Christmas gift. His shirt hangs open and untucked, revealing a tantalizing trail of dark hair that leads down, down, down.

With his belt discarded, the dark band of his briefs peeking out, just one provocative glimpse has my pulse racing.

“Alright?” Hell yeah, it is. I swallow hard. “Everything’s fine.”

“You sure?” His warm hands cradle my cheeks, and I inhale deeply, his intoxicating scent enveloping me in a dizzying swirl. “You look flushed.”

“Just”—Stunned stupid? Horny?—“wondering how you escaped being sandwiched.”

“I tucked pillows against them. Trinity used to cling to me like superglue, too.” He runs a hand through his tousled hair, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. “There are three more movies in the queue, and Dory is keeping an eye on them.”

“Oh?”

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