Page 5 of The Last Vendetta

Gazing into this woman’s dark eyes, I felt a flicker of something new. Something different. And something so addicting that I couldn’t think of stepping back.

Our Families had never seen eye to eye, but staring into hers was like walking on a tight line of the ultimate dare.

“I doubt you would be able to discern when a woman is faking it,” she quipped dryly, lowering her hooded gaze to my chest, then dragging it up to my lips. “Not that any would ever admit it.”

Oh, fuck you. I grinned, turned on by her bickering and trying to belittle me.

“How about you teach me the difference?” I reached for her waist, sliding my hand along her side and reveling in her softness. Making contact was forbidden, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t. Surrendering to the temptation of feeling her was too good to resist.

Her breath hitched, but she kept her gaze low, locked on my lips and unwavering.

“You’d admit it.”

The tip of her tongue peeked out to trace along her lips. “I would.” She cleared her throat, stepping toward me until our bodies were flush. “I’d be happy to tell you how lousy you are.”

You bitch. I grinned wider, wrapping my other arm around her. “Not as happy as I’d be to prove you wrong.”

“As if my opinions matter?” she shot back as she laid her hand on my chest.

Beneath her fingers, my heart thumped wildly. She was forbidden. Off-limits. If my father saw me with her, he’d be peeved. If her parents noticed how close we stood, they’d flip out.

But nothing could have pulled me away. Nothing. I was riveted, locked and stuck on holding on to her and showing her a fraction of the pleasure I was capable of giving.

I pushed into her, letting her feel the bulge of my dick hardening under my pants. She did this to me. Her refusal to back down. That spirit and fire to challenge me right back. This woman turned me on like no other lover ever had. “They don’t. Not at all.”

She slid her hand higher, moving it over my shoulder, almost to hug me. “Then why bother proving anything?—”

“Giulia?”

She tensed. Still and holding her breath, Giulia froze at the sound of her mother’s voice from the doors closest to the ballroom.

I already knew she was hiding, but I didn’t know how badly she wanted to keep it that way.

“Fuck.” She exhaled it as she backed away. From me. From the doors. Retreating from the threat of her mother looking for her, Giulia began to escape to the next level down.

“I doubt she’d be out here,” Rocco Acardi said, slurring already.

Dumb old drunk.

“Well, she has to be somewhere!” Isabella snapped. “Giulia!”

Gritting her teeth, she backed away. Slowly, quietly, and likely hoping I’d stay right where I was to block her.

Nope. Not happening. I wasn’t done flirting with trouble. If Giulia was the source of it, I’d chase her right into her next hiding spot.

I followed after her, making sure to block her from her parents’ view behind me. Once she realized she wasn’t running off alone, she frowned, trying to turn and hurry away faster.

As we reached the stairs, her parents’ voices dimmer in the distance, I caught her before she slipped and tripped on the first step down. Keeping her within my embrace, I hastened to take the stairs three at a time, almost carrying her with me.

“What—”

I didn’t give her a chance to reply, tucking her against the wall on the next level down.

When I came out here, I intended to have that server suck me off on this level of the smooth stone terrace overlooking the gardens.

Now that I’d happened upon Giulia looking as bored as I’d felt, I caged her against the wall instead of that stranger.

“What…?”

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