Page 54 of Sinister Intentions

Flirting with danger was a thrill.

But at the same time, my body was calm, not panicked at all.

Gathering what little resolve I had left, I met his gaze in the mirror. “I saw you…shaking your ass for your friend,” I blurted out. “I thought maybe I could get some pictures to blackmail you with.”

Vince’s brows shot up, and for a moment, I thought I saw surprise flicker across his features. But then, he threw his head back and laughed, a deep, rich sound that reverberated throughout his body and mine.

“You thought you’d catch me in flagranti?” He chuckled, shaking his head.

I huffed, which only made him laugh harder.

“Dom is an attractive man,” he said, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

I frowned, unsure if he was teasing me or not.

“But he isn’t your lover.” Vince considered me for a few seconds. “Disappointed?”

I cocked my head to the side, refusing to be baited. “A girl can always fantasize.”

His grin widened, and he leaned down until his lips were mere inches from my ear. “Maybe we should put on a show just for you,” he murmured, his voice low and rough. “Or is it a threesome that floats your boat?”

I felt my cheeks flush at the implication, but I couldn’t help but be fascinated by how unfazed he was by my accusations. Most men would have fallen all over themselves to declare their heterosexuality or manliness.

As if sensing my thoughts, Vince asked, “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“Nothing,” I said because I sure as shit wouldn’t tell Vince there was something I admired about him. His ego was doing just fine without additional flattery.

He chuckled again, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. “Dom’s a spectacular lover,” he said, his eyes dancing with mischief.

Wait, what…how would he know that?

He suddenly let go and put some space between us. “Sadly, you’ll be a married woman soon, so you’ll never get the chance to find out.”

The words were like a bucket of ice water, and I glared at him, but he simply tapped my forehead with his index finger. “You look pretty even when you’re frowning,” he murmured, then as if he’d touched a hot stove and got burned, he jerked his finger away from my skin.

The elevator dinged, signaling our arrival on the ground floor, the doors slid open, and with a jerk of his head, he motioned for me to follow him out of the building and onto the sidewalk.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

When we exited the elevator, there were four men, all dressed in black, who immediately snapped to attention but relaxed when Vince shook his head. “We’re going to walk there,” he said, which sounded like all of them knew our destination already.

All of them but me. “I definitely should meet up with Fee and Alex; they’re probably out of their minds worrying about me,” I said.

He smirked at me. “They know you’re with me, and we’ll be meeting up with them anyway.”

He put his arm around my waist and led me outside.

The crisp autumn air caressed my face as we stepped out of Vince’s apartment building directly onto the boardwalk along the Hudson.

I couldn’t help but pause, awestruck by the breathtaking view that unfolded before us. The river glistened under the warm afternoon sunlight. There were many people around, the gentle buzz of conversations a soothing backdrop.

“Where exactly are we?” I asked, my gaze sweeping along the buildings that lined up along the river. “And what did you mean by ‘we’ll walk there?’”

Vince fell into step beside me, Picca trotting happily at his side. “This is the Battery Park City Esplanade,” he replied, his voice low and smooth. With a sweep of his hand, he gestured to the imposing building we’d just exited. “This is where I live.”

My eyes followed his motion, taking in the sleek lines and red façade of the building. It radiated an understated elegance that somehow perfectly suited the man beside me. The building wasn’t flashy or extravagant—more like sturdy, understated, and sophisticated…a perfect façade hiding secrets.

Despite my determination to remain guarded around Vince, I found myself strangely drawn to the unexpected sides of this man. Why would he bring me into his home? Why give me glimpses when I was pretty sure he usually didn’t let people behind his defenses so easily?

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