Page 69 of Christmas Vows with the Devil

He glances at me, shaking his head slightly but I see right through him.

“Did he tell you not to tell me?”

The guy fidgets with his knife, uncomfortable.

“Fine,” I say, throwing my shoulders back. “I’ll show out myself.”

He presses his hand against the large wooden door, stopping me in my tracks.

“No one goes in, no one goes out,” he says in a clipped accent. “Boss’ orders.”

“Do you know who I am?”

He nods, unimpressed. This kid thinks he’s going to stop me? I don’t even feel bad for what I do next. I huff, spinning around like I’m going back to my room and he relaxes, leaning against the door. With one quick move, I whip around and knee him in the crotch, sending him down to the floor in agony.

I slip out the door and run for the elevator, but he doesn’t follow. It feels like an eternity before I reach the parking level of Dante’s building.I hope I’m not too late.

I burst out of the lobby and into the garage, my eyes wildly scanning for Dante or his car. Suddenly, the rich, heavy scent of tobacco wafts over me and I follow it. Dante’s leaning against a dark SUV, smoking a cigarette—all nonchalance and manliness.

He glances up and does a double-take, dropping the cigarette. “Gia, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Where are you going?” I ask, my voice low, angry, as I march up to him.

“To finish this. He doesn’t get to walk away from this one, Gia. He’s taken too much.”

Frustration rips through me and I growl, pushing him against the car. I get in his face, trying to be as threatening as possible with my puffy eyes and crazy hair.

“Dante, you can’t just confront him head-on. Not now, not like this. It’s what he wants,” I say. “You’re acting on emotion, irrationally. What if this ruins our chances of saving Matteo? We have to be smart!”

He pushes forward, his eyes blazing. “And I’m supposed to just let him go, let him take my son?” His voice is raw, thick witha desperation that makes my heart twist. “I can’t do that, Gia. I won’t.”

“I’m not asking you to let this go. But running out there now, with nothing but anger? That’s exactly what he expects.” I take his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. “We’ll get Matteo back, Dante. But you can’t do this alone.”

“I’mIl Diavolo,” he spits, his rage simmering. “I can do anything I fucking want to.”

“You’re Dante,” I try again. “Matteo’s father. The love of my life. A good man. Please.”

His gaze softens slightly, the anger still there but tempered. His jaw unclenches as he looks down at me, taking in my words. He reaches up, covering my hands with his, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. The tension eases a little, replaced by something heavier, deeper.

“A good man would tear the world apart to save his son,” he says quietly and nudges me away, slipping into the SUV. I stomp my foot and let out a scream of frustration.This man is impossible.

Quickly, I dart around to the passenger’s side and climb in beside him. “Fine, then I’m coming too.”

His eyes shut as he leans back against the headrest, rubbing his temples.

“Get out of the car.”

“No. If you’re going to act like a fool, I’m going to be there to back you up.”

“Get the hell out of the car, Gia!” His voice is rough, angry, but I don’t care.

A long time ago, when I was a teenager, Aunt Carla gave me some very questionable advice. She told me that if I’m ever in a fight with my husband, all I need to do is walk into the room topless and he’ll forget everything. Dante might not be my husband, but I’m out of ideas.

I swing over the middle console and straddle him, whipping off my hoodie. Dante’s eyes lose focus immediately and he stares at me, open-mouthed and confused. Then I kiss him with everything I’ve got in me. It’s aggressive, hard, and he matches my anger.

His fingers slide up to cup my breasts immediately, his hands rough against my sensitive skin. He pulls and twists at my nipples, massaging my tits, biting my neck. I grind into him, the thin fabric of my sleep shorts twisting aside.

His breath is ragged as I fumbled with his zipper, unleashing him and sliding onto him without a second thought. For a second, we both freeze, breathing hard, staring into each other’s eyes. All the anger, frustration, and fight has twisted into a beautiful frenzy.

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