Page 104 of In Shadows We Dance

“Am I?”

His fingers slide higher up my thigh, and I gasp at the sensation.

“Think about it. The way he hides you, the way he’s trained you to stay invisible. You’ve wondered before, haven’t you? That there’s something you’re not being told.”

My fingers curl into fists at my sides. “Tell me!”

His smile widens. “Are you willing to pay for it?”

His head lowers, teeth grazing my throat as he drags my dress up another inch. My breath stills, heart hammering against my ribs.

“Yes!”

His smile is wicked as his fingers move higher, pushing the dress up. “Then, let’s begin.”

His lips hover above mine. “Your father betrayed powerful men. Men who don’t forget. Men who don’t forgive.”

“Who?”

He doesn’t answer, not directly.

“For every truth I give you, you’ll give me something in return.” His fingers stroke along the edge of my panties. “Do you understand?”

My pulse stutters, my body arching into him as my mind struggles to process the words.

“Yes.” The word is breathless. A plea.

“He went undercover,deepcover, and fell in love with the boss’s wife.” His fingers brush over the front of my panties, and the sensation sends shockwaves through me.

His fingers delve beneath the cotton, finding my clit. I gasp, my body reacting despite my brain’s struggle to keep up, my hipspressing into his touch.

“Shhh.” His lips curve against my skin. “Let me tell you everything they never wanted you to know.”

His fingers push inside me, and I bite back a moan, fingers fisting at my sides. His other hand grips my chin, forcing me to look at him while he speaks, while he fucks me with his fingers.

“Your father stole you away. Stole your mother. They disappeared the same night Victor Rossi’s empire crumbled.” His thumb strokes over my clit, bringing a new wave of sensation. “He created a new life for you. New identities. But none of it was real.”

I whimper, my nerves in sensation overload as his words tear through me and his fingers push deeper. Pleasure winds through me, tight and overwhelming, and I hate how much I need it.

“Do you want more? Do you want every truth, Ballerina?”

“Yes … please.”

His mouth crashes down on mine, the kiss hard and demanding, a reminder that I came to him willingly. That I chose this. His fingers curl inside me, his thumb pressing harder against my clit, and I moan into his mouth, my body shaking as pleasure overtakes me.

When he finally pulls back, I’m gasping for breath, my entire body thrumming with need. He studies my face, a smile curving his lips.

“Remember, you chose this. You made this choice. You came here instead of waiting until tomorrow.”

The words echo in the darkness, a promise that tightens my nipples.

He pulls his fingers free from my body, and moves his hand to the back of my dress, finding the zipper. “Let’s strip away every lie your father ever told you.”

“What—” But the word breaks into a moan when his fingers pinch my nipple, and his teeth bite gently into the base of my throat.

“Money started appearing in offshore accounts.” His thumb circles my nipple through the dress. “Enough to buy new identities. New lives. Enough to keep a family hidden for at least sixteen years.”

The dress loosens as he tugs the zipper down, his knuckles caressing bare skin.

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