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“Mmm,” he hums. “You’re just as sweet as I knew your virgin pussy would be. If I thought I could get away with it, I’d drop to my knees for a full taste, but then your gorgeous face as you come would be seen by anyone who looks over here, and I can’t have that.” I stare at him, wide-eyed. “Do you think your husband would mind sharing you?” He presses his hips against me in a lazy motion, letting me feel just how much he wants more from me.

“W-what?” I stutter, not expecting him to ask that.

“I want more of you, even if that means I take what’s meant for another man. In fact,” he says, licking my bottom lip, “it only makes me want you more.”

I have no words. I have no response. But my body breaks out in flames of desire again, wanting to feel what he just gave me all over again.

“Yes,” I breathe on a sigh, wanting that too.

“You’re the most exquisite woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of touching.” He kisses my cheek. “It’s too bad this is all I’m going to take from you tonight.” Disappointment lances through my chest in a burning strike. I want more. I want to keep feeling this good.

“Oh, one more thing,” he says with a wicked grin. Reaching under my dress, his fingers skim over my throbbing core and I bite my lip to keep from moaning at the brief touch on his way to my hip. “These are my prize.” He snaps the delicate lace at my left hip, and then my right. “I’ll find you again, my little butterfly.”

With his parting promise, he takes a step back from me and brings my ripped panties to his nose before throwing me a wink and a sexy little smirk as he stuffs them into his pocket and walks away.

What just happened?

Did that all just happen?

I didn’t even get his name.

I didn’t ask a single question before handing myself over to him. I honestly think if he didn’t step back just now, I would’ve let him do whatever he wanted with me. Everyone in the club be damned.

Chapter 5

Mia

I haven’t stopped thinking about my sexy stranger since the moment he walked away.

When I was able to recover and peel myself off the wall and walk back to the table, I downed a few shots to settle my frayed nerves and waited for Aria and Gia to find their way back to me. They took one look at me and grinned like fools at each other, knowing something happened. Luckily, they waited until we were safely back in their apartment and away from listening bodyguards to grill me about what happened. I gave them a rather PG-13 version because I want to keep it all as a memory that’sjust mine.

I tossed and turned that entire night, then spent all of yesterday doing some retail therapy with the help of Aria and Gia so I could distract myself. I used the credit card Nico gave me years ago without a second thought as to what I bought, figuring I’d earned it for what I’m going to do for the family. What I’m sacrificing.My fucking future.

Now, I’m standing in front of the full-body mirror in my walk-in closet, studying my reflection.

Am I trying too hard?

No, I think it’s just enough. It’s exactly how my future husband will probably expect me to dress and look. Damn it, I wish I could show up in a comfy sweat suit, fuzzy slippers, my hair up in a bun, and no makeup on. But then my brothers wouldknow my game and so would Santino. They’d see it as a childish ploy, and I want to be taken seriously.

I want to broker a deal with Santino and I need him to take me seriously and not see me as a petulant kid who isn’t getting her way when I do so. I need to walk in there with confidence and my head held high knowing I hold the power.

He already knows who I am.

He already knows what I look like.

Herequestedme.

Clearly, he’s not intimidated by my family, and I hate that that makes my hate for him dim just the slightest knowing he has the confidence to not give a shit what my brothers and cousins might’ve done to him for being so arrogant.

That puts me at an even greater disadvantage than I already was. I only know his name. I suppose I could’ve texted Katarina to ask her if he’s attractive or nice or weird, seeing as she was in my position a year ago, but those things don’t really matter, do they? None of it will keep my anger at bay when I get him alone today to tell him exactly how I feel about being used as a bargaining chip in a business transaction.

I check my watch and see that I have fifteen minutes until I need to be downstairs. Deciding it looks a little lonely on my wrist, I add a thin gold cuff and two dainty gold chain bracelets, as well as a gold ring on my left middle finger and a stack of thin gold rings with diamonds on my right ring finger. I finish off my jewelry with simple stud diamond earrings in gold settings.

The emerald around my neck glints in the light and I run my finger over it, a small smile pulling at my lips despite everything. My dad gave it to me on the last Christmas before he was killed. He told me he had no idea what to get me, but when he saw this necklace, the green of the emerald reminded him of the time we decided to chop down our own Christmas tree one year. I had gotten so mad because Nico and Vinny wouldn’t let me get aturn with the saw. My dad saw me pouting off to the side and made Nico and Vinny let me finish cutting it down even though I struggled by myself with my noodle arms, and then they were mad because I got to do the best part.

My dad was good like that. He never liked seeing me upset and always did what he could to make me smile and happy.

Sighing, I close my eyes and count to five.

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