Page 57 of Rise of Temptation

“I like watching,” he replies. “But it’s still strange to me that this is happening. So… Thank you.”

I clap him on the back and smirk when Elise loops her arms around his neck, swinging her hips in time to the music and laughing in a way I haven’t seen before.

Sal notices too and leans closer to me. “We’ve got to let her out of the house more often.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” I agree. “She’s a completely different person right now. Happier than I’ve ever seen her.”

“If tonight goes well, maybe we’ll be able to convince Enzo that it’s not too dangerous,” he muses.

But we all know how quickly things can change. At the drop ofa hat, our evening could go from an innocent night out with our girl to one of a dozen different kinds of emergencies. I’m able to push those thoughts to the back of my mind, but they hover there like a warning, and I can’t ignore them the way I’d like to.

Luckily, the rest of the night goes smoothly. Despite the countless threats we’re facing, we’re able to enjoy an uninterrupted evening of dancing and drinking. It’s the first time we’ve felt like a cohesive unit, and I decide right then and there that we all need to get on the same page about our relationship. Nights like this should be a frequent occurrence, not a rarity.

After a couple of hours, when the club is about to close, we finally break apart. It hits me that we’re all about to go our separate ways, and Enzo is the only one going home with Elise. Sal and I make eye contact, and I can tell he’s thinking along the same lines as me. Some changes are long overdue, and it’s time to lay them all out in the open.

But tonight is not the time for a serious, life-altering conversation. It’s been a fun night so far, and I’m not going to ruin it. The image of the pure euphoria on Elise’s face as she dances and moves between us is imprinted in my mind and stays there until I get home, where it follows me into my dreams.

But the dream ends with us all going back to our shared home. In my dream, we are a real family, and I hope it’s a glimpse into our future.

Chapter 42

Enzo

When Joey texted me to see if I’d bring Elise out, my instincts screamed at me to turn down the invitation. But I kept staring at his text and my unsent response, unable to push send for some reason. And then I realized what the problem was.

Elise has barely left my house since she moved in. If I want her to stay—which appears to be my only option since I can’t let her leave and I can’t kill her—then I need to treat her like a fucking human being and take her for a fun night out. So off we went, and I kept an eye out for threats the entire time.

That’s one of the benefits to there being four of us: more eyes to keep watch over her and protect her from our enemies. Nothing bad should ever happen to her as long as she’s with one of us.

Dancing with her in public was an unexpectedly erotic experience. Going into it, I assumed I’d be distracted by the crowd and unable to appreciate the sight of Elise’s curves moving in the dress she’d picked out for herself.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. If anything, she distracted me from the crowd. Even before I joined them, it was achallenge to focus on the faces moving around below the VIP level. Everyone in the VIP section was familiar to me—mainly high-level executives and government officials. Not interesting, but not threatening either. They know who I am, and none of us want any trouble, so we stay out of each other’s way.

When it was time for us to leave, I was expecting the other three to want to come back to the house with us. If they’d asked, or just showed up, I wouldn’t have protested. I’ve decided that it isn’t fair of me to pull the boss card when it comes to Elise. Similar to how I can’t keep her locked in my house and expect her to be happy, I need to let her choose her own happiness in this unusual relationship we’ve found ourselves in.

But they didn’t try to come with us. Joey looked like he wanted to, but they all have work to do tomorrow. And they’re probably all worried I’ll flip out.

Now we’re in the car, and I’m driving Elise back to the house. She’s silently staring out the window, but the tension between us is palpable. My endorphins are still flowing from the way she danced between all of us, rolling her hips and losing herself to the music and the environment. She was so carefree and joyful—two things I rarely am. I actually don’t think I’ve ever been carefree.

“Can I ask you a question?” I ask, breaking the heavy silence.

“You just did.” She smirks, and I roll my eyes.

“Did you have fun tonight?”

She looks surprised and doesn’t answer right away. Finally, she nods slowly. “Yeah, I did. I like spending time with all of you.”

“In public, you mean?”

“It was fun to get out, yes,” she agrees. “But I also like being with everyone at the house.”

“Did you…” I pause, unsure if I want to start down this particular line of questioning. But I need to know. “Did you likewhat happened with Frankie and Sal in my office?”

She nods, watching me carefully to see how I’ll react. “I did.”

“Is that something you’d be interested in doing again?”

“Yes. And with Joey.” Her answers are confident, and she’s not hesitating before them anymore, but she’s still watching me, undoubtedly on the lookout for a shift in my mood. But she won’t find it.

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