Page 31 of Dirty Little Sins

Before he could answer the car came to a smooth stop in front of a large wrought iron gate. "Is this it?" I tried to peer out the side window to get a better look but the darkness and shrubbery made it difficult to see anything.

"Yes. Home sweet home."

When the gate opened enough for the car to go through, the driver pulled forward and a moment later I got my first look at the home of the famous Vincentius Romeo Cabrini.

"Holy shit," I said, turning to glance at him. "Are you serious?" I'd been expecting something nice, but Jesus, this was far beyond anything I'd imagined.

Through the front window I could see a long well-lit driveway that wound its way through a combination of lush green grass offset by geometric designs of gravel and desert-friendly plants. Eventually it led to a circular driveway in front of a massive, modern home that had a myriad of huge windows to break up all the angular lines and concrete.

It looked almost more like a modern art masterpiece than a house. Although calling it a house was also a huge understatement. "Damn."

"I'm glad you approve." He chuckled. "It took a long time to design."

"You designed it too?"

"In a sense. I sat down with an architect and told him exactly what I wanted. After several back and forth sessions and more than one heated disagreement, we settled on this."

The car door opened and I slid out and stood in the driveway staring up at the breathtaking beauty. "Well, so far I'd say it was worth every fight you endured. It's spectacular."

"Then by all means let’s get you inside."

As I marveled over every detail from the car to the front door, including the water features that flanked each side of the walkway, I realized that my reservations from before were melting away and that I was more comfortable with Vincent than I'd expected.

He opened the door and if I thought the outside was spectacular, then I had no words to adequately describe the space.

The entryway opened to a massive open concept space drenched in neutrals that were dominated by gray and silver tones. It breathed masculinity much like the man who lived here.

Every which way I turned there was something more to take in. A fully stocked bar on one side, a large living area with a sectional sofa that invited guests to relax. I could picture sitting there under a blanket with a hot mug of tea while binging Netflix on his giant screen TV above a fireplace that mesmerized.

The kitchen though. I nearly moaned and I'd seen many fantastic cooking spaces over the years. My best friend Harper in New York had one. It wasn't large like this but what it lacked in size it more than compensated in charm.

This kitchen did not lack in size. And the acres of marble countertops offered so much prep space. Was it crazy to admit that I wanted to cook here?

When I finally inspected every inch and got my mouth closed again, I turned to see Vincent not far behind me with his hip leaned against the counter watching me.

"You approve?"

I nodded, unable to hold back my huge grin. "It's amazing. The meals I could cook here..."

"It would be an honor to have the famous Zia cook in my kitchen."

I smirked as my muscles once again tensed. "You already tricked me into it once, I don't think I need to do it again."

"My loss."

I tried to read if there was some kind of hidden meaning in his words, but I couldn't discern anything beyond the words.

"Do you cook?"

"Not much. My schedule doesn't allow for much down time. So I use a service that keeps my fridge filled with meals to enhance my training."

I wrinkled my nose. "That doesn't sound very appealing."

"They're actually quite good. Although I dare say they don't compare to the magic you create."

Another zing shot through me and I couldn't decide if it had more to do with pride or arousal. This man had a way of keeping me off balance I couldn't describe.

He fished in his pocket and pulled out his phone. I thought he might be bored with our conversation until the lights dimmed in the kitchen and living rooms and other lights faded on through the glass walls that led to his backyard and an outdoor kitchen that might be larger than the one we stood in.

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