Page 77 of Dirty Big Sins

“That’s one hell of a loaded statement. I can’t make a promise like that.” If he wasn’t smiling when he said it I might have changed my mind, but it needed to be said.

“I’m really glad you didn’t take no for an answer.”

Vincent groaned, closing his eyes. “Fuck. You know you can’t say stuff like that to me and not expect me to respond. That shit makes my dick hard and it’s going to need you to settle it back down.”

I swallowed my groan, although just barely. Whenever he got like this, my body and my heart reacted instantly. I wanted to give him whatever he needed.

“I wish we didn’t have a party to go to.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and I imagined him fighting the need to lift me over his shoulders and carry me away.

“You almost ready to go, then? Because if we don’t go now…”

I nodded, my mind wandering back to the restaurant and the night’s ordeal. I was hardly able to believe the evening had passed this quickly. The last guest had been served and the kitchen had already gone into prep and shutdown mode as we triple checked our plans for tomorrow’s lunch and dinner service. Normally I’d stay to the bitter end, but Gabe and Nina had prepared an after party where many of the city’s influential patrons could meet the chef.

It also didn’t hurt that Vincent would accompany me. He may have officially retired from boxing, thanks in part to his injury, but that made him no less popular anywhere he went.

The man oozed charisma and attracted everyone from the press to corporations looking for endorsements to business professionals hoping for a lucrative partnership. Retirement hadn’t slowed him in the least. Even Hollywood had come back around. Not that he planned going that route anymore. We still had the cloud of Romeo Rossi lingering over our heads. Getting arrested had not slowed the man down in the slightest. If anything it made him more desperate to get Vincent folded into the family.

Unfortunately for Romeo, Vincent could hold a grudge for a very long time and he wasn’t ready to forgive or forget getting shot. He might eventually get over it, but it would be on his timeline alone.

I hastily removed the apron that had covered my dress and the moment his eyes landed on it, I knew Nova had been right. She’d argued against sedate or neutral and instead had insisted on color and in particular this rich, emerald green when she designed my dress.

“What’s the point of being the chef at your own opening night if you aren’t going to stand out from everyone else?”

It had been hard to argue her point.

Now with Vincent’s gaze raking me from head to toe and then some, I didn’t regret agreeing with her, albeit reluctantly.

“I don’t know where the fuck you get these dresses, but I need to so I can thank them personally. Jesus, Zia you look spectacular.”

“You can thank Nova for this one. It’s her design.”

“I’ll send her flowers tomorrow. But first…” He reached for me and I barely ducked out of his grasp.

“Oh no you don’t. I am not letting you ruin this dress before I even get to the party. Nova worked too hard for it not to be photographed appropriately.”

He growled, the look in his eyes more intense and aroused than before. “I don’t think you understand. I’m not going to be able to wait that long.”

Her throat thickened at the tone of his voice and the words he’d spoken. She wanted to jump in his arms and get carried off for all the dark pleasure his eyes promised.

“It won’t be long,” I promised, struggling to keep my voice steady and my resolve strong.

He smiled wickedly at me and held out his hand. “I’m going to hold you to that, my love.

I placed my hand in his and stepped into his arms. “This is everything, Vincent. This right here. I love you so much.”

He squeezed my hip while using his other hand to run his knuckles down my cheek. “I love you, too, Zia.

My heart was about to burst with the overabundance of emotions as he pulled away enough to offer me his arm as escort.

“Just one more thing.”

He stopped and waited. “Okay?”

“Promise me you’ll save the dress. I know you’ll catch me off guard and I’ll love it more than words. Just save the dress, please.”

He tipped his head back and laughed, looking down at me with more humor and happiness than I could have imagined. “Okay, princess. I’ll see what I can do.

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