Page 61 of Devious Kingpin
“Blue. Specifically, the blue of the Ionian Sea.”
Her brows knitted. “Why?” she questioned.
“Why what?”
“That color seems so specific,” she explained. “Why that specific shade of blue?”
“It reminds me of your eyes,” I admitted. “And it was one of the best vacations my brother and I ever had.”
I waited for some comment to come, but Juliette remained pensively quiet. Sometimes she managed to surprise me with her reactions. I never knew what to expect from her. She’d certainly keep me on my toes for the rest of our lives.
“My favorite food?” she asked after a few minutes of tense silence.
“Dessert. Specifically parfait.”
She widened her eyes but quickly schooled her features. “You must have seen me devour that shit at Wynter’s wedding.” I tilted my head, watching her. We both knew she didn’t eat that shit at her cousin’s wedding. “Fine! My favorite drink?”
“Whisky,” I answered. “Although now that you've sworn off alcohol, maybe we’ll switch to lemonade in the future?”
“Hahaha,” she retorted dryly. “Stalker.”
“Damn straight.” Then I brought the glass of sparkling water to my lips. I’d prefer beer with my pizza but if Juliette decided no more alcohol, I’d support her. “Giving up already?”
“Geez, you’re exhausting,” she muttered. “My favorite book?”
My grin widened and smugness swelled in my chest. “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Her face turned so pink, I worried her skin would permanently stain. And still I didn’t ease off. “Is it the sex or the story that you like?”
She reached for her own glass and gulped it down in one swig. Her sapphire gaze met mine head-on.
“You tell me,” she grumbled. “You seem to know it all.”
Heat raced to my groin. There was nothing more I wanted than to grab the nape of her neck, pull her closer, and press my lips against hers. I wanted the taste of her mouth thoroughly on my tongue.
It was aneed,no longer just a want.
CHAPTER28
Juliette
Something pulsed in my chest.
It reminded me of a beat on a heart-rate monitor. Almost like when Wynter listened to the baby’s heartbeat during her sonogram.
A constant flutter.Swish. Swish. Swish.
Maybe it was just a thrum in my chest. Or maybe it was the beginning of something new.
We left the little pizzeria as the urban lights twinkled. The cold temperatures didn’t stop women from wearing heels or short dresses. Night had barely started but the casino that Dante owned was already in full swing when he pulled up around the back. The private entrance I assumed.
Wynter, Ivy, Davina, and I came to this casino two years ago. Naturally, we used the front door. We made quite a stir. Wynter played poker and cleared three hundred thousand counting cards.
It was that very same night that I ran into Dante and Priest, pretending to be a seductress. It was probably the same night that I crossed the line with this man.
He gave chase. I ran. Until he caught me.
Although, I should be proud I managed to elude him for this long. I made him wait after all. Well, he probably didn’t wait. He had women throwing themselves on him, I could be sure of that. He’d just been biding his time until I finally stumbled onto the dance floor with him. Literally.
As we made it into Dante’s casino, I noticed the way money, sex, and alcohol hung in the air. As well as the memory of our first meeting. An electric beat pulsed through me, remembering the moment we locked eyes for the first time.
