Page 58 of Little Bird (Advantage Play 3)

“Thank you for accepting the invitation instead of making me look like a fool in front of a fellow associate,” he returns with a knowing grin. “Alessandro is an ass, but he’s harmless.”

“Good to know. I’ll uh…I guess I’ll see you around.”

My heels click against the floor as I make my escape, though I can feel more than one set of eyes on me as I do so. When I round the corner and find a bit of privacy, I clutch my chest and look around to find it empty.

“What the hell was that?” Dex spits seconds later, grabbing my forearm. Tugging me into the closest room, he slams the door shut then shoves me up against the nearest wall.

“Excuse me?” I reply, just as frustrated. “What the hell was what?”

“That”—he waves his giant hand toward the room where the party is being held—“dance, or whatever the hell it was. He was all over you!”

A dry laugh bursts out of me as I roll my eyes. “Are you serious right now? He was an absolute gentleman––unlike Bianca Castello,” I spit her name like it’s a curse.

Shaking his head, his hands tighten on my hips until I’m sure they’ll leave tiny bruises on my skin. But I look forward to seeing them. It’ll remind me that, at one time, I was able to pull enough passion out of the enigma in front of me that he couldn’t control himself.

“I don’t want Bianca,” he growls.

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

“Then why did you let her touch you?” I seethe.

“Because I needed information.”

I shove him away, but he barely budges. “Is that what they’re calling it these days?”

Shaking his head, he spits, “You’re one to talk, Regina. For a girl who claims she loves someone, you seemed pretty entertained with Matteo fucking Moretti.”

“What?” His last name leaves me spinning.

“Yeah. Does the name sound familiar, Little Bird? Or maybe you just have a thing for your captors, and now that I’m one of the good guys, you’ve lost your initial thrill. Am I getting close?”

My face scrunches in disgust. “That was a hit below the belt, and you know it.”

Squeezing his eyes shut, he leans down then rests his forehead against mine. The pain emanating off him breaks me.

“I’m sorry,” he chokes out. “You’re right, Little Bird. I just….”

“I know,” I murmur, hating how easily I accept his apology. “I can’t be away from you. You don’t know how much it killed me to walk down those steps only to see you beside someone else.” My eyes well with tears from the memory. “It’ll always be you, Dex—”

His mouth is on mine before I can finish my thought, but as soon as my mind catches up with what’s happening, the words scatter like raindrops in a hurricane, and I know I could drown in his kiss. Fisting the lapels on his tux, I tug him closer, but it isn’t enough to satisfy the need pulsing through me. I fumble with his slacks in search of connecting with him in a way I’ve been missing ever since he rescued me from Burlone’s prison. He knows me well enough to see right through my scrambling and hoists my red dress up to my waist. The cool air kisses my bare thighs, amplifying my need to have him closer.

“Anxious, Little Bird?” he teases.

“You know me. Always one to take advantage of an opportunity when I see it.”

With a deep laugh, he unbuttons his pants while diving in for another kiss. Maybe one day, we’ll reach a point in our relationship where we can have sex on a bed like a normal couple. But for now, it appears we’re still stuck in moments that involve stolen kisses with a side of spontaneous dry humping.

Or…not so dry, I note as my hand slides down his chest before gripping his erection. The heat from it scorches my palm, and I can’t help but give it a deliberate squeeze in appreciation.

“Careful, Little Bird,” Dex grunts while simultaneously thrusting into my hand. “I’ve been craving you for way too long—”

“And now you have me,” I quip. “The question is…are you up for the challenge of getting me off before someone from the party catches us with our pants down?”

His rumble of laughter makes my heart sing.

“Always so bossy, Little Bird,” he teases with a look of amused adoration. Bending down, his fingers dig into my bare thighs then he enters me with one swift thrust.

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