Page 44 of The Last Ones Standing, Part Two

I turn my gaze back to Ny and she grins as she looks at me through her lashes. I return the smile with one of my own and a lifted brow.

* * *

Jace

“Tell the DJ to play “Kiss it Better” same artist,” Gio says to Rocky.

Here we go. I roll my eyes and pull the band from my hair. I’m getting a tension headache from these two.

“Someone, please tell me why I bother,” I mutter to myself.

I push out of my chair because I’m not allowing these two to go to war with these games. I move to the dance floor and push by the dolls dancing around Ny. I helped her pick them, but I’ve never met these six in person before. Although they all have knowing looks on their faces.

Placing a hand on Ny’s waist, I pull her into me from behind. Her ass brushes my growing erection and it’s like breathing again. I slide my hand to palm her belly. She looks up at me and smiles.

“Welcome home, baby,” I dip to say in her ear before pecking her lips.

She looks up at me with the sweetest smile and lust in her eyes. When she cups my face, then slides her hand into my hair and brings my lips to hers, I hum with satisfaction. Damn, I’ve missed her.

“Hi to you too, Jace,” she says against my lips.

I growl and cover her lips in a searing kiss. I’m nearly eating her face. The coos and squeals of the women around us are the only things to remind me of where we are. Then there’s the change of song.

Rihanna is singing again, but this time she’s asking, what are you willing to do? I look up to see Gio start off the dais. He saunters toward us with his eyes on Nyla.

She turns her head up to look at me with confusion written on her face. Gio has never openly acknowledged her here. If she wasn’t so stubborn, she’d know he’s ready. Tonight, he wanted her here for everyone to see.

I lean into her ear. “Everything will be different,” I whisper.

She turns her attention back to Gio. The intense look that comes to his face speaks volumes. It feels like things are finally falling into place.

* * *

Nyla

Thank God for Jace’s hold on me. If not for him, I think I would melt to my knees from the look Gio is giving me as we lock eyes. Damn, this man walks with more swag than any one man has a right to own.

Am I panting? Yes, I’m panting just from watching him walk toward me. It’s slow and deliberate, packed with a ton of BDE.

He stops before me and brushes his fingers across my cheek. I can’t help looking up into his eyes. I see so much there, but I force myself to look away.

I remind myself that I can’t trust my instincts with him. I’m most likely projecting all the things I want from Gio. It would be so easy to fall into the same pattern. These two are all I’ve known all my life.

“Nyla,” he says my name. The sound courses through my veins. I try to ignore it and the hum Jace is sending through my body with his touch.

“Gio.”

“Why did it take so long for you to come to me?”

Jace groans behind me. I look up at him as he flexes his fingers on my hip. I turn back to Gio and glare at him. He takes me in with a heated stare.

“I still haven’t come to you. I came to bring you what you wanted.”

“I want you. If you didn’t come to bring me what’s mine, then what have you brought me?” he says in Italian.

“You now have ten. You need two more and your collection is complete. I’ve done my part. Send for me when it’s time for me to kill that bastard.”

I turn to leave, but the back of my neck is grasped, and I’m spun to face Gio once again. This time he crushes my lips with his and devours me.

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