Page 44 of Lies like Rubies, Part Two (Savage Jewels)

She shook her head, defeated, and pulled away from me. I wrapped my hand around her shoulder and tucked her close again, unwilling to lose the scent of her, the feel of her body pressed against mine, because Dante was finally ready to talk.

“We’ll talk when we get back to the house,” I promised.

She harrumphed but didn’t protest.

I couldn’t stop myself from dragging my fingers up anddown the satin skin of her arm as we drove. When she finally relaxed back into me, I counted it a victory.

Too soon, we arrived back at Dante’s suburban house. I roused Sofia from where she dozed, cognizant of the late hour and that she had classes the next day.

Bodyguards waved us onto the property, a startling combination of Irish, Sicilian, and Chinese toughs, and we hustled Sofia in the door.

Miss Carolina greeted us, then bustled upstairs after reassuring Sofia that Lizzie was sound asleep.

To my surprise, Sofia didn’t follow her, instead, turning around the living room and inspecting it.

Her gaze fell upon the three of us, standing there, watching her watch us, and her lips tilted up into a smile that didn’t meet her eyes.

I poured myself a finger of whiskey and offered her the same. She took it, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from flicking to her wrists, where her long sleeves covered the damage that Sergio had done.

“Stop it,” she snapped. “Stop worrying about me. Stop fucking treating me like I’m going to shatter if you look at me wrong.”

“Sunshine,” Lorenzo said, crowding in on the other side of her. Heat radiated from her eyes as he set his hands on her hips. “You just lived through some real trauma. Don’t tell us to stop worrying about someone we care about.”

She yanked away from him and cupped my face in her hands, dragging my lips to hers for a kiss.

Sofia’s tongue slid against my lips until I opened for her, then she dove in deep, claiming, fierce. Need shot down my spine.

“Baby, what are you doing?” I whispered against hermouth, my heart aching for this indomitable woman, terrified to press her, just as scared that I’d lost her.

“I’m not weak.” She stroked her lips against mine. “I’m not fragile.” She did it again. “I’m strong, I’m determined, and I’m going to get exactly what I want. I’m SofiafuckingRusso.”

This time, I didn’t pull away when she kissed me deeply, just wrapped one hand around her hair, angling her head, and the other around her hip, where my fingers brushed over Lorenzo’s.

“What is it you want, baby?”

She turned in my arms and stroked her fingers over Lorenzo’s face. I pressed closer, tugging her hips back into my pelvis as she stared up into his golden eyes.

Lorenzo looked at me over her shoulder, and I shrugged. Sofia had sunk her claws into both Dante and me. He had to have realized that having her meant accepting our polyamorous relationship. I thought he’d accepted it before Sergio stole her away from us.

With a sigh, he bent his lips to hers, a gentle brush before lifting his head and pulling away from us. “Sofia, I’m trying.”

She scoffed and pushed him away. “Try harder.”

He cupped her cheek, and my heart broke for the two of them—in love with each other for so long and unable to admit it. I reached for Lorenzo’s hands and pulled him back to us, wrapping them around Sofia’s waist before running my nose along the elegant line of her neck and inhaling her scent.

Lorenzo kissed her again, taking her jaw in his hands and licking deep into her mouth, the sight erotic in the evening light. He pulled away, pressing his forehead to hers, stroking her jaw with his thumb. “Nico’s a good man, Sofia,better than I am. I’m going to keep trying, but I can’t do this tonight.”

The forlorn expression on his face as he walked up the stairs almost made me feel sorry for him.

Almost.

20

SOFIA

I steeledmy heart against Lorenzo’s rejection. It didn’t matter. I would still bind all three of these men to me. I convinced myself it was because I needed them to be my tools to shut down trafficking in Yorkfield, to tear Gio Costa’s empire apart, and not because I missed their touches desperately, or because the thought of curling up in their arms and absorbing their strength is what got me through my week of captivity.

“He’ll come around,” Nick said, his lips tracing a path over my ear, sending desire skittering down my spine. “Tell me what you need, baby.”

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