Page 41 of Crimson Fate

“Got it.”

I end the call and slip the phone into my pocket. Taking a deep breath, I steel myself. With purposeful strides, I move toward the bedroom where Gia waits. I can’t do anything about the situation with Christopher and her father in New York, but showing Gia how bright our connection burns tonight is something I’m confident I can achieve.

Chapter Sixteen

The door creaks a soft welcome as I push it open, stepping into the flickering candlelight of the dimly lit main suite. I find Gia waiting for me.

“Vincent,” she purrs, her voice a melody.

She’s a vision that could bring any man to his knees. Standing by the foot of the bed, she’s bathed in an amber glow that casts shadows over the curves and valleys of her body, barely concealed by the black lace lingerie that clings to her like a whispered secret.

“Sorry I kept you waiting.”

Her eyes glint with mischief and desire, dark and deep as the midnight ocean. A mischievous smile tugs at the corners of her lips. “Hopefully, you can show me it was worth the wait.” She takes a slow step toward me, her hips swaying with a sensual rhythm that entrances me.

As she approaches, she pauses, and I reach out to touch her, but she retreats, teasingly raising an eyebrow. “Not so fast,” she whispers, her voice filled with playful taunting. “Tonight, I want you to savor every moment.”

Her words hang in the air like a challenge, and I accept it wholeheartedly. I step closer, my eyes locked on hers as if daring her to deny me any longer. Gia’s fingers trail along the edge of the bedsheet, caressing the fabric before gliding back up her thigh.

The attack on Smitty and the looming consequences Christopher faces fade into the background of my thoughts as I close the remaining distance between us and cup her face in my hands. Her warm skin is soft beneath my touch, causing an ache deep within me.

Her hair cascades around her shoulders in a mess of thick and wavy curls that frames her face. Her lips are painted a bold red, and I can think of nothing else but kissing them. A strap slips off her shoulder, a deliberate action that stirs me further. I’m not a very patient man, but this game she seems to want to play intrigues me.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I murmur, allowing the raw truth of my attraction to seep into my words.

“You think so?” she breathes out, leaning into my touch.

“You know exactly how sexy you are.”

She shrugs a shoulder at me and flashes a coy expression. “I wanted you to like what you saw when you walked in here.”

“Like doesn’t even begin to cover it,” I confess, capturing her wandering hand in mine and pressing it to my chest. “You’re one of the sexiest women I’ve ever met.” I’m not lying. While Gia is a very attractive woman, her confidence and insatiable sexual appetite exude a sexy quality I haven’t found in many women. The only word I can think to describe it is intoxicating.

The heat of Gia’s hand against my chest is a brand, searing through the fabric of my shirt straight into my skin. While looking at her face, I notice how similar Gia’s lips are shaped, compared to Eva’s.

I’m momentarily untethered, drifting in a sea of memory as Eva’s face flashes in my mind—the way her brow furrows when she’s worried and the softness of her lips when they part in surprise. A pang of guilt strikes, sharp and unwelcome, but I shove it aside, barricading it behind a wall of present need. Why the fuck am I thinking about Eva at a moment like this?

“Is everything okay?” Gia cuts through my thoughts. “You seem distracted.”

“Not at all,” I lie smoothly, the words rolling off my tongue like velvet. My fingers dance along the curve of Gia’s hip, tracing the lace of her lingerie as if each thread is a lifeline pulling me back to now—to her. “I was just wondering what you looked like underneath this.”

She arches into my touch, a silent invitation that speaks louder than words. The room around us fades until nothing but our mingling breaths and the thrumming anticipation between us remain.

“Show me then, how bad do you want to know?” Gia challenges, her gaze locked onto mine with an intensity threatening to consume me whole.

And so, I do. I dip my head, capturing her mouth with mine in a kiss that’s all hunger and no hesitation. Our bodies press together, a tangle of limbs and longing as I explore the contours of her form. She’s fire and silk under my hands, and I revel in the way she moves against me—uninhibited, unreserved.

“Is this what you want?” I growl between kisses, wanting to hear her say it.

“More,” she gasps, and it’s all I need to hear.

I discard the lingering thoughts of Eva, relegating them to the shadows where they belong. This moment is about Gia and me—about the raw connection that pulls taut every time we’re near.

The heat of her breath lands against my neck as she leans in, her voice a sultry whisper that sends shivers down my spine. “Jesus, I want you so bad.” Her fingers trail along my jawline, bold and unflinching.

“Anything you fucking want, baby,” I rasp out, my hands finding the small of her back and pulling her closer.

She steps back just enough to look into my eyes. “I like it slow at first,” Gia confesses, her lips curving into a knowing smile, “to really feel each sensation. Then...” Her gaze drops to my mouth. “Then I want you to rail me so fucking hard you’re afraid I might not be able to handle it.”

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