Page 57 of Pretty Poison

He squints his eyes as if debating my words. Licking his lips, he starts, “Short answer, yes. If I could change the course of how I dealt with it back then, I would… I would’ve used my head to think rationally, rather than letting anger take the wheel.”

“And the long answer?”

“They hurt my family—my mother treated them like sons the second they joined us. Remi felt betrayed and the most at fault because he brought them here. I was angry and felt like I should’ve seen it coming. I knew better than to believe a simple background check. I should’ve known that it was more probable they were spies, to get the green light so quickly. I should’ve checked them out myself, talked to previous clients or employers—anything to ensure their backgrounds were concrete.”

“You can’t change the past,” I reassure him. “The only thing you can do is ensure you do right by them now.” I inhale a deep breath, watching as his eyes fix on me, giving me his sole attention. “I noticed how you changed their living situation—the loosened chains for starters. I really appreciate that.”

“It’s not for you,” he says, his tone turning cold. “I need information and whether it was their living quarters preventing that or your appearance reassuring them… I don’t know. But what I do know is if they think I’m giving them leeway, they’ll keep talking.”

“You don’t lie as well as you think you do,” I say, throwing his words back in his face. “You have gotten soft, Dario, whether you realise it or not.”

Within an instant, his hand snakes around my waist, yanking me into him. “Tell me, darling, does this feel like I’ve gotten soft?”Seduction laces his words. His slacks restrict his cock, but I can feel it against my stomach like it’s a part of me.

“Does it?” he asks again, his voice pleading for an answer.

“N-no,” I stutter my answer as a hot flash runs through me.

“Take off your dress, Liana.” His words, while they seem like a request, come across more like a demand.

Without hesitation, I lift myself up onto my knees and let the straps fall from my shoulders. He sits up, moving his hands to the back of my dress to unzip it, and that action alone is enough for the dress to drop completely, bunching up at my hips.

“On my lap, little one,” he says, another demand.

I move swiftly, straddling his lap. His hands fall to my dress and, instinctively, my arms raise, allowing him to relieve my body from the material’s restriction.

With my body on display for him, his eyes don’t even wander; they’re glued to mine, almost as if he refuses to look.

“I don’t think this is a fair transaction,” I whisper, pushing aside my nerves.

“Then take it all off,” he counters, tugging at the waistband of my underwear.

“Not me,” I say with a breathy laugh. “You.”

“Even trade?” he says, raising an eyebrow. “You take these off and I’ll follow your lead.”

I nod, my chest heaving as I climb off him. With my feet back on the floor, I slip out of my underwear and watch as he removes each item of clothing in slow motion, almost as if he’s teasing me.

When he’s completely bare, I slide back beside him. “I don’t think that’s where you were sitting, Liana.”

I gulp, sizing up his hard length. “I’m comfortable here,” I quip.

“Then let’s make you comfortable here instead,” he says with mischief in his tone.

A squeal escapes me as his hands grip my waist and he lifts me, placing me on his lap. Our warmth collides and for a split second, he throbs beneath me.

With his hand at the back of my neck, he brings my face down to his until we’re an inch apart, but he does nothing, his lips lingering below mine.

This time, I take the leap and kiss him, and he’s just as eager to taste me as I am him. Our lips merge as one, and I’m at peace. Everything that was running through my mind is gone; only he and I are in this moment. The deeper the kiss gets, the more my core pulsates.

“Liana—”

“I-I’m scared,” I admit breathlessly, speaking into his lips.

“It’s okay to be scared,” he soothes, pulling my head back. “Like I said before, I’ll be gentle, Lia.”

“It’s all so… new. I don’t know—”

“We can stop. This doesn’t have to happen until you’re ready.”

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