Page 70 of Made for Sinners

The air between us shifted, thickening with something unspoken.

And then he leaned in.

The kiss was slow, deliberate. A claiming. His lips moved against mine with a certainty that stole my breath, his hand sliding to the nape of my neck, holding me in place. I melted into him, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, my body betraying me in the worst possible way.

When he finally pulled back, his breath was warm against my lips.

“I know it wasn’t you,” he murmured.

I blinked, still dazed. “What?”

His thumb traced my jaw, his expression unreadable. “The money. I know you didn’t take it.”

My stomach dropped.

For so long, I’d been fighting against the weight of his accusations, the constant shadow of suspicion. And now, just like that, he was saying he knew the truth?

I pulled back slightly, my pulse hammering. “Then why?—”

“Because I needed to be sure.” His voice was quiet, but there was something raw beneath it. “And now I am.”

I searched his face, trying to make sense of it all. “Who, then?”

He took a sip from his glass.

Dante’s fingers tapped against the stem of his wine glass, his gaze locked onto mine as if he was waiting for me to speak first. I didn’t. I was too busy trying to process what he’d just said.

He knew.

He knew I hadn’t taken the money.

Dante exhaled through his nose, rolling his shoulders like he was trying to shake off the tension creeping into them. “That’s what I’ve been trying to find out.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And Valentina?”

His jaw ticked. “She has connections.”

I scoffed, leaning back in my chair. “Of course she does.”

Dante’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Emilia.”

I shook my head, crossing my arms. “No, really. Please, explain to me why Valentina of all people needed to be involved.”

His fingers flexed around his glass. “As you know, her family works in banking. They have access to records and resources that even I can’t get my hands on. If someone moved that money, she can find out where. They can trace the money deeper than I can. Thanwecan.”

I let out a sharp breath, my nails digging into my arms. “Right. And that’s why she was sitting so close to you? Laughing in your ear?”

Dante’s smirk was humorless. “You’re jealous.”

I glared at him. “I’m pissed.”

“Same thing.”

I clenched my jaw, my pulse thrumming in my ears.

Dante sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “What you saw wasn’t what you think.”

I arched a brow. “Oh? So you weren’t sitting there, drinking with her, looking like you were enjoying yourself?”

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