Page 97 of Made for Sinners

Her laugh was soft and breathy, the sound curling around me like smoke. “Wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen at this gala,” she teased, her lips brushing my jaw as she pulled back just enough to meet my gaze.

I caught her chin between my fingers, holding her there for a moment as I let my eyes roam her face—the slight flush in her cheeks, the spark of defiance in her eyes, the way her lips parted just slightly under my touch. “You’re going to be the death of me,” I said quietly, the words rough but true.

She tilted her head, her smile edging toward something softer, something real. “Well,” she said lightly, “at least you’ll die happy.”

I couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at my mouth. “Happy doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Her gaze was steady, sharp as a blade, but there was a flicker of something softer beneath it.

“Adrianna,” I said without looking away from Emilia, my voice calm but firm. “Do you mind?”

Adrianna chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Not at all. But don’t keep her too long. I was just getting to the good part.”

She gave Emilia a quick wink before slipping away, leaving the two of us alone in the middle of the crowd.

“You’re hovering,” Emilia said, raising a brow as she sipped her champagne.

“Planning to bankrupt me?” I asked as I stepped beside her. I reached out, my fingers brushing against her waist lightly—just enough to feel the warmth of her skin beneath the fabric.

“Absolutely.”

I smirked. “What are you bidding on?”

She flipped to the next sheet. “Let’s see… front-row tickets to a Juventus match, a signed Taylor Swift vinyl, a Scandinavian spa weekend, and a month-long stay at a ridiculously overpriced Italian chateau.”

I raised a brow. “A month?”

She finally looked up at me, her lips curving into a slow smile. “I figured if I’m going to spend your money, I might as well do it properly.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “I did tell you to spend.”

She leaned in slightly, her voice low and teasing. “So I just say, ‘Put it on my husband’s tab,’ and they hand me the keys to a castle?”

“Something like that,” I murmured, my gaze lingering on her mouth.

She was close. Too close. Not close enough.

Her perfume wrapped around me—something floral, something warm. It clung to her skin like a secret, and it made my pulse spike in a way I hadn’t felt in years.

“You’re staring again,” she said, her tone amused.

“Can you blame me?”

She arched a brow. “You’re going to make a scene.”

“I’m thinking about it.”

Her smile faltered, just slightly, and something shifted in her eyes. Something softer. Something real.

“Why do you look at me like that?” she asked quietly.

I didn’t answer right away.

Because the truth was, I didn’t know how to explain it. How to put into words the way she made me feel. Like I was standing on the edge of something I couldn’t name. Like I was falling and flying at the same time.

“Because you’re mine,” I said finally. “And I still can’t believe it.”

She blinked, caught off guard.

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