Page 105 of Vicious Games

“Doubt it,” Darius quips, but the excitement in his eyes gives him away.

It’s this damn house. When you’ve lived your whole life scraping by, and then you pull up to a place like this—endless driveways, stone fountains, a front door big enough to need its own zip code—it’s hard not to feel a little dazzled.

Darius might be spellbound, but me? I still feel like we’re both fish out of water. Like we have no business being here.

“I don’t know,” Lucky says, his eyes twinkling at me with mischief. “I can be pretty charming when I want to be. Just ask your sister. She hated me too when we first met. Not so much now.” He has the audacity to wink.

“How about we head inside? It’s getting a little chilly,” I cut in, desperate to change the subject before he tells Darius the specifics of why I don’t hate him anymore. Because let’s face it, I don’t. Not even close. How could I, when his lips and fingers seem to have a direct line to all my nerve endings, knowing exactly how to toy with them until I see stars?

Not now, Frankie. Now is not the time to replay every orgasm Lucky Romano has ever given you.

An unwanted shiver runs through me, not from the cold but from the memory, and Lucky mistakes it instantly. His brows pinch together in concern, and before I can stop him, he’s draping his arm around my shoulders, shielding me from the breeze and steering me quickly toward the door.

Of course, the moment we step inside, I almost wish we’d stayed outside a little longer.

“I didn’t know this was a party,” I mumble under my breath, eyeing the living room packed with people as Lucky takes my coat and hands it off to one of the servants.

“It’s not. Just family and a few close friends,” he says casually, like it’s no big deal. But it is.

I was already nervous about spending Thanksgiving with his family. Being surrounded by so many strangers, all laughing, chatting, and dressed to the nines, only tightens the knot in my stomach.

I should’ve known something was up when the driver brought us here instead of Lucky’s family home. But then again, what did I expect? It’s become painfully obvious that the Romanos are extremely private. Their home is sacred ground and off-limits to anyone who doesn’t share their last name.

It’s just as Lucky said the first time I was here. This mansion is a decoy. A place where they entertain outsiders. Outsiders like me.

Walking into the Romano world feels like stepping onto a battlefield. Only this battlefield hides its knives behind champagne bubbles and glittering lights. And no matter how often Lucky smiles at me as if believing I belong here, I’m still unsure if I’m ready to be part ofhisworld.

Just as my anxiety spikes through the roof, I feel Lucky’s hand graze lightly over my hip, his warm breath tickling my skin as he leans in close to my ear and murmurs, “You look beautiful tonight.”

I crane my neck back to look at him, my heart doing cartwheels at how his gaze smolders when he watches me.

“Thank you. Your sisters bought me the dress,” I say, feeling suddenly shy.

Lucky tilts my chin up, his Adam’s apple bobbing as his eyes drink me in.

“It’s not the dress that’s stunning,” he says, his voice low, “it’s the woman wearing it.”

I swallow dryly, heat rushing up my neck as his eyes flash with an unspoken promise—one that includes stripping this dress right off me at the first chance he gets.

“Ew!” Darius groans dramatically, pretending to gag. “If you two are just going to make googly eyes all night, I’d rather go back to the orphanage.”

Lucky chuckles, licking his lips before dropping his hand from my chin and shifting into a more playful vibe.

“Are you sure about that?” he asks Darius. “Because me and my brothers have a gaming room in the house that I think you’ll want to check out. I’m talking about a ton of PlayStation and Xbox games, with a surround sound system and a TV screen so big that you practically feel like you’re inside the game.”

Darius’s eyes light up instantly. “I could play a little Grand Theft Auto before dinner,” he says, smirking.

“Nice try, D. You’re too young to play that game,” I scold with a grin.

“Who’s going to tell on me?” he teases, wiggling his eyebrows. “You?”

He’s got me there. I could never rat him out. Especially not tonight when he’s supposed to be my wingman and buffer.

“You okay here on your own while I show Darius around?” Lucky asks, brushing my arm with his fingers.

I want to say no, but I nod instead.

Lucky leans in and presses a soft kiss on my cheek before draping an arm over Darius’s shoulders and leading him away. The minute they’re out of sight, regret slams into me.

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