Page 20 of Sinful Bargains

I slipped my hand into his, and he led me to the dance floor. As the soft strains ofEarth Angelfilled the room, he placed one hand on my waist, the other clasping mine with an easy air of confidence. We began to sway to the slow rhythm. Our movements felt natural, almost effortless, but the tension between us felt static. Every step, every brush of his fingers sent a shiver down my spine. Though I tried to act unaffected, I think he sensed it.

“I didn’t take you for much of a dancer,” I murmured, glancing up at him.

His smirk softened. “I’m full of surprises.” The warmth of his hand on my waist lingered, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re good at this,” he murmured, leaning in just enough for his breath to brush against my ear. His low voice sent a shiver racing up my neck, and I tried to keep my composure. But it was becoming an internal battle that I knew I could not control if he continued to touch me with such purpose. Like he knew exactly what he was doing.

“Does that surprise you?” I asked him, arching a playful eyebrow.

“A little.” He grinned. “Thought you might step on my toes just to prove a point.”

“The night’s still young,” I smirked. “Don’t take it off the table yet.”

“You should let yourself have fun more often. It suits you,” he said, his tone just as soft as his blue eyes. “You’re different. You know that?”

“Different how?”

He tilted his head slightly, studying me. “You don’t belong in a place like this. But at the same time, you fit so perfectly. Like you were supposed to be here all along.”

The song played on, but I hardly heard it anymore. It was just the sound of his voice, the warmth of his touch, and the sense that we were the only two people in the world. His hand lingered at my waist for a fraction longer as the song ended before he let me go. His eyes stayed locked on mine, holding my gaze in a way that made it impossible to look away. But I took a step back, my pulse racing. Joey just grinned—slow, satisfied, and entirely too confident—knowing exactly the effect he’d had on me.

The walk back to the bar felt like miles away. Every nerve in my body was on fire. A hot, electric pulse that made my heart hammer away in my chest. The feeling of Joey holding me so close lingered on my skin still, a sensation that shouldn’t have felt so right. My mind kept telling me to stay away, to remind myself thatthis—whateverthiswas—was wrong. But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. There was something about being so near to him that made me feel safe.

Safe. The word echoed in my head, confusing me. No man had ever made me feel that way before. I’d spent years living in constant fear. But with Joey’s arms around me, I felt shielded. Protected. I couldn’t let myself get lost in it. I couldn’t let myself need him. ButGod, the way he held me, the way he made the world outside feel so far away, was like a dream I wasn’t sure I was ready to wake up from.

Angela and Lucy were waiting at the bar, their eyes lockingonto me as I approached. My cheeks burned with heat. I was too bashful to meet their gaze, my nerves fluttering in my stomach. I kept my head down, avoiding their intrusive gazes, and slid onto the barstool.

“Jesus Christ, Adriana, what was going on out there?” Angela teased, her voice dripping an octave lower as she leaned on the bar.

I groaned. “It was just a dance.”

But I knew it was no dance. It was the start of something that I should put a stop to. Only I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to do it.

“Just adance?” Lucy exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “Hector, better look at me like that next time I see him, or he’s getting an earful!”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re imagining things. Joey’s just?—”

“Not fooling anyone,” Angela interrupted, smirking as she pointed a finger at me. “If a man looked at me like that, I’d lose all self-control right there on the dance floor. And someone would have to take over this bar for me!”

“A man does look at you like that,” I shot back with a grin. “Marco!”

Angela wagged a finger at me, still chuckling. “Don’t even try it. Marco doesn’t smirk like he’s got some secret he’s hiding. He’s obvious about it. Joey practically burned a hole through you with his eyes.”

Lucy nodded vigorously, taking a sip of her drink. “It’s true, babe. That wasn’t just a dance; that was the start of a good love story. And tension. Not just any kind of tension, if you know what I mean.”

I shook my head, laughing despite myself. “Or perhaps you both need to get your eyes checked.”

“Oh, please,” Angela said, leaning closer with a grin. “Just admit it—you liked it.”

I stayed quiet, sipping my drink, refusing to give them thesatisfaction. But as the music swirled around the room and I glanced at where Joey had been standing moments ago, I couldn’t quite keep the smile off my face. It was another secret that would only live in my head—I did like it. I liked it a lot. I liked how his hungry eyes drank me in. How his hands held me as if he’d done it many times before. I liked it all. More than I should. More than I wanted to.

JOEY

“If it isn’t Mr. Smooth himself.” Paul grinned slyly as I walked over to the table where he and Marco were still seated. “How have I known you my entire life and never once known you were a slow dancer?”

“Dancer?” Marco chuckled, swirling his whiskey neat in his glass. “Please. The guy was practically putting on a show out there.”

I smirked, shaking my head in disbelief. “You two got nothing better to do than run your mouths?”

“Oh, we could mind our business, but where’s the fun in that?” Paul’s grin widened. “So, tell us, Joey. How are you going to explain to Renee you’re willing to sign yourself over to Adriana?”

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