Page 54 of Sinful Bargains

“A peck?” Lucy repeated with raised eyebrows, sipping fromher glass. “Adriana, if you’ve got any sense, you’ll kiss that man again—and this time, make sure he never forgets it. Coming from someone who knows Renee—screw her.”

“Uh-oh! Trouble is fast approaching. I repeat, a tall, dark, blue-eyed man with sinful desires to take Adriana into the VIP is fast approaching—everyone act normal,” Angela said in an exaggerated announcer voice, her grin wicked.

Lucy and I giggled. My pulse quickened before I even looked up. Joey strode to the bar with his signature confident gait, a smile curling his lips. His presence pulled every ounce of air out of the room. And when his eyes found mine, it felt like the rest of the world blurred into nothing.

“Ladies.” He nodded to Angela and Lucy, his voice smooth and warm, before his attention snapped back to me like a magnet. “Mind if I steal you for a dance?”

Angela leaned against the bar with a playful smirk. “Do you practice this act of yours in the mirror, Joey?”

“Yeah, do we get next on the dance card, or is Adriana the only lucky one tonight?” Lucy added, crossing her arms. “Hector would sooner find himself dead than dance with me.”

Joey didn’t take his eyes off me as he grinned, brushing off their teasing. “Very funny, you two. What do you say, Adriana?”

My heart skipped at the sound of my name leaving his lips. There was no use fighting it. My legs felt like jelly, but I managed to stand as he offered his hand. I smoothed the front of my dress, trying to focus on anything other than the heat coursing through my body.

As we headed for the dance floor, Angela called after us, “Joey, don’t step on her toes. She just got those shoes yesterday.”

“And don’t forget Joey—we’re watchin’!” Lucy chimed in. “No funny business on the dance floor. Hands where we can see ’em!”

Joey glanced over his shoulder with a mock-serious expression. “You two got jokes tonight.”

Once we were on the dance floor, I leaned in to whisper, “You know they’re going to talk about this all night, right?”

His laugh was low and rich, sending a pleasant shiver down my spine. “Let ’em. Long as I get the dance, they can say whatever they want.Anyonecan say what they want. You’re all I care about.”

He pulled me into position, one hand slipping to the small of my back, the other holding mine firmly. The warmth of his touch made my stomach flip. His proximity felt dangerous and safe all at once. I tried to keep my focus on the rhythm of the music, but Joey made me forget where I was entirely. His eyes locked on mine, softening as they searched my face. I wondered if he could feel how my heart raced against his chest.

“Relax,” he murmured. “It’s just a dance. I won’t kiss you in front of everyone. Only in private.”

His words sent a jolt through me, electrifying every nerve ending in my body. My breath caught in my chest, and I forgot how to move, my feet stuttering against the rhythm of the music. Joey’s grip on my waist tightened, steadying me, and his lips quirked into the faintest of smirks, as if he knew exactly the havoc he was stirring inside me.

I tried to focus on the dance—the swish of my dress and the press of my shoes against the polished floor—but Joey was all I could feel and see. His presence consumed me, radiating so much confidence, as though he knew how much control he wielded over me in these moments. I had carefully built walls around myself, walls that were meant to protect my deepest secrets. But Joey didn’t just break through them—he demolished them without hesitation.

My mind screamed at me to snap out of it. But his thumb brushed against my hand, silencing every logical thought I had.

I glanced up, meeting his gaze. His eyes locked onto mine. The music, the other people, and Angela and Lucy’s watchfulteasing faded into the background. It was just us, a pull that felt impossible to resist.

The steady movement of the dance floor did little to calm the turmoil inside me. His hand on my back was both grounding and incendiary, like he could sense every part of me I wanted to keep hidden. I felt exposed—like Joey saw through every wall I’d built and still wanted to be close.

“You’re quiet,” he murmured, tilting his head, as though studying me. A slow, knowing grin tugged at his lips. “Still thinking about kissing me?”

I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. “You’reawfullysure of yourself, aren’t you?”

He smirked, his grip tightening at my waist. “Am I wrong?”

I met his gaze, my pulse quickening. “I’m not answering that.”

Joey chuckled, his fingers tracing idle circles against my back. He leaned in, his lips brushing just above my ear. “You look beautiful right now. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes.”

A shiver ran down my spine at his words, the low rasp of his voice making it impossible to think straight.

Despite my mind trying to warn me, I couldn’t deny how right this felt—how alive I felt. For the first time in years, something other than fear and uncertainty was swirling in my chest. Joey’s confidence, unpredictability, and unwavering gaze scared me, but it also made me feel seen. Wanted. Desired. And safe. And I wanted to feel this way for as long as I could remember.

I knew I was in trouble. This moment wasn’t just a dance; it was the start of something much bigger—and whether it would save or destroy me, I had no idea. But I couldn’t stop until I found out.

The dance floor was bathed in warm, golden light that softened the edges of the speakeasy, making everything seem like a dream.Earth Angelplayed softly through the room, its melodywrapping around us like a secret. I wasn’t sure if it was just a coincidence or if Angela had something to do with it.

“I’m beginning to think this may just be our song,” Joey said, his voice low and teasing as we swayed to the music.

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