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The moment I entered the VIP lounge, all eyes were on me. High-rollers in expensive suits, no doubt the cartel’s inner circle, followed my every move. I recognized a few faces from DEA files, my heart twisting with nerves and determination. But my focus remained on one man—Dante Reyes.

His chiseled features were illuminated by the soft glow of the VIP lounge, those striking blue eyes locking with mine and capturing me in their electric intensity. I felt that penetrating gaze in the deepest recesses of my soul, anticipation coursing through my veins.

A slender blonde, barely legal by the looks of it, draped herself possessively over Dante, shooting daggers at me from beneath her perfectly mascaraed lashes.

“Eva.” Dante’s deep, rich baritone broke the charged silence, snapping my focus back to him. “Thought you might’ve stood me up.”

I flashed him a mischievous smile, letting my gaze linger on his full lips. “Forgive me, Dante. I was... delayed. But I’m here now.”

A glint of amusement sparkled in his eyes, and he gestured to the space beside him on the plush sofa. “Then, by all means, make yourself comfortable.”

I sank onto the soft cushion, maintaining a tantalizing distance between us, acutely aware of the blonde’s hostile glares. She dug her perfectly manicured nails into Dante’s thigh, claiming her territory.

“Dante, darling,” she purred, her voice oozing with disdain. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your... friend?”

Dante’s gaze flickered between us, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of his mouth. “Ah, yes. Eva, this is Giselle. Giselle, meet Eva Morales.”

Giselle’s icy blue stare could’ve frozen hell itself, but her smile was sickly sweet. “Charmed,” she bit out through clenched teeth.

I matched her grin with a challenging one of my own, letting my eyes roam over her with calculated disinterest. “Charmed is all yours, honey.”

Dante watched the interplay between us with evident delight, his fingers tapping seductively on the couch. “Now, now, ladies. No need to get territorial. There’s more than enough of me to go around.”

Giselle draped herself over him possessively, her lips brushing his jaw as if marking her territory. I had to suppress the urge to roll my eyes at the desperate display. If this blonde bombshell was my competition, I pitied any man caught in her web.

Well, almost.

As the Barbie-esque woman clung to Dante, practically purring as she nuzzled his neck, I shifted my attention back to the man himself. Our eyes met, and the air thickened with a dizzying mixture of lust and unspoken challenges.

“So tell me, Dante,” I cooed, my fingers lightly tracing patterns on his hand. “What gets a big, strong man like you off?”

His eyes darkened, a storm cloud of desire and something more, his jaw clenching beneath my intense gaze. “My tastes are quite... diverse, Eva.”

Leaning in, I let my lips brush against the shell of his ear, my breath teasing his skin. “Then you’re in luck, Dante. I’m a woman of many, many skills.”

Dante sucked in a sharp breath, his body tensing beneath my touch, and I felt a rush of dark satisfaction. I had him hooked, line and sinker.

The game had truly begun.

Bye-bye, Giselle. Time for the grown-ups to play.

EIGHT

DANTE

My cock throbbed when Eva leaned in close, her warm breath caressing my ear, lush lips a hair’s breadth from my tingling skin. “Why don’t we ditch the third wheel?” Her voice was pure sex with sinful promise.

Everything about Eva tested my restraint, but I played it cool, shooting a grin her way. “And what’s in it for me?” I kept my tone lazy even as I boldly dragged my eyes over to Giselle plastered against my side, her fingers drawing teasing circles on my inner thigh.

Eva’s eyes flashed with the thrill of a challenge. “Normally, I’d be all for a little threesome action, but tonight, I want you all to myself.”

Giselle’s head snapped around so fast I feared whiplash, her meticulously styled hair whipping with the sharp motion. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” she snarled, eyes blazing hot with outrage. “Dante doesn’t need your skanky ass. He has me, and I’m more woman than he can handle.”

A laugh bubbled up as Giselle threw her predictable jealous fit. She was a stereotypical possessive wreck, but Eva stirred something in me—a part of myself I’d kept locked away for far too long.

“Enough,” I said, holding up a hand. “Giselle, you know I like a little variety in my life.” I shot Eva a wink, reveling in the way her features morphed into a slow, seductive smile.

Giselle bristled beside me, her nails digging into my thigh again, harder this time. “Dante, you can’t be serious,” she hissed. “This woman is nothing but a cheap tramp. She’s not fit to lick the bottom of my Louboutin’s.”