Page 25

“Give ‘em hell.”

With that, the screen went dark, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

This was it. No turning back now.

TWELVE

DANTE

I leaned back in my chair, the seat creaking beneath me as I regarded the investor across the table. Alessandro Marconi was a powerhouse in Miami’s real estate scene, with a portfolio that spanned luxury hotels, upscale restaurants, and prime beachfront properties—precisely the kind of player that could help legitimize my expansion plans.

“As I mentioned, Mr. Reyes,” he continued, sliding a glossy brochure across the table, “this property on South Beach is prime real estate. With the right vision and investment, it could become the crown jewel of your entertainment empire.”

I nodded, flipping through the brochure and taking in the sleek renderings of the proposed development—a towering high-rise with a rooftop lounge, multiple restaurants, and a state-of-the-art nightclub—a respected business venture to diversify the cartels’ interests and potentially build a much safer future for the family without the drug trade.

As Alessandro droned on, extolling the virtues of the location and the profit potential, my mind began to wander. Suddenly, thoughts of a different kind of empire crept in, far more tempting than any real estate deal.

Eva. Stunning, delicious, mysterious Eva Morales.

I could almost taste her on my lips, a heady mix of sweetness and sin. Her heated skin against mine, our bodies entwined in a rhythmic dance of lust, each thrust and gyration etched into my memory.

I recalled the way her nails had raked down my back, the desperate noises she’d made as she unraveled beneath my touch. The memory alone was enough to make my cock twitch, hardening against my pants.

A soft touch on my arm jolted me back to the present, and I blinked to find Alessandro’s assistant, Vanessa, if I remembered correctly, leaning in far too close. Vanessa was a leggy brunette with a predatory gaze that lingered a little too long on my body.

“Sorry, Mr. Reyes,” she purred, her voice like honey. “You seemed... distracted.”

I cleared my throat, shifting in my seat and putting more distance between us. “Not at all. Please, continue Alessandro.”

But even as the words left my lips, my mind drifted again.

I had to discover Eva’s darkest secrets, peel back the layers, and learn what lay beneath that sultry exterior. But more than that, I wanted to lose myself in her once more, to drown in the unexplainable sensations she had so effortlessly unleashed.

“Dante?”

The sound of my name snapped me back to reality, and I realized that both Alessandro and Vanessa were staring at me.

“My apologies,” I said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “I’m afraid my mind is elsewhere today.”

Alessandro frowned, but Vanessa’s gaze held a glint of understanding – or was it calculation? Her hand found my arm again, her fingers trailing along the fabric of my sleeve in a way that was clearly meant to be suggestive.

“Maybe we should take a break, Mr. Reyes,” she purred. “Get you relaxed; work out all that tension. There’s a plush suite upstairs. I could show you the way, make it worth your while...”

Her hand slid along my thigh, brazenly mapping the contours of my leg through the fabric of my trousers as she pinned me with a smoldering, fuck-me gaze, those sinful red lips parted in blatant invitation.

I bit back a scowl and removed her hand gently but decisively. She was a knockout, no question. But she was also here to sweeten the real estate deal with her dangerous curves and sultry pout, the sort of vixen I would’ve leaped to take six ways from Sunday not long ago.

Not today. Today, like yesterday and the day before, Eva consumed my thoughts. The silken slide of her skin against mine, the erotic symphony of her moans and sighs as I drove her to shattering orgasms, over and over...

“Excuse me a moment,” I said, standing abruptly. “I need to make a quick call.”

Alessandro nodded, a smirk playing about his mouth as he waved me off. “But of course. Take all the time you need.”

I strode out of the restaurant, pulling my phone from my pocket as I stepped into the muggy Miami heat. I had no one to call, and there was no pressing business. I just needed a fucking moment to clear my head.

“Hey there, handsome.”

I spun around at the sound of my sister’s voice and spotted Sofia walking towards me with a quizzical look on her face.