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Brandon

Iwaslostsomewherebetween unimaginable delirium over the gift Sage had given me and willing my cock to get hard so we could do it all over again. It wouldn’t take long with the way she looked at me. Swollen lips, flushed cheeks, and wild hair. She’d never been more stunning. I planned on keeping her that way.

The firm grip of her arms around me was a welcome relief. Part of me wondered if she’d push me away again. But I’d meant what I’d said about being done with games. She could try to deny it, try to tell me we’d made another mistake, but there was only so long she could lie to herself. Something told me I didn’t need to worry about that anymore.

I claimed Sage’s mouth as we both came down, her panting breaths still hot against my lips. “Incredible,” I said, my forearms braced on either side of her head. “I knew it. I knew you and I would set this bed on fire.”

She lifted a brow. “Been thinking about it, have you?”

“Only every fucking second of every day since we met. Haven’t you?”

Sage gnawed on her lip to either hide her smile or hold in her response.

I nuzzled her neck and breathed in her sweet scent. It was like high-grade crack to me. No amount of detox would ease the craving. “Don’t play coy with me. Admit it. That was next-level.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “Ordinarily, I’d talk down your prowess because I’d hate to overinflate your already-colossal ego, but I don’t have it in me to deny how amazing that was. You’ve fucked the snark right out of me.” She laughed and slapped a hand over her eyes.

“I adore your snark.” I pulled her hand away and brushed her fingertips across my lips. “And you might’ve fucked the cockiness out of me, because all I can think about is how in awe I am of you. And grateful.”

Her brow pinched in confusion, so I explained.

“You’ve taken a big step tonight, and you’ve taken it with me.” I kissed her, then cupped her jaw. “Thank you for trusting me.”With your heart.

Uncomfortable with my words, Sage blinked and gave a tight-lipped smile. I didn’t care if acknowledging what had just happened made her uneasy. She couldn’t ignore it forever, and I was done playing games. I wasn’t stupid enough to push her for more while we were still enjoying the postsex endorphins, but I’d have her talking soon enough.

I shifted to my side so we were facing each other. It would be dawn soon, but neither of us seemed tired despite the stressful night and doing our best to wear each other out. I pulled Sage closer because the mere inches between us were still too far. She slung a leg over my hip, and I slipped my thigh between hers.

Sage fluffed her pillow. “Tell me what you found while snooping around Dante’s mansion.”

I propped my head on the heel of my palm. “Security is tight, but not infallible. There’ll be a lot of people at the ball, so we’ll need to blend in with the guests. I imagine the hardest part will be getting Dante to open the vault of his own volition.”

“Why? I assumed you’d just hold a gun to his head and force him to do it.”

“As much fun as that would be, most vaults have a panic system. If Dante enters an alert code, it’ll lock down for twenty-four hours and set off an alarm.”

“So how do we make him open it?”

“I have a few ideas, but I’ll have to read the crowd when we arrive. See who’s ripe for a little manipulation.”

“And thesedeliveriesyou made this evening. Care to fill me in on that?” Sage traced a finger back and forth over the curve of my bicep.

Goose bumps rose on my arm. “That tickles.”

Sage continued to taunt me with her featherlight touch. “These arms are very pretty.”

“Pretty?” I tensed the muscle so it turned rock hard under her finger.

She paused her movement and lowered her chin. “Show off.”

I sent her aWho, me?look and decided two could play this game. My fingertips ran down the slender column of her neck, over her collarbone and the crest of her breast, then gently circled her nipple.

“When we arrive at the ball, security will scan us for weapons. I’m guessing they’ll also hold on to guests’ cell phones and return them after the event. Can’t have anyone sharing happy snaps on Insta.”

Sage drew in a deep breath, arching her chest toward mine. “But you’ve found a way around that.”

“I have.”