REYNA

For the rest of dinner, I kept my head down. The redness from my cheeks never went away. Saint just sat there and continued conversations as if he hadn't just fingered me in front of the entire ball. The classiest, scariest, and most well-known people just saw one of the most private, intense moments of my life.

"Dance with me," Saint whispered in my ear. I pulled my brows together as I watched him stand up and button the bottom of his suit jacket.

He didn't wait for my response before grabbing my hand and pulling me up.

"Excuse us, my dear friends." Saint grinned.

He guided me to the dance floor. As we walked I could just feel the judgmental stare of the people around me. There was one set of eyes in particular that stuck to me like glue, Cecilia's. I could just feel her loathe through the lens of her eyes.

I dipped my head back down again.

Once we were in the middle of the ball, Saint spun me toward him and placed his hands on waist. Instinctively, my arms went around his neck.

"I'm so embarrassed," I muttered, peering into the blue of his eyes. He was smiling sadistically as if he enjoyed my humiliation.

"I don't see why," he stated.

I glared at him as we swayed to the music. His warm hand moved lower, touching the top of my butt.

"Probably because everyone watched what you did," I gritted out.

He spun me around, chuckling before bringing me back to his chest but only closer this time. "I'm sure they enjoyed it just as much as you did," he said.

I placed my hand on his chest, ready to push away, but something compelled me not to. "I don't understand you. You said it yourself that I'm unattractive and I'm not the kind of woman you would want, yet you put some possessive claim on me and did something so intimate with me in front of so many people. What is your aim here, Santino?" I questioned curiously.

He dipped me, my hair falling in a waterfall from my head. My lips parted as I looked at him—I mean, truly looked at him.

"When the night is over, you're going to take off those contacts and put on glasses, you're going to take off all that makeup. This dress will be replaced with that big ass, ugly T-shirt and sweats. And for some reason, I want to fuck that version of you more than I want to fuck the one that's in front of me. I don't think you're unattractive, in fact, I never once found intelligence so sexy until I met you. That's it, that's my aim," he explained before bringing me back up and turning me so my back was pressed against his front.

I found myself tilting my head, presenting my neck to him as his arm curled around my body.

"Your aim is to... have sex with me?" I asked in bewilderment. His lips scraped my neck, the softness of them welcoming my skin like they hadn't touched in so long.

"No, I want to fuck you, ravish you, leave you sore and aching, Angel. I've gotten a taste of you, and now, I want it all," he admitted.

I clenched my thighs at the sound of his words. Butterflies foolishly presented itself in pit of my stomach. I bit down on my lip as his hand stooped lower and lower until he was so close to my core.

"But... you said..." I breathed.

"I don't give a fuck about what I said. I'm telling you how I feel. Words are words, Reyna. You can't always believe what you hear," he said.

"Does that include what I heard about you?" I asked.

He shrugged, deciding not to speak on the subject.

Saint spun me back around. His jaw was clenched and his gaze was cold. I didn't know what coerced me, but I lowered my head on his chest to listen to the beat of his heart. Despite everything I heard and saw of this man, I always forgot that he was just human. He was a human with a skeleton and a beating heart just like anyone else. He had feelings and emotions even if he tried to act like he didn't.

"I gave you my warnings. I told you the kind of man I am. You are already aware of what I'm capable of," he began. "Proceed with caution, Reyna. Like I said, I had a taste of you and now I want it all. Do you accept that?" Saint asked.

I gulped, feeling my eyes shut.

"What does that mean exactly?" I whispered, barely able to hear myself.

"It means..." he chuckled.

It was almost homely being in his hold. I couldn't understand why I felt most safe in the arms of a criminal, but there I was, protected from all the evil around me.

"It means that I get to possess you until whatever hunger I have is gone," Saint finished.

"What about Cecilia? Viktor? My mom?" I asked, trying my best to avoid the question I had no answer to. My body wanted him to fulfill every sinful promise he was making, but my heart told me no. When one protested, the other stood up and defended their own reasoning.

He laughed, apathy dripping from his tone. "Nothing about our arrangements change," he responded.

I pulled away from him, peering into his eyes. "You are aware that I've never done... that before, right?" I asked, searching for his response. I waited for him to laugh or even pull away, but he didn't do that.

"I am," he said.

I turned to catch the familiar envious eyes of Cecilia. She was still watching us. Quickly, I looked back down to see both my and Saint's shoes.

"Has Adriano said anything about Viktor, yet?" I asked, completely changing the subject.

"No, he hasn't. I think it's best if we leave now to make sure everything is running smoothly with Giovanni and Adriano," Saint said.

Even though I didn't agree with Adriano and Giovanni's actions of torture, I was still very worried. Saint gave them clear instructions to notify him immediately if anyone brought up my name. Unless the plan failed, something was clearly wrong.

"Let's go," Saint said, grabbing my hand and dragging me from the dance floor.

When he let go of me, it was only for a brief second to touch my lower back as he guided me back up the stairs and out of the ballroom.

Our driver was already waiting for us. He was leaning against the shiny BMW with a cigarette to his lips. The moment he saw us, he opened the back door.

"Where are they?" I asked, referring to Adriano and Giovanni.

"They should be at my place," Saint said dismissively.

We got into the vehicle. The same vehicle Saint threatened to throw me out of. He was a confusing man, but I was almost sure that he was just as conflicted as I was.

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Question: what do you think of Saint's offer? How do you feel about Giovanni and Adriano's silence?

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—A. Marie