But those professional, perfectly edited photo shoots hid just how much he’d aged in the last few years. He had been close to my dad’s age, and now his hair was more salt and pepper than brown, which added to his charm. He had a light stubble on his chin, and his face seemed to have filled out more, making him even more impossibly handsome than when I’d first seen him.

It isn’t fucking fair for the devil to look so goddamn sexy.

He jotted something down on the paper and passed it back to me.

Maybe.

I couldn’t stop the huff that escaped my lips. It was his way of subtly telling me that I was in over my head and giving me a chance to save myself.

I don’t want to be saved.

I came for revenge. I came to end it all. I knew I’d get hurt in the process.

But if he’s offering…

I reached over and wrote a single word on the paper.

“Not like I could stop you,” I said and motioned for whatever was next. It was the NDA—the thickest of the pile.

I signed this one without reading as well.

“Alright, you already filled out your bank information, but please check it again⁠—”

“No need.” I stood. “I think Mr. King was clear about what he wanted, no? I think we are done here for the night.”

Dante’s eyes darted toward Warren, almost like he was trying to save me from my inevitable destruction.

“Leave us,” the boss commanded and stood.

Swallowing thickly, Dante stood and fixed his suit before leaving us alone in the room.

The air became stifling. The knowledge that it was just him and me in the small room caused my heart to speed up and my breathing to shallow.

I turned to him, and with one shrug, let his jacket fall to the floor.

He let out a huff of a laugh while shaking his head.

“Ah, Addi… I knew it was only a matter of time before this started,” he said. His head lifted, his sharp gaze feeling like it could see right through me.

“What? You don’t want a taste of what you purchased?” I asked with a sly smile and tugged my straps off my shoulders. “Cutting the lights was a nice touch. Couldn’t let people see what was yours, hm?”

He was in front of me in an instant, one hand fisting my hair and the other against my hip, holding me in place. His body melded against mine. His breathing was rapid. There was an emotion in his eyes that I never thought I’d see again.

Need.

Being with him had been a taste of the most delicious forbidden fruit.

I had been young when I first saw him. Around nineteen. No experience. A bit too hopeful. Too trusting.