Chapter Nineteen

TRINITY

Once in the car, we headed to the Riverwalk, where the guys had booked us a table at City Winery for dinner. The evening air was crisp, the city lights glittering on the water as we pulled up. We made ourselves comfortable, ordered drinks and starters, and eased into conversation—mostly revolving around Clint and Mia’s upcoming wedding.

Despite being engaged in the banter, I couldn’t ignore the fact that Stephen had his eyes locked on me like I was the only thing in the room. His gaze was heated, tender, almost reverent. I reached over and ran my hand slowly up his thigh, teasing. Within seconds, I felt his strong hand close over mine, giving it a possessive squeeze.

While we waited for our mains, Clint stood and held out a hand to Mia as the jazz band kicked off their next set. He twirled her toward the dancefloor, effortlessly catching her in his arms, and they swayed in rhythm.

Stephen reached for me, pulling my chair closer to his. His arm draped over the back of my seat, fingers finding their way into my hair. He brushed it gently over my shoulder, exposing the bare skin of my neck. A second later, his lips were there—warm, soft, lingering.

“You look radiant tonight, baby,” he murmured, his voice a low purr as his lips moved toward my ear. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t take my eyes off you.”

I turned toward him, resting my hand gently on his cheek. His eyes—smouldering with love and heat—held mine in a spell.

“I love you so much, Stephen. Thank you for loving me in return. You make me feel whole.”

He kissed me—slow, deliberate, a claiming wrapped in adoration. My chest swelled at the raw emotion in his touch.

“I can’t say it enough. You are my queen,” he whispered. “I live for you.”

I curled into his chest, letting his warmth soak through me, the feeling of safety unmatched. His lips pressed into the crown of my head as his fingers stroked my arm.

“Never leave me, baby,” he breathed, voice cracking the faintest bit. “Please.”

I blinked, lifting my head to look at him, startled by the solemnity in his words.

“Why would you say that?” I asked, concern written all over my face. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here. I’ll always be by your side. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

He pulled me in, kissing me with a depth of emotion that made everything else fade away. I felt it in my soul—he meant every word.

As we glanced back toward Clint and Mia, their love painted across the dancefloor in every smile and twirl, I felt a peaceful warmth settle in my chest. They radiated happiness, and it gave me hope for all of us.

Our meals arrived just as the two lovebirds returned to the table, breathless and glowing. A vintage bottle of wine soon followed, and we all eased into easy conversation, laughter filling the space between bites.

After dinner, we agreed to a nightcap. Back at Capulet, the four of us made our way inside and were immediately met with Luke’s familiar grin at the bar.

“Damn, babes,” he smirked, brushing a knuckle across the lapel of his jacket. “And, Mia! You ladies are enough to turn a man straight.”

I rolled my eyes and smacked his chest playfully before leaning in for a kiss and hug. I’d missed my bestie—but seeing him this happy, that sparkle in his eyes, gave me a strong feeling his night was going well.

Stephen and Clint greeted him with nods and handshakes before Stephen turned toward Luke again.

“Would your date and yourself like to join us?” he offered, indicating the VIP booths behind us. “I can’t very well leave you down here paying for drinks.”

Luke beamed. “Appreciate that. I’ll grab him and head up shortly.”

I gave Luke one last hug and promised we’d see him soon.

By the time we’d gotten settled in the plush booth, Luke had arrived with his date. “Everyone,” he grinned proudly, “I’d like you to meet Todd.”

Todd gave us a shy wave, his features handsome and approachable. Those deep brown waves and ocean-blue eyes made him easy to look at—and it was obvious why Luke was smitten.

“This is my girl, Trinity, and her partner Stephen,” Luke said proudly, as we both reached to shake Todd’s hand.

“And this is Mia and Clint,” he added.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Todd said warmly as he slid into the booth beside Luke. “Thank you for inviting us to join you.”

“It’s fine,” Stephen replied. “Make yourself at home. Whatever you want—on the house.”

Todd nodded appreciatively. “It’s great to meet you all. Luke speaks highly of you.”

With drinks flowing and conversation light, we were soon tipsy and laughing over stories both old and new. Stephen hadn’t kept his hands off me all night—and I wasn’t about to complain. His touch had that electric quality, setting fire to every nerve ending with a single graze.

It reminded me of that first night. Of him. Of us.

“Penny for your thoughts, doll?”

His voice was close, low. I leaned in and slid onto his lap, curling my arms around his strong neck. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist, his eyes warm with affection—and heat.

“I was just thinking of the first night we were here together,” I said, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw. “You were the same then as you are now.”

He chuckled, his hand trailing back up my thigh, his touch light and possessive.

“How so?”

“You couldn’t keep your hands to yourself that night either,” I whispered with a smile.

He let out that husky laugh I adored. “I’ll never be able to keep my hands off you, my love.”

“Smooth, daddy,” I teased, slapping his chest lovingly.

“Wanna take a trip down memory lane, doll?” he asked, nodding toward his office. At the same time, I felt his hand slide higher up my thigh, squeezing the soft flesh with a firm hunger that made my body tighten. He already knew my answer. The fire in my eyes gave it away.

“We’ll be right back,” Stephen announced to the table, gripping my hand possessively in his as he stood.

“Please, help yourselves to anything you’d like,” he added over his shoulder.

“Half an hour, bro, or I’m knocking that office door down!” Luke hollered after him.

Clint cracked up beside him, reaching for a high-five. I felt my cheeks flush with heat.

“Hey, just because you fuckers can finish in half an hour—~foreplay included~—doesn’t mean we’re all one-pump heroes,” Stephen fired back smugly.

Mia and Todd burst into laughter while Clint and Luke groaned in mock offense.

Stephen and I threaded through the crowd toward his office. The moment the door clicked shut and locked behind us, that familiar sound sent a bolt of heat through me. It transported me instantly to that very first night.

“So…” Stephen’s voice dropped, laced with dominance. “If memory serves me right, I came up behind you just like this.”

His hands landed on my shoulders, warm and sure. Slowly, deliberately, he ran them down my arms in a mirror of the past—just as he had before.

“That’s right, baby…” I whispered, breathless. “Then?”

“Then, I reached down and linked our fingers … just like this,” he said, voice a low velvet drawl as his strong fingers laced with mine. Every word he spoke was deliberate, every movement purposeful.

“Then I slowly moved down and whispered in your ear…”

I felt his body inch closer, the warmth of him pressing against my back as he hovered by my ear. The air between us crackled like static, ready to snap with the weight of everything unsaid—everything felt.

“Hi…” he whispered.

A shiver ripped through me as his lips grazed the shell of my ear, his breath warm and teasing.

“I could see the goosebumps break out over your skin, just like they are doing now,” he added with a grin, and he wasn’t wrong. His index finger traced lightly back up my arm, gliding across the crease of my elbow like a whisper, making me arch into his touch.

“Your memory is very good, baby,” I said softly, leaning further into his embrace.

“How could I forget a single moment with you?” His lips brushed the sensitive skin of my neck, a soft kiss that carried far more meaning than words ever could.

“Then you moved your arms like this,” he murmured, lifting mine and guiding them gently around my waist. His body pressed into mine, surrounding me, encasing me in that magnetic energy that only he had. “We held each other just like this, enjoying the moment.”

So we did. We stood still in the memory, in the comfort of the now, our bodies fused together with the familiarity that comes only from real, raw love.

“I was trying so hard to be a gentleman that night,” he continued, his voice rough with restraint. “But all I wanted to do was devour you. I just knew, deep down, you were worth more than that. You were everything.”

“I remember,” I said, smiling at the warmth in his tone.

“I remember you turned around to face me,” he went on, his voice now a slow caress, “and I finally begged you to kiss me. You wrapped those soft hands around my neck...”

He guided my arms upward as I turned, placing them gently over his shoulders.

“Like this?” I whispered, interrupting him, letting my fingers tangle into the back of his hair as I raked my nails across the base of his neck.

“Just like that, baby,” he breathed, eyes fluttering shut for a moment. “You finally pulled my face down to meet those beautiful lips I adore. And I knew right then… I was done for. Once I tasted you, I knew I wasn’t ever going to give you up.”

The tension snapped. I surged forward, catching his lips in mine as we began kissing slowly, intimately. Our mouths moved together like they’d always belonged, like they were made for this exact rhythm. His hands roamed up my sides while mine gripped the strong curve of his ass, pulling him flush against me.

“Stephen,” I moaned into the kiss, the name falling from my lips like a prayer.

That single sound sent him spiralling—his hands grew impatient, greedy, aching for more.

“Baby, stop,” I said breathlessly, pulling away.

“Stop?” he asked, lifting a brow, confused, amused, panting slightly. “Since when did you learn the word stop?”

“Since I decided I wanted to create a new memory here for you to cherish,” I replied, grinning cheekily as I bit my bottom lip.

His smile turned devilish. “I like the way you think. What did you have in mind?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I walked over to his desk, grabbed his chair, and dragged it to the middle of the room. Turning to face him, I tilted my head.

“Sit for me, daddy.”

The growl that echoed through the office sent a rush straight between my legs.

“I like where this is going, doll,” he muttered appreciatively as he took a seat, watching me like a starved man.

“It’s going exactly where you’re thinking,” I whispered into his ear, leaning over as my breasts spilled just slightly into his face. Predictably, he couldn’t resist. He reached up and tugged at the front of my suit, peeking down.

“But first,” I purred, straightening up, “undo my zip for me.”

I turned around, and he obeyed, carefully dragging the zipper down with painstaking slowness, as if unwrapping the most precious gift.

He didn’t let go until he was certain it was fully undone.

“Now,” I said over my shoulder, “are you going to be good for me?”

When he reached for my hips, I stepped out of his reach, wagging a finger at him.

“No touching yet. Let me make you feel real good first.”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, the tension in his pants visibly increasing. My lips curled in victory.

“I won’t touch,” he promised hoarsely, eyes burning with restraint.

“That’s good,” I teased. “And what do you get if you behave?”

His gaze devoured every inch of me. He didn’t speak—he couldn’t. He just watched, hungry and helpless.

“You get all this,” I whispered, slowly peeling out of the jumpsuit. The fabric slipped over my curves and pooled at my feet.

The moment he saw what was beneath it—lace, emerald green, delicate, and daring—I watched his jaw slacken.

“You said green, right, baby?” I asked, biting the tip of my finger and giving him a seductive stare.

He choked on the first syllable of his reply. It was the first time I’d ever seen Stephen Gotti speechless.

“Y-ye … yes. Green. Fuck—wow. God … how do you expect me to keep my hands to myself right now?”

I strolled behind him slowly, trailing my nails lightly across his chest. He shivered under my touch.

“I know you will,” I whispered into his ear, voice velvet, and steel. “Because if you’re a very good … I’m gonna reward you for it. Don’t you want that?”

“God yes,” he groaned. “I want everything to do with you, baby. I fucking need you.”

I wrapped my fingers into his thick hair and gave a firm tug, wrenching his head back so his eyes met mine, the need burning between us like wildfire.

“You’re gonna get rewarded now.”

And then I heard it…

A soft, desperate whimper escaped Stephen’s lips—and oh, the heat that pooled deep in my core. That sound lit something primal inside me, knowing he’d just surrendered to me, even if only for this moment. The shift in power was intoxicating.

I moved slowly around to face him, using my legs to nudge his knees wider—and he complied instantly. God, the obedience on this man.

Turning, I placed my back to him and bent over, deliberately giving him the full view of my ass. The tension radiated off his body in waves. I straightened and slid back down his body, slow and deliberate, until I was squatting between his legs. My nails trailed upward along the insides of his thighs as I ground my ass back into his lap.

“Yes, Trinity,” he groaned, his voice low and gravelly—his desire vibrating through every syllable.

For several minutes I continued, gliding up and down along his body, grinding into his painfully hard cock as I felt his anguish manifest in the way his fists clenched—white-knuckled, desperate—but never once did he touch me. He was being so good. So patient.

I turned, grabbing a firm fistful of his hair, dragging his face into my chest, rubbing the lace of my lingerie across his lips. His deep growl rumbled against my skin. Lifting one leg, I straddled him completely, his hands instinctively going to grip my waist—but I caught his wrists in mine, still in control.

I used his hair again to tilt his head back and leaned forward, pressing my breasts flush against his bare chest. My tongue traced slowly up the front of his throat.

“Fuck,” he breathed, exasperated, shaking beneath me. “I feel like I’m gonna blow in my pants.”

I giggled darkly, teasing him. “Wouldn’t you much rather save that for me?”

I slipped off his lap and stepped back, lifting one leg up onto his shoulder, digging the heel of my stiletto lightly into his muscle. His eyes rolled back, his face caught in a state of pure, agonized pleasure. The scent of my arousal filled the air between us, and I knew it was driving him insane.

“Kiss it, daddy,” I ordered, my voice silk and fire.

He blinked, stunned by the command. “Go on… show me how much you desire it.”

Stephen leaned forward, lips soft, reverent, pressing them against the lace covering my soaked pussy. When his tongue flicked out for a teasing taste, I yanked his head back by the hair.

My other hand wrapped around his throat, squeezing just enough to get his full attention.

“Did I say you could do that?”

He shook his head, breath ragged. “No.”

“You’re a bad boy, baby,” I purred, my voice honeyed and dominant. “You know what happens when you misbehave?”

Without missing a beat, his lips curled into a wicked smile. “I get punished.”

“That’s right, you do. And just for that little stunt, you’re going to have to watch now … with no rewards.”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.

“Watch what?” he rasped, barely hanging onto his control.

“This.” I moved my thong aside and dug my heel deeper into his shoulder, holding his gaze with unwavering intensity.

Then, I plunged my fingers into my soaking heat. A loud moan escaped me, my head falling back in ecstasy, giving him the full show.

I pumped my fingers in and out, slowly at first, then faster—my thumb rubbing tight, needy circles over my clit. Stephen watched, transfixed. He was in agony, eyes blazing with desire, his cock straining visibly beneath his pants.

When I saw the glint of desperation in his eyes, I decided to be kind.

A taste. A tease.

“Open,” I instructed softly, breath hitching as I kept working myself.

He looked up, obedient, needy.

“Open your mouth, baby.”

The moment his lips parted, I slid my fingers out and pushed them into his mouth, smearing my slickness across his tongue and over his face. He sucked on them like a man possessed, like he needed it to survive.

I pulled them free and returned to pleasuring myself. The coil inside me wound tighter, my climax building fast.

“On your knees. Now, Stephen.”

He scrambled to obey, falling to his knees in front of me like the obedient man he was. I lifted my leg again onto his shoulder, my fingers still working my soaked pussy as my moans grew louder, more urgent. He watched every move—face twisted in tortured desire—until I could tell I was on the edge.

Just as the orgasm crested, I fisted his hair, yanking his face closer to my throbbing centre.

“Eat,” I growled.

Stephen dove forward with a groan, his mouth devouring me, his tongue lapping up everything I gave him as I rode the storm of my orgasm. My hips rolled urgently into his face, my body quaking above him as he took and took and ~took~—licking up every drop like he had been starving.

And then I grabbed his face between my hands, his cheeks wet with my essence, and brought his lips to mine.

The kiss was filthy and unfiltered, full of lust, gratitude, possession.

“Thanks, baby,” I murmured against his lips. “I needed that.”