Page 7 of Sinful Promise

I only hope he’s not giving away too many free drinks, as I'll be the one who will end up taking the blame for it.

Emily is hovering by the exit, looking uneasy. Her arms wrapped around her middle, as if she’s trying to shield herself from view, which makes me frown.

Why did she wear that dress if she didn’t want male attention?

A few guys look as if they’re about to approach her, but I step in before anyone has a chance to even get close enough.

She noticeably relaxes when I appear, and I offer her a reassuring smile.

“Ready?” I place a hand on the small of her back.

She nods, and I don’t hide my smugness when I catch a few of the guys giving me death stares as I walk out with Emily.

Not one of them is worthy of even a smile from her.

Unfortunately for me, the walk to Emily’s apartment is short. Even walking extra slowly, we get there in under ten minutes.

I wish I had an excuse to take a different route; that would mean I could spend more time with her, but I don’t.

“You looked like you were having fun tonight.”

We turn left at the end of the street. It’s barely midnight, so there’s still plenty of people roaming the sidewalk, looking for somewhere to finish off their night.

I keep close to Emily, my left hand hovering at the small of her back to guide her through the oncoming crowd.

Emily chuckles. “Oh, yeah. It was a good night.”

“Jana certainly seemed like she enjoyed herself.”

“I don’t know why she likes tequila so much. It tastes disgusting, but she assures me that drinking it is the only way to ensure that the night will be fun.”

“Is that so?”

“Apparently.”

“Well, maybe we should test that theory some time to see if the results can be replicated.”

“It would be very important research.”

I glance sideways at her to find her grinning up at me; her green eyes lit up with mischief.

Even in her heels, she still barely comes to my chest.

I love how delicate she seems compared to me. It makes me want to wrap her up in my arms and never let her go.

“I look forward to it.”

Her cheeks flush pink, and she looks away.

She keeps her eyes forward. “Thank you again for getting us in. I know you could’ve gotten into a lot of trouble if someone found out you were letting in underage girls.”

I laugh.

“I’m a Koslov. If the worst thing I do is let an underage girl into the bar, then I’d consider myself a saint.”

“I think the ship with your sainthood set sail a long time ago.”

“Hmm… What’s the opposite of sainthood, then? Can I have that instead?”