Page 53 of Sin

As much as I suffered at Bellmore, feeling shattered and alone, now I realize how lucky I was. Sin intervened.

“But what I don’t understand is why you didn’t share any of this with me before. Maybe you felt I couldn’t handle it at fifteen, but you could have told me last summer, or at least when I came back a few months ago.”

“You don’t get it, Cassidy. My father wasn’t the only one I tried to protect you from. I kept pushing you away because you also needed to be protected from me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“That’s because you still think I’m the hero of this story.”

“You’re certainly not the villain.”

“Didn’t you hear me earlier, Cassidy? I’ll hurt anyone to make my father pay. I’ve been orchestrating his downfall for years, but some days, I contemplate killing him instead.” He pauses, waiting to see my reaction to what he just told me. Almost like he wants my condemnation. When I don’t reject him or castigate him, he seems frustrated at my lack of judgment. “Those aren’t the actions of a good man. I have my father’s cursed blood running through my veins. You shouldn’t want anything to do with me.”

“It’s way too late for that,” I tell him. “And you’re wrong about yourself. You are a good man.”

Sin shakes his head. “You don’t see my soul for the rotted husk that it is. I’m not a good man, and I can prove it to you.”

“How exactly do you plan to do that?” I ask him even though I know he won’t be able to come up with anything that will convince me.

“I know you are too good for me. That I should walk away from you and let you live your life and be with someone who deserves you. Who isn’t your stepbrother. That’s what a good man would do.” The dark, possessive look he gives me should concern me, but instead it sends a thrill through my every nerve. “But I’m gonna do this instead.” He grabs me by the neck and swiftly pulls me to him and takes me in a kiss so dominant, so filthy, I’m hard in seconds. He gives my body no choice but to respond to his wicked lips and hands that alternately bring bliss and delicious bites of pain.

Earlier, our coupling had been slow and excruciatingly pleasurable; this time, it’s a high-voltage race to pleasure. Knowing I’m still loose and open from the last time, his strong hands lift me by the hips and impale me on his cock that ruthlessly pummels into me. “So damned good,” Sin moans into my neck. “Never gonna let you go.”

The promise revs up my bliss, and it takes one rough stroke of my cock from Sin’s strong hand, and I go over the edge, coming all over his stomach and chest. My orgasm seems to trigger Sin’s. With one violent push, he spills inside of me with a heavy grunt.

He lazily bites me hard on the neck, the sting causing my spent, tired cock to pulse. “If having you like this is bad, I never want to be good,” I tell him truthfully.

Chapter 31

Cassidy

I sneak out of Sin’s bedroom and make my way down to the kitchen. It’s still not completely light yet, but I have important plans for my morning.

Even though he said I should go back to my room, I insisted on sharing Sin’s bed with him and clinging tightly to him all night. There was no way I was going to leave him alone after his confession about his mother’s death and the abuse he endured from Gideon.

I start putting a power breakfast together. My brain fires best on a protein-rich meal to begin the day, and I have some heavy research and analysis ahead of me this morning, so I’m loading up on the omega-threes. After filling my plate with some smoked salmon, boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, and berries, I’m about to head back to my room where I can study in peace. On a whim, I grab a few donuts to pile on my plate for Sin. Maybe I’ll sneak back into his room in a few hours and surprise him with breakfast.

“That’s a lot of food on your plate.”

I jump back, startled, and have to steady my plate to avoid running into Gideon, who is staring suspiciously down at my breakfast.

“I didn’t eat dinner last night,” I answer truthfully. I’d been too heartsick and obsessed about Sin’s date with the mysterious Oliver to feel any hunger pains.

He scans me as if this is an interrogation and not a simple conversation about a plate of food. I can see him note my swollen lips and the slight burn on my smooth face from Sin’s stubble.

He doesn’t know about Sin and me, I remind myself. Don’t let him intimidate you into giving anything away.

I move to leave, but he takes a step closer to me and cuts off my exit from the room. “I heard you leave the house last night.”

“I met one of my tutoring clients,” I lie, my voice squeaky with dishonesty.

“You’re a bad liar,” he says, his ever-present smile stretching into an ugly sneer as cold, empty eyes regard me. Knowing it’s the gaze of a killer runs a cold chill down my spine. “I brought you home to Nashville to be useful to me. Fill out the family photos and give the media a wholesome counterpoint to my worthless son.”

I open my mouth to defend Sin, even though I know it’s the wrong move, but before I can speak, Gideon idly reaches over me to the counter as if to grab one of the apples left in a bowl, but grabs a knife with a mean serrated edge from the butcher block instead. In a quick move, he holds it against my neck, right up against my carotid artery. A small burst of pain fires in my neck as the blade digs into my skin. I freeze, afraid the slightest movement will lead to a fatal wound.

Gideon watches my fear, relishing it as if he’s a connoisseur. “Especially now, with the media trying to smear my reputation, your image needs to be spotless. If you bring the slightest scandal to my door, you become useless to me.” The knife digs into my skin, causing another cut. I feel a trickle of bloodrunning slowly down my throat. “And trust me, you don’t want that to happen.”

The sound of high heels clicking on the marble floor echoes in the hallway. Gideon pulls the knife away from my skin and calmly places it back into the butcher block. “Good morning,” he says, greeting Mrs. Fenton, his assistant, as she walks into the kitchen. A bland smile covers his face as he steps away to pour her a cup of coffee.

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