Page 129 of Masked Sins
For you, but also for me.
He knew. All that time, he knew it was me.
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it, still processing his words and actions from the past week.
From the pastsevenyears.
To be wanted like that…
It’s intoxicating.
We take the elevator up to the penthouse. Orion seems distracted, but I am, too. It’s been a big night full of reveals and mental stimuli. As the doors slide open, something occurs to me. Orion walks out, but I don’t follow him.
I’ve already worked it out that he’s not seeing someone. He was referring to me the entire time. Which means…
“The ring,” I say slowly, eyes wide. “The one in your closet.”
The doors start to shut, so I jump forward and into the penthouse.
For some reason, Orion looks relieved.
Like he thought I might let the doors close and go home.
I don’t blame him for thinking that. I’ve been pushing him away.
But I’m not going anywhere now.
“What about it?” he asks, expression guarded.
It hits me then—how deep this runs for him. He’s keeping it under wraps because he thinks it’ll send me running.
“Is it… did you buy it for me?” I ask, voice barely a whisper.
Something dark passes behind his eyes, and I see the resoluteness—the commanding, Dominant persona flare back to life.
It’s a defense mechanism, of course.
Being the youngest brother.
Being berated by me, by society.
He got into the lifestyle for control. To be able toexercisecontrol. And right now? He’s not in control, so he’s doing the one thing hecando to control the situation.
“I’m not ready to answer that,” he says, voice clipped.
Another hard limit.
“Okay,” I tell him. My face is neutral, and he flicks his eyes between mine as if my answer is a trick somehow. It makes my throat clog with emotion. Stepping forward, I reach out for him. He looks so skeptical, and I have to show him that I’m not going anywhere. “Do you want to order some food? I’m famished.”
His whole expression changes—softening, relaxing.
“Yeah. Me too.”
Orion orders pizza. I change out of my dress and into somethingsexyyet cozy. In this instance, it’s another pair of bike shorts and another sports bra. When I walk out, I relish in the way Orion’s eyes lazily drag over every inch of my body. We sit down in his living room with the cardboard box between us. He gets me a beer, opening a can of sparkling water in lieu of a drink.
“Strawberry is an interesting choice of flavor.”
He gives me a lazy smile as he leans back. “It reminds me of you.”
