Page 153 of Masked Sins
I set the book down on my lap. “Orion, this book is so, so rare. The dust jacket design with the Phantom on the stairwell? Only one of three total physical copies of the book is known to have retained the dust jacket in the wholeworld.”
I’d done a lot of research.
“Wait, did you pay thirty-two thousand dollars for this?” I ask, breathless.
He shrugs. “It doesn’t matter.”
I wrap the book back up carefully, placing the box on an empty shelf before I walk back over to Orion.
“It does matter,” I murmur, placing a hand on his face. “Thank you. I don’t think anyone will ever be able to top this gift.”
He smirks, kissing the inside of my wrist. “Good. I will endeavor to always be the best gift-giver.”
Laughing, we spend a few minutes in the library, and Orion tells me about the painstakingly meticulous method he used to organize my books by author. I kiss him—a lot.
And then I grab a few extra things before we lock up and head back to his bike.
“How long do you want to stay at my place?” he asks, handing my helmet to me.
I shrug. “I don’t know, but we should probably come up with a system now that I’m yourgirlfriend.”
“Well, since the theater is closer to my apartment, technically, you could stay there on performance nights. It’d be easy since I’ll be there too, and I can drive you to my place. We’ll need to figure out shared custody of Sparrow, though. He’s sort of growing on me.”
Suddenly, a future I’d never considered opens up before me.
Spending the warm, summer days by his pool, writhing underneath him in his large, fancy bed. Showering with him—gripping his waist as he drives us through Southern California on his motorcycle. Dinners at my dad’s. Playing together and doing scenes at Inferno. Double dates with Liam and Zoe, and Miles and Stella.
I swallow. “That sounds great.”
“And then, of course, I’ll stay with you the other nights.”
I laugh as I pull my helmet on, climbing behind him. “Only if you don’t mind that I’ll be reading in that amazing library every night.”
“As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter.”
A thought snags in my mind, and I gasp just before we shut our visors. “Oh God.”
“What?” he asks, twisting to face me.
“We’re going to have to tell my dad about us.” Orion shakes his head as his eyes drift to my lips, a smile tugging on his mouth. “What?” I press, sensing something off. He looks away guiltily. “Orion, what did you do?”
“I’m pretty sure Scott already knows.”
“How?” I ask, a bite to my voice.
Looking back at me with an impish smile, he pops his visor closed.
“Orion! Tell me.”
But before I can demand an answer again, he grabs my arms and wraps them around his waist.
“Hold on, Little Dancer.”
The engine roars to life beneath us, and we speed off into the horizon.
EPILOGUE
THE MASK
