Page 121 of Masked Sins
Everythingfeels heavier like I’m about to be absorbed by the air around me.
“Because I wanted to wait for you.”
I stiffen. “You mean, you’ve never?—”
He laughs. The sound is loud, and it makes me smile.
“You think I’m a virgin? No, not even close.” He leans down closer so that his breath is warm against my ear, his voice steady but laced with something deeper, something raw. “I added that soft limit after we kissed the first time. If it’s not painfully obvious by now, I’ve never wanted anyone the way that I want you. It seemed pointless to pretend otherwise.”
His words power through me, effectively rendering me speechless. Lifting my legs, he disentangles himself from underneath me and helps me to sit up. I pull my dress down as disappointment presses down on me. I’m stillsoturned on… is the scene done?
Was this it?
Maybe tonight was just a taste of what’s to come, but I hope not.
I hardly notice Orion standing in front of me until he places a warm hand on top of my head. I look up at him as my pulse begins to speed up.
His eyes lock onto mine with an intensity that makes me squirm. “And now that you’re here, I’m not letting go.”
“Yes, Master,” I whisper, looking up into my stepbrother’s eyes. This doesn’t feel weird—I’m able to stay in the moment, to think of all the ways I want to watch him unravel before me. I don’t know what that says about our relationship, but I’m grateful there’s no awkwardness.
I’ll examine why later, when he isn’t fisting my hair and looking down at me likeheshould be worshippingmeinstead of the other way around.
“Does it hurt?” he asks.
I know immediately what he’s talking about.
“Yes. Still hurts. I probably won’t be able to sit correctly for days.”
Something deep rumbled out of his chest. “I bet my initials will look so pretty against your skin. A black and blue reminder.”
“Yes, Master.”
His presence consumes the space between us. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it worth your while. On your knees.” His voice is firm, leaving no room for hesitation. The air between us is charged, heavy with anticipation, and I feel my body respond to the authority in his tone. “Look at me.” When my eyes meet his, I see that spark, that unspoken connection.His demand.“You’re mine,” he whispers, his words sinking deep into me, carrying both a promise and a warning. “And tonight, I’ll remind you exactly who you belong to.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE CONFESSION
Orion
Everything hits me all at once.
It’s taking everything inside me to keep my emotions under control.
Everything.
All I’ve ever wanted, the only person who’s ever made me feel a sliver of what I now understand to be love, is on her knees before me. Andfuck,it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I’m momentarily speechless. I swallow, my throat clicking, as I attempt to get back into the right headspace.
Layla.
Here.
Kneeling, waiting for my next command.
My fingers twitch in her hair, and when I run my hand to the back of her skull, she lets out a shaky breath.
That sound—the raspy, quiet,rawsound stirs something deep and primal inside me. Something I’ve tried to bury for years. I’ve been hard since she walked in, but my cock twitches once, heavy and thick as it presses against my pants.
