Page 100 of Sins (The Sins Trilogy 1)
“Oh, come on!” I jump to my feet and start pacing, pressing the heels of my hands against my temples…but I know it’s not going to come back. I didn’t even catch the girl’s name. So unfair!
The buzzing intercom interrupts me. It’s Tony.
It’s a little after twelve. What’s he doing here? Didn’t I say one thirty?
What does it matter? I was on the cusp of discovering something, except I blew it by thinking about Tatiana, whoever she is. Obsessing about it isn’t going to make it come back. Better to be grateful for a small breakthrough than angry I didn’t get a large one. And maybe more will come later.
I open the door, having taken a calming breath, but I might as well have not bothered. Everything stops for a moment as the impact of Tony’s presence hits me fully, and I drink him in.
He’s gorgeous, stubble covering the lower half of his face. I curl my hands, wanting to stroke that strong jaw, feel its texture, even knowing I shouldn’t. He’s in a charcoal gray, custom-tailored suit. The clothes outline the perfectly proportioned lines of his tall, strong body. I’ve seen a lot of men in suits, but until now, I’ve never met a guy I wanted to strip out of one.
And the impulse is startling. I appreciate handsome men and nice bodies, but it’s never gone beyond that. Never felt any reason to.
So why Tony? Is the inexplicable attraction the same as listening to a performance and either liking it or not within a few seconds? But with concerts, I can critique them, analyze and articulate why I like or dislike them. My gaze sweeps over Tony, head to toe, then back up. How do you critique a man like this? How can I analyze and articulate when I don’t fully understand my own attraction to him?
“I thought you were coming at one thirty?” I say, hoping my face isn’t flushed from the excitement of glimpsing a sliver of my past…and now being with him.
“That’s for lunch.”
“Don’t you have to work?”
A tiny shrug. “I did.”
“You’re already finished?”
“Close enough. I’m the boss, so I can leave when I want.”
That’s nice.“What do you do?”
“I own clubs…some real estate holdings.”
“Oh. Maybe I’ve been to one of them.”
“You go clubbing often?”
I shake my head. “Not really. I’ve been to a few with Julie when we were in the same city, but otherwise… It isn’t really something to do alone, you know?”
“If you want, I can take you.”
“Yeah?” I say, perking up at the offer and the possibility of seeing a totally different side of Tony. “Are you going to dance and all that too?”
“If you like.”
“Okay, it’s a date.” Hopefully when Julie’s back from her trip to Moscow, we can all go together.
He looks at the piano. “Were you practicing?”
“I’m done. I was going to nap for a few minutes.” An intense practice session in the morning always leaves me feeling like my brain’s fried. And nothing other than a catnap makes me fully recovered afterward. I’ve tried to slog through, and it’s never worked out very well.
Something shifts on his face, but it’s gone quickly.
“That’s why I asked you to come by after one thirty or so because…” I sigh. “I guess we can eat now, and I can nap later.”
“No need to change plans on my account.” He pulls me to a sofa and puts gentle pressure on my shoulders. I sit, and he settles next to me. “A focused practice session can be tiring.”
“Yes.” It’s amazing, but he’s saying exactly what I think. Even Byron laughed when I told him I needed to nap after practice. He told me I just needed more coffee—or ought to sleep more at night—because Julie doesn’t nap after practice. He doesn’t get that not everyone’s the same.
Tony tugs at my wrist and waist. My balance shifts, and my head ends up in his lap. It’s a little too intimate, the way I’m lying on him.
