Page 44 of Sins (The Sins Trilogy 1)
The smile Tony gives me is so full of warmth and pride, I feel like I’m about to burst with happiness. Then his phone pings.
“What is it?”
“Just an email. I’m applying for jobs in New England.”
“What?” I could have sworn Edgar said Tony was going to be part of Blackwood Energy. “Aren’t you joining the family business?”
The light in his eyes dims. “It…probably isn’t a good idea.”
Aunt Margot. I haven’t seen her be outright rude or hostile toward him, but I think her frigid treatment and avoidance hurt more somehow. I search for a way to change the topic and blurt out, “But why New England?”
“You’re going to be in Philadelphia. That’s my first choice, but if not, I can expand my search criteria a bit.”
“I’m okay with just spending weekends together. I mean, if you find a job in Boston or something.” That earns me a baleful look, so I try again. “I don’t want you to give up on something that’s going to open doors for you. And while I’m at Curtis, we can spend all our weekends and breaks together. It isn’t a big deal.”
The look only grows more baleful.
Later that night, Tony is driven and persistent…and wickedly skilled. He puts me through an evil and prolonged sexual torture. Only when I clutch him desperately and cry out that I can’t live without his cock inside me does he let me climax and comes inside me.
When I regain my breath, I kiss him. “You’re so bad,” I whisper.
He lifts his head from the crook of my neck and looks at me.
“Still,” I say, “I love—”
He kisses me before I can finish. If that’s where it ended, I’d be kicking his ass…or trying, anyway. But before I can tell him he’s being rude and hurtful by refusing to let me finish, he looks into my eyes and says, “I love you, Ivy.”
I stare at him. I had hoped…wished… But I didn’t realize he already loves me. Happiness and adoration well up. I take his face between my palms and hold his gaze to tell him how much I love him as well. But before I can say anything, he kisses me again, then takes me until I’m out of my mind with pleasure and love for him.
After that, something shifts between us in a way that’s vaguely disturbing. Every time I try to tell him I love him, he kisses me before I can get all the words out. It’s as though he can’t bear to hear me say it. But he always says he loves me like he needs me to know what I mean to him.
So one evening, when Harry rents a mindless action movie and invites Tony to watch it, I say I’ll be there too. I have no intention of paying attention to the flick, but I know if I don’t go, Tony’s likely to decline so he can spend more time with me.
My plan for the evening? Text Yuna while Tony’s occupied. That should give me almost two hours to sort it out—in case it’s something super-complicated and takes more time than I expect.
We all sit on the sofa, and Harry brings a huge tub of caramel popcorn to share. It doesn’t take long for the hero to start shooting up everything in sight—I’m not sure why, but it isn’t important in this kind of movie. So I surreptitiously text Yuna. She should be up by now.
Hey, got a ? for you.
No, I’m not going easy on you. I’m going to kill “Torrent.”
I almost laugh. I can imagine her arrogant face. It isn’t about that. It’s about my boyfriend.
There is a pregnant delay in her response. You have a boyfriend and you didn’t tell me? WTH?
I glance at Tony, but he’s captivated by the movie. Even so, I slide my phone a little further around so he can’t see what I’m typing. I did mention him to you. Tony.
Your middle cousin?
Yes.
Uh… Is it common for Americans to date their cousins?
No. But I’m adopted.
Still. It does feel really forbidden. So tell me. How serious are you guys?
He’s thinking about moving to Philly.
