Page 54 of King of Sinners

“And then you’ll get your revenge and I’ll…” I leave it blank. Waiting to hear what he’ll fill in.

His hands slow. “We’ll figure that out after you’re not in danger.”

That does not make me feel any better. But he turns on the other shower head and begins soaping his own body. He’s all business now, a model of cold efficiency, and I watch him having that feeling again that I’d jumped from the frying pan into the fire.

Mason might just burn me alive.

“Mason?”

He stops scrubbing his hair to turn to me. “Yes?”

“Can I have groceries delivered?” I need to keep my hands busy today. It’ll help me to sort through my feelings.

“You don’t have enough food?”

“No. I…” I grab the shampoo, squirting some into my hand and lifting my hand over my head to scrub my hair.

Without warning, he’s back in front of me, his hand around my waist, his mouth sucking in one of my nipples.

I toss my head back, arching into his mouth as I gasp out. “I wanted to cook.”

“That’s fine,” he says between sucks. “As long as you promise I get you for dessert.”

“Promise,” I gasp. At this rate, I’m never going to figure out a thing. He’s a distraction that has my senses all addled.

Slowly, he pulls away again with a sigh. “I’ve got to go, princess. But I’m holding you to your promise.”

“Princess?” My brows lift as I finish washing out the shampoo, applying conditioner. “That’s a new one.” Roman had called me that the first night. I wonder what it means…

“I guess it is,” he says with one last kiss before he turns back to his shower. I finish too and then we both climb out, Mason wrapping me in a fluffy white towel.

We leave the bathroom as he starts for his bedroom. He stops, looking at my vanity, a brow quirking. “Do you see what I’m seeing?”

I scrunch my brow. “What?”

He walks over to the vanity, picking up my gloss. “You left this out of place.”

I blink in surprise. I haven’t been able to do that in years. Walking to the vanity, I take the lip gloss from his hand and slide it into the proper slot on the tray.

“What does that mean?” he asks.

I shake my head. Is it good or bad that I’m relaxing in his home? I don’t know, so I use his favorite line, “We’ll talk more tonight. Someone has to go to work.”

He kisses me then, long and slow and full of promise. “Tonight.”

I look down at the ring shining back up at me. Twisting it on my finger, I wonder what it all means. The fake engagement, the real feelings, the mysterious motivations. Mason is not an easy man, that’s for sure.

My phone lights up as Mason sends me an app for groceries.

I nip at my lip even as I cross to my closet and dig out my crappy old phone. It’s run out of charge, and I plug it in before I go into the bathroom to dry my hair.

When I come out, I quickly dress, skipping the makeup for now as I fire up my old phone.

Gus has called asking me when I’m coming in and Kim has left me like nine messages.

I told her that I wouldn’t be in that first day, but I can see why she’s worried. We usually talk every day.

Not even thinking I dial her number.

---