Page 74 of The Wages of Sin

Gabriel’s rant about how Dorian never took any of his flings home echoed in my mind, and the satisfied, floaty feeling inside me grew.

Maybe there was something special between us after all—some kind of special connection that went beyond the physical, one that allowed us to break past the surface level and touch the real person underneath.

The thought cemented itself in my head as Dorian took my hand, interlacing his fingers with mine. Being connected to him like this felt so right.

It felt perfect.

And despite knowing just how dangerous he could be, I felt nothing but safe as he led me through the nightclub and out the front door.

We must have worked up a sweat behind that pillar because the cool night air took my breath away as it washed against my skin. Dorian noticed my chill and took off his suit jacket, draping it over my shoulders as the valet pulled the car up.

A comfortable kind of silence blanketed the ride back home.

Cozied up in the passenger seat, surrounded by the warmth of Dorian’s coat and drawing in his scent with every breath, I couldn’t help but feel at peace. I even found myself reaching across the seat to take his hand as he navigated the crowded streets of Manhattan. Simply gazing out the window at the passing lights and people was enough to lull me into a dreamlike state.

I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I’d felt this way—not just safe but also relaxed.

Happy.

That was the word I was looking for. The one I’d almost forgotten during my daily struggle for survival.

It had been a long time since I’d felt actual happiness—longer than the eighteen months I’d been on the run.

My internship at the hospital had been challenging and successful, but it hadn’t made me happy. The years in med school had been much the same. I’d been too busy, too focused on my goals, to seek out something as fleeting as happiness.

But sitting here by Dorian’s side, feeling the warm strength of his hand in mine, that’s exactly what I felt.

I knew it didn’t make sense. His world was violent. It was chaos and bloodshed. It was filled with people who scared the living shit out of me.

I knew all of that…and I didn’t care.

All I wanted was for this feeling to never end.

I kept my hold on his hand as we walked through the underground parking lot beneath his building. I didn’t pull away until we were back inside his apartment.

“Are you tired?” he asked, peeling his jacket from my shoulders.

“A little,” I admitted. It had been a long day, but my mind was still spinning too fast for sleep. “But I don’t want to go to bed yet.”

Dorian nodded as if he understood and moved toward the bar on the other side of the room. “Drink, then?”

“Sure.” Why not? “Vodka soda, if you have it.”

A minute later, he handed me a tall, skinny glass filled with ice and transparent bubbles. He took the seat next to me, and for a moment, that calm, peaceful silence returned as we drank and looked out the window over the city.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” I said after a minute had passed. “How did your conversation with Russo go?”

With his glass halfway to his mouth, he froze and glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “Are you sure you want to ask me questions about work?”

The vodka must have already gone straight to my head because a laugh bubbled out of my lips before I could stop it.

“You said you were just going to ask him some questions. I think I can handle that,” I answered before pausing. “Wait…you just asked him questions, didn’t you?”

“Just questions,” he confirmed before finishing the sip I’d interrupted. “There wasn’t time to do anything else. I’d barely started talking to him before you ran off onto the dance floor.”

I looked down, embarrassment burning my cheeks. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to screw things up for you.”

“Don’t apologize,” he said, cupping my cheek. “You’re far more important than whatever lies Russo was spewing. There’s nothing more important than you.”

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