Page 40 of King of Temptation

“Fucker,” I snarl. I can see her face is red with embarrassment, her eyes darting away. Bobby made a deep cut. Whatever else I do, I decide I’m healing that wound. I’m an asshole too, she just doesn’t know it yet. But I’m an asshole who understands her worth, and at the very least, she’ll understand that before this is all done.

“I shouldn’t have told you. I don’t know why I did.”

“Yes, you should have.” I hate thinking of her holding those feelings, what that douche bag said, inside.

“I never told anyone and I’ve worried?—”

“He’s not just an asshole, he’s a manipulator, Kim. Don’t listen to him.” I slow the car as I pull up in front of her apartment. “Guys like that say a bunch of shit, not because it’s true, but because they’re hoping it will make you act the way they want you too.”

Her eyes meet mine. “You don’t think he’s right? I’ve got no money. I can’t even buy groceries.”

I’m starting to understand why Kim’s so worried about what other people think. “Sweetheart, I’ve got money, but my dad was a gangster. How does that make me better than you? I’m the one who should be worried about being trash.”

She shakes her head. “But you run legit businesses. You’re smart and successful.”

I sigh. “I quit drinking because when I don’t, I make better decisions. Mason is angry with me because I nearly really hurt him and Charlotte when I was on a bender. It was bad. I have some sins to atone for and some real actions that would cause people to think less of me.” The very ones I’m trying to make up for. “But you, you don’t.”

She blinks at me, big green eyes, before she leans over and kisses me long and slow, holding my face like I just proved to her that Santa was real.

I want to sink into her. I want to say all the things that make her feel good. And then I want to make her feel even better by making her orgasm in every way possible.

“Leo,” she whispers against my lips.

“Yeah, baby?”

“I don’t want to masturbate tonight.” She’s still nibbling at my lip, her fingers digging into my neck.

“No?”

“I want to feel you inside me.”

Fuck. I want that too. But I’m going to have to come clean about a few things too. And holy shit, is it going to suck.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Kim

I finally leave the car, and to be honest, I feel better than I have in weeks. Between the night with Leo, solid sleep, and the amazing breakfast, I’m floating as I make my way up to my third-floor apartment.

Confessing a few of my fears to him wasn’t so bad either. I’ve never had anyone other than Charlotte that not only accepted me for who I am, but actually made me feel better about myself.

I make a note to eat more spinach as I insert the key into my apartment door and walk inside.

Chandra and Kendall are sitting on the couch, each with a coffee in hand as I enter.

“Hey,” I call out as I close the door and start for my room.

“Hey,” Chandra calls from the seat. “Great job last night. You rocked the cages.”

“Thanks,” I say, continuing down the hall. After everything that happened last night, I just want some quiet time alone in my room. But Kendall jumps up, following.

“What kind of money did you make?” she says from behind me, and I know I’m not slipping away without being really rude. Which is tempting…

But I pause, partially turning. “Why?”

Chandra gets up too. “I heard some of the cage dancers say they can make close to a thousand a night if the tips are good.”

“Yeah,” I say, not sharing my specific pay, which was way more. Between the tips and the extra money Leo gave me, I’ve got more money than I’ve had in my entire life.

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