Page 29 of The Devil and His Sparrow

We finally emerged from the overhanging trees and into a vast opening. My jaw nearly hit the floor. The house—or rather, the mansion—was like something right out of a gothic fantasy.

Black stone and glass made up the towering house. Everything was tall with sharp edges and beautifully dark. Stone steps led to an intricate front door, which had vines carved into the paneling. The right side of the house featured some sort of room that seemed to have walls made of glass, but I drove past it before I could really look to see what was in there.

“This place is amazing,” I mused breathlessly. I didn’t hesitate to jump out and follow him up the steps. I wanted to see more of what this gorgeous dark home had to offer. “I can’t believe you bought this.”

Zagan smirked, seemingly pleased with my awe, as he unlocked the door. “Impressed?”

Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing the full extent of my amazement, I tried to school my features and gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Only a little.”

He rolled his eyes, but the smirk was still there. He knew I was full of shit.

The door opened, stealing my breath in the same instant. Black floors with dark gray walls, black sconces on the walls, a sweeping chandelier in the entryway, monochrome furnishings. It could’ve been plucked right from a gothic home magazine, and I marveled at the stunning beauty of it all.

The living room, which could easily fit five of my own, was immediately to my left. Two sets of staircases—one leading down and one going up—separated the living room from a sleek, clean kitchen. Beyond that were sliding glass doors that looked out onto a large body of water with a dock.

Since Zagan had made himself at home in my place earlier, I decided it was my turn. I crept to my right where an arched doorway led into the room made of glass. Seeing the room in all its glory made my heart stop.

I might as well have walked into a grand gothic ballroom. Black and white marble flooring covered the space, and a black fireplace that was taller than me sat against the interior wall. Two black chandeliers dangled from both ends of the room, which was easily the length of a basketball court. The walls were, in fact, made of windows, except for the interior wall that was connected to the main house. The large room was empty, save for one thing that stood in the far corner by the windows, closest to the water out back.

A glossy, black Steinway grand piano.

I swallowed hard, my feet suddenly stuck in place as I stared at my dream instrument. I wanted to run toward it and away from it all at once. It was everything I wanted.

But also everything I knew I couldn’t have.

Zagan came around me and looked between me and the piano. “Do you play?”

The sound of his voice lured me out of my own head, and I forced myself to look away from the instrument so that I could find the ability to speak. “No,” I answered softly. I gave a final glance at the piano and turned away. “Not anymore.”

“Sounds like there’s a story there,” Zagan murmured as he followed me from the room.

There was a note of curiosity in his voice, one I knew I had to stomp out. I looked over my shoulder with a quirked brow. “Do you want me to tell you a story, or do you want to have sex?”

The moment the question left my lips, I knew my mistake. I was trying to keep him from prying into me and my life, but in doing so, I’d sped up the timeline for what we were actually here for—what I was an anxious ball of emotions over.

His eyes lost their curiosity, taking on a sensual gleam as they raked over me. He pointed ahead of me and ordered in his deep, velvety voice, “Upstairs. Door at the end of the hall.”

I swallowed. For some odd reason, having him order me around in that tone made liquid fire spread through my gut and settle between my thighs. It was such a swift and delirious feeling that I wasn’t used to, and maybe that’s why I obeyed without complaint.

I turned and made my way up the dark steps. The hallways were just as lovely as the floor we left behind with the same black floors, trim, and doors. When I stepped into the room Zagan had directed me to, my insides fluttered. It was a bedroom, most likely his.

It was pretty bare with only a dresser, black chair in the corner by the balcony doors, and the overly large bed. It was kinda criminal how big the bed was. It could easily fit five people.

I’d stopped just beyond the threshold. Zagan’s front pressed into my back, and my breath hitched when his hands landed on my hips then slowly traveled across my stomach and up, making my shirt rise with his warm hands.

“We’re gonna make up for what happened last time,” he vowed against my ear. “This is the first and only time I’ll be overly gentle. Understand?”

I tried to keep my breathing under control, but having him this close with his hands gliding up my torso to cup my breasts over my bra was too much.

Yet also, not enough.

My chest rose and fell hard when he pinched my nipples over the fabric of my bra. A groan slipped past my lips, and the sound made him step closer so that I could feel the hard ridge of his cock pressed into my back.

“You know,” he said as he grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to turn and face him. He bit the corner of his lip near one of his piercings as he looked me over, still fully clothed. “This situation of ours could actually be fun. You get to learn what you like, and I get to be the one to teach you.”

The idea was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating.

It made me feel guilty for being even a little excited, but it also made me feel … free.

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