Page 41 of Sinful Desires

“Come for me,” he grunted out close to my ear, moving faster, breathing harder. There was no resisting. I couldn’t have stopped the tidal wave if I tried. I gave myself over to it, to him, letting go before he drove himself deep one last time and groaned in my ear.

I couldn’t breathe, and it wasn’t because of his weight on top of me. It was because my heart was too full, expanding past my ribs, crushing my lungs, filling me with light, and making me wrap my arms around his shoulders, holding him close, running my fingers through his hair as he shivered in the aftermath.

It came out before I could help it. It was like water splashing over the top of an overfilled glass. “I think I’m falling for you,” I whispered in the sweaty, breathless afterglow.

Somehow, he went even heavier, as though his body sagged against mine before he caught himself. My heart went from warm to icy in the blink of an eye, my body stiffening. It was amistake. I never should have said it. How could I have been so stupid?

“Aria…” He raised his head, doubts and confusion swirling in his eyes as he gazed down at me. I hated to see it and know he had doubts.

“It’s okay,” I assured him with as much of a smile as I could manage. It was better to gloss over my mistake than to bear the discomfort of what I had just set in motion. “Don’t worry about it. Forget I said anything.”

I wouldn’t forget. I would worry about it a hell of a lot—about my feelings and why he looked so distraught once I had shared them.

18

MILES

The work was about to pay off—the hours of research and planning. Tonight, it all came to an end. For Mom. For me.

“You look so handsome.” Aria’s hand brushed mine as she stood on her tiptoes, murmuring in my ear as hundreds of partygoers mingled around us. “I can’t wait to tear that tux off you with my teeth later.”

My treacherous body warmed at the idea before I could help it. “I’m looking forward to it,” I lied, offering a brief smile as she hurried off to join Valentina and Evelyn for a photo beneath a banner proclaiming the foundation’s thirty years of existence.

They made a beautiful trio, but naturally my gaze lingered on Aria in her floor-length, backless dress the same shade of blue as her eyes. I would’ve enjoyed tearing it off her later if there would be a later.

I needed a drink.

Local reporters milled about, conducting short interviews for puff pieces on the eleven o’clock news. Camera flashes went off at every turn while a band dressed in tuxedos and floor-length black dresses played peppy standards. Champagne flowed likewater, and I took a flute from a tray as a waiter passed. It would have to do until I found the bar, but navigating the packed ballroom was damn near impossible. I hadn’t imagined there being this many guests crammed in here. So much the better when it came time for Evelyn’s perfect life to come crashing down.

The envelope in my breast pocket felt heavier than it should have as I carried my champagne to the table designated for the family. Evelyn had left her red clutch on her chair after our arrival, and now I dropped to one knee as if tying my shoe before opening the small bag and tucking the envelope inside. It protruded slightly, meaning she’d be more likely to notice it and investigate.

The culmination of everything I’d worked for, the fulfillment of a promise. Across the front, I’d written Evelyn’s name, tucking the folded printouts and slim Android phone inside. Along with that, I’d included a short note explaining my desire to set the record straight.I am only trying to be fair to you and my mother’s memory.

It was finished.

Now, there was nothing to do but wish I could take Aria in my arms on the dance floor. Sienna and Colton were out there, along with Ari and Olivia Goldsmith and Connor and Pepper Diamond. We could have been out there with them if only I could’ve forgotten what this was all about. I couldn’t do that. If I’d fallen for Aria somewhere along the way, that was my weakness. Mom deserved better than that.

Draining what was left in my glass, I reminded myself what this was all about. The sight of Magnus leading his blushing wife onto the floor helped stiffen my spine. He would pay with each accusation she hurled. And with every tear Aria shed.

She had to be around somewhere, though we’d agreed it would be smart to keep our distance to avoid being found out.To her, this was still some sexy game—hiding us from her friends and family. If anything, she owed me for opening her eyes and forcing her to abandon childish illusions.

“Excuse me. Are you Miles Young?” I hardly had time to register the presence of a middle-aged woman at my side before her hand grabbed my arm. She wore too much perfume and a king’s ransom in diamonds. “It must be you. You’re the image of your mother. I heard you were in the country. I’ve been hoping to run into you somewhere.”

As if I didn’t have enough difficulty maintaining a pleasant expression tonight. “Forgive me,” I managed, trying to keep an eye on the table across the room where Evelyn’s surprise waited. “Do we know each other from London?”

She attempted a smile, though her face hardly moved. “Leila and I were friends. We modeled together for a few years.”

My pulse spiked at the thought of meeting someone who had known her. She had never used names, so certain she’d been entirely written off by everyone back here. I had no point of reference, no means of tracking anyone down and demanding to know why they turned their backs on her. Every question I ever had for these nameless, faceless fucks rushed to the surface and threatened to pour out, but there was something more pressing, more immediate. This was someone who could tell me about her.

“Yes, I am Miles Young.” Shaking her hand, I found it difficult to narrow my questions to one or two. “You knew my mother? I’ve never met any of her friends. I admit, I’ve often wondered about what her life was like in the States.”

“Leila was a firecracker,” she said, laughing. “It’s such a shame she wasn’t as successful as I was when it came to finding a rich man, or she might never have left the country.” She touched a bejeweled finger to her red lips. “Shh… don’t tell my husband.”

She was obviously tipsy, but alcohol had a way of uncovering the truth. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Oh, you know.Magnus,” she mouthed, rolling her eyes. “Word gets around. He welcomed you with open arms after meeting you at the funeral. He’s a lot more forgiving than he used to be, but then time heals things. Some men are willing to look the other way when their wives play so long as they have something nice on their arm on a night like this. Others don’t have the patience. Thankfully, my husband does.”

Subtext ran beneath her words, elusive, beyond the reach of my fingertips. “What are you trying to say?” I asked in a remarkably measured tone. “Did my mother have an affair?”

---