Page 5 of Sinful Desires

“What is it you do, Aria?” I asked, feigning ignorance while smiling like the sight of her didn’t make me sick, as if this were the first time we’d set eyes on each other. Her silence on that point intrigued me. She believed in keeping things to herself and wasn’t the sort of girl who ran to Daddy over every little thing. She struck me as being stoic—ironically, something I might haverespected in anyone else. This pampered princess? It would be a cold day in hell when I respected her.

She struggled to find the words. “I… uh… I work at my mother’s non-profit.”

“Of course, that’s right. I did a little research after meeting your father.” Grinning at Magnus, I amended, “MyStepfather.”

The gamble paid off. She couldn’t disguise the way she flinched at the use of the term. I hadn’t expected this to be so much fun, digging at her. “A very impressive history, that non-profit,” I continued. “What was the latest estimate of women and families who benefited from their involvement? It’s well into the thousands by now, isn’t it?”

“Tens of thousands,” Magnus assured me with obvious pride. The prick had the nerve to puff out his chest as if he had anything to do with it. From what I’d learned, Evelyn was the brains in the relationship, taking her past trauma and turning it into something worthwhile. On the other hand, Magnus happened to luck out, thanks to his family’s tech business. Not everyone had to work their way to the top like I did.

“Miles owns a highly successful tech company,” Magnus explained. He was almost bragging by the sound of it. Why? He never gave a damn about me until the moment we’d locked eyes from opposite sides of my mother’s grave. He’d feigned ignorance, pretending he’d never heard of me until then. It seemed he was maintaining the charade now. Did he think I’d never had a conversation with Mom about him?

“He met a rich man’s sister and decided he could do better than a model with a kid.”Her voice echoed in my head like a favorite song long since memorized.“She was some ugly duckling with a limp. But she had money, and if there’s one thing the rich love, it’s other rich people. The greedy bastard left us with nothing. He humiliated me. I had no choice but to leave New York with you after that.”

Only the memory of everything she’d sacrificed for us was enough to keep me from vaulting over the desk and driving my fist into the smug bastard’s face until it was unrecognizable, sitting here surrounded by luxury while his ex-wife lived in poverty for decades before I was able to provide for her. All because she was an up-and-coming model and not an heiress.

Like spoiled little Aria, who considered working at her mother’s foundation a job and clearly bristled when I looked her way. “I’m looking forward to us getting to know each other better,” I told her, fighting back a grin when her mouth tightened in obvious disagreement. Poor baby. Was this the only time she had ever come up against adversity?

She didn’t trust me, and she was right not to. The girl had instincts almost as sharp as my own if she took a look at me and saw trouble. She had no idea how much trouble I could be.

Taking in her tight body took my thoughts down another, but no less dangerous, path. Had this uptight little brat ever been properly fucked? She deserved it with a body like that, with tits so perky they practically demanded to be worshiped. I’d admired her peach of an ass during our spin classes, watching her from behind. I imagined working her into a sweat, this time with me between her legs rather than a bike.

“If you want to know Aria better, you should hang around here a bit,” Magnus offered, snapping me out of my untimely fantasy. “She’s staying with us while her apartment is being renovated. I can’t lie. It’s nice to have her with us again.”

“Dad…” She shook her head, giving him the smile a much-beloved child gives their parent when they feel exasperated.

I could barely keep a hold of myself. My brain was on fire, my body humming once the seed of an idea took root and began to grow, almost exploding in a series of branches that flowered all at once. Could I pull it off? There was only one way to find out. “Don’t take that for granted,” I urged her while almost tremblingin anticipation. I had to be careful. “It must be nice having somewhere comforting to turn to when you’re left without a home.”

Would he bite the bait I dangled in front of him? So far, he had practically fallen over himself to be the generous, benevolent benefactor—the loving stepfather.

The man was entirely too easy to predict. “Where are you staying now that you’ve crossed the pond?” he asked, folding his hands on top of the desk while wearing a studious look as if he was in the middle of expanding his already voluminous investment portfolio.

Somehow I managed to refrain from rolling my eyes at his unimaginative turn of phrase. “Oh, I’m crashing at The Plaza at the moment. Still looking for something long-term.”

Come on, come on, ask me. I could feel it in the air like an electrical charge before a lightning strike.

“Nonsense!” he boomed, shaking his head. “There’s more than enough room here. Why don’t you stay with us until you find a permanent place for yourself?”

Got him.

“Dad,” Aria muttered. When she caught me looking, she did a poor job of rearranging her expression into something that didn’t look quite as murderous. “I’m sure Miles can stay literally anywhere he wants to stay. I mean, if he’s half as successful as you’re making him out to be. Don’t insult him.”

I made a point of glancing her way before I spoke, intent on giving him the impression I was refusing with her shitty attitude in mind. “Really, you’re too generous,” I insisted. “You have already been so kind. I couldn’t impose.”

“It’s not an imposition if I’m asking point-blank for you to stay.” I opened my mouth, prepared to offer another half-hearted and completely empty protest, but he was hearing none of it. “My mind is made up. I expect you to get your thingstogether back at The Plaza. I’ll have someone over there to transport everything as soon as you’re ready.”

“Well…” I glanced at Aria again, underlining my concern over her feelings before shrugging. “To tell you the truth, I would like the opportunity to get to know all of you better. Mom was the only family I had, so finding all of you has been a gift.”

“I’m sure the same goes for us.” I caught the way his gaze landed and lingered on his daughter, who had now settled for glaring murderously at her father with him either pretending not to notice or, more likely, being completely oblivious. And he was supposed to be some sharp-witted billionaire? He couldn’t even see what was taking place in front of him.

If anything, it was my duty to set him straight. I would open his eyes and force him to see how his thoughtless, selfish choices had rippled out through the decades and were now coming home to roost.

“It shouldn’t take me very long,” I offered as I stood, followed by Magnus. “I only brought enough for two weeks or so, intending to send for the rest once I found a permanent home.”

“Take all the time you need.” He rounded the desk before placing a hand on my shoulder. No doubt it was supposed to be a comforting, friendly gesture. What a shame it turned my stomach.

“Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?” Aria had missed the memo regarding how to behave politely, choosing instead to scowl at me, tugging her father’s sleeve.

It was unfortunate his phone rang when it did. He scowled, turning back to the desk. “I have to take this. I’ve been waiting for this call all day. Don’t worry,” he told her, giving her an absent pat on the cheek. “I’ll find you later, and we can talk. If you’ll excuse me.”

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