Page 123 of Awakened by Sin

“You don’t have to buy it from me. I told you, you can stay here.”

“I know, but I want it, and I have to settle somewhere. I looked at twenty-six houses in three days, and I hated all of them. Besides, who knows how long it’ll take Gavin to kill all the Black Vipers?” She cocked her hip. “And if you think I can live here without decorating, you’re crazy. Let me buy it from you. I’ll pay you double what you bought it for.”

“You want it that bad?”

“Yes!”

Marcus went to the fridge and pulled out two bottled waters. He handed one to her and drank from the other. “I’m not selling.”

“Why not?”

“Because I like it.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he held up a hand. “If you still want it after you’ve been here a while, maybe we’ll negotiate.”

“But you’re a businessman! You’ll make a profit!”

He leaned a hip against the railing. “I don’t need the money.”

“Hard ass,” she muttered.

His mouth crooked at the corner as he sipped his water. He studied her silently as if he was waiting for her to say something.

“What?” she asked and looked down at her dress to make sure she didn’t have cum stains or something.

“You got your head sorted out?”

Her head snapped up. “Excuse me?”

“You’ve been on a wild bender. I want to know if you’re done or still going.”

“I haven’t been on a bender.”

“Carmen, you fucked my brains out three times, twice in public, once in front of our goddaughter.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he added, “I caught you pole dancing in the penthouse suite, kissing Kody Singer, and now I hear you killed the leader of the Black Vipers, all in two weeks.” He crossed his arms. “And I’m sure I’m missing a whole lot of other stuff.”

She tossed her hair. “What’s your point?”

“My point is, I want to know if you’re done trying to cheat death.”

“I’m not suicidal,” she said even as she had a flashback of reaching for the gun in her bedroom.

“The night Gavin went to Hell, you told me you wanted to live. You told me to wake you up.” He moved in close and put his hands on the railing on either side of her, caging her in. He leaned down and tilted his head to the side, so their lips were mere is inches apart. “You’re awake, you’re alive, and I want to keep you that way.”

Her heart thudded in her ears as warmth spread to every part of her body. “I’m fine.”

“You’re far from it, but you’ll get there. Are you done with your bender?”

“I haven’t been—”

He kissed her, and she sank so fast, everything around her ceased to exist. One hand sank into her hair and gripped while the other cupped her face to hold her to him. Classy sin. His taste tempted, teased, and calmed her all at the same time.

Marcus lifted her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and kept his mouth busy. She didn’t care where they were going or why. He settled her on her back on something as soft as a cloud. She broke the kiss to press a hand against the mattress.

“This bed is amazing. I’ll buy this from you too.”

“We’ll share it,” he said as he grabbed her face and turned it back to him so he could continue ravishing her.

She grinned as he shrugged off his suit jacket and lay on top of her. They made out like teenagers while they explored through their clothes. When she couldn’t take the teasing any longer, she thumped his shoulder.

“I want your dick!” she demanded.

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