Page 68 of Awakened by Sin

He settled her in the back of the taxi. When she tried to go out the other end, he stopped her with a grip on her thigh and cupped her cheek.

“I don’t have time tonight. I’m late for my meeting.”

He kissed her, and she forgot to struggle. Her hand fisted in his shirt. He pulled back, searched her face, and then kissed her twice more.

“You know where to find me,” he said and slammed the door in her dazed face.

He gave her address to the cabbie and strode back into the casino. Carmen slumped against the seat and closed her eyes as exhaustion pulled her under. Her demons were quiet for the moment. She wasn’t sure what to think of Marcus’s highhandedness, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be truly angry. He sated her inner demon. He would be dynamite if she ever got him in bed.

She must have fallen asleep because the cabbie had to yell to wake her up. He told her Marcus slipped him money. When did that happen? She stumbled to the house and realized she was blitzed because she couldn’t walk a straight line. She knocked on the door for Mom to open, but the house remained dark and silent. Odd. She unearthed the key from a flowerpot. It took every ounce of concentration she possessed to unlock the door. She could feel herself losing her battle with consciousness as she trudged upstairs. She fell face first into bed and moaned. She was drifting off to sleep when it occurred to her that Marcus shouldn’t know her home address.

9

A ringing phoneinterrupted her dreamless slumber. She groaned and covered her head with a pillow to block out the noise. The phone quieted, and she relaxed. She pulled the blankets snugly around her and popped one eye open when the phone began to blare again. She bared her teeth and peered over the side of the bed at her clutch. Maybe there was a crisis … She tilted her top half out of bed, fished the phone out of her clutch, and peered at the unfamiliar number.

“If this is a telemarketer, I’m going to find you and kill you,” she growled.

There was a pause and then a delighted, feminine laugh. “I fucking love you, girl!”

Something was familiar about that voice, but it was too fucking early to figure it out. She heaved herself back into bed and closed her eyes, so the room would stop pitching.

“Who is this?”

“Luciana Roman. I asked Angel for your number, and he wasn’t happy, but I told him it’s an emergency.”

She tensed. “Emergency?”

“Girl, your picture’s all over the internet!”

Her eyes flew open. “What?”

“You’re dating Cormac Hart and didn’t tell me? Oh, my God, he’s so fucking hot. I want to trace his abs with my tongue and suck on his nipples … but I won’t because you’re dating him! Oh, my God. Does he like to go down on you? Please tell me he does. I won’t tell anyone, I swear. In the picture, he’s all dripping sweat. I’m staring at this picture of you guys, and you look amazing together! Your eyes are closed, and his arms are wrapped around you from behind. So romantic. Whose party is this? It looks wild! Did you fuck at the party?”

“Yeah.” A smile played around her mouth as tidbits of the night came back to her. Riding Marcus in a laundry room at a party was definitely something to remember. Her body was sore from pole dancing and her fuck, but it was so worth it.

Luci screamed on the other end. “Did you guys do it in front of everyone? God, I fucking love Vegas!”

“After that dance, some girl sucked off Cormac. I’m sure she wasn’t the only one.”

Dead silence on the other end and then, “You let another girl blow your man? My Cormac?”

Carmen grinned. “I’m not dating him, Luci.”

“But you’re fucking him.”

“No, I’m not.”

“What? Why not? He’s Cormac Hart! He’s undefeated. He’s—”

“I know his stats, Luci. I’ve known him a long time. We’re friends.”

“You’re friends,” Luci repeated.

“Yes.”

“Friends who kiss?”

She tried to remember if he’d ever kissed her in the past. “I guess.”

---