Page 1 of My Favorite Sin

CHAPTER ONE

DAN

author’s note: my favorite sin can be read as a standalone. for the most immersive experience, read the prequel novella first, myfavorite girl.

I lost five hundred thousand dollars playing poker earlier today because all I could think about during the game was that time Ally fingered herself in front of me.

I think about that night often, among others which never should have happened between us. She was always so caught up on being a good girl in front of our parents and the public’s eyes. Behind closed doors she wasmygood girl.

The things she did in front of me were filthy. And yet the one time I kissed her, she ran scared, fleeing from New York to Paris for a year without saying goodbye to me.

She thought a hand-written letter would be an adequate goodbye. While I wait in the terminal for her flight to disembark, I read Ally’s letter again. The paper is crumpled from how many times I’ve studied her words.

I’m in love with you, Dan.

I can’t be in love with you. Our relationship is wrong in every sense.

Fuck. I was in love with her too but never got the chance to tell her.

Who am I kidding, I’mstillin love with her. I thought I could stay angry with Ally for leaving the way she did. I thought I could get over her. But this year apart has changed nothing for me. I’m more obsessed with her now than ever. Unlike Ally, I don’t care that her mother and my father are married.

When I return from Paris, I promise I’ll return as your friend and nothing more.

Passengers start trickling out of the arrivals gate. I tuck Ally’s letter into the inside pocket of my jacket and rest one shoulder against the wall while waiting for my girl to appear.

My mind wanders to curiosities about Ally and all the ways she’ll have changed from the girl I knew. Will she have moved on from me like she intended to? Is there someone new in her life? Is she still a virgin?

That last question… My jaw clenches at the thought of anyone touching Ally. Perhaps it’s best I don’t find out the answer.

It’s not long before I spot her among the crowd of passengers. My pulse is thumping so fucking loud in my ears I can’t hear a damn thing inside this airport. The sight of her has me burning up like I’m a teenager again and about to have sex for the first time. How the fuck is Ally more beautiful than the last time I saw her?

How am I supposed to act like nothing happened between us?

Some guy—another passenger, I assume—is chatting her up as they walk with the flow of people. I can’t blame him for being interested in her. She has this alluring presence like she’s not even from this world. The first time I saw Ally she was fifteen, I was a year older, and shelooked like some creature that had stepped out of a mythical story. A nymph or a fairy. So incredibly gorgeous.

The Ally in front of me still has that vibe. Her hair is the palest blond, slung over one shoulder and trailing down to her waist. Her complexion matches, as though she’s never stepped foot in the sun. She has the prettiest lips. And those goddamn eyes that constantly sayfuck me… I swear they’re the brightest blue any eyes have ever been.

Her fashion hasn’t changed. Always pastels and whites and like she belongs in a country garden. She’s wearing a yellow dress with a delicate pink flower pattern and sleeves that fall off her shoulders. The bodice hugs her tits, which I shouldn’t take notice of, but there’s no ignoring how incredible her cleavage is. A pink satin ribbon sits in her hair. Always the ribbons and bows, like she’s a little girl instead of twenty.

The urge to announce myself is strong. I want to wrap Ally in my arms. Lift her off her toes and spin her in circles. I need to see her smile at me and hear her sweet voice.

I hold off, unsure of our dynamic. I’m not certain she’ll be pleased to see I’m the one picking her up from the airport.

Remaining in my spot, I lean against the wall and watch Ally walk with this guy. He looks to be the same age as us, clean cut and with a smile that lets me know he’s into her. They come to a standstill. As I’ve seen so many times before, Ally starts fidgeting with her hair and shifts back and forth on her feet. Her shoulders grow tight. Her smile is strained. The guy makes eye contact with Ally and her gaze drops to the floor.

She’s still awkward around new people, that much hasn’t changed.

Ally holds her hand out to shake, forcing an end to theirinteraction. The guy looks down at her palm, a little confused, then shakes it and leaves. I can’t help but laugh over how adorably awkward Ally can be sometimes. I shouldn’t feel so relieved by the guy’s dismissal. It’s not like I can have Ally for myself.

Ally scans the terminal for our parents. My heart pounds so heavily I can feel it as her gaze grows closer and closer to my direction until… Those blue eyes pause on me. We’re staring at each other for what feels like a lifetime. I can’t move. I can’t seem to make myself do anything.

Her cheeks turn rosy beneath my gaze. Then suddenly she’s…smilingat me. It’s small, but the smile is there, and I’m so relieved that she’s pleased to see me.

Ally steps up to me and lowers her carry-on luggage to the ground before wrapping her arms around my neck. The hug is guarded. She doesn’t get too close and keeps distance between our bodies.

I should follow Ally’s lead, but this moment feels surreal, too good to be true, and I pull her close, afraid she’ll disappear. Ally laughs softly, caught off guard by my actions, but doesn’t pull away. The sound of her voice is heaven. I breathe in Ally’s floral scent and hug her tighter. I want to feel her lips beneath mine so fucking badly and remember what she tastes like.

I notice something else that makes me frown. She’s tiny in my arms. Tinier than I remember. Ally hasn’t been taking care of herself. What about her panic attacks? I’ve often worried about her mental health, being alone in a foreign country.

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