Page 30 of My Favorite Sin

“Thanks for coming tonight,” I say after she hugs me.

She looks me over and playfully pushes my arm. “Don’t you look handsome.”

“Hi,” Ally intercepts, offering no smile.

“This is your little sister?” Chelsea nods at Ally. “She’s adorable. It’s so cute that you’re setting her up.”

Ally’s cheeks are a dark shade of embarrassment and from her rigid stance it’s clear she’s not pleased with my choice in date.

“Chelsea, do you mind giving me and Ally a moment alone?”

“Sure. Don’t be too long, though, or I might get lonely.” She winks at me.

Jesus. I thought Felix explained to her she’s not a real date. Chelsea better just be a flirt and not actually want anything sexual from me tonight.

I place a hand on Ally’s upper back and guide her to the side of the restaurant entrance, out of earshot. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize she’d be dressed like this.”

Ally shrugs away from my touch and scoffs. “I just hope Liam isn’t staring at your date’s nipples all night long. You could have picked better. This was supposed tobe a casual and fun night. Now we all have sex shoved in our faces.”

“I’ll give Chelsea my jacket.”

Ally’s gaze flicks behind me and a grin wipes away the scowl on her face.

“Hey, stranger,” a guy says.

I turn and find Liam. He’s wearing jeans and has a black hoodie pulled over his head. He pushes the hood back and scoops Ally into a hug, lifting her off her toes. I can barely believe what I’m witnessing and hate the way he’s touching her. What I hate even more is the laugh she gives, and that when he places her back on her feet, she’s a blushing mess. There’s no nervous avoidance of eye contact like I’ve so often seen from Ally when she’s around new people. Her shoulders aren’t tensing up. She’s into him and not just as a friend. That must have been some amazing phone conversation between them. This is all a fucking mess and was never meant to play out this way.

“Wow, you look stunning,” Liam tells her.

“Thank you.” She takes the compliment with another shy laugh. “Ah… you know Dan. And this is his date, Chelsea.”

Liam shakes my hand. He says a polite hello to Chelsea, disinterested in her lack of clothing, then addresses all of us. “All right, are we ready to head through to the table? I’ve eaten here before. The food is really good.”

“Dan, should the two of us share a pizza?”

I barely hear Chelsea’s question, even though she’s sitting right beside me in this booth. All I can focus on is the display in front of me, of Ally sending Liam the mostgorgeous smiles she only ever reserves for me. The two of them haven’t stopped chatting in the ten minutes we’ve been seated. It’s like they’re on their own date and no one else exists.

“Dan?” Chelsea repeats.

“What? Oh, yes, the pizza is fine.” As soon as I answer the question, my focus returns to Ally and Liam.

They’re reading one menu together. Neither one of them are paying much attention to the food selection, continuously stopping to exchange words. “I’m going to order a pasta,” Ally tells him. “So, who are your favorite musicians?”

“That’s an easy one.” Liam closes the menu and drapes an arm over the backrest behind Ally, angling his body into their conversation. He’s not touching her, but any onlooker could tell they’re on a date.

My blood boils, watching such a simple yet intimate gesture. I can’t recall having ever felt this jealous over something so minor. I’ve never been able to show affection to Ally in public. I even need to be careful how Ilookat her in public, otherwise people will catch on to this secret between us. If she weren’t my stepsister, I know without doubt she’d be my girlfriend. I’d have her sleeping in my bed every night, naked and satiated and filled with my cum.

“My favorites are Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis,” Liam says. “You probably aren’t familiar with them. They’re all jazz.”

“I can’t name any of their music, but I know their names. This is kind of nerdy but there’s this coin set I’ve been collecting. It consists of famous musicians in history, and those artists you mentioned are in the collection.”

Liam’s eyebrows rise with disbelief. “Don’t tell me you’re referring to The Greats of Music coin collection.”

Ally gives a surprised laugh. “Yes. How do you know about it?”

“I’ve been collecting those coins too. Wow, this is fate, I swear. I’ve never met anyone my age who collects them. My brother always teases me. Says it’s for grandparents.”

Ally licks her lips—another small gesture that fucks me up completely. Poker has made me well attuned to reading body language. She likes Liam. She’s even thinking about kissing him.

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