Page 41 of Sinful

‘What if I never touched a single hair on your head? What if I simply spoke to you in a way that made you feel good? That would be okay, wouldn’t it?’ he’d asked me, inexplicably.

It didn’t make sense. Surely that wasn’t possible. Not unless he was some sort of magical spirit.

Then again… wasn’t he? Even though he seemed like a mortal man, he’d haunted my dreams for years, bringing me the most wonderful pleasure in that realm. When it came down to it, that was all in my mind, but it was still real in a sense, wasn’t it? I still felt it, and I still woke up hot and wet and pulsing with desire. Aching for more.

With a heavy sigh, I sat up straight, swung my legs out of bed, and stepped over to the window. From the position of the moon, I could see it was well after two o’clock in the morning. So late and sleep still evaded me. All because of him.

My mind drifted back to an earlier conversation with him. ‘Perhaps it’s a sign that we were supposed to meet,’ he’d said.

“I think you were right, Sebastian,” I whispered, still peering at the night sky. Clouds were rolling in from the west, blotting out the moonlight. Soon it would rain, but I wanted to dash outside and soak myself anyway, all to catch one more glimpse of him before the night was through.

Of course he was right. The Entity never did anything without a reason. He had shown and sent Sebastian to me for a purpose, and now I suspected this was it—to grant me the feelings of lust, affection, and pleasure that I’d always craved. A reward for all my years of devotion and service. He’d done this mere weeks before I submitted myself to him during the ritual, to ensure that I would remain devout.

Yes, oh yes.That had to be it. Sebastian wasn’t here to make me a sinner. He was my reward, and I was his purpose.

He’d proved this to me by telling me that he could bring me great pleasure without ever touching so much as a hair on my head. Those words were magic to my ears, because there was no law against that. I could experience all that pleasure and remain an untouched virgin.

That was why I couldn’t sleep. The Entity was stealing the ability to rest from me, pushing me to claim my reward before it was too late.

I swallowed hard and turned away from the window. Then I grabbed a lantern, lit it, and hurried out to the staircase landing in the middle of the hall. My father was snoring loudly in his bedroom at the end, slumbering in that deep, almost-dead way that only men could manage. Nothing would wake him, not even my footfall on the creaky old stairs.

When I reached the front door, I slipped my shoes on and ventured out to the main street. I arrived at the tavern five minutes later, finding it in darkness. I was sure I knew where Sebastian’s room was—beyond the front left window. It was thebiggest room in the tavern, and it was always given to guests on the rare occasions they stayed in town.

I stooped to pick up a small stone and pelted it up at the window. The room filled with a warm glow a moment later as someone lit a lamp beyond the curtains, and I held my breath, praying I was right. Praying it was Sebastian.

A hand wrenched the curtain aside, and his handsome face appeared in the window. When he saw me, he opened it and leaned his head out. “Rose? Are you okay?” he asked, voice filled with concern.

“I… I’m having trouble sleeping.”

“Wait right there. I’m coming down.”

The window closed and the curtain fell back into place. The warm lantern light vanished from the room.

The tavern’s front door opened with a groan two minutes later, and Sebastian appeared before me. “Couldn’t sleep, huh?” he said, flashing me a wolfish grin. “Welcome to my world.”

“You can’t sleep either?”

“Nope. Why do you think I got up so fast when you chucked that rock at my window?”

I laughed softly. “It wasn’t arock. Just a pebble. I didn’t want to break it,” I said, as if any of that really mattered right now.

Sebastian’s teasing smile faded, and he stared down at me, face shrouded in shadows. The moon was gone now, dark clouds dominating the sky to blot out its light along with the stars.

“What do you want to do, Rose?” he asked, taking a step toward me. He was so very close to me. Breathing my air, casting his eyes all over my face and body. Just one more step and I could touch him.

“I always go to the springs when I can’t sleep. Being in the water helps to calm my mind,” I replied, thankful my voice didn’t crack this time. “Would you like to join me?”

His lips curved into a devilish half-smile. He knew I was nervous. Petrified, really. He was probably wondering why I was still here; why I hadn’t run for the hills like I did earlier when I was completely overwhelmed by his presence.

I got the fleeting impression that part of him actuallywantedme to run again, just so he could chase me down, but that strange, dark thought was gone as rapidly as it appeared unbidden in my mind.

“I’d love to go,” he said. “Where are the springs?”

I dipped my head to the right. “This way.”

I led him out of the northwest side of town, down a well-trodden path through the woods. Lightning cracked across the sky as we walked, lighting up the fog for a split-second before a crash of thunder rattled the ground beneath our feet.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Sebastian asked, removing his jacket as he spoke. He placed it over my shoulders and went on. “To be in the water when there’s lightning, I mean. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

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