Page 96 of Sinful

My nostrils flared as I took him in.

My name was etched deep into his chest. Scarred forever in my name.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out.

I said nothing. Instead, I took him by the hand, led him back to the couch, and had him sit. Quickly, I scribbled a note to him.

Don’t move. I’ll be right back.

I left him before I went into the downstairs bathroom and rummaged around until I found all the first aid supplies the guys had. I brought it all back out and went to my knees before Sin. He stared down at me, his lips parted.

Wordlessly, I pushed his shirt off and began doctoring him up, taking care to clean the wounds on his body.

When I’d gotten all of them taken care of, I stared at my name carved into his chest. The scarring looked like it had been a painful ordeal. The redness was still surrounding it, and the skin was raised slightly with each letter.

Gently, I traced my fingers along the letters.

S-I-R-E-N

“Why?” I whispered, staring into his eyes.

He captured my hand in his, wrapping it around my small one.

“So you’d be near my heart,” he answered in a soft voice. “Always.”

I closed my eyes at his words. As if I couldn’t hurt anymore for him, then he goes and tells me these things.

His words hurt my soul.

There had to be something I could do. Something we could do.

Maybe he was still scared to fall. To let go.

But I knew I was too afraid to say my feelings or make a move to show him how I felt about him.

So I did the next best thing.

I leaned in and placed a tender kiss over his heart.

His eyes were closed, his breathing deep, when I pulled away from him. I watched him, intrigued by this beautiful man who was terrified to feel anything.

Once he finally gave in, though, it would be a hurricane.

I wouldn’t mind being the girl caught in the eye of it, but I didn’t know how to say it, so I took the notebook and wrote him a message instead.

Macaroni and cheese?

He looked at my words for a moment before he smiled and cradled my face.

“Yeah, Siren. Let’s make macaroni and cheese.”

I gave him a smile, hoping he could see how much I cared. He thumbed my bottom lip for a moment.

“I would give anything to make you macaroni and cheese forever if it’s what you wished.”

Leaning in, I hugged him gently, making sure to wind my arms around his neck instead of his torso. He exhaled and hugged me back, his face buried in my neck. We stayed that way for a long time before he broke away.

“Come on. I’ll tell you my secret recipe.”

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