Page 133 of Wicked Sins

I wasn’t ready.

This time, the universe heard me.

Joah stomps over to the phone against the pool house’s wall, his cock bobbing angrily in front of him, and snatches the receiver from its cradle.

“What?” he barks, glaring back at me over his shoulder with such raw hunger in his eyes that I close my legs and hug myself with shaking arms.

His body goes slack, and his eyes widen. “Diana?”

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Josiah

“You’re breaking up.” Candy folds her hand over the microphone and turns to me, her blue eyes filling her face. She nods a few times, and then frowns hard. “Mom, I can’t—” A few more nods.

As soon as I’d heard Diana’s voice on the other end of the line, I knew we wouldn’t be in the pool house much longer. I’m half-dressed already. All I need is to find my shirt…

“Okay. Okay. Yeah, I’ll put it on charge now. Okay. Bye.”

She sets the phone back on its cradle and holds her hand over it for a moment before slowly turning back to me. I drag my eyes over her naked body, drinking in the sight of her curves, the marks I’d left on her hips.

“She’s in Ohio.”

“With her brother?”

Candy shakes her head. “Victor. He’s…they dated for a while a few years ago.”

“She up and ran back to an old flame?” I cross my arms over my bare chest. “And what about you?”

As if realizing she’s standing there stark naked, Candy mimics me. Her gaze drops as she starts scanning the floor for her clothes. She shrugs as she steps into her pants. “She’s been trying to get hold of me. Guess my phone’s off or something.” Another shrug. “I can go there, I suppose, but…”

She pauses with her back to me, and then tugs her shirt over her bare back. I don’t blame her for not hunting for her bra first—I’m still trying to figure out where I tossed my shirt.

“But you’d rather stab out your eyes?”

Candy lets out a dry huff of a laugh. “With a blunt fork.”

I come up behind her before she has a chance to turn around, and wrap my arms around her. She stiffens, and then relaxes into me with a soft sigh.

“I’ve got a better idea,” I murmur into her ear.

“I’m all ears.”

I grab her chin and turn her face, so she’s staring up at me. “You stay.”

“Here?” She laughs, and her eyes flicker away from mine. “And what, get sent back to Happy Mountain?”

“I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.”

“Then what, Joah?” She pins me with her gaze. “If we stay here—”

“Not here. You stay…with me.”

“And where will you be?” There’s a laugh in her voice, but at the same time, desperate hope floods her eyes.

I turn her in my arms and hold her flush against my body. “Does it matter where we go?”

She shakes her head. “Long as it isn’t Happy Mountain.” Her lips curl up into a trembling smile. “Long as I’m with you.”

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