Page 26 of Breaking the Sinner

She shook her head, looking up to the heavens. Like God might send an angel to help her stay above water with this one. “Why is everything you say so hot?”

A grin stretched across his face. “I guess you got lucky with me.”

She drew a cleansing breath, flattening her palm against his chest. She watched him for a reaction. It was like she could put her hands anywhere and he wouldn’t mind. Lord, that was dangerous. More than that…it would befun.

“Listen, I think we should, like…make some rules or something,” she blurted. She stepped away from him, hoping the distance might bring her clarity. “I know you’re just helping me out.”

Cobra stuffed his fists into his pockets, that jaw flexing. There was a bulge in his pants, but maybe it had been there before. She hadn’t thought to check. To compare the mound of his crotch in a before and after. What did a real male penis even look like when it wasup? She only had flashes of nudity from that terrible softcore porn she’d watched and eerie medical diagrams found on Internet searches to reference.

“Okay. That’s fair.”

“So, I guess the first rule is…I make the rules.”

His smile was pure cockiness. It sent heat racing through her again. “Okay.”

Her mind raced as she struggled to think of the things that had made sense to her last night while envisioning this very date. “And maybe I don’t want you to help me with everything.”

“Well, some of it I can’t help you with,” he said.

“Right. So it’s my discretion.” She gnawed at the inside of her lip, looking him up and down.

“But some of them I might not want to help you with,” he added. His eyes were shadowy as he met her gaze. “So, I don’t have to do the ones I don’t want to, either.”

“Mutual agreement, then.”

“We should make a cut-off date, too,” Cobra said. “That makes things easier.”

“Does it?”

“Yeah.” He stiffened as a guy with spiky blond hair sauntered by. The blond’s eyes were on Gen, but his interest dissipated once he caught sight of Cobra.

The male world had a whole different language. One she couldn’t hear, couldn’t understand. It was practically sonar.

Gen’s heart raced. A cut-off date seemed wise. But how long was too long? “Let me think about that.”

“Fine.” Cobra squinted out over the gardens behind them. In the distance, the fountain had come to life, lit up in neon pinks and purples. The water shot out in time to the music, a version ofFur Elise.

“Well, I guess that settles it.” Gen felt for her car keys in her back pocket. Preparing her escape. Ready to go back to her apartment and relive every second of these steamy kisses. The sexy words. “Strangest arrangement ever.”

“Nah. Sounds like two smart people who know what they want.”

“And what do you want out of this?”

“Duh, Gen.” He leaned in close again, his rough hand scraping against the side of her face. “You.”

Butterflies swarmed her belly as he pressed his lips against hers. He drew out a long, sloppy kiss, one that left her stumbling forward when he pulled away. She drew a ragged breath.

His cocky smirk was the last thing she saw before he sauntered away. “See you at work, Red.”

Cheeks ablaze, Gen basically ran to her car. There was so much to process. But for now, she wanted to hang in the blissful aftermath of those upending kisses. Before she squashed it with worry, with second-guessing, with doubts.

She was a brave woman who went after what she wanted.

Gen hummed along to the radio the whole way home, the perma-grin unshakeable. Dusk was just about to steal the last ochre rays from the horizon as she stepped into her apartment. Sophie was on the couch, reading a book with a highlighter in one hand. An eyebrow arched as Gen stepped in.

“You’re actually back before nine.” She almost sounded disappointed.

“Of course. I believed you when you said you’d call the cops on me.”

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