Page 4 of Breaking the Sinner

“You look stellar. I promise.” Amara squeezed her arm. “And remember…it’s for a good cause!”

Gen nodded, straightening her back. That, at least, counted as a happy byproduct of her wanton skinmongering. All the proceeds from this sexy calendar went straight to local nonprofits.

The pencil-mustached leader of the sex carnival leaned back, cupped his mouth around his hand, and shouted, “Group pictures, now!”

Gen walked toward him before she could think better of it, her eyes on Cobra, repeating to herself the most important new items on her list.

Get a guy’s number. Get an ombre. Getthishombre.

Chapter 2

She’s mine.

Cobra wet his bottom lip, planting his hands on his hips. Couldn’t—wouldn’t—rip his eyes off this one. He’d been at Holt Body Fitness long enough to see almost every celebrity VIP client roll through those enormous front doors, but somehow, he’d missed the real star.

The shy red-head who used a flip phone. That was about all he knew about her, other than the fact she had a body he’d kill a man for the opportunity to touch. She walked toward the assembled group, full breasts bouncing under her scandalously tiny tube top, her hourglass figure too much to look at in his skintight photo-shoot shorts. Not unless he wanted to get his boner in the calendar too.

“Cobra. Over here.” Travis pointed to a spot near the back of the assembling group. Travis had been his boss for just over two months now. Once Lex healed up from the stabbing, he’d stayed true to his word and got him a spot at the gym. And while Cobra felt like Travis could almost be a friend, he treaded carefully.

It wasn’t in his nature to listen to authority. Showing up on time to work, committing longer than a few weeks—this scene was as foreign as the pho place near his apartment complex. Someplace he didn’t want to go, not even if he might end up liking it.

“Put this guy next to me.” Lex slung an arm around his neck as he headed for the last row, squeezing him in a friendly headlock. Cobra laughed. Lex, on the other hand, was definitely a friend. Saving a man’s life made them friendly, he supposed. Besides, Lex understood something about Cobra that even he himself couldn’t voice.

Sorta felt like they were brothers…but Cobra would never say that sappy shit out loud.

Ever since the night he’d saved Lex in the King’s underground fighting ring by calling the ambulance, helping the paramedics find him before he bled out on the cement floor, his life had turned into a Tilt-A-Whirl. An adult job offer. Nine-to-five work days. On-the-job training. Steady money.

That last part changed everything. He didn’t have to beat up people in his downtime anymore. At least not in the shitty side streets in Koreatown like he’d been doing for spare cash.

“You just want me around in case someone tries to beat you up,” Cobra ribbed, slinging Lex’s headlock around to haul him up onto his back. Lex howled, knocking a fist into Cobra’s ribs.

“Easy on the body paint, Hulk. I look good. I don’t want you smearing the sexy off.”

Cobra shoved him away as he took his spot where Travis had directed, catching a glimpse of the jagged scar running across Lex’s abdomen. Beneath the body paint, it served as a muted reminder of that intense night. When both of their lives had changed forever.

And then, as if guided by some force larger than him, his gaze found the shy red-head.

Her eyes glittered emerald and curious, like a kitten who desperately wanted to play with the lion. He held her gaze until she looked away, the slivery tip of her braid flicking over her creamy shoulder.

His cock pulsed. A warning signal. Since first glance, he’d been compiling a list of a hundred things he wanted to do with this girl. If she worked here, she had to be the type who was willing to indulge, too. Travis had made his No Fraternization policy more than clear. Though it pertained to clients, he suspected it probably extended to coworkers too.

Fine by him. He only needed a one-time fraternization. Nobody had to know. Nobody but him and Shy Red-head.

The shy ones were always the freakiest. His thighs tensed as she drifted nearer through the commotion of the gymnasium. She stood one row in front of him, one person to his right. He yanked the tip of her braid. She gasped, turning back. The surprise was genuine, which made him smile.

“Why did you do that?” she hissed, her cheeks flaming.

He thought it was obvious.Because you’re sexy as fuck.“It was out of place. For the picture.”

She sent him a quizzical look. “Are you a hair stylist too?”

The photographer barked for everyone’s attention, and she whipped around to face him. He grinned through a series of group shots. Life had been too busy since signing on to Holt Body Fitness to take care of all his needs. And this chick reminded him of one big, serious, throbbingrequirementhe’d overlooked for too long.

Shit, he deserved it, with all this adulting he’d been doing lately. Twenty-five years old, and last month was thefirsttime he’d made rent on time. Ever.

But he was smart enough to know this wouldn’t last. Not like it would for other people, who didn’t come from his world. So, he might as well make the best of it. Ride this wave until it petered out into a disappointing chop.

The camera clicked as the photographer goaded them into different positions. “Everyone act like you’re at the red carpet, about to go into the new Jolie premier. Now give me stoic sexy. ThinkVogueperfume ads. Red-head, drop your chin. Farther. Farther. Come on honey, I know you can do it.”

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