Page 21 of A Sinner's Truth

“Because I like to eat. I’m also partial to electricity and keeping it turned on in my apartment,” she sasses.

“You’re moving in with me. For the next twelve months, you’re my wife, my responsibility. You don’t need to work.” I shrug. It’s not like I can’t afford to support her.

“I already told you I’m not mooching off you. I like working,” Aria says.

“Your father owns a marketing company, right?” I lift a questioning brow while changing tact.

“Yes.”

“Do you work on the campaigns?” I ask.

“Yes,” she replies hesitantly.

“Okay, you can come work with me.” That was an easy solution. We could use a marketing guru at Cinque.

“Work for you? How? Doing what? Do mafia guys need to advertise their services?” Aria’s eyebrows draw down in confusion. It’s cute.

“We own a whiskey distillery and you’d be workingwith me. Notfor me,” I correct her.

“I can look for another job. My father’s probably not going to want me around when he finds out about this anyway.” Aria points between the two of us. “Let’s circle back to this living with you thing. That’s not happening. You agreed no sex.”

“Correct. I’m not going back on my word, Aria. But how do you expect people to believe that we’re married if we’re not living together?”

“I don’t even know where you live. Why can’t you move in with me instead?”

“There are safety protocols we have to follow and your apartment doesn’t cut it,” I tell her. “It’s not safe. I’ll cover your rent for the next year.”

“I don’t actually pay rent,” she says sheepishly. Odd, considering a second ago she was stressing how much she needed to work to keep the electricity on.

“So your father covers your expenses?” I ask, curious as to what the whole situation is.

“No, my friend Drew bought the apartment. He lets me live there and refuses to let me pay him rent.”

I like this Drew guy less and less by the minute. “Have you fucked him?”

“What? No,” she says.

“Then why would he buy you an apartment?”

“He’s my friend. He bought two, next door to each other. My father didn’t want me moving out and refused to help me. So Drew did.” She shrugs.

“He wants to fuck you,” I tell her.

“No, he doesn’t.” Her face scrunches up.

“He does.”

“Not every guy who does something nice for me wants to sleep with me,” Aria argues.

“Yes, they do.” I laugh.

“You don’t,” she says.

“I said I wouldn’t, not that I didn’t want to, darling.”

Aria’s face turns a bright red, and now I’m wondering what else I can say to get this kind of reaction from her.

Guilt immediately washes over me. I can’t be flirting with her. It’s wrong.

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