Page 31 of Sinful Pleasure

Her face was small and perfectly shaped, with a small piercing adorning her nose. Her lips were full and plump, matching her large, almond-shaped brown eyes. Her hair was long and white, cascading down to her waist, and it complemented her pale, soft skin. I’d never seen anyone pull off that hair color before, but somehow, she made it look effortless.

The moment she noticed me, her previously expressionless face lit up, and a big smile spread across her lips, revealing her perfect white teeth. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Oh my god,” she exclaimed, jumping up from her seat.

Now that I had a better view of her, I could see she was taller than me, her body muscular yet slender. She wore a black ripped tank top, a black skirt, and black high boots.

‘‘Allyn!’’

Did she just say my name?

Like an idiot, I could only smile awkwardly.

She closed the distance between us in an instant, pulling me into a hug as if we were long-lost friends. Her embrace was tight, almost suffocating, but I hugged her back, still trying to process what the hell was happening. After a few moments, she pulled away, her smile still bright and wide.

She was even more stunning up close.

“Maddox didn’t lie when he said you were beautiful.”

What?

“Shut the fuck up, Lydia,” he muttered, clearly irritated.

The girl—Lydia—just laughed, her laughter light and carefree, as though Maddox’s words didn’t faze her at all.

I had to take some time to process this.

Did Maddox actually say I was beautiful, or was I just imagining things? Somehow, I found it hard to believe.

Maddox is… well, Maddox. He made it pretty clear he couldn’t stand me. So, hearing Lydia’s words threwme off.

I could feel my face warming.

“Chill, grumpy head,” Lydia waved her hand dismissively without even looking at Maddox, then grinned at me.

“I’m glad to finally meet you. I’m Lydia. Maddox and Angelo’s sister.”

Oh, that makes sense.Now that I looked more closely at her and Maddox, I could see the similarities.

Tall, stunning, intimidating presence.

Definitely a King.

“Oh, I’ve been dying to meet you!” Lydia took my hands in hers, her smile wide and genuine. “I’ve heard so many stories about you.”

“Okay, enough,” he said, his voice cutting through the air as he got up from his seat and grabbed the keys from the bar. “Let’s go, Lydia. We’ve got work to do.”

He walked over to us, but his eyes stayed fixed on Lydia as if deliberately avoiding mine.

Lydia sighed, giving him a look of annoyance.

“Why do you always have to ruin everything?”then she turned back to me, her smile returning. “I’ll see you tonight at the party, right?”

“Party?” I echoed, confused. “What party?”

“Didn’t Angelo tell you?” Lydia raised an eyebrow. I shook my head. “Tonight is my welcome-back party.”

“No, he never mentioned it,” I replied, now even more confused as to why Angelo didn’t mention it, especially when we were on our date last night. Why leave that out?

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