Page 38 of Tempted By Sin

Ace pushes the door open with ease, stepping into the dark room. My head feels heavy from being upside down and my vision blurs with the darkness surrounding me. Seconds later, a light is flicked on, casting the room in a soft yellow glow.

I’m hoisted over Ace’s shoulder, my feet landing softly on the ground. Unsteady on my feet, I glance around the room as my eyes adjust to the room. It’s a simple space that suits a man like Ace well. Everything is black. And I meaneverything.

A black king-sized bed frame sits opposite from the door, draped in black sheets and pillows. Two black bedside tables rests on either side with a gold metal lamp on each one. To the left, a large black dresser leans against the wall beside the only window in the room. For a large room, I would expect to see more furniture than this.

What does surprise me though is the black wooden chest on the wall to my right, sitting on the floor beside the door to the attached bathroom. Although it matches the rest of the room in terms of color, the sight of it sends a shiver racing down my spine.

What is hiding in a chest like that?

As if sensing my curiosity, Ace rests a hand on the small of my back, his mouth inches from ear as he whispers, “Would you like to see what’s inside, little bird?”

My heart rate spikes at the proximity of his chest to my back and the way his warm breath fans against the shell of my ear. I eye the chest, wondering what could possibly be inside.

Maybe it’s loaded with a lot of weapons or something more sinister that I wouldn’t be able to wrap my head around. Anything is possible with Ace, given how little I know about him.

When I don’t respond, Ace chuckles. “Maybe you’re not ready yet.”

“I’m ready.” The words tumble from my mouth before I can stop them. I swallow hard. “I mean, I want to see what’s inside.”

Ace steps out from behind me and walks toward the mystery chest. “Okay, little bird. If you say so.”

My heart is in my throat as I wait for him to flick the latch open. The hinges groan as he lifts the top up, revealing the hidden contents inside. I step forward to get a better look, my hands fisted at my side to stop the trembling threatening to consume me.

As my gaze sweeps across the contents lying inside, the pounding of my heart intensifies. My eyes flick between Ace and the box, unable to believe what I’m seeing. “W-what is this?”

Ace drags his tongue across his bottom lip, his ocean eyes locked on me, studying my reaction. “A side to me only some are privy to know.”

“And what side is that?”

“Maybe you’ll find out.”

I’m unable to tear my eyes away from the abundance of sex toys. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Some of the items among the ropes, handcuffs and bondage restraints are foreign to me. Something I never thought I’d see, and yet, arousal pools between my thighs at the sight of them and my heart jackhammers against my rib cage with anticipation.

The thought of Ace sharing this side of him with other women brings a pang of jealousy. But I quickly push the emotion away because I have no right to feel that way about a man I hardly know.

Ace steps forward, invading my space with his cologne and intense gaze. I tip my head back to meet his gaze. “Is this the type of distraction you were looking for?”

Before I can think about it, I nod, my body trembling with desire and anticipation.

A slow, lazy grin slides across his handsome features. “Tell me, little bird. Does your fiancé know you have a darker side to you? Because I can see it reflected in your eyes.”

I swallow hard. In the bedroom, Liam is a fairly vanilla person, and while I respect that he doesn’t want to explore other kinks or switch things up in the bedroom, I can’t deny that I have always wantedmore. What that entailed exactly was unknown to me. At least, until now.

“No,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Well, I can see it written across those pretty features of yours.” Ace’s hand comes up to rest on my cheek. “And I plan to show you what you’ve been missing out on.”

He drops his head to capture my lips, rough and demanding. My arms instinctually lift to wrap around his neck, but his hands capture my wrists before I can touch him, forcing them at my side while his tongue plunges into my mouth, claiming the space.

Not being able to touch him forces a whine up my throat, and my veins thrum with anticipation. I want to touch him, to feel his warmth against me, but his tight grip on my wrists leave no space for wriggle room, so I’m left with no choice but to kiss him back.

His tongue swipes across my bottom lip before nibbling on the skin. My eyes roll to the back of my head as stars dance across my darkened vision. I had no idea a man could kiss like this and illicit such a fire deep in my core that I feel it spreading across every inch of my body.

Ace pulls away, a devilish smirk on his sharp features. “Strip for me.”

My eyes nearly bulge out of my head. “W-what?”

He walks past me and sits on the edge of the mattress, settling his gaze on me. At no point does he give away what he’s thinking. I hate that he is able to hide his thoughts so easily behind those stormy eyes. I just want to know what is going on inside that head of his.

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