Page 140 of Sinning for Santa

Marilda rolls her eyes, and I remain shocked at this group of women, who aren’t at all what I thought they’d be like.

“Devon protects all of us.” Miss Barber gains my attention again. “But he’s never invited any of us to his suite before.” She winks at me, and there’s my blush, calling me out like a beacon.

“Have you seen the way he looks at her?” Eden coos. “I want a man to look at me like that one day.”

They continue chatting about their experiences encountering Devon and I together like I’m not even here, and my mind feels like it’s about to explode from what they told me.

It’s hard to believe Devon really hasn’t taken any of them to his suite, and it makes me wonder if he’s even really a monster at all.

He is though. I know it. I’ve seen it. I’ve experienced it. And still, I want him and his monster like I want my next breath.

I spend a few hours with the women, watching them interact, answer questions as vaguely as I can, my eyes always returning to Marilda, and her son Damon.

Is it really just a coincidence that Damon looks so much like Devon?

Were Marilda and him a thing before she came here, and now they are simply co-parents?

I want to ask, but not in front of everyone, so I table those thoughts for another time, which is when my tall, dark and lethal keeper returns to collect me.

Allegra leaps at him and shoves a Santa hat on his head before he chats to the women for a few minutes, and even goes to the children playing, but only picks up one child.

Damon.

They are familiar with each other, Damon kissing Devon’s cheek, and when Devon puts Damon down, the little toddler doesn’t want him to leave.

Marilda steps in to save Devon, picking up Damon who is crying and reaching for Devon as he approaches me, and my heart sinks.

Even though Marilda doesn’t display it, she’s affected by Devon coming to me, there’s a split second that her eyes meet mine and I’m met with a hint of a glare.

“Ready to go, little mouse?” Devon asks, his hand pressing to the small of my back as he leads me to the gate, and I risk another glance over my shoulder at Marilda, only now her back is to me.

“Where are we going?” I ask, confused by what I just witnessed.

“You’ve been sinning again, Miss Summers.” Devon’s deep rasp snaps all of my attention to him, and I glance up to see his dark eyes smouldering with lust. “It’s time to confess to the devil.”

Chapter thirty

Devon

The candles flicker as I close the chapel door behind us, closing us in, the path lighting the way to the confessional once again. I watch her as she scans the space, her eyes travelling over the candles and the booth, probably remembering what I did to her last time.

She looks a little anxious, and I can’t help but think it’s because of what that sick fucking doctor had planned for her.

She’s been relatively okay, considering, but she can’t possibly be, right? Unless those years locked away have desensitised her to the point she doesn’t need to deal with the trauma.

Nah. Fuck that. I know she carries those disturbing memories with her, always.

Her big blue eyes dart up to meet mine, and I shoot her another wink, because I don’t know what else to fucking do.

This is new.

I’m never at a loss when it comes to matters of sex. But fuck, she’s… more than that.

Reaching up to the stupid Santa hat still on my head, I go to tug it off, but her sweet voice stops me.

“Don’t.” She reaches for my arm, tugging it back down. “Leave it on.”

Frowning, I narrow my eyes at her. “I hardly look like the devil with a fucking Santa hat on.”

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