Page 70 of Sinner

I preferred my privacy.

Given what she’d been through, I’d decided not to interrogate her until she was settled. However, the little lamb would tell me everything.

Including whether her father had put her up to infiltrating my company.

“I’m not a liar, Xander,” she said defiantly.

“According to what you’ve said, every one of us have lied about something.”

She had no idea how to take what I was telling her, so she clamped her mouth shut. I had no interest in prying out the information from her until it became necessary. I was curious to see if she’d open up or continue the charade. We were playing a dangerous game after all.

Jessica remained where she was in the passenger seat, staring out the windshield at one of four tables full of tools. None of which I’d ever used other than for what they were intended. However, she had every reason to be frightened after what she’d been through.

As I eased from the car, I could sense her stiffening. She craved Sinner, but loathed the man behind the mask. The dichotomy around that was a complete mind fuck.

Her hesitation forced me to walk to the other side, opening the door for her. “You’re safe with me.”

“Are you so certain of that?” Jessica ignored the offer of my hand, preferring to remain autonomous. Yet she winced as she twisted her body to exit my vehicle. While the brutal punch the asshole had thrown would blacken her eye, fortunately there was only minimal swelling.

That didn’t control the anger raging inside. Nothing would at this point. I’d heard her agonizing cries and had only seen blood.

She didn’t fight me as I guided her toward the door leading into the house, but the moment I touched her back, she took a purposeful step away from me.

Perhaps the only traditional room in the house was the kitchen given my affinity for cooking. However, the moment she stepped foot inside, she scanned the entire room top to bottom. Whatwas she looking for exactly, bloodied knives hanging from chains? The thought amused me.

As she moved to the end of the island, she slipped off my jacket, not bothering to look at me when she extended her arm. “Thank you. I won’t be needing this any longer.”

While I accepted the tuxedo coat, I purposely pushed our fingers together. The electricity sparked between us. She sensed it and did her best to hide the raw sensations. While I longed to further explore our intense chemistry, I hadn’t brought her here to play Sinner for the night.

I tossed the jacket across the back of a stool on the other side of the island bar and flicked on the lighting over the thick granite.

She winced from the light, immediately placing her hand over her eye. While I knew she’d protest, I lifted her and placed her on the counter.

“What are you doing?” At least she could still have the cute demanding voice that had been the initial reason I’d been attracted to her.

I planted both hands on either side of her and I’d be damned if she didn’t do everything feasible to lean as far away from me as possible. “I’m checking the damage and getting ice for your eye. Is that acceptable to you?”

There was a hint of fear in her eyes as she debated my question, yet darker emotions crowded out the fleeting emotion almost immediately. “Okay, fine. But I’m okay.”

“I know. You’re a tough girl.” Being very mindful of what I was doing, I slipped a finger under her chin, lifting her head. Her eyes were locked on mine, piercing in a way that indicatedshe was searching for answers to some hidden question. I was thankful her pupils weren’t dilated.

As I moved my head closer to inspect her eye, she jerked away once again. “I told you, I’m fine.”

“You blacked out. You could easily have a concussion.” It saddened me I barely remembered her from before. Granted, over ten years had passed and I’d been a self-absorbed prick back then, but the real truth was that it had been a period of my life I’d tried very hard to forget.

“I don’t.”

I almost gripped her jaw, telling her she would listen to me, but managed to curtail my typical reaction. Sighing, I backed away, grabbing a clean kitchen towel from one of the drawers and opening the bottom freezer door for ice. I sensed she was watching me intently. After I wrapped the cubes, I didn’t bother trying to place the compress on her face. She’d merely toss it away.

A cube slipped to the floor and she sighed while I bent over to retrieve it, tossing it into the sink.

I handed her the icepack instead, giving her a stern look when she hesitated before placing it over her eye. “Give it a few minutes. If we can keep some of the swelling down, there will be less pain.”

“Alright. Fine.”

“Would you like a drink?” I found myself more amused than annoyed by the thick armor she’d placed around herself.

Her mouth twisted in frustration. She looked away before answering me. “Yes, thank you.”

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