Page 22 of The Sinner: James

“Is that final?” he asks.

I sense the bafflement in his voice.

“As I said… We don’t need her. We have no reason to mess with her life. Daria is a different story. She came looking for dick, and she got it, but I’m not pulling this girl into the mix.”

Ed tosses his drink back, shuddering as the alcohol hits his throat.

“So what did you tell her when she left?” he asks.

“Nothing.”

He tips his head to the side, grinning.

“Seriously? Nothing?”

I stay quiet.

“Did she say anything?”

They both look at me, waiting while I ponder whether to tell them or not.

A grin begins to tickle my lips.

“She kissed my lips… She fucking kissed my lips.”

4

RAIN

I slip out the door,my blood pounding in my ears, my thoughts unraveling.

Absently moving my fingers over my lips, I look for a trace, proof that our kiss was real. Still longing for the taste of him.

What had gotten into me?

What made me think that was a good idea?

My move wasn’t part of a well-thought-out plan and could’ve gone wrong quickly.

I can’t even begin to imagine what he must’ve thought about my braze gesture.

Usually, I’m more calculated than this, reserved, and more cautious.

Not that I have a lot of experience in kissing a man. Boys, yes. Men, not so much.

In hindsight, it was an impulse I couldn’t resist or explain.

Maybe I felt relieved that I could finally go home. Or I was grateful he’d found Daria for me.

One thing I know, though.

The time spent with them was one of the most intense and terrifying moments of my life.

They tried to keep things clean and polite, mainly because James had set the tone and stubbornly enforced it, but even so, I could see through the appearances.

I was like fresh food in the lions’ den.

They circled, sniffed, and licked their lips in anticipation while visually feeding on every inch of my body.

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