Page 27 of The Sinner: James

I gulp half of my drink and wince as I swallow, the blistering heat of the alcohol burning the roof of my mouth before tumbling down my throat.

“You know me better than that,” I argue.

“That’s exactly why I’m saying what I’m saying. I’ve never seen you so affected by some girl’s innocent kiss. And she may be a girl, but there’s a woman buried in that body. And that woman is hot as hell.”

I feel a rush as I absorb his words.

He’s right.

She sure is… Those round full tits, tapered waist, and toned, long legs with a narrow gap between her thighs.

I’d love to press my tongue between her folds, lick her clit until she shudders, and then grab her ass and fuck her madly.

Not to mention her pretty little face and long sandy blonde bangs framing her amber-green eyes and the glint of wildness buried in their depth.

And then her mouth… So fucking perfect. To kiss... And fuck... And kiss again.

I lick my lips while getting hard.

“She’s too much of a headache,” I say. “And I’m seriously not interested. No matter what you say, she’s not that important,” I murmur, my words in stark disagreement with my thoughts and the bulge between my legs.

“That’s good to know. If she’s not the problem, what bothers you then? Are you having second thoughts?”

“No, I’m not. I started this shit. Why the fuck would I have second thoughts?”

I don’t expect him to answer my question.

His eyes linger on my face.

“Okay,” he says, still suspicious of my intentions.

He drinks the last drops of alcohol, tosses his glass on the table, and pushes his chair back.

Standing, he pats me on my back.

“Sooner or later, you’ll get between her legs,” he says, a smile woven in his voice.

“Go fuck yourself, motherfucker,” I rasp, chuckling bitterly.

I crush my empty pack of cigarettes, make it into a ball, and throw it at him.

He ducks out of the way and lifts his middle finger in response before making a beeline to his room.

5

RAIN

At Rain’s home,chatting with Eve on the patio.

“You’ve kissedone of the Kings?” Eve asks, her cheeks crimson, the color matching her painted nails as her hands pile up on top of her mouth.

Her eyes glint with sheer astonishment.

The early afternoon threads a warm golden light through her hair, the glow hugging her face and dripping from her lashes.

I put my hot chocolate on the table and grab an almond cookie from the plate in front of us.

“It was more like a goodbye kiss,” I say, my voice soft, tinged with emotion.

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