Page 321 of The Sinner: James

Sensing my struggle, he wraps an arm around me, and everything turns into a dream.

I part my lips and lower my eyelids as he drapes his other arm around me, and I lock mine around his waist.

Time warps, taking me back to the night we first met.

Everything feels the same.

His scent rolling over my skin.

His breath falling over my lips.

And his hard body pressing into mine.

I sink my fingers into his back, afraid that I might fall, while he lowers his lips to my ear and softly murmurs.

“Breathe baby, breathe....”

A smile tinges his voice as the memory of us from way back also seems alive in him.

But this time, I feel him very close.

A different man.

A tender man.

Someone I never thought he’d turn out to be.

He cups the back of my head and presses my cheek against his shoulder, tenderly stroking my hair.

I feel alive and fearless and, above all, loved.

A few moments pass before I reluctantly tear away from him.

“We have to return to the hotel,” I say quietly.

A smile glints in his eyes.

“Okay,” he says without questioning me, his hands sliding off me.

Later, we enter the hotel suite, grab new clothes, and walk into different bathrooms.

I take a long shower, blow dry my hair, and put on my makeup before I slip into a red beaded dress.

The garment hugs my body and stops above my knees, the beaded fringes catching the light every time I move.

When I stroll back into the living room, he’s already showered and changed into different clothes.

He takes me in.

“You like it?” I ask, doing a little twirl for him.

He nods, his eyes speaking more than his lips.

“Uh-huh.”

Black tailored pants and a dark shirt fit him to perfection, an expensive watch glinting around his wrist.

Threading his fingers through his hair, he combs it all back. His eyes are wild, his face glowing with power.

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