Page 503 of The Sinner: James

Tiago’s smile morphs into a different kind of grin that colors his eyes, mesmerizing me and making me stare at him.

He looks so much like James.

With his hand stretched out, he closes the space between us.

“Tiago. Nice to meet you,” he says, a small smile tilting his lips.

My hand gets lost in his palm.

Holding my eyes, he lifts my hand to his lips and softly kisses my knuckles.

Ohh... He’s good.

A secret grin flickers through his eyes.

Smoothly, I retrieve my hand just as James’s fingers lock around his brother's neck.

“She’s off-limits, baby,” he says.

Tiago bites his lip.

“Of course she is.”

“I’m serious.”

James' grip tightens around Tiago’s neck.

“I know, man. Don’t worry,” he says seriously this time. “I’d never do you wrong.”

With that, his smile falls from his face as he spins around.

“I need to get dressed and leave if I want to catch that plane,” he says, and James takes his hand off his neck.

12

RAIN

The door closesbehind the handsome stranger, and I’m still wrapped in my trench and slumped in my seat as James drinks his scotch.

The silence grows when I turn my gaze to him.

“So... When did you plan to tell me?”

He sets the empty glass down, his lips creased into a smile.

Slowly, he opens the first few buttons of his dress shirt, revealing his sculpted chest and the top of his abs.

His cuffed-up sleeves set off his corded forearms while his watch is still wrapped around his wrist.

He looks at me with hooded eyes, slowly erasing the space between us.

His hand meets mine before pulling me out of my seat.

Spellbound, I rise to my feet just as his free hand comes to my face, and his fingers drape around my neck.

Without a word, he tilts his head down and presses his lips against mine, and a world of sensations flows through me, ignited by his scent, the warmth of his body, and his soft touch.

“You wanted to surprise me,” he says. “Let’s go back to that moment and pretend it never happened. Let’s start all over. And later, I’ll tell you his story and answer all your questions. But right now, I want you to do this for me.”

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