Page 75 of Ruthless Sinner

Dante sees me looking and I draw my eyes back to his, trying to tamp down my embarrassment at being caught.

“Serenity.” He says my name the way you do when you’re preparing an audience for a speech and you want their undivided attention.

“Yes.”

“There were many ways that we weren’t careful last night.” His voice is measured and contemplative.

I take his meaning to include the unprotected sex and the fact that we were kissing outside in the parking lot of the club before we left.

Pressing my lips together, I nod. “I know.”

He stares back at me as if he wants me to elaborate so I do.

“I’m on the pill.” I try to say that with as much assurance as I can muster. I don’t want him to think I’m the girl who just sleeps around town with no thought for who she’s with.

My attempt must work on some level because the declaration ignites a flicker of desire in his eyes.

“I’m clean,” he says, his gaze dropping to the exposed part of my chest where I left the first button of his shirt undone.

“I’m clean too.” You don’t really need a test for things like that when you haven’t been with anyone in well, well over a year. I leave that part out. It sounds lame and I don’t want to draw attention to the broken parts of me. “I guess we got a little carried away last night.”

“We did.”

“You don’t have to worry about anyone recognizing me while we were outside. Most people don’t tend to notice me. My step-sister is the one people notice straightaway. As far as anyone is concerned she’s my father’s daughter. Most are surprised when they find out about me.”

He takes a sip of his coffee and leans forward. “Is that why you looked like you were crying last night when you got to the club?”

I gaze back at him, enthralled by the curiosity in his eyes. I think of what to say. Several things upset me last night, but jealousy wasn’t one of them.

“No. It wasn’t that.”

“What was it then?” His gaze deepens as if he truly wants to know.

I glance down at the grooves in the wood on the table then slowly back to him. A number of things upset me yesterday but it was the combo of hearing Matthew talking about the wedding and Avery that drove me to tears. As I hate talking about the accident in any shape or form, it’s probably best not to venture down that road. Now probably isn’t the time anyway.

“I heard people talking shit about me.” That’s the best way to describe what happened without going into details that would upset me again. “I’m okay now, though.” I’m okay in the sense that I’ve pushed it out of my mind, but the hurt from hearing Matthew saying I could have been drinking during the accident is still very much there.

“Good, most times when people talk shit it’s because they have nothing better to do. Or they’re not as bright as they want others to believe they are.”

That makes me smile. I wish I could say something like that to Matthew. Or Dad.

“You’re probably right.”

“I am. Often times you find out they weren’t worth the energy you put into worrying about them.”

“I believe you.” I’d be willing to bet a million dollars that no one would even think to say anything about him he wouldn’t like.

Dante sets his arm down on the table and my traitorous eyes travel right back to the bulge of his thick biceps and up to those tattoos on his shoulders, the stars taunting me.

“You know, it’s probably best to ask me the question floating around in that pretty little head of yours.” He gives me a wolfish grin and rivets his gaze to mine when I look at him.

“The question?” My breath hitches.

“You know what I mean, Printsessa.” He stretches out his fingers making a show of extending them so I can see the tattoos. “Let me help you out.” He points to the finger with the cross. “That one there is for my prison sentence.

Shall we go into what sort of people mark themselves this way, or do you want to ask me?”

Go on Serenity. Ask him. He’s giving you a free pass. Just do it.

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