Page 65 of Forgive Me For I Have Sinned

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Alaric slides into the booth beside me and cups my cheeks, bringing my lips to his and kissing me savagely. "Let's get out of here."

When we leave Babylon, it is already well into the evening. Stars are in the night sky, and half the moon shines brightly. The guys, Jess, and Gia are all heading home, and it’s just me and Alaric alone in the parking lot.

"It's been a while since I’ve hung out at a college spot."

I’m surprised he doesn't mention Dorian and his delusional behavior, but I feel he held himself back. I know how angry he can get. Then what Dorian and Alaric said about Gino and canceling his contract tumbles into my head.

"What did you mean when you said you canceled Gino's contract?"

He opens the passenger door of his Ferrari, and his eyes touch mine. "I severed business ties."

I slide inside the car. Before he closes the door, I notice him ogling the exposed part of my thighs between the hem of my pleated skirt and the tops of my thigh-high socks. "Really?"

He shuts the door and rounds the car sliding in, thinking that is the only answer I am getting, but he surprises me when he says, "You were exceptional at the meeting, and I would never let someone get away with disrespecting you. You were right, and I was the only person that caught it. No one that worked with me was able to, but you did. In five minutes."

No one has ever praised me. Not my parents for something I did. No one has ever thought I was smart. I just trucked along and went from graduating high school to beginning college. No one cared about my grades because no one asked. It feels good for someone to say that I am exceptional.

I blush and look straight ahead. "Thank you."

"I think you're very smart. I have looked at your essays on financial analysis, and they are good––really good."

"Thank you. It means a lot coming from you," I say in a very low voice, my heart fluttering in my chest, hoping it doesn't fold in on itself from falling deeper in love with him.

I recognized the feeling this morning when he kissed me passionately and then had Portman drop me off at school before he dropped him at work. The butterflies take flight when I think of all the dirty things he’s done to me. How sore I am between my legs. The delicious sting I’ll feel when he takes me again.

"I forgot to ask how your little hole is. I know I took you hard."

"It's sore but in a good way."

He glances down at my thighs and places his hand over them. "Why aren't you wearing the clothes I bought you? I love the socks, but I mean the other stuff. It's been more than a few days since you touched anything in the closet. "

After the incident with Tara, it reminded me why he bought me the clothes, and I didn't want to spoil what was blossoming inside me for him. I didn't want to cloud it with negative thoughts from my subconscious. I wanted him to desperately see the real me with the little time I had left.

"I didn't pick them at the store, and you always left a note telling me what you expected me to wear that day."

"That's because I thought it was better to buy you everything in the store so you could choose whatever you wanted."

Dumbfounded, I reply, "Oh."

I didn't see it that way. I just thought he wanted to control what I wanted to wear. Like Charles did.

"I only said that I preferred the crotchless panties because all I could think about was being inside you. I didn't want to shred every piece of lingerie you wore."

"You were so sure I was going to give in, huh?"

"Honestly, I have never been rejected before." He glances at me briefly. "You're the first."

After having dinner at an Italian restaurant and making it home, it's already nine-thirty, and I'm following him out to the backyard to the oversized swimming pool, glowing like a pool of blood.

"What is it with you guys and the red light in the pool?"

"It's a Kenyan thing. A signature for the team. Our logo has red in it, and the color of blood is red and rich."

"Like the sons of Kenyan."

"Yeah, like us."

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