Page 35 of Made to Sin

I let out a hiss of pain as the heavy hold was unforgiving and so was its owner. “What are you doing? I wasn’t trying to hit you,” I exclaimed, trying to yank my wrist free without breaking my arm.

No response and still no budging from his stance.

“Please let go of my arm,” I said through clenched teeth, a tingling pain erupting from the impaired blood flow.

No response.

I looked to his partner for help, but he was too busy speaking on the phone to who I could only guess was security to escort me off the premises.

Desperately, I raised my voice and yelled, “Let me go! Do you know who I am?”

It was low and obnoxious to use that card, but it wasn’t like it worked. Baldie looked down at me and scoffed.

I opened my mouth to keep spewing whatever it would take to get him to loosen his hold, but we were interrupted by thesqueakof the metal door opening.

“Let her go,” a cold voice demanded.

At the sound of his boss’ command, the man dropped my hand like it was hot coal. Never in our months of knowing each other had I been happier to hear Luciano’s voice.

Rubbing my tendered wrists, I glared at the bouncer. “See how easy that was?”

No response.

At this point, I was starting to wonder if he could even talk. I turned my anger toward Luciano instead. “Is it normal for your bouncers to manhandle guests?”

He leaned against the door to hold it ajar. “It wouldn’t have happened if you used the front entrance like everyone else.”

“Maybe if I wanted to spend the rest of the night waiting in line, sure.”

“You and everyone you skipped.”

“What are you? The traffic patrol?”

He flickered his gaze to the side in annoyance. “No, but I am the owner of this establishment. Can’t have guests complaining, can I?”

While his response was logical, I huffed and walked past him into the club as if I disagreed. I did my best to refrain from touching any part of his body, but there was nothing to stop his addicting scent from entering my nostrils.

He reeked of nothing but man and money.

Feeling slightly weak in the knees with the intoxicating intrusion, I had to remind myself to keep walking forward and notstop to smell him like a dog barking up a tree. I stopped at a fork in the velvet hallway, not exactly sure where to go.

Luciano shared a hushed conversation with the bouncers before letting the door slam shut. The once-lit hallway fell victim to the darkness, save for the small yellow light fixture hanging from the ceiling that lit the place with a soft glow.

I turned to face him with a brave face but shadows enveloped most of him, making him look scarier than normal. Yet, even with the ominous cloud that surrounded him, I couldn’t help but notice he was incredibly handsome.

It had barely been two weeks since I saw him at the shooting range but, if possible, he looked better than he did then. It took me a second to figure out it was because the stubble I’d always seen him with was gone and in its place was the sharp cut of his jaw.

I had a sudden desire to run my hands over it, intending to feel its smoothness. My hands tightened into fists by my side as I fought the intrusive thoughts that imploded into devils on my shoulders.

There had to be a flaw somewhere I could find.

My eyes drifted lower from his face to the rest of his body, and, unfortunately, I was very wrong. The gentlemanly look was perfected to the dot, down to the thinnest threads on his gray suit.

God, it was hard to concentrate on anything else buthim.

I opened my mouth to start a conversation but snapped it closed when I had nothing to say. Neither of us spoke again for the stretching minute, each taking turns staring at the other person.

Right now, it was his.

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