Page 14 of Made to Sin

My smile dropped at her discreet insinuation that I was an escort. I mean it was what Marco used me for, but it was still an unnecessary remark.

Before I could reciprocate the passive-aggressiveness, Luciano splayed his hand on her lower back and guided her toward theliving room. It was the same hand that was wrapped around my throat a few weeks ago. The view of it on her made something twist in my chest as a sourness filled my tongue.

I rolled my eyes at the unwarranted jealousy. Why did it bother me? It didn’t matter if his hands were wrapped around Sofia or someone else, I was married for goodness sake. Despite my husband’s unfaithfulness, if I stooped to his level, I was equally as bad.

I stayed back as the crowd followed Luciano. Needing to change into something more lunch-appropriate was a great excuse as to why I couldn’t stay toentertainthe guests.

—

I came out an hour later dressed in a breezy, white summer dress with a cute pair of pink wedges. I didn’t mean to take so long, but it was extremely motivating to stay in the bath when I didn’t particularly want to be downstairs anyway.

As my hand left the banister at the bottom step, I was pulled the opposite way. A warm hand covered my mouth and pressed my back against the wall of the slightly hidden hall. Panic flooded through me until Luciano’s familiar mixture of sandalwood and manly musk that was easily too addicting filled my nose.

I was always too impulsive, so without thinking much of it, I darted my tongue out to lick the source. I grimaced at the unsanitary act as soon as my tongue retreated inside my mouth.

Not one of my proudest moments.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Luciano growled from between clenched teeth and dropped his hand.

He had taken a step back, but we were still so close. So close I felt his shadows towering over me. Instead of the cold that should’ve come with it, the opposite happened. My body sang around the warm delight— not that “delight” should be used anywhere near this man.

“What amIdoing? What areyoudoing?” I retorted.

Also not one of my proudest moments.

“Real mature,” he deadpanned.

Since I’d already fallen down the rabbit hole of wrong decisions today, I immaturely stuck out my tongue again to spite him.

His eyes darkened. “Keep sticking out your tongue, and I’ll give you something worth licking.”

My mouth parted at the dirty insinuation. For crying out loud, how did he say the crudest things with a straight face? I couldn’t help it as my eyes involuntarily dropped to his pants for a split second.

He smirked.

Do not react, Katarina.

“What do you want?” I tried asking blandly, but my voice was so stiff, there was no way he believed I was unaffected.

“I didn’t know you were such a good liar, Katarina.”

My brows knitted. “What are you talking about?”

I knew exactly what he was talking about. The only time I’d lied in his presence was the first night we met. It had been two months, so I thought he forgot about it. The joke was on me for thinking the devil could forget anything.

“Ah, I’d seen firsthand how convincing of an actor you were. But what’s more interesting is that you are now in my debt, sweetheart.”

I ignored the jarring dig at my marriage. “I didn’t know I borrowed a loan.”

“You don’t remember our night together? What about the hotel then? I’m sure Marco would love to hear about our affairs.”

I froze.

My eyes fell into slits before turning into straight fury. I either did what he wanted, or he told my husband that I committed adultery. I should have seen it from the beginning. This was how the man got people to fear him. It wasn’t the way he killed. Itwasn’t the way he had a gun tucked in his waistband. It wasn’t the way his reputation stretched far and wide. No, it was his ability to corner his prey into doing what he pleased.

There were so many other platonic words he could have used, ranging fromconversationto evenblackmail, but he had to say the one instigating word.

“We did not have an affair, or anything close to it,” I hissed.

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