Sin’s expression turns thunderous. He curses under his breath, then storms down the short hallway. “Your bedroom this way?”
“What are you doing?” I chase his retreating form, trying to brush past so I can stop him. But he’s so damn huge, I can’t get around him. “Get out of my room.”
He stops on the threshold, and I imagine how it must look through his eyes.
Threadbare blanket, double mattress, and crates on either side. A lonely set of drawers pushed against one wall, and a worn sheet that doubles as curtains hanging opposite.
It’s not a palace, but it’s clean.
Silent, Sin grabs the only bag I own and throws it on the bed. “Pack your shit. We’re leaving.”
My eyebrows shoot to my hairline. “Leaving? I’m not going anywhere.”
He stalks to the set of drawers and yanks it open. “You’re staying with me.”
I scoff. “Are you out of your mind? I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Back to me, he pauses. “Yes, you are.” Then he scoops out an armful of clothes and holds them in the air. “You wear these?”
I glance between my clothes and his tense bicep. “What kind of idiot question is that? Of course I wear them.”
With a nod, he shoves them in my bag.
“What the hell? I told you, I’m not going to your place.” Marching over to him, I snatch the bag away.
“Stupid isn’t a good look on you, babe.” He yanks it back. After opening another drawer, he grabs more clothes and thrusts them inside.
“Sin, you can’t go around taking my stuff. There are laws against that.” Shoving him away, I plaster myself in front of the drawers.
His sardonic stare meets mine. “You going to report me?”
The air shifts. It turns to smoke, swirling around us like camouflage.
“You know it’s pointless. Your family would have you acquitted, and I’d end up dead.”
He stands over me, gorgeous, fierce, and strong. “Then quit fighting me.”
It’s pointless lying any longer. “I can’t.”
We’re a perfect storm, he and I.
Inevitable destruction.
And, if the way he’s eating my curves with his predatory gaze is anything to go by, the tempest is about to break.
But I won’t back down. “You might snap your fingers and your boys come running, but it doesn’t work with me. I don’t answer to you. I don’t answer to anyone. The sooner you accept that, the better.”
Sin’s tall frame fills my vision “You’re coming with me, even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of this shithole.”
For some reason, I want him to do just that. “No. Now get out of my trailer.”
His voice is rough, like sand scratching sensitive skin. “Not a chance in hell, babe. You’re my property now.”
My property.
Whoa.
Sin’s words should set off alarm bells. They should have me kicking him out of my trailer and ordering him to stay away. I should be cutting all ties so I can pull together the remnants of my life.
Only, I don’t.
Acting against every shred of logic, I grip his hoodie in my fist. “In what parallel universe would I agree to that? You’re a criminal and the son of a mob boss. You start fires, steal cars, and break into offices.” I mean to push him away, but somehow end up drawing him closer. “You use people, not caring about how it impacts them. You’re bad news, Sin Brandt.”
Sin takes a strand of my hair and wraps it around his fingers. “You fucking love it. You don’t want to, but you do.”
This man. He’s killing me. “I’m not going with you.”
He tugs, forcing my lips to his. “You don’t have a choice.”
I want to steal the strands back, if only to prove that I can. But my body doesn’t listen. Instead, it craves more of his touch.
The urge to wrap my arms around his neck and lose myself in his kiss is overpowering. It takes nearly all my strength to stay where I am. “That’s where you’re wrong. There’s always a choice.”
“Jack’s a shady fucker.” Sin brushes his thumb across my cheek. “He shouldn’t have been in Dad’s office. If he gets caught, and he will since you fucked his leg up real good, who do you think he’ll blame?”
Through the desire-filled haze, reality forms. I’ve had my fair share of unhinged men in my life. I don’t need any more. Though I can take care of myself, having to watch my back every second of the day is exhausting.
It’d be nice having protection.
As quickly as the thought comes, I push it away again. Relying on someone else, especially when they’ve already proven to be untrustworthy, is insanity.
“We’ve been through this already, big guy. You put me in this position. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t run the second Jack showed up.”
Sin’s eyes roam my features, both heating and darkening at the same time. “None of it would have happened if you hadn’t rocked up tonight. Like you said, there’s always a choice, and you made the wrong one.” He smirks. “I’m going to prove it to you.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Temple
Rather than scare me, his words have the opposite effect. My breasts crush against his torso, and my breath fans his face. “I didn’t make the wrong choice. I did what was right. I wasn’t going to stand back and let you get away with burning my garage.”
“And look where it got you.”
I take in every smooth line and sharp angle of Sin’s face. “I know what you’re doing. You’re twisting the facts to make me out to be the villain, so I’ll be forced to accept your help. It’s not going to work.”
Sin’s nose brushes mine. “You keep telling yourself that, babe.”
He’s so beautiful, it hurts.
“And now you’re using your body against me,” I breathe, wanting to fight off his allure but falling victim to it instead.
He gives my hair a sharp yank. “Those hard as fuck nipples don’t lie.”
I hiss, my eyelids fluttering closed as I savor the sting. But then I remind myself that vulnerability leads to hurt, so I blink them open again. Don’t trust him, Temple. You know what happens when you do.
Sin takes my bottom lip between his teeth and bites down. “Why are you fighting this? You know it’s going to happen. It was a done deal the second I saw you.”
Damn, I hate how good that sounds. “Just because you say it’s going to happen, doesn’t mean it will.”
“Wrong.” He skims his mouth along the length of my neck, his lips pausing over my raging pulse.
“Screw you.”
“Planning on it. But I want you screaming my name first.” He bites the juncture between my neck and collarbone.
I hiss, try to chase it back, but it’s too late.
He smirks. “You ready to beg for my cock?”
My breasts grow heavy, craving the abrasion his fingers promise. Visions of Sin stripping my clothes from me before taking me hard and rough against the wall fill my mind. I want him to tease and taunt me. I want him to take and take until I’ve got nothing left to give. I need him to empty me of every thought, feeling, and emotion so I can emerge reborn.