Page 21 of Glorious Sinner

Tomas

I didn’t move when Stephanie slid in beside me, when she wrapped herself around me.

Thank fuck.

Not reaching for her, not pulling her into my arms had killed me. But I knew it was the right move. Stephanie had closed herself off, had locked herself away, and no matter how much I wanted to I couldn’t force her to drop the barriers. She couldn’t do it for me, she had to do it for herself, and I knew with everything she’d gone through with Ryan, and what she was going through now, she needed the control. She needed to be in control of every aspect of her life.

And she had to find it in her to ask for what she wanted.

When I finally had her, it had to be on her terms, in her time, or I’d lose her again, and I’d do anything to avoid that. Anything.

So I stayed where I was, letting the heat of her body soak through me, letting mine warm hers in return. We stayed like that for a long time, and when I finally felt her relax against me, when she finally gave in to it, I shifted my arm from the back of the couch, curling it around her, resting my hand on her shoulder.

She stayed where she was, didn’t stiffen, didn’t try to pull away.

I couldn’t help it, I leaned in and kissed the top of her head, breathing her in as I took her hand in mine and gently pried open her tight fist, stopping those nails of hers from digging into her flesh—something I saw her do a lot.

I soothed her abused palm with soft strokes of my thumb, and her breath hitched, but still she didn’t pull away. Instead, she pressed in closer, wrapped her arm around me tighter, and took what she needed.

I stood at the kitchen counter and downed a glass of water. I was sweaty and hot and exhausted, but my workout had done nothing to ease the hunger growing inside me.

An image of Stephanie’s big green eyes opening—looking up at me after she’d slept on me most of the night on the couch—wouldn’t leave me, had tormented me when I went to my bed later until I finally gave up and headed to my gym downstairs to work off all my restless energy.

The workout hadn’t been enough, but it had to suffice.

I’d been on the phone with my head of security this morning. Ryan was lying low—not surprising after seeing who Stephanie was with. He might be a fucking twisted asshole but he wasn’t stupid. He knew firsthand what I was capable of. The fucker was missing two fingers after our last encounter. Just a little something to remember me by. I’d told him then that I’d end him if he came anywhere near her again, and coming at her now like he had, the stupid prick had just signed his own death warrant.

I couldn’t believe he was still eluding my men. If I didn’t find him soon I’d have to get some help—not something I liked doing. The men at The King Agency were the most obvious choice, but I was holding off for now. Most of them had families, and lately they’d been trying to keep their noses relatively clean. I didn’t want to fuck that up for any of them, despite what they thought.

I couldn’t really blame them for their opinion of me, though. I’d grown up with most of them, run the same streets, but when they’d come together, forming an unbreakable bond, I’d pulled away.

I’d struggled with those kinds of connections. As a child I believed—had been convinced—I was evil and the cause of everything that went wrong around me. I’d grown so used to keeping myself apart, it became second nature. I didn’t know how to form those kinds of friendships.

Instead, I’d pushed everyone away, gone after what I’d wanted, desperate to prove something, no matter who I stepped on to get it. Yeah, I had regrets. There were things I wished I could take back in my life. But it was too late for that now.

I put my glass down and stared out the window.

Despite our differences, we’d come from the same place. Most of us had been through some messed-up shit growing up, and that meant we’d formed bonds. We were family. I snorted to myself. They were brothers and I was the fucked-up uncle everyone tried to avoid, but yeah, still family.

Did they notice the difference in me? I sure as hell wasn’t the same man as I was a year ago. A year ago I hadn’t given a fuck about anyone or anything—that’s what I told myself anyway. I’d abused friendships to get what I wanted, twisted situations to my advantage, knocked down anyone who got in my way.

I was lucky I had anyone left.

Then I’d gotten that call from Stephanie and everything, everything, had changed.

The sound of the swinging kitchen door had me turning around. My fucking breath caught in my throat when she walked in, when she pulled to a stop and blinked up at me.

My gaze moved over her hungrily, like a starving animal sizing up his next meal. She was wearing a pale blue robe. It was shiny and silky looking…

And it had little pink flying pigs all over it.

I smiled, trying to keep things light, trying not to let my hunger for her show on my face as I took her in. But the thing hugged every one of her lush curves. “Nice robe.”

She glanced down and when she looked up again she was grinning back at me. “What? I like pigs.”

Christ, that smile lit up her whole face. Stunning. “I see that.”

Her gaze moved over me from head to toe. I was wearing running shorts, sneakers, and nothing else, and I felt her gaze blaze over me like her hands were gliding over my bare skin. She liked the ink—this wasn’t the first time I’d caught her looking—but when her green eyes skimmed over my abs, and lower, there was no controlling my reaction or what was going on in my shorts.