Page 99 of Beautiful Sinner

“You don’t have to feed to my ego.”

I laugh. God, it feels nice to just laugh. “I’m not feeding your ego. It was perfect for me. Gentle and sweet but also a little naughty.”

He waggles his eyebrows. “A little naughty, huh?” With a low sound, he kisses me hard, making me smile.

“It really was perfect, Matteo. Trust me.” I run my hands down his chest, just needing to touch him. All of him.

“It was perfect for me too.”

“I know that I don’t have the same experience as you do.”

“And that doesn’t bother me. In fact, I love knowing that I’m your first.”

I frown. “But I don’t get to be your first.”

He cups my cheek. “Don’t compare yourself to my exes. They don’t mean anything to me anymore. Yes, I’ve had partners in the past. But you’re the one I married. The only one I want to be with.”

I could cry from how sweet his words are. “I guess in a way it’s a good thing you’re not a virgin. You made sure I could enjoy it.”

“I only want to make it good for you.”

“And you did.”

“Good.” Another long, tender kiss that leaves me breathless. “Now, how about we make breakfast. You gave me a good workout this morning.”

“Breakfast sounds perfect.” A life with Matteo sounds perfect.

Viktor

Connor is at my front gate in the morning. I hesitate for a moment before letting him inside my home.

“Go wait in our room,” I tell Inessa.

“Why?”

“Please.”

She agrees without asking any more questions. I don’t want Connor to do anything rash when Inessa is around. I didn’t tell her about what happened at the hospital last night. I was too ashamed to say anything. My own sister left in the car of my enemy. I failed. It’s something I would prefer to keep to myself.

“Connor,” I greet him when I open the door and motion him inside. His face is even more bruised than it was before.

“Matteo did this to me. I was so close to killing him. I swear.”

“I know you were. You attacked a hospital last night. It took all my power to not have you arrested. Your face is all over the news. What the fuck were you thinking?”

He saunters past me into my office and sits down, placing his feet onto my desk. I stare at him until he lowers his feet to the ground. “I was thinking I promised to kill Matteo and I was going to do whatever it took to make it happen.”

“You could have been killed. Or arrested. Connor, I don’t like working with reckless people and you’re being reckless.”

“So? You wanted power. And I have the backing of the Irish mob. We can take down Dante and Erik.”

“So far, you haven’t done shit for me.” Here’s the moment of truth. “And Julia told me that you were the one who shot her.”

Connor jumps to his feet. “Julia? You spoke to her?”

“I found her at the hospital last night.”

“So is she here?”