Page 13 of Severed By Vengeance

“When my father passed, one of his attorneys contacted me. He told me I would inherit some assets and estates.”

Evangelina stepped closer, her eyes narrowed and suspicious, and I couldn’t help glancing at how her sweet mouth pushed into a slight pout. Carnal thoughts of her kneeling, those red lips wrapped around my cock, had me swallowing a groan.

How James would turn in his grave at the sight of my cum sliding down his beloved goddaughter’s throat.

“He left you an inheritance even though the two of you had no contact?” She put a hand over the pressure point between her eyes. “I don’t know what to think. He was like a second father. Yet he never mentioned you. Never even hinted at having a son.” Squaring her shoulders, she moved closer again. “None of this makes sense. How do I know you’re who you say you are?”

“Look at me.” We were just a foot apart now. Her head tilted up to meet my eyes, and I caught the fleeting glance she cast at my lips before looking away.

“Sure, you look like him… but—”

“Did I do something, Evangelina?” I interrupted, preying on her emotions and daring to place a gentle hand under her chin. My skin was immediately greeted with a strange electric zing, but I ignored the sensation and lifted her gaze back to mine, mindful of her quick-reacting knees. “Something to upset you?”

She remained quiet for several beats before shaking her head. “How do you know my name?”

The sultry notes in her voice fanned over me, curling around my thoughts, just as sinful as that first day.

How did I know her name?

I’d tasted her name on my tongue and burned it to memory in time with the image of her gorgeous face. Even on days when my plan faltered, when I would vacillate between leaving and never coming back, the need to see this woman, speak to her, taste her just once overtook my thoughts.

I tightened my grip on her chin.

“Your father was one of his investment partners. I just followed the paper trail, and there you were.”

As if snapping out of a trance, she swatted my hand away and put a sizable distance between us.

“Myfather?Didyousend those documents to my job? There are some serious allegations in there. How would you know those things? And where I work. Are they true? Is my father involved?”

Evangelina was oblivious to the world she’d been born into. Franco Cruz might not have had his hands in the criminal underworld the same way as his friend and colleague, Dr. Ford, but the man had a trove of secrets and a closet full of skeletons just as thick.

“No,” I lied. She paced back and forth as the first rain droplets hit the ground. “Evangelina? I can answer your questions if you’d like to come inside. The sky’s about to break open any minute now.”

She stopped and squeezed her eyes closed before speaking.

“Can we go somewhere?” she asked, surprising me and motioning toward her car.

I gave her my most charming smile. “I know a place.”

The ride to the café was quiet, only soft rain patters filling the silence. I could have offered to take my car instead of having her drive, but I wasn’t ready to be without her presence just yet. Maybe Evangelina hadn’t been either, as she hadn’t suggested otherwise.

The silent cabin allowed me time to study her.

She drove with her right hand on the steering wheel while the other rested against the door or in her lap. Due to her height, the seat was pushed forward pretty far, and I couldn’t help the small chuckle that slipped from my lips.

“What?” she asked curiously, head turning briefly in my direction.

“How tall are you?”

She rolled her eyes. “If you’re trying to make a short joke, save yourself the trouble. I’ve heard them all. And I’ll have you know, I like my height.”

I put my hands up defensively. “It was just a question.”

“Sure, it was.”

I leaned my head back and laughed. Fuck, she was adorable.

Getting close to Evangelina was a double-edged sword.As James’s only son, gaining her trust would be easy. That alone granted me access to her life. But doing so without distractions and wayward thoughts would prove to be difficult.