Page 70 of Sinful as They Come (Sinful Trilogy #1)

HOLLY

“Are you scared?” I asked Sawyer as we pulled up in front of my house.

No more parking halfway down the road. No more Sawyer sneaking into my bedroom – even though that was always fun.

No more secrets. I was done hiding. “I can’t believe I’m saying this…

but I’m not. I wanna do this. I just want to be with you without all the stupid secrets. ”

Sawyer reached over, his big hands giving my thigh a squeeze. “I’m not scared either, princess. I’m ready to fight for you.”

I smiled at him, leaning forward to give him a slow, sweet kiss.

It would have been nice to just sit there in the truck all day, doing nothing but kiss Sawyer.

But we both had a point to make. Especially Sawyer.

His suit and tie from last night were long gone.

In front of me was the boy I had fallen in love with: hair slightly tussled, green eyes dark, leather jacket looking all worn out.

He was perfect.

“Let’s do this, then,” I said quietly.

We both got out of the car, my heart beating oddly steady despite the fact that my parents knew I had just spent the night at Sawyer’s place. There really was no hiding anymore.

Sawyer knocked on the door by my side, and I was expecting to see my dad open up and throw a punch at my boyfriend. But it was my mother. She looked at me, then at Sawyer, then back to me.

“When I told you to go see Sawyer last night, I thought it was obvious that I meant you just go and talk to him and come back home. Not spend the night at his place.” She eyed Sawyer when she said that.

“Whoops,” I said with a sheepish smile. “I lost track of time.”

“I can see that.” She raised a neat eyebrow at me. “You should be thankful that I could stop your father from calling the police. He was very close to having you arrested, Sawyer Westbrook.”

“For what?” Sawyer shrugged. “I’ve done nothing wrong. We’ve done nothing wrong. I came over here last night so we could do things properly. But someone wasn’t interested in that.”

My mother sighed and took a step to the side, letting me and Sawyer walk in. There was an uncomfortable silence in the air. Was Daddy still sleeping? Had he gone out? He was gonna be so mad at me. But Sawyer was worth whatever punishment my parents were gonna give me.

“I understand that,” Mom said. “But you have to understand why my husband is so protective of Holly. And why he doesn’t…”

“Why he doesn’t like me,” Sawyer offered. “Yeah, I know why. ‘Cause I’m trailer park trash. That’s what everyone tells me. But if he wants to be a big man and just talk to me - like adults - then he’ll see that I’m not some psychopath or whatever he thinks I am.”

“I don’t think you’re a psychopath.”

I jumped a little at the sound of my dad’s voice.

I spun around, looking to my side to see him there in the hallway.

He looked… disheveled. Like he hadn’t slept all night.

The bags under his eyes were proof of that.

I was met with guilt, but I shook it away.

Last night didn’t have to be that way. My dad made it that way.

It was his fault. Last night, all I wanted was for my parents to meet my boyfriend, and it was my dad who chased off said boyfriend.

“I just don’t think you’re good enough for my daughter,” my father carried on.

I could practically feel Sawyer stiffening next to me.

“Look, I don’t want a repeat of last night,” muttered Sawyer. “I don’t want a fight. If you want to talk, then let’s talk. But I don’t want any drama. I love your daughter. And whether you like it or not, I’m gonna be sticking around for a long time, ‘cause she loves me too.”

My dad crossed his arms over his chest as he gave me a look. “Does she now?”

“Yes. Yes, I do,” I said as calmly as I could. “If you had listened to me last night, you would know that.”

“Why don’t we all just sit down in the living room and talk about this properly?” Mom suggested. “I can make us some coffee, and we can just do this without any loud voices.”

But my dad shook his head as he eyed Sawyer. “I want to talk to him. One on one.”

I sighed. “Look, whatever you want to say to Sawyer you can say in front of me.”

But my dad said nothing. He walked slowly over to Sawyer, the two of them standing face to face.

Well, as face to face as they could get, because Sawyer towered over my dad a good few inches.

But that didn’t kill the tension. That tension that didn’t even need to be there if everyone just got along.

“No, Sawyer and I need to have a talk,” my father said quietly. “Man to man.”

Sawyer nodded once. “Good. I’ve got a lot to say to you.” Then he looked over at me. “Don’t look so worried, princess. I promise he’s not gonna scare me off. You’re still gonna be mine by the end of this wonderful conversation we’re about to have.”

My father scoffed and made his way up the stairs. “We’ll talk in my office.”

Sawyer, with his hands lazily tucked into his pockets like always, simply gave me a wink as he walked up the stairs.

My mom wrapped an arm around my shoulder, trying to give me some comfort. But all I could do was prepare myself for a screaming match.