Page 62 of The Temptation of Truth

I swallow, take a deep breath, then whisper, “Sinclair.”

Brady was right. Keeping my last name wouldn’t bring my parents and brother back, but I miss being a Hammond. I’ve never felt like a Sinclair. Not really.

“Aurora Jade Sinclair. That’s pretty.”

I shrug. “Yeah.”

I bite my tongue against what I want to say, caging the truth behind my teeth.

I don’t like it. I don’t want it. I’m suffocating.

Then she smirks.

“This floor is cold as fuck. If we lie here any longer, my piercings are going to turn to ice and freeze my nipples off.”

My jaw drops, and she laughs.

“What?”

“You have your nipples pierced?”

She arches a teasing brow. “Yeah. Is that surprising?”

I shake my head slowly. “Not at all. I don’t even know why I’m shocked. It’s not surprising at all.”

Mabel laughs again, then sits up, so I do the same. When she starts to stand, I freeze.

She’s wearing a pink and black pajama set. Spaghetti straps and short shorts. Silk fabric. Lace trim. I didn’t notice it before, but I do now, and my stomach flips. I can feel a blush start to spread, so I avert my gaze to the ground. It doesn’t help. Her feet are bare, and her nails are painted white, with a little silver ring on her middle toe and a silver chain around her delicate ankle.

My pulse speeds up. My mouth goes dry. I'm reeling from the rapid change of my emotions in such a short period of time.Then her hand extends in my periphery, and my eyes are drawn upward. I nearly swallow my tongue.

She’s so hot it hurts. Pink, sleep-tousled hair frames her face and rests on her bare shoulders. Her tattooed sleeve pops dramatically in the bathroom lighting, and the shiny silk pajama top flows over her curves like water. The elegant fabric is thin enough that I can see the outline of her nipples, and my eyes stick on the indentation of two dots on either side of each of them.

Her piercings.

My own nipples pebble under my oversized sweatshirt and I ache to press my thighs together. She’s so sensual, so sexy, and that same feeling of desire is so overwhelming that I can almost taste it. Dark, rich honey, the color of her eyes. Sweet and heady. Twenty-three years of never knowing this feeling, and suddenly I’m craving it so deeply that my mouth waters.

“Want to see them?”

She asks it with a smirk, and my face flames hotter as I choke on a rapid inhale.

“Kidding. I’m kidding. You know, unless you do want to see them, in which case the offer stands.”

I open my mouth twice to speak, and all I can manage isokay.Then her smirk softens, and she wiggles her fingers at me.

“C’mon. Family breakfast.”

I place my hands in hers and allow her to pull me to my feet. The position changes, and our closeness leaves me dizzy. Her chin tilts up and mine tilts down, mere inches between us.

“Thank you,” I whisper, the words barely more than an exhale.

“Always. You good now?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“Good.” Her smile grows. “I still need to pee.”

A snort of laughter escapes me, which draws laughter from Mabel, too. I shake my head and walk toward the door.