My Heart For Yours (Sinful Secrets 2)

I can’t help laughing.

He touches the line that starts just under my index finger and stretches across my palm. “This is the head line.” He grins. “This—” he taps— “is a little off. And this—” he touches a line that starts under my pinkie and flows toward my thumb— “this is your heart line. Black as soot.”

His face is so grave, my stomach dips before he breaks into a dimpled grin. “Your heart line is what they call chained.” He leans in and kisses my lips. He squeezes my hand. “Passionate.”

I smile and feel my cheeks sting with self-conscious heat.

“Says you wear your heart on your sleeve.”

I nod slowly. His hand smooths my hair back.

“You read your marriage and children lines wrong, I think.”

“Did I?” I give him a poker face.

He nods. He traces my palm underneath my pinkie finger, along the outer edge. “Your marriage line right here is long and straight. That’s good. And these vertical streaks right above it—they’re some of the hardest ones to read—but they’re definitely there. I see at least two.”

I sit back, grinning. “You’re making this up. You said you had yours read in Hindi.”

Barrett winks. “I’m fluent in Hindi.”

* * *

Barrett

I watch her perfect mouth form a little oval. On anyone else, it would be an “o,” but I think her oval is fucking adorable.

“I thought…” She sh

akes her head and laughs. “My friend Jamie and I went to a palm reader one time in New Orleans. It was before the wreck. She gave both of us terrible predictions, and she wanted us to come back to find out more. Then the accident happened and…”

She shakes her head again, biting her lower lip, and my chest aches for her.

“I thought maybe she was a real medium, you know?” She lets out a sexy chuckle, her tits bouncing slightly. “Since my shitty fortune seemed sort of true, Jamie has been waiting to lose all her beauty and her intellect.”

I don’t know anything about her friend except that she’s Niccolo’s girlfriend and I need to stay away from her. But still, I laugh with Gwen.

She rubs her mouth, still smiling. “You have to read hers, too. Like, ASAP. Put Jamie at ease.”

I reach into my pocket, looking up at her as my hand finds the mood ring. “Close your eyes and hold your hand out one more time. I want to check one other thing.”

Her lips curve as she looks at me. “Do I trust you?”

“Yes.” I can’t help the way my voice cracks on the word. I clear my throat so she’ll think that’s all it was. When she shuts her eyes, I take her hand and slide the ring on her index finger.

She blinks down at the smooth, oval-shaped blue stone, then up at me.

“Oh my God, is this a mood ring?”

I smile. “That’s what I’m told.”

She holds her hand up as it turns deeper blue. “I haven’t seen one of these in years. I freaking love it!” Gwenna throws herself at me, and I close my eyes as she hugs my neck. “Thank you!”

Her hand plays in my hair. I swallow back a moan. Her lips brush my cheek. “I love it.” With her arm still around me, she leans back and looks down at the ring. “It brings back all the memories.” She beams at me. “Seriously—you’re the best.”

Seeing her so happy chases away the remnants of my dark feeling from earlier.

We laugh and talk and make the icing, and then we put the cake together. While it’s chilling in the refrigerator, I carry Gwenna to the couch. I lay her on her stomach, straddle her while keeping one foot on the floor, and rub her shoulders.