Taken by a Sinner (Sinners 1)

This is really fucking ridiculous.

Unable to avoid my emotions any longer, I look deeper. Why the fuck am I losing my mind over this woman?

While we wait for the drinks, my eyes drift over her sinful body and settle on my fingers wrapped around hers. Inappropriate or not, my fingers flex, and I move to link them with hers.

Tess’ gaze darts down, her lips parting slightly.

Lifting our joined hands, I take in how delicate hers seems in mine. “You have small hands.”

“Uh-huh.”

My eyes lift to her beautiful, innocent face.

What is it about this woman that makes me act irrational?

Not able to put my finger on it, I turn my attention to the drinks as the bartender nudges them closer to us. Picking up the tumbler, I drink half, letting the alcohol soothe the confused emotions that have taken up residence in my chest.

Glancing over the room, I notice Yiannis has joined the party, and with Tess’ hand firmly in my grip, I walk toward the man to congratulate him.

“Nikolas,” Yiannis smiles, his face already red from celebrating a little too hard. “Thank you for coming.”

“Happy Birthday, Yiannis. My father regrets not being able to attend and sends his regards.”

Yiannis waves a hand in the air. “Is he enjoying his honeymoon?”

“I assume he is.”

His eyes flick to Tess, then down to where I’m gripping her hand tightly. He was at the wedding, so he should know precisely who she is.

“Have you met Theresa?” I ask, softly tugging her closer to me.

Yiannis smiles between us. “Yes, Peter introduced us. Your stepsister.” There’s an amused tone to his voice.

I hate that fucking word. I’ll never think of Theresa as my stepsister.

Chapter 12

Tess

Dressed in a pair of jeans and a baggy t-shirt, I grab my camera bag and shrug it over my shoulder. Opening the window in my bedroom, I climb through and, using the fire escape, I sneak out of my apartment like a damn thief.

Hey, a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do to avoid the damn guards.

After the intense night, I had to spend glued to Nikolas’ side, I need some alone time. I also want to get more footage for my project without the two men hovering behind me like flies.

The fire escape ladder stops just shy of the ground, and I jump down. Walking to the corner of the building, I peek around the side. I see James leaning against the hood of the SUV, reading a newspaper, while Grant seems to be fast asleep in the driver's seat.

Tess; one. Guards; zero.

Walking in the direction of the David Lam park where Nikolas interrupted me, my steps feel light and free. The streets aren’t as busy yet, a couple of joggers out on the pavements and early risers who are probably on their way to work.

This is exactly what I needed. The whole Saturday just to myself.

Stopping at a Starbucks, I get an iced chai tea latte. I sip on the beverage, my eyes scouring the city for anything I can use in my project.

When I reach the crossing that leads to the park, I finish the beverage and discard the cup. I wait for the traffic lights to turn red, then walk across, thinking back to when Nikolas practically kidnapped me.

My thoughts start to revolve around Nikolas, and entering the park, I drop my bag in the shade of a tree.

The man confuses me. Sure, he’s intimidating, and I still don’t doubt he fully intends on making my life a living hell.

But…

The attraction bothers me. A lot.

Nikolas is fifteen years older than me. He’s my stepbrother. The head of the mafia.

He’s ruthless and clearly doesn’t care about anything but his orders being obeyed.

Still…

I never thought of myself as a person who’s impressed by good looks, so why does the attraction keep growing when the man has given me every reason to hate him?

Shrugging, I let out a sigh, accepting I’ll never be able to figure him out.

I remove my camera from the bag and fiddle with the settings. Concentrating on a view of the park, I adjust the lens’ focus.

When I begin recording footage for my project, time slips away. I spend hours watching the shadows move across the grass, sailboats leave and come back, and ducks scouring the park for food and bathing in the warm sun.

When the sun starts to set, I record the colors streaking across the sky, and only when it’s dark do I pack up and call it a day.

I’ll do the night shoot during the week or next weekend. I have a ton of footage to keep me busy until then.

Happy with the work I’ve done, I stop at Burger King to grab some food. I order the biggest burger and fries, along with a coke.

After dinner, I plan on soaking in my tub.