His eyes search mine, dark and filled with something I don’t dare name.
“We shouldn’t…” I whisper, my voice shaky, trying so damn hard to stop this from escalating, even though every single damn part of me doesn’t want it to stop.
“Just tonight, Elizabeth,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against mine. “Let’s have tonight. We can deal with the consequences next year.”
His words soften every wall I’ve built.
I nod, unable to say no, unable to resist. “It’s already past midnight… did you miss the countdown?” I whisper, knowing I’m surrendering more than just tonight.
He grins mischievously, taking my hand and leading me away from the crowd to a storage shed. He unlocks it, leading me in, then closes the door behind us, the darkness of the room making it feel even more illicit. “Then I guess we have another year to figure this out, then.” He wraps me in his arms, his forehead resting against mine, and for a moment, everything feels right.
But I know it’s an illusion.
A fragile dream that will shatter with the morning light.
Exhaling, I stare into those eyes I adore so much. “You scare me, Sin,” I admit, my voice trembling. “You make me want things I most definitely shouldn’t want.”
His jaw tightens, and he tilts up my face, his eyes locking onto mine. “You think I don’t feel the same?” he replies honestly, his voice rough with emotion. “You’re in my head, Elizabeth. You’re under my skin. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t get you the fuck out.”
Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them back.
I’m in too deep.
I don’t know how to climb out.
So, for now, for this one moment, I simply don’t.
I let him pull me closer, let his lips claim mine again, let myself believe, just for tonight, that we’re not standing on opposite sides of an impossible war.
That I’m not about to burn him and his entire club to ashes.
But deep down, I know the truth.
Tonight is a stolen moment, and when the sun rises, the lies and secrets will still be there, waiting to tear us apart. For now, though, I cling to him, to the illusion of us, and hope it’s enough to hold back the inevitable.
For just a little longer.
“In that case, Sin, I need you to fuck me. Right here, right now. Because I swear to God if I go another second without you inside me, I’m going to explode.”
A low chuckle rumbles from deep in his chest. “I thought you’d never ask, wildcat.”
He flicks on a bare bulb hanging overhead. The light is harsh, catching on the jagged edges of stacked crates and glinting off something that looks like—gold. My breath catches as his big hands grip my hips and lift me onto the heavy bench, wood creaking under the weight.
My elbow bumps a stack beside me, and I glance down, freezing. Gold nuggets, raw and gleaming, piled like captured sunlight. My mouth goes dry, awe and disbelief tangling with the hot, hard need between my thighs.
“Sin…” I whisper, voice thin. “This is literal gold.” The investigator in me stirs, sharp and relentless, clawing through the haze of lust. “What the hell?” Millie told me about it, but I am absolutely flabbergasted as to whyheis showing it to me.
His expression flickers, mischief behind the mask, before curving into a slow, wicked grin. “Gold’s heavy, wildcat. Better question is… why are you worrying about the weight of it when I’m right here, willing to make your body weightless with pleasure?”
Heat curls low in my belly. Before I can shoot back, his mouth is on mine, urgent and wild, like he can’t stand the distance between us another second. His kiss steals the air from my lungs, burning away the questions on my tongue until there’s nothing left but heat and hunger.
I melt into him, suspicion blurring with desire. His hands slide up my thighs, fingers digging into the soft flesh like he’s staking a claim. My mind fights between the clearly illegal shit I’m sitting on and the way he’s taking control of my body. With one swift movement, he tears my panties away, the sound of fabric ripping making me whimper.
I’m done for.
He reaches for his mask, fingers hooking the edge, but my hand snaps up, grabbing his wrist. “Leave it on,” I rasp, guilt twisting through me like barbed wire.
If I can’t see his whole face, maybe I’m not betraying my brother by fucking the man who might have killed him.
