Unleashing Sin - A. M. Wilson Page 0,19

rests his elbows on his knees. He face plants into his palms. “I know,” he groans. “Believe me, this wasn’t my plan.”

“You all right?” I busy myself with straightening the shelf he ran into while I wait for his answer.

“Yes.”

“Bull,” I fire back.

“Just not sure what we’re doing here. I want to help this girl, but I can’t do it all myself. I work. I have a life. I’d like to remember what it’s like to fuck a woman, which, by the way, I accomplished tonight so I can check that off the list for a few days.” He smirks, but it quickly fades into seriousness. “I know you’ve got a shit load on your plate, but I could use your help with her. We’ve got to find out what she needs, or we’ve got to get her someone who knows what they’re doing. Either way, she needs help, and as much as you want me to, I’m not going to toss her on her ass.”

I know it’s the alcohol talking, but him throwing my words back at me sours my gut. Fuck, I’m an ass. “You’re right. On all accounts. I’ll help out starting now.”

His face contorts in surprise before he masks it. “Thanks.”

“Right, well, I’m still drunk, so I’m going back to fuckin’ bed. Try not to run into any more furniture and scare our houseguest.”

He waves me off, and before I’m even out of the room, he starts snoring.

I make my way back to the room and enter. From the silvery moonlight shining through the window, I realize that I didn’t close the shades in my haste to pass out. The door creaks softly as I close it behind me, and I deposit the gun back onto the dresser with a quiet thud. Then I shuffle to the window.

With my back to the bed, I hear her shifting around, and then her timid voice comes at me. “Don’t.”

“What’s that?” I look over my shoulder and freeze.

The girl’s eyes are wide as they roam over the inked skin of my bare back. In my drunkenness, I stripped down to nothing but my boxer briefs, and in the rush to check on our safety, I didn’t get dressed. The little rabbit looks at my body in intrigue with only a small hint of fear. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel that in my cock.

“The curtains. Can you leave them open? Elias always does.”

That stupid fucking sentence injects a stream of jealousy into my blood. “Sure.”

I drop the two pieces of fabric and turn her way. The way she’s looking at me makes me feel like a model strutting down the runway in his fucking underwear. Which isn’t too far off.

I take in the girl sitting wrapped up in the blankets like a cocoon. She doesn’t seem like she’s about to move, so I guess it’s back to the spare bedroom for me. “You good?”

“I’m better now, thanks. It was Elias, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. He was dr-just being clumsy.” After our confrontation earlier, I try to hide the fact he was drunk. I don’t know why, I just do. Probably because he’s the good guy out of the two of us, and I’d hate for that image to be tainted for her.

“It’s okay. I know he was drunk. I mean, sober people don’t walk into stuff and make that much noise.”

“Right.”

The silence stretches between us, prompting me to walk to the door. I get my hand on the handle when she calls out through the dimly lit room.

“Where’re you going?”

Turning to look at her, I drop my hands to my hips. Her eyes follow the movement. Jesus, she keeps fixating on my body, and I’m going to have to spend some time taking a cold shower before I’m able to fall asleep.

“To bed.”

“Can you stay here?”

I regard her but don’t respond. Is she playing games? Earlier, she accused me of being just like the men who’ve abused her. Now she wants to sleep next to me?

“I won’t touch you or anything. I just don’t want to feel alone, and if Elias is drunk, he probably won’t hear me if I…” Her body slumps. “Forget it.”

My strides eat up the floor in three steps. “Make room, blossom.”

She realizes I’m serious when I plant a knee in the bed and crawl up. She throws the covers back, then scoots over toward the other side of the bed.

I settle a few pillows behind my head and lie on my back. She