Page 76 of Adam
I took a bite from the forbidden fruit, knowing damn well I shouldn’t, knowing what it would do to me, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t stopcravingit.
I got carried away, sure, but how the fuck am I supposed to stand next to her now, pretending I’m not burning alive?
I need more. I need the way she breaks when she’s under my influence, the way she trusts me even when she shouldn’t, the way she looks at me like I’m something better than the thing crawling under my skin.
She’s the kind of temptation that makes you fall with a smile on your face and blood on your hands. The kind of sin that makes paradise look overrated.
Fuck … Damnation has never tasted so fucking divine.
She’s in danger …
Fuck, she’s in danger.
And instead of staying away, here I am, so far gone I can’t stop thinking about how she tastes, how she sounds, how she looks when she falls apart in my hands.
All I can think about is my own fucked-up hunger.
I should be better than this. I should be the one putting her first, stepping the fuck back, doing the right thing even if it rips me apart from the inside out. But I’m not. I’m not a hero. I’m a selfish piece of shit who’d rather sink his teeth into something soft and pure just because of his fucking obsession.
It’s fucked up.I’mfucked up.
She’s walking down the entrance stairs, still in that deep purple silk dress that makes her look like my damnation. I step out of the black Cadillac, button my blazer, go around the car, and open the rear door for her.
The moment her eyes land on me, a faint and awkward smile adorns her face. She runs her fingers through her dark, wavy hair, and my eyes catch on the orchid pin. That cursed little thing … dressing her in innocence like a lie she wears too well.
“Hey.” She smiles softly.
“Get inside,” I grumble, forcing my eyes away.
I have to stay the fuck away from her. I will protect her with everything I’ve got.
Instantly, her expression hardens, but she enters the car anyway. I close the door, take my seat, and start the engine.
“Are you okay?” she asks, her eyes searching mine through the rearview mirror.
“Peachy.” My foot slams the pedal to the floor.
Traffic hasn’t movedin ages, and my sanity isn’t doing much better. I’m fighting the urge to look at her again. Fuck, that perfume … it’s addictive.She’saddictive.
I told Calvano I’d handle it alone.
Well … told isn’t the right word.
I pushed his thoughts in the direction I wanted and let him think the idea crawled out of his own brilliant mind.
A few well-placed pauses, a little concern in the right tone, a reminder about “exposure” and “optics.” Bosses crumble fast when they think they’re protecting their reputation or empire. And he bought it, despite our differences the day before. Why wouldn’t he? I’m very convincing … even without a knife, an axe, or a sniper rifle in my hands.
I don’t want anyone else near me. Near her.
She’smineto watch.Mine to guard.
My responsibility, whether Calvano—or anyone else—understands that or not.
The radio’s full of crap. Same bullshit pop tracks. I’d kill for some metalcore right now. Ice Nine Kills or something loud enough to drown the noise in my head.
My thumbs tap the wheel like I’m behind a drum kit and not stuck in this goddamn car with the one person I should stay away from and can’t stop wanting. Like that’ll distract me from thinking about how she smells, how close she is, how sin tastes when it wears her face.
She huffs in boredom, sinking further into the leather seat.
