Sinful Pleasure (Sinful #1)

CHAPTER 3

C HAPTER 3

ALLYN

When I was little, I couldn’t wait to grow up.

It seemed like such a dream to be old enough to make my own decisions, to chart my own course and to be free—to choose my own path. Now, I’m at that age, the one where I’m supposed to be able to do all of those things.

Except, I can’t.

It hit me this morning just how real it all was. The weight of it.

When I walked out of my house and saw Maddox trailing behind me like some sort of shadow.

If I take one step, he takes two.

He was already waiting by the car when I showed up, looking like he hadn’t slept a wink. Seven in the morning, and there he was, looking fresh and wide-eyed, ready to follow me around like a dog.

We didn’t say a word to each other when I got in. The silence in the car was suffocating, broken only by my directions as I navigated him to the shelter. He didn’t even bother to turn on the music as if the silence itself was a tool he was using to slowly drive me mad.

He was dressed more casually today—black shirt clinging to every curve of his muscled body, his biceps straining against the fabric.

I hated that I noticed that.

Black pants, black shoes and black sunglasses hid his eyes.

It was like he was wearing a uniform that screamed “bodyguard,” which somehow, suited him.

It made me sick how much it suited him.

The black, the darkness—it was like the only color that could capture his whole vibe.

And I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t tear my eyes off of him. There was something about him that made everyone look.

I didn’t know if it was the way he moved or the way he looked at the world with such disinterest, but they couldn’t help themselves.

Tamara and the girls at the shelter were practically drooling over him.

It amazed me how Maddox didn’t even seem to notice the female attention he was getting—or maybe he just didn’t care enough. Not even a single glance in their direction. He stuck to me like a shadow, following me closely, but always leaving just enough space to make me feel his presence without actually being too close.

After we fed all the dogs, fixed the beds where they slept, and let them play in the large outdoor area of the shelter, I found a quiet corner to sit and watch them run around, carefree and happy.

This was my favorite part of the day.

After all the work was done, just watching the dogs enjoy themselves always made me feel at peace. We’ve had a lot of people showing interest in adopting lately, and that’s another reason to smile. It was always the best feeling, knowing that we were making a difference in their lives.

Tamara came up to me and smiled.

“I’ll be right back,” she said before disappearing inside.

She had a meeting with a potential adopter for one of our Golden Retrievers—Brody, a 2-year-old sweetheart of a dog. I sat back and continued watching the dogs play in silence.

Then, his voice broke it in half with his sharp voice.

‘’You really like dogs, huh?”

Maddox was standing next to me now, his presence towering over me like a wall. His hands were shoved into his pockets, and he was looking down at me.

To meet his gaze, I had to tilt my head way back, and even then, I couldn’t see much thanks to those damn sunglasses of his.

“I love them,” I corrected him, irritation lacing my tone.

It felt strange to hear him even try to start a conversation. He didn’t exactly seem like the type to engage.

“I’ve never seen someone with such empathy for animals,” he said, his voice low and serious.

I couldn’t help but laugh at his choice of words.

“It’s not empathy” I replied, narrowing my eyes at him. “Not that I expect you to understand.”

“Why is that?” he asked, his voice casual, but there was a trace of curiosity in his tone.

“Doesn’t seem like something you would understand,” I shrugged. “And knowing who you work for is enough to make a judgment’’

He blinked, his brow furrowing slightly under the dark lenses of his sunglasses.

“Who I work for?”

“Your boss—Angelo King,” I said the name like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

In fact, it was. And it was the reason he was here.

I noticed his jaw tighten, his teeth clenching for a brief moment as if the very mention of Angelo’s name left a bad taste in his mouth. He shook his head, dismissing it.

“I don’t work for Angelo.”

He sounded almost annoyed. Interesting.

He called him by his first name, a tone of familiarity that felt out of place. But I didn’t care enough to ask more.

“Then why the hell are you here, watching over me?” I stood up, meeting him with eyes that dared him to challenge me. His scent hit me then—musky, intoxicating—and it nearly threw me off balance. But I wasn’t about to back down.

Our bodies weren’t touching, but he was close. So close I could see the slight twitch of his jaw.

“Because I was asked to look after you.’’

I smirked, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“I’m sorry to break it to you, sir, but that’s basically what it means to work for him.”

“I work for myself,” he growled, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at me, his jaw still tight.

I took a deliberate step back, putting a bit more distance between us.

I didn’t want to give him too much of my space, but I also didn’t want him to think I was intimidated. The anger rolling off him was palpable, but it only fueled my resolve.

“Whatever you say,” I muttered, turning my back to him. I needed to get away, even if just for a moment.

The last thing I wanted was to stay near him, not when I felt so exposed by his presence, yet irritated by it all at once.

I walked toward the dogs, just to avoid him, to put some physical space between us.

But, of course, he didn’t stay back for long.

I felt him before I heard him—the oppressive weight of his presence closing in behind me. His body was so close that my back brushed against his hard chest, his warmth seeping through the thin fabric of my shirt. My stomach flipped, and my breath hitched, coming in quick, shallow bursts.

He was right there. Hovering. His hot breath spilled across my skin, sending a shiver through me. I didn’t dare move. It was like my body froze, unwilling to acknowledge what was happening.

“Watch your fucking mouth, Miss Delgado,” his voice sliced through the air like a razor, low and deadly. “It’ll get you in a lot of trouble one day.”

I felt my pulse quicken, but somehow, I found the strength to step away from him slowly. I let out a breath, shaky, my heart racing as I tried to think straight again.

We stood there, the silence between us thick and heavy, both of us unwilling to break the stare we had locked into.

“Allyn, we need you inside.”

Tamara’s voice sliced through the air like a welcome relief, and I almost sighed in gratitude.

I needed to get away from him now.

“Okay,” I said, adjusting my shirt, though I wasn’t sure why I did.

It wasn’t like it needed fixing. I was just trying to do something with my hands, anything, to avoid the weight of his gaze.

The way he was looking at me like he was devouring me with those black eyes, made my skin crawl and burn at the same time.

I took a step forward, eager to put distance between us.

But of course, Maddox followed, his footsteps too close, too fast, and I stopped dead in my tracks, turning to face him again.

“Wait here,” I ordered, my voice steadier than I felt.

His eyes narrowed, confused, flicking between me and Tamara, like he was trying to decipher what the hell was going on.

“I promise, she’ll be safe,” Tamara added, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She pulled me by the arm, trying to move me away from him. “It’s just two minutes.”

Maddox’s gaze shifted back to Tamara, and his voice was devoid of humor when he repeated, “Just two minutes.”

It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a warning.

I shot him a look before we left him outside with the dogs as Tamara practically dragged me away. Her smile stretched wide across her face, as if she knew something I didn’t.

“You’ve got a lot of tea to spill, girl,” she grinned, her eyes glinting with curiosity. “Why all of a sudden is a ten out of ten hottie following you everywhere you go?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but the words got stuck in my throat. What could I say to her that wouldn’t sound completely insane?

That my father arranged my marriage to a man in the mafia? That this ‘hottie’ is sent by my husband-to-be as a way to control every aspect of my life? That my family practically sold me like a piece of property?

I shook my head.

“Long story,” I muttered instead.

******

By the time we got back to my house, it was shortly past eight in the evening.

My body ached with exhaustion, and all I wanted was to take a long, hot shower and crawl into bed.

Today had been busy.

Five of the shelter’s dogs had found new homes.

That should’ve made me feel good, but instead, I felt the weight of everything else pressing down on me.

The house was dark and quiet, too quiet.

Most of the staff had finished their work for the day, leaving only Clarissa, who is staying permanently with us. She greeted us with a warm smile as she finished up her dinner, her easy-going nature always a small comfort.

“Hey, Clarissa,” I said, looking around. “Where is my mother?”

“Your mother said she’ll be back late,” she replied, glancing between me and Maddox with a curious look. “Do you want me to make you something to eat?”

I smiled faintly, shaking my head. “No, thank you. Go ahead and take some rest.”

She hesitated, glancing at Maddox once more.

“But your mother said—”

I cut her off. “It’s fine, Clarissa. Really.’’

Her eyes lingered on us for a moment longer before she nodded, picking up her plate.

She worked for my family since I was a kid. Now in her 40s, she rarely had a day off, and even though she had no family of her own to care for, that didn’t mean she didn’t deserve a break.

I could see the quiet relief on her face as she gave a small, grateful smile before she left.

It was just me and Maddox now.

“So…” I spun on my shoes to face him, trying to fill the silence. “Are you hungry? Want me to make something to eat?”

“You can cook?” He raised an eyebrow.

Maddox leaned on the counter, his muscles flexing against the tight shirt he was wearing. The veins in his forearms were like lines of ink, a testament to how much power was wrapped up in his body.

I hated to admit it, but despite how much he pissed me off, there was something about him—something twisted and unnerving—that drew me in.

His presence was magnetic, almost like a riddle I couldn’t help but try to solve, even though I knew it would drive me insane eventually.

I cleared my throat, forcing my eyes away from him.

“I never said that,” I muttered, opening the fridge and pretending to focus on the contents. “But I can still try.’’

I pulled out some ingredients, figuring I could at least attempt to make something edible.

I wasn’t sure what bothered me more—the fact that he was here, in my house, or the fact that no matter how much I tried to ignore it, his presence seemed to consume the space around me.

“I’ll pass,” he replied, his voice calm, giving me that same cool look.

I shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

He was making it hard to get along with him like it was some kind of challenge for him to be impossible to talk to.

I pulled out all the ingredients I needed to make myself an avocado chicken toast, trying not to let his presence throw me off.

I expected him to leave, or at least give me some space, but to my surprise, he took a seat at one of the chairs, placing his massive hands on top of the counter as if he had all the time in the world.

“You don’t have to watch over me now, you know?” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “I’m safe inside my house.”

But of course, he said nothing.

He only stared, his silence a constant presence that seemed to make the space between us even heavier. I could feel his gaze even when my back was turned.

When I finished making my toast, I took a seat opposite him, hoping to break the silence.

“Well, why don’t you tell me something more about yourself, since you’re going to follow me around all the time?”

He made a face at the sight of me slicing my toast in half, clearly unimpressed, before responding in his low, gravelly voice. “I’m not following you around. I’m protecting you.”

I rolled my eyes, unable to stop the frustration bubbling up inside me. But then something caught my attention.

His tattoos.

I wasn’t really a fan of tattoos. I never got why people were so into them, especially when it came to guys.

But there was something about the way his ink seemed to belong to him, how it didn’t look forced or out of place—like an extension of who he was. The intricate designs that wrapped around his forearms were like stories etched into his skin, and I hated that I was noticing it so much.

How did he pull them off so effortlessly?

I looked up, shooting him a quick glance.

“I don’t need protection.”

“You’ll need it if you’re going to be Angelo’s wife.”

His words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.

“The world is not fucking rainbows and unicorns, if that’s what you think, Miss Delgado.”

“My name is Allyn.” I cut him off, the irritation creeping into my voice. His eyes flickered to my face, but he didn’t acknowledge the correction. Instead, he raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

“Why? Is Angelo doing something that I need to be protected from?”

I could practically see the answer in his eyes, but he wasn’t going to admit it. Not directly.

He pointed to my untouched toast as if he was losing his patience with the conversation.

“Eat your food’

’His words were meant to shut me down, but instead, they just spurred me on.

“So that means yes,” I said with a smile, my words dripping with sarcasm.

For a second, his face flinched—barely, but enough to show me that I had hit a nerve. Good. It was about time he reacted to something I said.

“You’re so fucking annoying.”

“Thank you,” I smiled wider.

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

“I take it as one.”

I could see the flicker of anger in his eyes.

His gaze locked onto mine again, unblinking, and even though we were across the table from each other, it felt like his presence was swallowing me whole.

He was studying me, every inch of my face, like he was trying to read me in ways I didn’t want him to.

His eyes were dark, and cruel, like a storm brewing just beneath the surface. It made my blood freeze in my veins, and for a brief moment, my heart skipped a beat.

But I didn’t look away. He leaned forward, his biceps flexing under the pressure of the movement, and I couldn’t stop myself from noticing the way his muscles shifted beneath his shirt.

“I’ll give you a piece of advice if you want to survive in this world, Miss Delgado.” His voice was rough, a dangerous whisper that seemed to slide down my spine. “Don’t ask dumb questions. Your chance of staying alive is better like that.”

I couldn’t help the shiver that ran down my spine, though I tried to mask it with a calm expression.

“Noted.” I said, my voice cool despite the warning in his words.

And just like that, he left the kitchen, leaving me with nothing but my tangled thoughts.

My appetite was long gone, swallowed up by the weight of his words. The realization gnawed at my insides, but it wasn’t just the threat that lingered. It was the understanding that my entire existence now was at the mercy of people I could barely tolerate.

People who held the strings of my life and didn’t hesitate to pull when it suited them.

And Maddox — He was just another string in that web, an enforcer of the life I didn’t choose.

I wanted to scream. To punch the walls. To run. The walls of this house felt like a cage, a gilded one, but a cage nonetheless. But where could I go? There was no place for me to hide, no corner of this world that was mine.

And that was the hardest truth to swallow.