Sinful Pleasure (Sinful #1)

CHAPTER 31

C HAPTER 31

ALLYN

I had no idea where we were heading— nor what to expect from this new destination. But when the house finally came into view, hidden deep within the forest, I wasn’t the least bit surprised.

The Kings never strayed from their style—this place was a perfect reflection of their obsession with control. A sleek, modern black-grey house, designed down to the last detail, its massive floor-to-ceiling windows making the cold stone feel even colder.

The inside was just as sterile as the outside.

Impressive, yes, but so lifeless.

There was something suffocating about all the black and grey.

“You’re just moving me from one prison to another, aren’t you?” I tossed my bag on the couch, glancing at Maddox. “When are Lydia and Angelo getting here?”

“They’ll be here soon.” Maddox checked his watch, then slouched back into one of the chairs around the counter. “Do you want me to show you to your room?”

I poured myself some water, deliberately avoiding his gaze, but it was impossible to ignore the weight of his eyes practically burning through me.

“No, I’ll wait for Angelo to show me. Thanks.”

He chuckled low behind me. “Sure, princess.”

The mockery in his tone didn’t escape me.

I spun around to face him. “Something funny?”

He shook his head, leaning his forearms on the counter, his gaze sharpening.

“Nah. Just curious.” I didn’t miss the icy undertone in his words as he added, “I thought you didn’t want to marry him.”

I raised an eyebrow, my voice cutting through the stillness.

“Since when is that any of your business?”

He blinked a few times, the silence that followed thickening the air between us, heavy with unspoken things.

“I guess it’s not,” he spat, a cruel smile tugging at his lips. I could see the words on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back.

Fine. I would speak first.

“This is my life, Maddox.”

I leaned forward, ignoring how my tank top clung to me, but Maddox didn’t miss the way my body shifted.

His eyes dropped for a brief second, lingering, before flicking back up to mine.

“As you said, I’m going to be part of your family, and Angelo will be my husband.”

He nodded slowly, his voice oozing with mock amusement.

“Ah, I see. Planning to fuck him as well?”

I had to bite my lip to keep from screaming the loudest “go to hell” in his arrogant face.

“It’s none of your business.”

The moment the words left my mouth, the satisfaction vanished as Maddox shot out of his chair.

He crossed the room in a rush, his massive frame towering over me. In seconds, he caged me in, pressing me against the counter, his fingers gripping my chin to force me to meet his dark, unyielding stare. It felt like staring into the abyss.

“You’re getting brave, aren’t you, princess?” His voice was low and dangerous, and his eyes dipped to my lips. ‘‘You seem to have forgotten who you begged to fuck you. Not Angelo. Me!’’

I smiled, my lips curling, just to see how much I could rile him up.

“And?” I spat directly at his lips. “It happened because I wanted to. Don’t raise your fucking stock, Maddox.”

“Fucking little brat.” He growled, and my smile grew wider, knowing I’d struck a nerve.

“Careful with your words,” I warned, my voice a low purr. “Don’t make me show you how good of a little brat I can be if I want to.”

I leaned in, my lips brushing his, watching his eyes for any sign he might pull away. He didn’t.

“I know how to make a man crawl between my legs,” I whispered, my breath hot against his skin. “Don’t challenge me. Because I will do it— and make you watch.”

Before Maddox could respond the front door slammed open, and he pulled away from me instantly, putting distance between us. He ran a hand through his already tousled hair, looking less rattled than I felt.

Seconds later, Angelo and Lydia stepped into the room, flanked by their guards. Angelo nodded at them, and they silently retreated to their posts, leaving just the four of us.

Angelo was the first to speak, throwing his coat over the couch next to my things.

“Apologies for the delay,” he said, his gaze lingering on me just a little too long. His brows furrowed in confusion. “Allyn, what happened? Why are you flushed?”

Panic shot through me, but I kept my composure.

Unlike me, Maddox remained completely relaxed, leaning against the counter with his hands casually in his pockets, waiting for me to explain.

“Nothing,” I said, forcing a laugh. “It’s just hot in here.”

Thankfully, Angelo seemed to buy it, nodding thoughtfully.

“Well, can someone tell me what we’re doing here?” I ask. Lydia perked up with a smile, jumping into the conversation.

“A little escape from the city,” she said brightly. Angelo nodded. “I promise you’ll love it here.”

Angelo turned to Maddox then, his voice dropping into a more private conversation that I couldn’t quite make out. Lydia started chatting with me, but my attention was stolen. More specifically, my eyes were drawn to the gun hanging from Angelo’s belt.

My heart skipped a beat. Why is Angelo carrying a gun here?

“Who wants a drink?” she asked with a grin. “It’s been a long day, and I could definitely use one.”

*****

A few hours later, we were gathered in the living room.

Music blasting from the speakers, setting the vibe for the night. Angelo and Lydia were in the middle of a lively conversation, laughing easily, while Maddox sat off to the side, lost in his phone. I was sitting next to Angelo.

“It’s so boring here,” Lydia sighed, raising another glass of vodka to her lips. “I’m thinking about calling some company to spice things up.”

She laughed, sprawling out on the couch. Lydia had barely finished her second drink, but you could tell she wasn’t even close to being drunk. It took a lot for her to reach that point.

It didn’t take much for me to realize that when Lydia talked about calling “company,” she probably meant a hooker. The only question was whether it would be a man or a woman—with Lydia, you never know.

I hadn’t noticed when Angelo and Maddox slipped away.

“I already told our men to handle it for me,” Lydia said, tossing her phone onto the couch beside us with a mischievous grin.

“You really just told your men to call a hooker for you?” I burst out laughing. She shot me a smug look.

“Duh?” she replied, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “A woman’s got needs, babe.”

I bit my lip and glanced down at my lap, heat creep into my cheeks. Lydia took a long drag of her cigarette, exhaling the smoke before leaning in a little closer.

“Have you slept with my brother yet?”

My whole body froze.

She asked it so casually— like it was just another question about the weather. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

“Relax,” she continued, waving a hand. “You don’t have to feel weird about it.” She laughed, taking another sip of her whiskey. ’’It’s just Angelo.’’

Oh, Angelo. Right.

“No, we’re not,” I quickly replied. “Not yet.”

‘‘Without sex for so long?’’ she blinked at me, her eyes wide. ‘‘I feel sorry for you, babe.”

She knocked back another sip of her drink, and I downed my entire glass of vodka in one go, letting the burn blur my thoughts.

If she only knew how many times I let her brother fuck me, every second of it seared into my memory.

But not the brother she meant.

The wrong one. The scarred, wicked brother.

Lydia sighed deeply.

‘’I feel like a bad friend, because it’s fucked up that this whole marriage was arranged without your consent, but at the same time, I’m glad you’ll be part of our family.” She smiled at me, sincere and soft. “I like you, Allyn. You’ll be good for my brother.”

Her words caught in my throat. I struggled to smile back weakly.

“Cheers to that.”

We both drank again. I’d rather drown in alcohol than lie about how happy I was to be joining this family.

I liked Lydia—I really did.

She seemed to be the only rational person among all of them. But even that wouldn’t be enough to make me feel truly welcome.

“Lydia.”

Maddox’s voice cut through the air, sharp and furious.

We both turned to look at him as he stood in the doorway, his arms crossed. I hated how my eyes slid to him instinctively, drawn to his brutal beauty. I almost didn’t notice Angelo standing beside him. He looked so small next to Maddox.

“Did you seriously call fucking hookers?”

“Yes,” Lydia responded casually, stretching out on the couch like she had all the time in the world. “Are they here?”

She smiled widely, and I almost laughed at the combination of shock and disgust written across Maddox and Angelo’s faces.

“That wasn’t the purpose of this trip, Lydia,” Angelo said, his tone scolding. Lydia blew a puff of air, clearly unbothered.

‘‘You always get your fun, Angelo. Let me have mine, thank you very much.’’

At that moment, the door swung open, and two figures stepped inside. A man and a woman. Both striking in their own right.

The man had deep chocolate skin, dark eyes, and wore black pants paired with an unbuttoned shirt that revealed his chest. The woman shared his rich skin tone, with dark hair and wide, doll-like eyes. Her white dress was short, and her high boots added to the seductive air.

Lydia’s face lit up with interest. She grinned, her voice dropping lower.

“I can work with that,” she murmured before turning to Maddox.

“What about you, brother? You sure I can’t tempt you?’’ She smirked. ‘’I don’t mind sharing this beauty here.”

Her hand gently caressed the blonde girl’s cheek, and the woman smiled back at her. My body went rigid as Maddox’s eyes lingered on her for a fraction of a second, before flicking to mine.

At that moment, something flashed in his expression—something unreadable. He quickly shifted his gaze back to Lydia, his jaw tightening as he turned away and stormed out of the room without a word.

Lydia’s grin only grew wider.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She clapped her hands together, giddy. “Have fun, lovebirds.”

She waved at us before exiting with the man, the guards following closely behind. It felt like someone had just punched me in the gut or poured poison into my veins. That sick, dizzying feeling…

Is he really going to sleep with her?

Of course, he is. He doesn’t owe me anything.

But why does it feel like someone’s tearing me a part, just imagining him with her?

He doesn’t care about you, Allyn. It was just sex. He told you himself.

Angelo sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair, the exhaustion clear on his face.

“I’m sorry you had to witness all this shit,” he muttered, frustration in his voice. “They’re fucking idiots.”

“It’s fine, I’m not judging,” I said quickly, but my voice wavered, betraying me.

I knew I was lying. It wasn’t fine at all.

“I’m sure if I wasn’t here, you’d have joined them too.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard. “Why would you think that you being here is what’s stopping me?”

“Fair enough,” I choked out, my throat tight.

He laughed softly, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“But I don’t want to,” he said again, his tone softer now, more serious. “Just so you know.”

“Okay,” I nodded slowly.

“You’re drunk,” he said, stating the obvious.

“Yes, I know.”

“I think you’ve had enough,” he murmured, moving closer to me. His proximity made my heart race. I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he sank down beside me on the couch.

“I’m sorry you’re locked up all the time. But it’s got to be like this for a while.”

“Why?”

He inhaled deeply, like he was gathering the strength to speak.

“We’re not good people, Allyn. I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now,” he muttered softly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

His touch was surprisingly gentle, his eyes softening as they stayed fixed on my face.

“There are plenty of people who would love to see us fall.”

I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat.

“Soon, I’ll tell you everything,” he promised, his voice lowering.

His eyes locked onto mine, hard and searching, as if he were trying to decide something.

Then, his gaze dropped to my lips, and he ran his tongue slowly over his own, a subtle but potent move. I froze, holding my breath, waiting.

“Can I kiss you, Allyn?”

His voice was barely above a whisper, so low that it barely reached my ears, but it was enough to freeze me in place.

His hand cupped my cheek, his thumb grazing across my skin with an unexpected gentleness. I could feel the heat of his touch. I wasn’t sure how drunk I actually was, but the world around me seemed to blur.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” he confessed, the words tumbling out in a desperate rush, as if he was starved for this moment.

My mind went blank my body reacting before I could make sense of it. The alcohol coursing through my veins made everything feel distant— like I was floating just above myself.

This isn’t right. I can’t kiss him—after everything I’ve done behind his back.

But then, the thought of Maddox upstairs with that girl flooded my mind. I imagined him up there, thrusting into her as she moaned for him, just as I had. The anger was a raw fire, burning through my chest, and suddenly, I didn’t care about right or wrong.

I nodded, and that was all it took.

Angelo’s lips crashed into mine with a force I wasn’t prepared for—desperate, hungry. A soft moan escaped him as he pressed harder against me, his mouth claiming mine like he’d been waiting for this moment far too long.

I let him. I let him kiss me, let him pull away the pain that had been simmering inside me. His lips, his tongue—they took the rage, the bitterness, and for a brief moment, I was lost in it.

My arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. The warmth of his body, the softness of his lips—it felt right, in a way. It felt like everything a kiss should be.

He slid his hands around my waist, pulling me flush against him, his tongue slipping into my mouth.

The taste of him was familiar— yet somehow foreign.

And yet, the entire time, the memory of Maddox haunted me.

His anger, his desperation—it had always been there, burning in his kisses.

I missed it. I missed the violence in his touch, the urgency.

It was ridiculous. Absolutely insane. To be kissing Angelo while thinking about Maddox. But I couldn’t stop myself.

In one fluid motion, Angelo was on top of me, settling between my legs. His lips found the sensitive spot on my neck, sucking deeply. A soft gasp escaped me, and I dropped my head back, allowing myself to feel the heat of pleasure course through my body. He sucked, bit, and left wet trails on my skin, his hands trailing up my thighs.

His fingers tightened around my legs, pulling me closer as he panted against my lips with each kiss, his body pressing into mine.

I was drunk, vulnerable, and angry enough that I was letting myself fall into his touch, even though I knew it wasn’t right.

But then his hand moved higher and higher and higher…

Panic shot through me like ice water.

It was as if the alcohol suddenly wore off, leaving nothing but sharp clarity in its wake. I pulled away from the kiss, breathless. His eyes searched mine, confusion flickering across his face.

“We have to stop,” I said, my voice unsteady.

He didn’t fight me this time. His eyes softened as he nodded, placing one final, lingering kiss on my lips before pulling away.

“Okay”

There was something different about Angelo now. Since that kiss in Italy, he wasn’t the same.

He watched me now, his gaze lingering, almost as if he cared. It unsettled me more than it should.

I kissed him on the cheek, offering a weak smile.

“Good night.”

His lips curved upward in that small, knowing smile.

“Good night, Allyn.”

But as I lay there, the night seemed endless, a fog of confusion and regret sweeping over me.

I knew this wasn’t over.

It was just beginning.