Scandalous (Sinners of Saint Book 3)

THE GENTLE, RHYTHMIC sound of Preston’s breathing kept me company as I lay wrapped around him in the soft cocoon of his sheets and quilt, watching the snow fall outside.

It was the perfect end to a not-so-perfect night, but as Preston snuggled against my chest, I knew I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

I was in love—deeply, unequivocally in love with Preston Abernathy.

When in the world had that happened? It was only weeks ago that I’d thought he was going to end up my son-in-law. To think about that now was just unfathomable, how this beautiful man was hiding such an important side of himself. It was heartbreaking, and something we needed to discuss further if we were going to have a chance at anything more.

I kissed the soft strands of his hair and gently extricated myself from his arms, not wanting to wake him. It wasn’t that I couldn’t sleep, more like I didn’t trust myself to.

Was it possible to feel both restless and peaceful at the same time? I wasn’t sure. But the idea that I might wake up and find out this was all a dream, or that I was in the midst of some midlife crisis and that Preston, the sweet, gorgeous man in my arms, wasn’t really mine, had sleep eluding me.

I shifted off the mattress, scooped up my dress pants, and pulled them on. Maybe a drink would help with the insomnia—it certainly couldn’t hurt, and I knew Preston would have some kind of liquor in this place.

With a final glance at the bed, I headed out into the living area of the condo and was grateful for the city lights illuminating the space. The last thing I needed was to alert anyone of my presence by switching on a lamp, so I was thankful for the cover of darkness as I crept into the kitchen.

God, I was sneaking around a college kid’s apartment.

Granted, it was a multimillion-dollar apartment, and not some dorm room back at Astor. But still, I was sneaking around, and that was another thing Preston and I were going to talk about. If this weekend had told me anything, it was that I hated not being able to tell people whom I was dating. I was an adult, for fuck’s sake, and so was Preston. We needed to be able to live like it.

That was easier said than done, though. There were a lot of hurdles we had to get over before we could walk publicly into a room holding hands. But if this was what he wanted, if I was what he wanted, then I’d be right there with him, every step of the way.

No matter how messy it got.

I pulled open the freezer, betting on vodka for the win, and what do you know, there were two icy bottles of Beluga Gold inside. I grabbed a glass and poured a generous amount, and just as I was about to take a sip, I heard the door to the condo open and close.

My hand froze halfway to my mouth as I looked around for somewhere to hide, but I was screwed. To get back to Preston’s room I had to walk by the front door, which meant whoever had just entered would be going to the opposite room, which was right past the kitchen.

I knew Preston and his friends roomed with one another here at the Towers, and I was sure him and Serena had mentioned whom he lived with at some point. But I’d be damned if I could think of who it was right then.

Then Travis McKinney sauntered around the corner, and Serena’s colorful play-by-plays of his playboy lifestyle came tumbling to the forefront of my mind.

God help me.

Travis was halfway through shrugging out of his jacket when he caught sight of me in the corner of his eye. He stopped mid-shrug, whipping his head in my direction, and his jaw hit the floor.

“Mr. Carrington.”

I might’ve laughed at the formal greeting had I not been standing in his kitchen half-naked. But as his made-up eyes traveled down to my bare chest and the open button of my pants, he seemed to recover from the shock and smiled.

“Mister Carrington,” he drawled as he tossed his jacket across the couch and made his way to the kitchen counter. “It’s so nice to see you again… All of you.”

Of all of Preston’s friends, of course it had to be the oversexed, horny one that he lived with. But I’d dealt with my fair share of oversexed men in the past. Travis didn’t intimidate me in the slightest.

“Evening, Travis.” I took a sip of my drink and eyed the clock on the wall. “Three a.m.—you’re getting home late.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy.” Travis leaned against the counter and licked his lips. “Want to spank me?”

I narrowed my eyes and chuckled. “How long have you been waiting to say that?”

“Since the moment I caught you and Preston sucking face at the charity event.”

Huh. It seemed Preston had some explaining to do. Apparently his friends knew a lot more than I was aware of. First Daire and now Travis. How long had they all been in the loop?

“So?” Travis arched a wicked brow. “Do you want to?”

“Thanks for the offer, but”—I picked up the bottle of Beluga Gold and went to step around him—“I prefer good boys.”

Travis acted liked I’d plunged a dagger in his chest as he spun around to watch me walk past him. “You’re killin’ me here, Zaddy Archer.”

Zaddy Archer? What the hell did that mean? I had no clue, but I wasn’t about to ask.

“Come on,” Travis said. “I’m sure if you ask Preston, he’d be more than happy to let me join.”

“I’m sure I won’t be asking Preston. Good night, Travis,” I said, laughing all the way down the hall. I had to give the guy points for trying.

“Your loss, Daddy Filth.”

When I stepped back inside Preston’s room and shut the door, I found him awake and on his side with the sheet down around his hips and his head propped in his hand.

His sleepy eyes roamed over me, and my cock had a very instant and real reaction.

“Please tell me you didn’t just run into Travis looking like that.”

“Okay, I didn’t just run into Travis looking like this.”

Preston’s lips twitched. “Are you lying to me?”

“No.” I pushed off the door and walked over to the bed. “I wasn’t holding this bottle of vodka when I ran into him.”

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” Preston flopped to his back. “Travis is⁠—”

“Not my type.” I put the bottle and glass down on the bedside table and reached for my zipper. Preston turned his head on the pillow and bit down into his lip.

“No?”

“Nope.” I hooked my thumbs into the edge of the material and shoved it free of my hips, and as my pants fell to the floor, Preston eyed my erection.

“Then what is your type?”

I put a knee on the mattress and moved onto the bed, reaching out to finger the sheets by his waist. A second later, I whipped them off his body out of my way, so I could get a full look at what was mine.

“My type?” I said. Preston’s pretty cock hardened under my attentive gaze. “A gorgeous, preppy good boy who makes my heart pound as hard as my dick.”

Preston dragged his teeth across his lower lip as I shifted over the top of him. “Wanna know my type?”

I chuckled and placed a hand on either side of his head, as I lowered myself between his thighs. “I don’t know, do I?”

He nodded, winding his legs over the back of mine. “He’s smart, handsome, and has these sexy creases by his eyes because of how much he smiles. He’s the type of man I know will give me those same marks of happiness in, like”— the teasing flirt winked at me and grinned—“ten years?”

I snorted. “That’s supposed to make me feel good about myself?”

“That I plan to be with you in ten years? Damn right.” Preston craned up to take my lips in a hard, fast kiss. I swept my tongue around the sweet interior of his mouth, eliciting a low moan, and he arched off the bed and rubbed that tight, lithe body against mine. I rolled to the side and pulled him on top of me.

Preston followed, like we’d be doing this for years, and when he put his hands to my chest and sat up on my lap, I could hardly believe that he was mine.

“Damn, you’re something to look at.”

He ran his hands up my chest, twirling his fingers through the short hair there. “Look as long as you like. I’m yours.”

My stomach fluttered at his words. I wanted them to be true. But I wasn’t some young, naïve kid. I knew emotions could get out of hand fast in the heat of the moment, and I needed to know that Preston understood what he was saying. That he understood what I wanted from him.

I smoothed my palms up his thighs, massaging the strong muscle as I locked eyes with him. “You know what that means to me, right? I don’t want to hide anymore, Preston. This weekend was⁠—”

“Horrible.” He blinked at me and nodded. “I know. For so long I’ve gone along with my parents’ ridiculous plan. I’ve followed the path they set out for me and not bothered to ever stray too far off it. I never had a reason to—until you.”

My heart broke for the sadness in his voice. I understood how hard it must’ve been to keep this part of himself a secret for so long. But knowing he was finally ready to set himself free, that he was willing to give himself—and us—a chance to really explore what we’d found with each other, made me happy.

“Watching you with someone else tonight…” He winced. “It was… I hated it. I never thought I was the jealous type, but all I wanted to do was stand on one of those fancy-ass tables and tell everyone that you were mine.” He gave a self-deprecating smile. “Pretty immature, huh?”

“Uh, no. That’s pretty hot, actually. I probably would’ve hauled you out of the ballroom over my shoulder.”

Preston’s mouth fell open. “Really? I mean, we could always role-play it later today. The tables are still there.”

I was almost tempted to take him up on the offer, but unfortunately I’d been the one to arrange the cleanup crew, and I knew they were coming early this morning.

“Preston, what we’re talking about here? Us, going public? That’s not going to be easy.”

“I know, and my parents are probably going to⁠—”

“Hunt me down with a shotgun?”

“I was going to say threaten or blackmail you, but you’re right, a shotgun is probably more likely.”

“I’m just saying that this is probably going to get messy. Are you ready for that?”

He lowered himself over me and brushed his lips across mine.

“I always knew I’d have to tell them one day, and as long as you’re with me⁠—”

“I will be.”

“Then I’m ready. I want this. I want you.”

I smoothed a hand up his spine and gripped his neck, bringing him to me. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Preston kissed me with fervor, his hands fisting in my hair to hold me in place as he dove in and ravaged every corner of my mouth. It was a kiss full of want. A kiss full of need. It was a kiss full of love and acceptance and the courage to chase after both, and I felt it all the way to my very soul.

I stroked the smooth skin of his back, and Preston’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Do you think they’ll ask if you’re pregnant?”

His comment was so out of left field, so utterly ridiculous, that I couldn’t help but laugh as I pinched one of his ass cheeks.

“Pregnant? Are you done, smart-ass?”

“What? My dad has babies on the brain. That’ll be the easiest question to answer, so I figured we’d get a jump on it.”

“Oh, kind of like telling your friends that we’re together?”

Preston’s eyes widened.

“Don’t even try. Daire and Travis already confirmed tonight that you have loose lips.”

“No…” He shook his head and went to sit up, but I wrapped my arms around him, keeping him close. “That’s not what happened.”

“Uh huh, and what did happen?”

“Well…”

“Yes?”

“It’s your fault.”

I cocked my head on the pillow. “My fault?”

“Yeah. If you hadn’t left a huge purple bruise on my neck, none of them would’ve known about us.”

I opened my mouth to refute that, but had nothing.

“I mean, that and the fact that they caught me in a lie about hanging out with Serena when I’d been with you, and it was really all just a complete accident that they worked it out.”

I narrowed my eyes on Preston’s guilt-ridden face. “So, it wasn’t my fault.”

He scrunched his nose up and rocked his erection against mine. “It was kind of your fault.”

“Are you using your body against me right now?”

“Depends. Is it working?”

“Maybe.” I leaned in until our lips were touching and whispered, “But how about you use me a little more just to be sure?”