King of Sloth (Kings of Sin, #4)

by Ana Huang

“We’re not in middle school. He doesn’t have a ‘thing’ for me, and he stares at me because…well, who knows why he does the things he does?” The twinkle grew brighter. “If you say so.”

There was a reason it was one of my favorite quotes. “Anyway, on to cheerier topics,” I said. “How’s Josephine?” Josephine, or Josie, was Vivian and Dante’s daughter. She was less than two months old, and she already had her parents wrapped around her tiny finger.

“And Dante?” Isabella’s eyes sparkled. “How’s he doing?” “He thinks Josie or I will break if he looks away for more than five minutes.”

My phone pinged with a new text while my friends teased her about Dante’s legendary overprotectiveness. He terrified pretty much everyone around him, but when it came to his wife and daughter, he was a teddy bear.

“You know how to keep a guy waiting,” Xavier drawled as I approached.

He leaned against a marble column, the picture of casual devastation in a white cashmere sweater and jeans.

“True, but then I wouldn’t get to see you.” Xavier’s dimples made a dazzling appearance.

Xavier turned the knobs, the lean muscles of his arms flexing at the movement. Stop noticing his arms.

“Whatever your greatest desire, you have a chance to realize it. All you have to do is let go.” All you have to do is let go. Call me delusional, but I could’ve sworn he wasn’t talking about the club anymore.

There were only eight names, but they were the only eight that mattered for his purposes.

The first and arguably most intimidating one. God. Every entrepreneur in the country would kill for a team like this. I knew Kai would pull through.

“Also, thank you for talking to Kai for me.” Xavier’s face softened. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“If it weren’t for you…” His face softened further. “I don’t know where I’d be.”

Of how his body heat sank into my skin, urging me to step closer, just a little bit, so my chest pressed against his and I could discover for myself whether his hair felt as soft as it looked between my fingers.

“Sloane.” His quiet voice made my name sound like a caress. “Yes?”

the type who would succumb to dimples and broad shoulders and eyes the color of rich melting chocolate. “You should leave.” A rough edge turned his words into a warning.

“Why?” Another shiver ran down my neck when the distance between us shortened by another inch. “Because it’s late,” Xavier said softly. “And because…” He trailed off when I licked my lips in a brief, involuntary movement.

The world narrowed to this very moment, beneath the dim lights of the library, listening to our escalating breaths sync with each other. And when he let out a tortured “fuck” and dipped his head, molding his mouth to mine, it didn’t even occur to me to pull away. This was the world, and I never wanted to leave.

I didn’t know how long we stayed there, but it was enough for me to slide my fingers through his hair and confirm that yes, it really was that soft, and yes, he really did taste that good, and no, I’d never, ever come this close to unraveling. I would’ve happily drowned in the embrace,

A hint of red glazed Xavier’s cheekbones. I noticed with some embarrassment that his lips were swollen, and… Fuck. I did that. We did that. I…We’d…I’d let him…

I, Sloane Kensington, was attracted to Xavier Castillo. No, not just attracted to, but liked. Enough to forget my strict rules about not getting involved with clients. Enough to let him kiss me and to kiss him back.

Kissing Sloane had been a mistake. Not because I regretted doing it, but because once I did it, I couldn’t imagine not doing it again.

And I no longer suspected but knew, especially after that kiss, that Sloane Kensington was it. Just like that.

“Come to brunch with me, and I’m all yours afterward. I’ll even go through that list of invitees one by one.”

“Trying to bury your feelings with more words, Luna?” “I promise, there are better places to live than in delusion.” “Better? Maybe. More fun? I doubt it.”

“I’m sorry if I crossed the line the other night. If I truly made you uncomfortable, I’ll back off, but tell me the truth. Did you enjoy the kiss?” Sloane’s color heightened. “That’s irrelevant.”

“I beg to differ. When it comes to kissing, enjoyment is v...

“Every love starts with a kiss.” I was pushing her close to the limit,

Screw it. If I was going to do this, I might as well go all in. “Go on a date with me,” I said.

I wanted her too much, and I wanted this, whatever this was, to work. Even if it didn’t, I had to at least try.

stared at Sloane in a way that made me want to punch him in his generically handsome face.

“If you⁠—” “She said leave.” Xavier cut him off, his voice lethally soft. He hadn’t moved since Mark called himself my boyfriend, but his eyes smoldered with deadly warning.

“This doesn’t involve you,”

“I still don’t know who the fuck you are.” “You don’t need to know who I am.” Xavier’s affable smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You do,

however, need to take a hint. Sloane broke up with you, and you didn’t listen. She told you to leave, and you didn’t listen. That’s two strikes. ...

“Luna,” he said, “you have unequivocally shitty taste in past men.”

“Working relationships come and go, Luna. Personal ones don’t.” A small pause. “At least, they shouldn’t.”

“You just told Mark to know when to take a hint. Why are you being so insistent about this?” “Because I want you.” Simple. Matter-of-fact. And a fierce, unexpected blow to my chest.

don’t want a kiss or a one-night stand,” he said. “I want you. I want to know you outside work. I want to take you on real dates. And I don’t know if it’ll work out in the end, but I want us to at least try.”

I’m afraid of letting someone in again. I’m afraid of getting my heart broken. I’m afraid that, if you get to know the real me, you’ll find me unlovable like everyone else, and it’ll hurt so much more because it’s you.

“Sloane.” His light touch seared my arm. “Look at me.”

“Hey, I never said I was a poet.” He gave me a crooked grin. “So, what do you say? They’re just dates, Luna. We’ll keep them discreet, and if it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. No harm, no foul.”

“The scars from our childhood enemies run deep,” I said solemnly. “Yes, they do.”

“There are dozens of parties tonight.” “Those are boring. This isn’t.” “You would rather watch a rom-com about a witch and a plumber falling in love than attend a costume party with celebrities?”

“One hundred percent. As long as I’m watching it with you.”

But there were slivers of time when I wondered how it would feel to exist in the world knowing there was someone who loved me totally, unconditionally, and whole-heartedly for who I was instead of who they wanted me to be.

“Luna.” He gently hooked his pinky around mine beneath the blanket, and my knowledge of how to breathe evaporated. “This is a date. No more work talk.”

“Are you ever going to tell me why you call me Luna?” “One day.” His dimples winked into view. “If you’re really nice to me.”

“I’m nice to you right now.” “You fo...