Original Sins by Faith Summers

17

Evie

The wind whispers over my skin and lifts the end of my hair as we speed down the road in Georgiou’s sports car.

We’re going so fast the scenery blurs on either side of us, and I feel like I’m a Hollywood starlet from some famous classic film.

All I’m missing is a scarf and my own pair of sunglasses.

Georgiou is wearing a pair of Oakleys, and of course, it makes him look drop-dead sexy.

It’s nearly lunchtime. He spent the morning inside me.

We started in the bedroom then moved into the shower. From there, he feasted on me on the table, and when we finally got dressed, he decided he was going to take me home, not John.

I didn’t realize that was so we could drive to the park and have sex in his car.

He told me he had the fantasy this morning and cautioned that he always got what he wanted.

Now he’s driving the same way.

Like he owns Chicago and me.

But then again, he does own me, and I’m liking being owned by him far too much to think about what that really means.

I’m back at their place tonight, and I’m already counting down the minutes, especially because I didn’t get to see Henry before he left this morning.

Georgiou rests his hand on my thigh when we turn down the road leading to Cordelia’s. Thankfully she’s not home, but I still gave her the head’s up that he was bringing me back.

“I’m breaking the rules again and asking what you’re doing today,” he says.

“I’m working on my collection.”

“What collection is this, Duchess?”

I want to tell him it’s the collection that will compliment my mother’s brand, but I hold back. There’s no point talking about that anymore or thinking about it. I won’t be running my mother’s company in a few years.

“Just something I was preparing. It would be nice to work with Dior or a brand like that. I’ve always wanted to work for Vogue.” Those are all truths. As much as I had my path laid out for me, I wanted my own expertise and success to bring to the table.

“Sounds like something you’ve always wanted to do.”

“It is. I want to make my name then maybe teach or something.” Mom did that, too, at the community college. She ran the summer classes. “What are you doing today? There are no rules about me asking you questions.”

There aren’t to a certain degree. I just can’t get too personal.

“All sorts of wild wicked things, Duchess, but I can’t wait to have you back in my bed.” He lifts his glasses so I can see him wink at me.

I can’t believe this is me. “Is it okay if I tell you I can’t wait to be there too?”

“Only if you mean it, Bellezza.”

“I do,” I answer, and I hope he knows I truly do mean what I say.

Minutes later, we pull up on Cordelia’s drive, and Georgiou looks over the house.

Of course, it doesn’t look like the kind of place I’d live in if I just auctioned my body.

“I’m just staying here temporarily,” I explain.

“That’s okay, Duchess, you don’t have to explain anything to me. See you later.”

He leans over and kisses me. “Later.”

I get out of the car and watch him drive away.

I stand there for a moment and think about how much my life has changed in a matter of days.

I’m not a virgin anymore. The last time I stood here, I was, and now I’m not.

I still feel different and like something has changed within me. But there are two big changes outside of me too.

Georgiou and Henry.

I slept with the two of them. I actually slept with two different men.

I don’t know if sleep with or sex are enough to describe what we did. So I’m going with the raw, abrasive description of fucking.

That’s what we did. Fucked. They fucked me senseless, and tonight I’m going back to their place for more.

Jesus.My cheeks could seriously melt right now when I think of all the things those two guys did to me, and I know there’s more to come. After all, I agreed to do anything, and we haven’t done everything yet.

Now I wish Cordelia was here. I could do with talking to someone I can trust because my mind is completely and utterly blown.

As soon as I start walking up the pavement, my phone rings in my bag.

The ringtone tells me it’s Dad.

He messaged me over the weekend, and I didn’t reply. Hence the reason for the phone call. He would have checked in with Cordelia, who would have covered for me. I know that he wants to actually speak to me because he hates when I’m mad at him.

I don’t want to talk to him, but since I know it won’t bode well for me if I continue to ignore him, I pull out the phone and answer it after the fifth ring.

My heartbeat picks up because the other reason I don’t want to talk to him is, of course, my plans and the sin I’m getting up to with two of his most trusted associates.

“Dad,” I say into the phone and walk out onto the patio.

“Jesus, I was starting to worry.”

“Why?” I throw back.

“How can you ask me that?”

“Dad, how can you ask me that? I told you what Peter did, and you still want him to marry me. I’m not going to understand your reasons for still accommodating him. Most fathers would kill him for what he tried to do to me.” The type of man my father is should place him first in line.

He goes quiet. A sign that maybe he’s thought about it.

I don’t know how he chose to deal with Peter, and I don’t care.

“Evie, this is hard for me. I told you I dealt with it, and he won’t treat you like that again. Every good father wants his daughter to be with a man who can take care of her. The reason I picked Peter is I trust him. I trust him with the empire when he takes over one day, and I trust him with you. I’m disappointed to hear he behaved that way with you, and I’ve done what I can do to set him straight. He won’t hurt you again.”

“How do you know that?”

There’s no way he can know that for sure.

“If he wants the business, that’s what he has to do.”

That’s supposed to make me feel better, but it doesn’t. All Peter has to do is be nice to my father’s face then show his true colors again after we’re married.

“I see. That makes no sense, though.”

“Evangeline, this is happening, and I don’t want to call you and talk about this shit again. Let’s move on. To bridge this mess, Peter’s going to take you to dinner next week when he gets back from Colorado.”

“I’m not doing dinner with him,” I say quickly, thinking on my feet.

“Yes, you are.”

Christ, what do I do?I can’t go to dinner.

I’ll be with the guys in the evenings. And no way am I going to break my evening with them for Peter.

I know I’m dancing on thin ice with this crazy as fuck plan, but I have to do what I have to do.

“Not dinner, something else.” I have to meet him halfway, or he’ll get strict and mess up my plans.

“Why not dinner?”

“I don’t want to be alone with him in the evenings, and I’d prefer if he is to come that he come to the house in the daytime when Cordelia is here.” There, keep it sweet.

If I didn’t have to see Georgiou and Henry, I’d fight tooth and nail.

“Lunch then.”

Thank God. “Okay, lunch.”

“I’ll message you with a time and speak to Cordelia as well.”

“Okay.”

“Try to be okay with this, Evie. The subject of marriage is not up for discussion. It’s happening, so you have to get used to it.”

I don’t answer. What am I supposed to say to him?

“Bye,” he says, cutting through the silence.

“Goodbye.”

He hangs up, and I lower to one of the chairs in my doom and gloom.

Every time I think of leaving, there’s something that pops into my mind that makes me sad it’s come to that. Now I’m thinking of Georgiou and Henry.

I just found them, and it will be over anyway between us in four weeks' time.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to forget.

I can’t forget how safe I feel in Georgiou’s arms and how alive I feel when Henry smiles at me.

Their touch makes my body respond to them in ways I never imagined happening.

The clicking of heels against the pavement makes me lift my head, and when I see Cordelia, I get up and rush over to her.

She hugs me, and I tell her everything that happened.

I’ll miss her too.

Where I’m going, no one can follow.

I’ll be alone, and I’ll have to start life as someone new.