The Sinner: A Dark College Romance

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, I run up the stone steps and enter my best friend’s house without even knocking. I’m like her parents’ adopted child. Our parents are best friends. We grew up together.

“Good morning, Elli.” Mrs. Sinnett smiles at me softly, picking up her Louis Vuitton off the round glass table that sits in the middle of their grand foyer.

“Morning, Janice. Is Kira ready?”

She gives a little laugh, heading for the door, and I hold it open for her while her red Dior heels clap on their marble floor. “Is she ever on time, honey?”

I throw my head back and sigh. We’re already late.

“Thanks, darling.” She exits the house. “Have a great day,” she calls out as I shut it behind her.

“Kira?” I holler, entering their kitchen. I slam my backpack on the island and open the fridge. “Kira, let’s go. We’re late.” Grabbing a bottle of water, I shut the fridge and scream when I see that her brother was standing behind the door. “Jesus, Sin.” I place my hand on my chest and meet his cold blue-eyed stare.

Easton Bradley Sinnett is the most annoying, self-absorbed asshole I have ever met. With that hot, I don’t give a fuck what I look like look. Plus, the tattoos he has. Damn, he’s like a walking red flag that makes me wet. His dark hair is a disheveled mess like he just crawled out of bed. Which he probably did. Or he hasn’t even slept yet. His chiseled face is covered in stubble, telling me he also hasn’t shaved. He’s shirtless, showing off his extremely hard body. All he wears is a pair of gray sweatpants. The ones that every girl drools over. They hang low on his narrow hips. So low I can tell he doesn’t have a pair of boxers underneath. My eyes drop to get a quick look, and sure enough, you can see the outline of his flaccid dick. I swallow, getting a very good visual of how big he is. It makes my thighs clench. Lifting my eyes to him, I hope he didn’t catch me, but he arches a dark brow.

Fuck.

“Thought I heard a bird screeching.” Jayce enters, thankfully helping me avoid an awkward conversation with Sin. Their other friend Corbin enters behind him.

“Don’t you guys have somewhere to be? Like class?”

They’re Lords. If I didn’t grow up around them, the matching brands on their chests would give them away. They’re all members of a secret society that rule the world by whatever means necessary. My father was one, just like their fathers are. You have to be born into it. Not just anyone can become a Lord. I hate the society. What they stand for, and how they think they can do whatever they want and get away with it.

“I can think of something to do,” Sin says in that deep and sexy voice. He’s been teasing me with it for years. We both know that he’ll never follow through with it. He just likes to make me squirm.

I swallow nervously when his eyes drop to my chest, and my nipples harden against the soft fabric of my bra, making my breath quicken. Thankfully, Kira enters. “About time. Let’s go.”

“Shit.” She pats down the pockets of her jean shorts. “I forgot my phone.” Then she turns, her brown hair slapping Corbin in the face as she runs out of the room.

“Seriously?” I sigh and plop down at the island, waiting for her, doing anything I can to avoid Sin. The older we get, the more I don’t know how to act around him. I avoid him as much as I can. Which is hard since his sister is my best friend, but I always try my best.

Thankfully my cell goes off, and I pull it out of my pocket. The masked man never did show up last night. And when I woke up this morning, I left the other phone he gave me at home, in my nightstand, turned off. I’m hoping that will keep me from reaching out and looking desperate.

Opening up the text, I read over it.

We still on for tonight?

Sure. I find myself typing back, needing to get laid. And this guy is actually interested. He’s been my backup for a couple of months now. Not as good as my mystery man, but reliable.

I’m going to a party, but I’ll be over afterward. It won’t be until after two, though. Is that okay?

That’s fine. I’ll leave the front door unlocked. I inform him. He’s been to my house before but never to fuck me. My parents always used to throw parties, and it was full of Lords—the elite only associate with the elite.

I watch the three dots bounce around and then stop before they start again. It vibrates with an incoming message.

See you then.

“Oh, little demon has a boyfriend.”

I close the screen and stand, reaching out to push Sin away. The bastard was standing over my shoulder, watching me. Fuck, I hate him. I try to ignore the feel of his muscular chest under my hand. And wipe my palm on my jeans as if the bastard has cooties. “Who I fuck is none of your damn business,” I snap defensively.

“If you need a real man—”

I narrow my eyes on Jayce, and he starts laughing, cutting himself off.

Sin steps into me, and my breathing becomes labored while my eyes slowly look up into his. I have to fist my hands down by my sides so I don’t touch him. We’ve tolerated each other for years, but if I was ever given the chance …

“I’m ready,” Kira announces, running into the kitchen. “Let’s go. We’re late,” she adds as if I didn’t already know that.

“Thank God,” I mumble to myself. Stepping back from him, I grab my backpack off the island. I throw it over my shoulder, ignoring the feel of Sin’s eyes on my back.

SIN

I WATCH THE sexy blonde turn and practically run out of the house with my sister. She doesn’t have a clue what I’ve done to her. And I’m not sure if I’ll ever tell her, either. I don’t feel guilty or ashamed. A Lord is taught that he can have whatever he wants, even if that means they have to take it. That’s exactly what I’ve done with her, and she gets off on it.

Her little boy toy can’t compare to what I can do to her. Plus, he shouldn’t have left her so vulnerable the other night in his basement. And last night in her room? Well, she’ll learn to lock those doors. The masked man who comes in and gets her off will be no more. She’ll know it’s my cock, my mouth, and my hands that violate her.

I’ll teach her that she can be easily taken by anyone. When I decide to tie her to a bed, I sure as fuck won’t be leaving her alone like that dipshit did in his basement. No. I’ll sit there and watch her squirm until I decide to fuck her. And I promise you, blindfolded or not, she’ll know it’s my cock she’s coming for.

“Sin, I can’t believe you didn’t make it to the vow ceremony,” Jayce starts, eating his granola bar. He’s been talking about it nonstop for the past two days. “It was wild. Ryat yelled at Matt—”

“Here you go.” Corbin hands me a notebook, ignoring Jayce like me.

I open it up, and a smile tugs at my lips as I scan over a random page. “I—” The feel of my phone vibrating in my pocket has me setting the notebook on the counter to pull it free. I unlock the screen to see a message from Sandy, a forty-year-old friend of my mother’s, and I open it up. It’s a picture of her sticking her tongue out while looking up at the camera with a text.

I got my tongue pierced.

I write out a reply.

Cool. Maybe it’ll help you suck dick better.

It’s been a while—the summer before my freshman year at Barrington—since I had my cock down her throat, but I doubt she’s gotten any better.

She reads it and sends three crying laugh emojis. You always make me laugh, Sin. I’ll be back Sunday. You’ve had your vow ceremony, right? Now we can get back to where we were…”

I quit reading over it and pocket my cell. She’s away with her third husband celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary. Call me whatever you want, but I don’t have a commitment to her husband. Not my fault she can’t stay faithful. I’m also aware that I’m not the only one. She fucked Jayce one night before our first initiation at his parents’ cabin. She was more than willing to give us one last ride before we had to take a vow of celibacy.

I pick up the notebook on the counter when I see my father enter the kitchen. “Easton?”

“Yeah?” I ask, meeting his stare. He’s got a briefcase in one hand and his cell in the other.

“How is your assignment coming along?”

My hands tighten on the notebook. “Good,” I answer.

“Will you be able to complete it?” he asks, worry evident in his tone. I’m officially a Lord now, meaning if I don’t do what I’ve been ordered to do, then I’m no use to them. Termination is the only way out from here.

I snort. “Without a doubt.”

“May I speak to you in my study for a second?” he asks.

I groan. Not in the mood, knowing exactly what he wants to talk about. My chosen, my Lady, my future. I don’t have time right now. Plus, it doesn’t matter what he wants for my future. It’s not what I want. And I’m not going to let anyone dictate it.

“I have to make some important phone calls,” I lie and exit the kitchen, avoiding him, and head to my room. I’ve got some research to do. My little demon just gave me the key to everything I need to make her mine.