Scandalous (Sinners of Saint Book 3)

THIS HAD TO be a dream. I was currently in what seemed like the world’s largest bathtub with a gorgeous—but entirely out-of-my-league—man I’d fantasized about for years. A rush of jets massaged my muscles, picking up where Raul had left off, but it wasn’t his touch I felt anymore.

Water lapped at Archer’s chest as his strong hands kneaded my calves, stroking me slow and deep from where he lounged opposite me, a contented smile on his lips. I was happy to let him rub me however he wanted, as long as I got to do the same. His legs encased me on either side, and I ran my fingers through the dark hair there.

A light layer of bubbles from the jets floated along the surface, obscuring my view of him, but I’d already memorized every inch of him—to the point where I could close my eyes and firmly see what I wanted to. And God knew I could still feel him.

“Relaxed?” Archer murmured when my eyes fell closed for a moment.

“This might be the best night of my life.”

“Really?” He seemed surprised. “That’s a big statement.”

“Why do you sound so shocked? Do I need to refresh your memory of what just happened?”

Archer chuckled, lowering the leg he’d been rubbing and lifting my other to his lap. “I don’t think it’s anything I’ll forget.”

“Good.” I wanted to be so permanently marked on him that he’d always remember these nights with me. I didn’t care how selfish that was. I’d finally gotten a chance to be with him in a way I’d never, ever expected to, and I’d be taking advantage.

“I wondered if it would be…too much,” he said, giving me a sexy half-smile. “But you never fail to shock and amaze, do you?”

I considered all the things I’d done since the night I kissed him and shook my head. “I think you bring that out in me. Make me feel brave.”

“Don’t try to tell me you’re shy, Preston. I won’t believe you. Not now.”

“You’ve known me for years. Have you ever seen me like this?”

Archer studied me as he stroked my ankle. “I’ve never looked at you like this before.”

I couldn’t help my smile. “Well, I’m glad you’re seeing me now.”

“After that performance in my sitting room? Impossible not to.”

“Just had to force your hand a little,” I said with a casual shrug, like I hadn’t needed a hundred shots from East to make that night happen. Then I thought back to the way I’d come all over his fist and chuckled. “Quite literally.”

“You definitely did that. I lost all my self-control.”

That made me pause, and even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer, I said, “Do you regret it?”

Archer opened his mouth to answer, but then snapped it shut and looked down at the water as he lazily drew circles up and down my skin. It felt like forever before he spoke again, long enough that my heart was in my stomach by the time he said, “I probably should.”

It wasn’t the yes I’d been dreading, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I understood why he’d think that—all the real-world complications that we’d be forced to face if anyone ever found out. Or if the few who knew decided to spill our secret.

Which made me wonder how long we’d be keeping this under wraps. How long it would last. Not that I wanted an end date, but I could also feel the way I would fall, way too fast, for this man.

“Sounds like you want to keep me around, Mr. Carrington.” I tried to keep my words light and teasing. “Should I call off all my other dates?”

His eyes narrowed, and I felt that bit of jealousy all the way to my cock. “How many others do I have to worry about?”

Fucking none was what I wanted to say, but that would make it too easy. Men like Archer wanted a challenge, didn’t they?

“Not many. Just a few here and there,” I said flippantly, and Archer’s hands stilled on my calf.

“Which translates to how many, exactly?”

“You really want to talk numbers? What about yours?”

Archer raised a brow. “I have decades on you.”

“Then you better get to counting.”

He slapped a wave of water in my direction, hitting me straight in the face. “Smart-ass.”

“Don’t you mean hot-ass? Or have you forgotten the way I rode you earlier?”

Archer groaned, and his head fell back against the lip of the tub. “Jesus, that mouth.”

“You want it again?” I grinned.

“Oh, I do. But those decades mean I need a rest first.”

I laughed as I bent my legs and moved them under the water beneath his. “I can give you that.”

“Gee, thanks.” He stretched his arms out along the edge of the tub, but the way he tapped his fingers along it told me something was on his mind. I stayed quiet, letting him work it out until he said, “I don’t want you to be with anyone else while you’re with me.”

I swear my heart stopped at his words. That…was unexpected, but exactly what I’d wanted and never thought I could ask for.

He mistook my silence for hesitation and ran a hand through his hair. “I realize that seems a little hypocritical after tonight⁠—”

“No,” I interrupted, finally able to breathe again. I wanted to tell him fuck yes, but I didn’t need to show how eager I was. “Tonight was different. It was with you.” I lifted a shoulder, like I wasn’t as affected as I really was. “If that’s what you want, I can give you that too. As long as it goes both ways.”

“It does.”

“For how long?” I was pressing my luck, but what the hell.

Archer studied me, his head cocked. “For as long as we both want.”

That wasn’t helpful for me at all. If I had my way, I’d chain his ass to mine permanently.

Guess I’d have to make him fall in love with me, then.

“Keep booking us here and you might have to deal with me for longer than you want,” I said. “Although I think you’ll just end up pissing off Mr. LaRue if he finds out.”

“Oh God.” Archer let out a rueful laugh.

“What?”

“I just remembered how young you are when you call my friends by their formal names.”

I guess that was a little weird, but calling West’s dad Jacques felt bizarre.

“What can I say? I’m a polite young thing.”

Archer eyed me for a beat and then, before I knew it, reached under the water, grabbed my ankles, and hauled me onto his lap. Water sloshed around us, some over the edge of the tub, but that didn’t seem to bother the gorgeous man wrapping his arms around my waist.

Archer’s blond hair seemed much darker after he’d run his wet hands through it, and I couldn’t resist spearing my fingers through the damp strands. I twisted them at the back of his head and studied the light sheen of moisture dotting his skin.

A rumbling sound, much a like a purr, escaped Archer as I kissed up to his ear. “Want to hear something funny?” he said.

I brushed a kiss across his lips. “Tell me.”

“In my phone, your number is under PYT.”

PYT? I thought back to what I’d just said, and laughed. “Seriously? As in, polite young thing?”

“No.” Archer chuckled, trailing his fingers down to flirt with the top of my crack. “But close.”

Was he trying to drive me crazy? The idea that he had a secret name for me, just like I had him, was naughty as hell. I tightened my grip on his hair, my impatience getting the better of me, but that just made him laugh harder.

“Tell me.”

Archer nipped at my lower lip. “What do you say?”

I bucked my hips forward, rubbing my cock along his. “Tell me now?”

Archer pinched my ass, making me squirm, humor sparking in his gorgeous eyes, and I loved being the one to bring that out of him.

“It stands for pretty young thing.”

Oh fuck. All this time I’d wanted Archer to look at me, to really notice me, and not the guy he thought was dating his daughter. “You think I’m pretty.”

“You’re very fucking pretty. You don’t have to sound so smug about it.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve waited for years for you to look at me the way you’re looking at me now.”

Archer’s eyes widened a fraction. “Years?”

I nodded and sat up on his lap, my hands trailing down to his chest. “You know that.”

“I just…” He swallowed and nodded. “You’re right, I do. Sometimes it still catches me off guard, that’s all.”

“Uh huh.” I ran my eyes over him and, not wanting to ruin the mood by getting too serious, grinned. “Want to know what you are in my phone?”

“Oh God.” Archer groaned and leaned his head back against the tub. “I don’t want to know, do I?”

“I mean, I’m going to say yes.”

One of Archer’s eyes opened. “Will I regret it?”

I shrugged, feigning innocence. “Guess you won’t know until you ask.”

He reluctantly sighed and shook his head. “Okay, what am I listed as in your phone?”

I grinned. “F-I-L-T-H.” I walked my fingers down the center of his chest and under the water.

“Fil—Filth?” Archer grabbed my wandering hand just as my fingers brushed the head of his dick. “You have me as filth in your phone?”

I shook his hand free and wrapped mine around his full, thick length. “As in Archer Filth Carrington.” I squeezed and stroked him, making him moan, then leaned down to whisper across his lips, “Father I’d Like to Hit.”

“Ah.” Archer squeezed his eyes shut again, letting me have my way. “Fucking hell, Preston.”

I chuckled but kept moving my hand, kissing him until I was all but edging myself.

“I’ve wanted you forever. Since the first time I saw you, I wondered what it would be like to be yours, but…”

“But you were too young. Way too young.”

“Well, that and no one knows about me, about…this side of me.” I tightened my hand again, but Archer reached down and stopped me.

“And why is that?” he whispered, almost as though he was afraid he’d spook me. “Your friends wouldn’t care. They’re all, well, out and proud⁠—”

“Right.” I let go of him and gave a nonchalant shrug. “But you’ve met my parents.”

Archer’s slight wince was exactly why I wasn’t out of the closet. Everyone knew what the Abernathys expected of their one and only child, and being gay didn’t fit into their plans.

“They have certain goals in mind for me. Expectations they’ve molded since the day I was born. I was to go to school, get good grades, find a nice girl, and start a family. Then off to Washington I’d go, where I’d follow in my father’s footsteps.”

“Preston.” A solemn expression crossed Archer’s face. “That’s⁠—”

“Sad? Pathetic?” So much for keeping things light. I let out a breath and went to move back to the opposite side of the tub, but Archer’s hand at my waist stopped me.

“That’s not what I was going to say at all, and where do you think you’re going?” The arched brow and no-nonsense look he aimed my way had my body stilling where it was. “I was going to say, that’s no way to live your life. It’s your life, not your parents’. Do you even like politics?”

My lips twisted, and he let out a bark of laughter.

“So that’s a no.”

“It’s just so…boring and contentious, and there’s so much you can’t show. So many secrets to keep. I’d be living a lie.”

“Because of your sexuality?”

“Right. I’m not sure I want to live my life that way. I’m not sure I can. Not after being with you like this. This is the first time I’ve been able to really be myself, and I’m not sure I can go back.” I bit down into my lip. This talk was suddenly much more serious than I’d ever expected after what happened tonight.

Archer stroked my back and urged me down over him. I curled into his body, resting my cheek to his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart.

“You know what?”

“What?”

“You don’t have to decide tonight.” Archer trailed wet fingers down my cheek to my chin and tilted my face up. “Or tomorrow, or the next day.” He hugged me in close. “You’re twenty-one—God, I can’t believe I just said that—and you have your whole life ahead of you.”

I nodded and played with the damp hair on his chest. “What were you doing at twenty-one?”

“I had a kid.”

My head snapped up, and Archer let out a loud, booming laugh.

“See, there are worse things.”

“You’re right. At least there’s no chance of that happening with me.” I kissed his grinning lips, grateful for the change in subject. “Thank you.”

“For?”

“Making me feel better about the bad decisions I made in my youth.”

“You’re still in your youth.” A loud knock on the hotel door had Archer letting out a soft curse. “Sorry to break this up, but that’s our dinner.”

“Oh, the dinner you need two of because you’re low in iron? Speaking of bad decisions…”

Archer pointed to the other end of the tub. “Get off me.”

“Get you off? Really, Archer, I think we should eat.”

Archer shifted, moving through the water as he deposited me at the other end of the tub. Then he got to his feet in one magnificent move, and the water cascading down over him showcased his glorious body to absolute perfection.

“Stop it.”

“I’m not doing anything.” I batted my lashes just to fuck with him. “It’s not my fault you think I’m pretty.”

Archer grabbed a towel off the rack and did his best to cover his erection. “You’re going to pay for this later.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.” He walked to the door of the en suite but then stopped to look back at where I lounged with my chin resting on the edge of the tub. “The father you’d like to hit is gonna spank your ass.”

I canted said ass up out of the water and aimed a cheeky grin his way, calling out after him, “It can’t wait!”