Sins & Mistrust Read Online Free Page A

Lincoln?” she asks.
    I drop my feet from the desk and walk over to the decanter filled with scotch and pour two fingers into a glass.
    “Just curious is all.”
    I hear her laugh. “I’m sure that’s all it is.”
    “Are you serious with him or is this new?”
    She sighs. “Do you need something, Lincoln?”
    “You know what I need,” I growl and then take a sip of my drink.
    “I don’t know if I can give you what you want.”
    “I think you can. You almost did once.”
    “Yeah, well, that didn’t work out and you know why.”
    I huff out a breath and take another drink. “We won’t know if it will work if we don’t try again.”
    “I don’t know, Lincoln. If and when I do know, I will let you know.”
    “Will you?” I question.
    “Goodbye, Lincoln.”
    “Bye, Thalia.”
    Finishing my drink, I make another call. “Hey, I need your help with something. Can you come by?”

As soon as I see Nathalia hang up her phone, I walk to her and plant a small kiss on her cheek before sitting across from her.
    “I’m not late. I just saw that you were on the phone, and I figured I’d give you privacy.”
    She smiles. “Thank you.”
    “Have you ordered yet?” I ask.
    “No. I was waiting for you.”
    The waiter appears and takes our order without writing any of it down, and then we’re left with glasses of water.
    “I always wondered how they do that,” Nathalia says quietly.
    “Do what?”
    “Remember orders without taking them down. Let’s see if he messes it up,” she says with a smile.
    “Nah. He’ll get it all right. I’m sure he’s been doing this a while.”
    “I ordered a side order of extra ranch with my salad. I’ll bet he forgets that.”
    “I’ll take you up on that bet.”
    “What are we betting?” she asks excitedly.
    “What are you willing to give up?” I ask with an arched brow.
    “I’m not losing,” she replies confidently with a perfect smile.
    “I think you will.”
    “If he remembers the ranch, you get to choose where we have our next date, and if he forgets the ranch, I get to ask you a question and you have to answer it.”
    “What makes you think I wouldn’t answer it anyway?” I ask, avoiding correcting her on the whole date/appointment mix-up.
    “I just know.”
    “Hmm. Okay, it’s a bet.”
    We shake hands and wait for our food to come out.
    “Your hair looks a little wet,” she announces.
    “It probably is. I had just got out of the shower before I came down here.”
    A slow smile touches her lips. “Ah. An appointment?”
    It’s not normal to talk about your other appointments with other clients. Nobody really asks about who you just got paid to fuck.
    “Maybe,” I answer slowly.
    “You don’t have to lie to me, Marc. I already know what you do.”
    “I don’t talk about other clients with…other clients.”
    “That’s because they don’t ask. They don’t want to know the man they are attracted to, or have sex with, has just had sex with somebody else or plans to later, even if they are paying for it.”
    “You’re probably right. So it doesn’t bother you?”
    She shrugs her shoulder. “Why would it? We aren’t in a committed relationship. Anyway, how long have you been doing this?”
    “Well, it’s been about ten years now.”
    “Wow! Ten years. That’s a long time, Marc. A long time to be lonely.”
    “I’m not lonely.”
    “You’re not?” she asks, tilting her head.
    “No.”
    “Hmm. Okay. Have you had a girlfriend the last ten years?”
    I think back. “Well, I’ve tried relationships, but again, not many people are okay with my job.”
    “So, just clients, then? Just you being what somebody else wants you to be?”
    I furrow my brows. She’s pretty spot on, but the fact that she’s speaking these things aloud annoys me. Maybe it’s because I’ve never wanted to admit the truth, and certainly didn’t think anybody would call me out on what I’ve thought for so long.
    “No, not just clients,” I say,