Sins from Her Past (Scandalous) by Jules Bennett

they’d be flirting, the next she’d go pasty white and flee the scene. Someone had hurt her, but Dylan had never said a word, and to his knowledge she’d never had a steady boyfriend. How in the hell could a twenty-five-year-old, healthy, vibrant woman be so shy about sexual attraction?
    Even though they’d been friends for years, he had no clue about her personal life with other men. Perhaps she was inexperienced. He prayed that’s all her insecurities and vulnerabilities stemmed from because just the thought of anyone hurting her made him physically ill. Perhaps that is what made her so cautious, but maybe their friendship was a plus for him.
    No matter the past and what she kept locked inside, Evelyn was special to him and he knew she was worth any effort and all of his patience.
    Vin glanced at the clock again and noticed it was just after six. She hadn’t come out all day to eat and it was damn time she did. He called room service and ordered an insane amount of food for them. After he got the table all set up on the balcony and the food was delivered, he went to her door and knocked again. Nothing.
    “Evelyn?”
    He listened and didn’t even hear the pecking of keys. When he tried the knob, it was locked, but the door hadn’t latched completely. He pushed it open and eased on in.
    Across the room, Evelyn lay on her side, her laptop open before her and a sketch pad with sheets of paper torn out and thrown onto the floor and all around her. And she was dead asleep.
    The little dress she had on rode up in the back, showcasing that round ass he’d been mocked with earlier at the beach. He grew hard just looking at it.
    As he moved closer he noticed the swell of one breast was dangerously close to popping out of her dress. Her unpainted lips were parted and he couldn’t help but relive what it was like to taste her. Damn he wanted her. But he couldn’t even make another move until he knew what the hell he was dealing with.
    His hand slid over her knee. “Evelyn.”
    She stirred a little, but didn’t open her eyes.
    “Evie,” he said a bit louder as his hand stroked from her knee down. He didn’t trust himself to touch near her very exposed thigh. “Time to wake up.”
    In one move she was not only awake, she’d sprung off the bed and had her fisted hands held up in front of her in a fighter’s stance. Her eyes were wide, her hair smashed on one side, but it was her coloring, or lack thereof that had him stepping back with his hands up, palms out.
    “It’s okay,” he assured her. “You’re okay.”
    “Vin?” She shook her head and rubbed her eyes as if she was trying to focus. “I’m sorry. I was…dreaming and you startled me.”
    He didn’t ignore the fact she was trembling. “Must’ve been a hell of a dream.”
    “I don’t remember,” she told him, her eyes darting to the left. A sure sign she was lying. “I guess I fell asleep while working.”
    He wasn’t going to push—yet—but soon he’d find out what nightmares plagued her…especially since he was ready to enter into another level of their relationship.
    “I’ve set up dinner on the balcony if you’d like to join me,” he offered. “Maybe we can discuss what you were working on.”
    “Just give me a couple minutes. I’ll be right out.”
    Vin nodded, turned and left her alone to freshen up…or recoup from the nightmare. He wasn’t known for his patience so seeing her struggle was not something he was comfortable with. And why the hell was he allowing himself to be caught up in her personal business? Yes, they’d known each other for years, but he had a private life and obviously so did she. If she wanted to discuss what was bothering her, she would.
    So why did he let her actions bother him so?
    Because he wasn’t afraid to admit that he’d had stronger feelings for her than those of just a friend. Sexual desires tended to override common sense. But if he truly wanted to help, then he needed to be a friend and let