The Sweetest Sin Read online

  Mystique leaned forward to kiss him and he opened his mouth to her. “Damn, you’re hot,” she said.

  “Uh-huh,” Mag seconded. “Definitely something to keep around for a while. You got a girlfriend?”

  Sin opened his eyes finally, allowing himself back into reality. “No. And I don’t want one either.”

  Mag rolled him over and undid the handcuffs. Immediately relieved, he flexed his arms. “For what it’s worth, the girl’s an idiot for giving you up,” she said.

  Sin stood, the beer buzz catching up with him. He pulled up his pants and fastened them.

  “You going so soon, lover? I thought the party was just getting started.” Mag finished unzipping her costume and pulled it completely off, standing before him in nothing but stiletto heels.

  “Nah. I need to get home.” He pulled out his wallet and gave them each two hundred dollars. “Have a good night.”

  Sin grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open, only to be greeted by a burly man with a police badge.

  “Hello, Mr. Cannon. What do we have here?” The officer looked inside the room at the two women and smiled. “I think you and I need to take a little ride.”

  Sin’s head pounded as the officer read him his Miranda rights and cuffed his hands behind his back. This is unfuckingbelievable.

  The Sweetest Sin

  Chapter Two

  Callie’s cell phone rang on their way to baggage claim. Since it wasn’t a number she recognised, she told Missy to load the luggage while she answered it. The teenager wasn’t too thrilled about it with her hurt hand but Callie chose to ignore her.

  “Callie Quinn.”

  “Hey, hot stuff. Where are you?” It was Sin.

  “Vegas, visiting my aunt. I’m on vacation therefore business can wait.” She shifted the phone to the other ear, noticing immediately how her heart raced at the very sound of his voice. Why did she let him have this effect on her?

  “I’m so glad you’re in Vegas. I’m kind of in a bind and I need you to bail me out.” His tone sounded casual as if he were merely discussing having coffee with her.

  “What did you do this time?”

  “I’m at the police station. There’s a little mix-up. The police seem to think I paid for sex. I mean I didn’t ask for it, she sort of knelt between my legs and unzipped my pants — ”

  “Okay, okay. I get the picture. Why would I come bail you out? Seems to me you got what you deserve.”

  “Uh, the media is already swarming out in front of the LVMPD. Do you really want to deal with this on your break as a Darkfever thing or a simple private matter that will last two hours?”

  Callie rubbed her forehead and glanced back at the sullen teenager she was carting around. “What do I get out of this deal?”

  “Anything you damn well want. Please, Callie. You’re my only saviour.”

  Callie rolled her eyes. “Fine. How much is bail?” He told her and her jaw dropped. “I don’t have that kind of money on me.”

  “Tell them to give you my things. My watch can be collateral.”

  “Yeah.” She blew out a breath. “All right. I’ll be there as soon as possible. I have my sister with me. I’m on my way to my aunt’s house so I’ll take Missy there and then come to get you in the morning. How is that?”

  “Not soon enough. Come on, Callie. Swing by the police department on your way.” He lowered his voice. “It’s hell in here.”

  Callie clicked the phone off without bothering to respond. He deserved to rot in there for all she cared. She climbed in the rental car and pushed the gearshift into drive.

  “Who was that?” Missy asked.

  “Nobody.”

  “Then why are you so pissed?”

  “Because he always manages to insert himself into my life and fuck it up.”

  Missy arched her eyebrows but kept her mouth shut.

  What could possibly go wrong next?

  * * * *

  Sin followed behind Callie, afraid of getting too close. He’d never seen her this pissed off, never seen her so angry with him—or anyone for that matter. He wanted to thank her. He wanted to make things better between them, not really knowing exactly where things went wrong.

  “Say something, Callie. You look ready to explode.”

  Callie beeped the rental car with her remote control.

  “Missy, get inside the car.” Callie grabbed Sin’s arm and slammed him against the side of the car. “What the hell were you thinking? Who in their right mind pays for a blowjob from a stripper? If it weren’t for my job, I would have let you rot your sorry ass in that jail cell. It’s the least you deserve.”

  Sin reached out to brush a strand of hair away from her eyes, and she batted his hand away. “Why are you pissed at me?”

  “Because you don’t take responsibility for anything. This is the third time I’ve bailed you out of something in the last year. I repeat, three times I’ve had to stop my life to fix your sorry, screwed up one.” She slammed her hand against the car. “I have a teenager with me, one that I try to teach responsibility to. She, like you, seems to think there are no consequences for her actions. And how can I tell her different? I’m standing in the fucking police department’s parking lot with a conceited and arrogant rock star that thinks money and fame will buy him out of anything.

  “Do you think I enjoy stopping my life to jump at your beck and call? ‘Just call Callie. It’s not like she has a life. She’ll be there to bail you out. It’s her job.’ I’m sick of it. It’s my vacation. A damn well-deserved vacation that you so inconsiderately fucked up for me. Thank you so much, Sin.”

  He wanted to reach out and touch her, ached to, actually. Though with the anger rolling off her, he didn’t dare make a move.

  “It wasn’t my fault, for what it’s worth. Truly. It’s not like the fight I started at the Darkfever concert or the guy accusing me of fucking his wife. I honestly didn’t ask for this. It just happened.”

  “Of course it just happened,” she said. “Your dick just happened to find its way outside of your pants and into her mouth, didn’t it?”

  “I was handcuffed. I couldn’t defend myself.”

  “No, but you threw two hundred dollars at them afterwards.” Her eyes were filled with anger, but deep inside, Sin saw the hurt. “Look, we were supposed to be at my aunt’s house two hours ago. Have a nice life, Sin.”

  Missy rolled the window down and glanced up at the two of them. “Forgive me for butting into your little love spat, but you are drawing attention to yourself. Do I need to remind you how ruthless the press was out front? That the department has better things to do than hold them back all night while the two of you fight. For everyone’s sakes, I suggest you finish your little quarrel somewhere else. You don’t really want them back here, do you?”

  “She’s got a point.” Sin glanced over at Callie. “I don’t have my car. Can you perhaps give me a ride home?”

  Callie pursed her lips. “Get in the car.”

  Sin climbed in the passenger’s seat, noticing the satisfied look on Callie’s sister’s face. “What’s your name?”

  “Missy,” she replied, leaning back against the seat. “And a word for the wise, Callie pissed off is never a good idea.”

  Sin glanced over at Callie who still stood outside the car. “Does she get pissed often?”

  “Only when you call or I get busted.” Missy picked at her black fingernail. “What’d you do to her?”

  Sin licked his lips. That night wasn’t as big of a blur as he’d like it to be. He hadn’t planned on having anything more than a fling with her, yet she worked for Darkfever, which made giving her up harder than he’d anticipated. He admitted an affair with her wasn’t the best of his ideas and yet she still refused to talk to him outside of work, or even be alone with him inside her office. For some reason, she didn’t trust him.

  “I honestly don’t know.”

  Missy leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Well, I may not be Dr. R
uth, the love expert, but sleeping with other women after you slept with my sister isn’t a hot idea if you want Callie to screw you again.”

  “No shit.”

  “Then why do you do it?” Missy sat back again and propped her feet beside her. “You look like a pretty smart guy. Surely you can comprehend that’s not the best way to make a girl fall head over heels for you.”

  Callie’s door opened and she climbed behind the wheel, completely composed. She started the engine and pulled out of the lot as if nothing happened. He gave her directions, being the only one to speak the entire time she drove him home. She pulled into his apartment complex and put the gearshift in ‘park’.

  “Missy, take my cell phone and go call Aunt Rose. Tell her we’re on our way.” She handed the phone to her sister and with a groan, Missy obliged.

  Callie waited until Missy walked around the car before she started talking to Sin. “My sister is a very impressionable teenager that is looking for her way in life. I don’t want her to think that when she does something wrong that someone will bail her out all the time. She needs to take responsibility for her actions and I can’t teach her that if you keep calling me during your latest crisis.”

  Sin reached across the console and grabbed her hand. Despite her obvious frustration, she didn’t pull away and he took advantage of it. His thumb stroked the back, her soft skin delicate to the touch.

  “Your sister is smarter than you give her credit for.”

  “My sister is a child. A sixteen-year-old little girl. She has no idea what the real world is like. She thinks life is a wild ride and all you can do is live it up.”

  “She’s a teenager. What sixteen-year-old doesn’t? She’ll never learn unless you let her grow up.” Sin laced his fingers with hers. “Look, I’m sorry for everything. I didn’t mean to drag you into this and I promise to butt out of your vacation.”

  Callie pulled her hand away and sighed. “We both know that’s a lie but it was a nice thought.”

  Sin grinned. “Goodnight, Callie. Sweet dreams.”

  * * * *

  Aunt Rose was waiting on the front porch when Callie pulled in the drive. At seventy-two years old, the woman had more giddy-up in her step than most her age and never let anything get her down. Missy got out of the car immediately and ran to her, nearly knocking her down with the impact. Aunt Rose had given them the stability they’d needed after their mother’s car accident. She’d given them the encouragement that, no matter what, everything would be okay.

  “My sweet little girls. Tell me, to what do I owe your unexpected visit to?” She rubbed Missy’s back as they walked towards Callie, who began grabbing the luggage from the trunk of the rental.

  “It’s spring break, Aunt Rose. We decided to come see you.” Missy hugged her tighter. “Also, Callie has a boyfriend and he lives in Vegas when he’s not on the road.”

  “Sin is hardly my boyfriend, Missy. Don’t even start with that.” Callie slammed the trunk shut and smiled at her aunt. “Sorry about getting in so late. I had work to attend to.”

  Aunt Rose shook her head. “I see she’s still all business. Tell me, does the girl ever break loose and have some fun? She’s supposed to be on vacation.”

  The elderly woman pulled Callie into an embrace, something that threw Callie off balance for a moment.

  “Nope. Not much.” Missy grabbed her bags and started toward the house. “But her boyfriend’s hot and he’d teach her a thing or two about fun if she’d let him.”

  “Zip it, Missy.” Callie pulled away from Aunt Rose.

  “Tell me about this new man.” Aunt Rose grabbed a suitcase and waited for Callie to respond.

  “There’s nothing to tell. I work for him. He’s the drummer of Darkfever, and he’s a total pain in the ass.”

  Aunt Rose chuckled. “Most of the good men are, sweetie. Come on. Gosh, it’s been what, five years since you moved?”

  Callie hadn’t realised she’d been gone so long. After their mother died and their father bailed, she’d packed up their things and moved to Los Angeles where she’d done her best to survive with an eleven-year-old kid in tow. None of it had been easy, but Callie had been determined to stand on her own two feet.

  “Yeah. Time sure does fly.” She opened the door for her aunt and was greeted by the memories of her childhood.

  Aunt Rose guided them to the staircase. “Come on, girls. You’ve had a long journey and what sounds like an interesting night. You’re probably beat, aren’t you?”

  Callie nodded while Missy disagreed.

  “Well, I have two beds for you upstairs. Use them whenever you feel tired, sweetie.” Aunt Rose ushered Callie upstairs while Missy joined the rest of the family for breakfast.

  “Aunt Rose, can I ask you something?”

  “Anything, dear.” She turned down the hallway and led Callie to the first door on the right. “What is on your mind?”

  “I don’t know what to do with Missy.”

  Callie entered the small room and set her duffle bag on the full-sized bed. “I noticed the wild hair and black fingernail polish.”

  “Yesterday the principal called me into his office to inform me she punched his son. Not only did I have to deal with a mad principal, but a mad parent as well.”

  Aunt Rose reached for the luggage Callie carried in. “Have you talked to her about it?”

  Callie slumped down on the mattress. “Yes, but this isn’t the first time. I’m usually working long hours. She wants me to take her out driving, which scares me to death. I don’t think I’m cut out to be a parent. And then there’s this whole thing with Sin … It just isn’t helping matters for her to see me bail him out of jail because he got caught with a prostitute when I just got through preaching to Missy that making out with older men and drinking alcohol is bad.”

  Aunt Rose set the luggage on the other side of the room and returned to take her place next to Callie on the bed. “Sounds to me you’ve got your hands full.”

  Callie gave a noncommittal reply. “I need help. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about her behaviour.”

  “It’s called the teenage years, sweetie. We all go through them. It’s like the terrible twos all over again, only they’re bigger and they know better. She’s testing her boundaries and you just have to stick to your guns.” She patted Callie’s hand and stood. “It’ll get better with time.”

  Aunt Rose walked to the door, opened it and turned back toward Callie. “I’m glad you’re here, sweetie. This place isn’t the same without you girls.”

  Callie smiled. “Thanks. It feels good to be home.”

  The Sweetest Sin

  Chapter Three

  Sin stared at his cell phone, knowing sooner or later he’d have to call her. He was stranded at his apartment without a car and his Hummer wasn’t safe parked at the club. He wished he’d asked Callie to take him back to Scandalous but he couldn’t think around her. Every time she was near, he had mush for brains and made an ass of himself.

  Huffing, he picked up the phone and clicked on her cell number. Holding the phone to his ear, he waited.

  “What do you want now?” she asked after answering on the fourth ring.

  He thought about playing it cool, but decided against it. Callie was obviously not in the mood to see him, much less listen to his witty humour. “I need a ride back to the club. I left my Hummer there.”

  “Call a taxi.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Callie, I know you hate me but I’m asking a favour as a friend.”

  “You’re hardly my friend, Sin.” That comment struck him like cold water to the face. “If you think just because I work for Darkfever—the corporation, not just you—that I’m going to cater to you, you’re wrong.”

  He sank down onto the couch. Despite the words she was saying, he enjoyed listening to her voice. “What is your real problem with me? I mean, I’ve played everything over and over in my head and I can’t figure it out.”

  “
It doesn’t surprise me.”

  “Callie, tell me why I pissed you off.” He tried to remain patient.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Obviously it does.” He switched the phone to the other ear.

  “Just forget it. I’ll be in town around eleven. I’ll pick you up then.” She hung up without further comment.

  Sin closed his phone and set it on his knee. “Well, that went well.” The titanium gadget started buzzing and he lifted it to his ear. “Hello?”

  “Look. I’m furious right now and I’d rather take my anger out on you than my family. So here goes.” Callie’s voice rushed over the phone. “I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I have Missy and she is more than enough in my life right now. I don’t want date you or sleep with you because we both know nothing will ever come out of it. You’re carefree and simply don’t give a shit about the world while I’m totally opposite. I’m responsible and intelligent and so not the stereotype Hollywood makes me to be.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” Sin propped his feet on the black coffee table in front of him.

  “Do you?”

  “What kind of person do you take me for?”

  Callie went silent and Sin thought for a moment that she’d hung up on him. But then she spoke.

  “It’s not fair for you to ask me that. You live up to the rock-n-roll stereotype.”

  Sin dropped his feet and leaned his forearms against his knees. “Do you know that night we spent together, I was serious. I don’t go about spitting off ‘I love you’ to strange women, no matter how much liquor I’ve had. I sure as hell don’t ask them to marry me. I probably shouldn’t have said those things to you, but you’re different, Callie. I’ve never met a woman like you and you fascinate me beyond belief. I want to be around you all the time, and when I am, I can’t think and I can’t breathe and—” Sin swallowed hard. “What I’m saying is I’ve never had the urge to be in a real relationship before. Yes, I fuck women. That’s nothing more than getting off to me. But I want to be with you, Callie. I want to do all the things you see in the corny movies. Why won’t you give me a chance?”