Sin for Love Read online

  Warrant's Cherry Pie was blasting out of the speakers and I was down on my knees in the front of the stage with a warm cherry pie in each hand when I saw him, Mr. Fuck-Me-Please, casually sitting at one of the front tables. He’d shown up just in time to watch me make a total mess of myself.

  Fuck.

  I locked eyes with him, slammed the pies into my pasty-covered tits, and let the mess fall to the stage. I swear I saw his eyebrows shoot up in surprise as I smeared the crimson filling all over my body. That made me think that maybe cherries weren't all that horrible. In fact, cherries could be downright amazing if he would lick them off of me after this dance.

  Focus, dammit. You can't start thinking like that or you will flop down on the stage and have a damn orgasm in front of all these people.

  We had a full house tonight, and the cover charge didn't include that kind of a show. They had to pay extra for that. I’ll say it again—I was not a whore and I didn't get paid for sex. But we did have rooms for private lap dances that cost a bundle. And if I happened to get off during the private dance, I just considered that an added bonus.

  I finished up Cherry's dance and headed off stage to get cleaned up and ready for mine. Walking past the private dance board, I noticed that my spot had already been reserved for the night. Maybe tonight would have a happy ending for me after all. There are only four sets between Cherry's and mine so I had to hurry to get cleaned up and ready. The last time I’d covered for her, I’d tried to keep the mess to a minimum, but this time, with him watching me, it had been a different story.

  I made it just in time to start my dance as I heard Ladies and Gentlemen by Saliva come on over the speakers, announcing my dance.

  When the beat of the song changed, I burst through the door set up at the back of the stage wearing my naughty school girl outfit complete with short red plaid skirt and navy blue blazer. I started to dance around the stage, teasing and tempting while stripping off my blazer and skirt.

  I was down to just my white ruffled panties and thin white tank top when I moved toward the front of the stage where I could make sure that he was watching me. I turned my back to the audience then turned my head to give him an innocent look over my shoulder. I spread my legs a little and bent forward while pulling my panties down my legs, revealing a skimpy white g-string.

  When my panties were on the stage, I stepped out with one leg and turned around, making sure to keep my other foot in the same spot with my panties looped over my toe. I kicked and let the white material soar through the air to land at his feet.

  I never did that and I knew I'd have to replace them, but it was worth it to see him lick his lips when he picked them up, his eyes never having left mine. It was even better to watch him run the lace through his fingers before moving to put it into the pocket of his dark blue jeans. It cost me precious seconds to linger near the front of the stage where I could see him and I had to move fast to get into place at the back of the stage. I spread my arms out and shoved my chest up just in time for the freezing water to come crashing down.

  This time, as I made my way to the bar at the front of the club, I could see that he was already there, standing at the bar and ordering a drink from Sam. I stopped in my tracks to admire him from the back for a moment. He had removed his jacket and was dressed in jeans that hugged his ass perfectly and a simple white t-shirt. I had to resist the powerful urge to walk up and wrap my arms around his waist. After a few calming breaths, I started up the stairs, thankful that he didn't turn around until I made it to the bar. He was so beautiful that I thought I might miss a step and fall on my face.

  I was going to play it calm. I stepped up to the bar a few feet away from him and slammed my hand down, ready to call out my usual order to Sam. My voice failed when I felt a large hand cover mine. I looked down at the hand and then slowly up to meet his eyes.

  "That was an amazing show. You changed it up a bit. This Tequila-O is on me tonight. I'm Reese by the way," he said with a knowing half smile while holding out a shot of Jose.

  I smiled as I took the shot and knocked it back. Closed my eyes and shuddered from the burn of tequila running down my body while I put the slice of lime into my mouth. Nothing like a bit of liquid courage to help with what I was about to do. When the tingling stopped, I opened my eyes again.

  "Well, Reese, I do aim to please," I replied while licking the lime off of my lips.

  "Well, Rain, you have a great aim," He said while patting the front pocket of his jeans, causing my gaze to follow the motion. I couldn’t wait to find out what else was in those pants. "Would you like to take another shot?"

  I reached down to put a finger into the pocket holding my panties and leaned into him, pressing my breasts against his arm then whispered in his ear, "I'd love to take a shot at you, but you don't have to get me drunk for that."

  I pushed my finger farther into his pocket, and just as it hooked the elastic of my panties, I pulled them free fast enough that he couldn't stop me from taking them back. Then I twirled them around in the air teasingly. He stood up and placed his hand on the side of the bar to my right.

  "You don't seem to like to play fair. Two can play at this game," he said while waiving at Sam, signaling to pour us another round. "You took my prize away from me, so you owe me another one to replace it. Let me take you out sometime."

  Oh shit, he wants a date. I didn’t do dates. One date led to two, which led to three, and after three, one of us was going to get hurt. I just wanted to play with what he's got in his pants and then be on my way. Good thing I knew how to play this off and get my way without any commitment.

  I stopped twirling my panties in the air, tipped back my second Tequila-O, and smiled brightly. "Absolutely! You can reserve a back room from the front box office. Just let them know I owe you and they will give you a special rate. But I'm already booked up for tonight." Then I winked at him.

  Reese let out a low chuckle. Then his features turned serious. He moved in front of me and put his other hand on the bar to my left, tightly trapping me between his arms with my back to the bar. DaShaun slapped his hand on Reese’s shoulder, ready to throw him out of the club.

  I spoke up quickly. “DaShaun, we’re good here.” After searching my face for a few moments, he backed up and walked away.

  Reese was standing over me with his body hovering only inches away, his intense blue eyes staring into mine. The rest of the world faded away until all I could see was him. My mind was a cyclone of thoughts. I couldn’t help but think that he was trouble, that I could lose myself in him, that he was dangerous. I couldn’t open myself up to someone again, just to be rejected when they saw the real me. The me I couldn’t pretend didn’t exist. The me that always drove lovers away.

  Reese leaned in and his head came down next to mine. My senses were drowned in him. He smelled so good that I wanted to let my tongue dart out to taste him. He moved closer, his hips pressing against mine as he heat from his body consumed me.

  His lips brushed my ear as he slowly said, "That isn't what I meant. I'm going to take you out for dinner." The way he’d emphasized the word going instantly brought my nipples to attention, and I struggled to keep control of my own body. He pulled back and stared at me, waiting for my answer.

  I let out the breath I felt like I had been holding since he’d put his arms around me. I saw myself falling over a cliff, tumbling into the dark blue vastness of his eyes that demanded an answer. “Okay,” I said, “but only once, and I'm not telling you where I live so you will have to pick me up here.”

  Reese pushed back from the bar and said, "It is a date then. I'll see you at seven two nights from now. Goodnight, Rain.” Then he turned and walked away.

  His words were ringing through my ears, his tone like a dark promise that caused my pulse to dance beneath my skin.

  I watched as Reese walked away, and once he was out of sight, I slammed my hand down on the bar and shouted at Sam, "I need a Tequila-O over here STAT!"

  I did
n't want to believe that agreeing to go out with Reese was a bad idea. Thoughts were running through my head. It isn't like I was moving in with him or committing to a relationship. It is just dinner. I like food. He must like food. There isn't a reason why we can't like food together. I started to sound like I was trying to convince myself that it wasn’t a bad idea. Fuck me please.

  I was lost in my thoughts when I saw one of The Kittens walking fast toward me like she was moving with a purpose. "Rain, you have a private dance waiting back in room number three. You better get back there."

  "Oh shit. Sorry, sweets. Thanks for coming to get me!"

  I hurried back to the dressing room to take off my robe and put on a black lace bustier and some panties. It was always better to have something on to actually strip out of. When I got to the door for room number three, I took a deep breath before turning the handle. It didn't do me any good. Once I opened the door and saw who was waiting for me inside the room, I lost all of the air in my lungs.

  "Come in and close the door behind you, Rain,” Reese commanded. "I reserved all of your private dance time tonight when I got here. So this doesn't count as our one date.” He paused for a moment, his eyes moving over me from head to toe. Then he said, “I want to feel you move."

  I was so stunned that he was in this room, waiting for me in the dark, that I was lost for words. I slowly walked over to stand in front of where he was sitting on the plush couch. As if my limbs were attached to a puppeteer’s strings, my body started moving in time with the music that was pouring from the speakers. My hands moved like they had a mind of their own, sliding over my hips and up to the top of my bustier. While swaying my hips, I started undoing the hooks that kept me encased in black lace, slowly exposing a line of my bare skin. When I got to the bottom hook, I let it drop to the floor, revealing my pasty-covered breasts. Reese’s jaw clenched as he drew in a sharp breath.

  The heat in his gaze made goose bumps rise all over my body, and my heartbeat started soaring to nearly dangerous levels. Something in me needed to touch him, to feel his skin against mine. Wearing nothing but pasties, my lace panties and fuck-me heels, I took a step forward and straddled him, my knees pressing in on each side of his thighs. In this position, our eyes were at the same level, and once again I was lost in a sea of blue. I knew that at any moment a wave was going to crash over me, pulling me down into the depths, and I would be lost forever.

  Reese’s low voice pulled me out of the threatening waves “Rain, I want to feel you move.”

  I let my hands slide up his arms and neck, my fingernails playing over his skin. Then I buried my hands into the silky dark hair at the back of his head. Tugging his hair, I pulled his head to the side to expose his neck.

  Breaking the connection between our eyes, I dipped my head down to where his neck met his shoulder. As I put my lips against his skin, I let my tongue dart out, finally taking a taste. Reese tasted like I thought he would—rich, spicy, and a little bit salty. I heard him groan and could feel his hands clenching into fists at the sides of my thighs, begging to grab ahold of me. I squeezed tighter with my knees and moved to sit firmly on his lap. When my pussy met his hard cock, his pants and my panties the only thing separating us.

  I pushed down to rub myself against his large erection that was straining tightly against his jeans. I heard him let out a deep moan that confirmed that he needed this as badly as I did. Pushing my breasts against his chest, I continued to kiss and nip at his neck while I shamelessly ground my now swollen clit down on the rough material that covered his hard cock.

  “Fuck, Rain, you are going to make me come.” Reese grunted between breaths.

  “Tessa. My name is Tessa,” I whispered, the words betraying me, escaping my lips on their own. As I felt the edge of my climax starting to take over, I opened my mouth and bit down on Reese's shoulder to keep from screaming his name as I came.

  I don't know how many minutes passed while I was lying on him, recovering from the mind-blowing orgasm I’d just had without him even touching me. As soon as I could gather my wits, I lightly kissed his neck where I had bitten him and slipped off his lap. Leaving my bustier on the floor, I walked to the closet and grabbed a robe. Without looking back at Reese, I opened the door to leave.

  "Tessa," Reese said, the need in his voice stopping my retreat, "I do love how you move. I can't wait to feel you move when I have you naked under me."

  I stopped in the hall after the door closed behind me and thought, What the fuck have I gotten myself into?

  Butterfingers and Butterflies

  “Tessa”

  The next morning, I got up early to pick up Raegan from the airport. I didn’t drive my car often, but I couldn’t wait to see her and didn’t want her to take a cab. She had been living in New York for the past few months and I’d missed her so much. We had a long day ahead of us, and I knew that we would need caffeine, sugar, and each other to get through it.

  Today we were going to celebrate Ruby’s twenty-third birthday. Ruby, Raegan, and I had all met when we were around eight or nine. We had been cast as flowers in our school’s spring recital. We had formed a bond over whining about the costumes we’d had to wear. We’d all wanted to be bugs instead of stupid flowers. After that, we were never apart. That is, until Ruby left us.

  By sixth grade, the girls had been spending more nights sleeping at my house than at their own. They hadn’t had bad parents. They just hadn’t been as attentive or involved in our lives as mine had been. Raegan and Ruby had become more than just friends—they had become a part of our family. Ruby was almost a year younger than Raegan and me and she had been a grade lower, but we hadn’t let that matter to us. She’d also developed faster than we had, so when it was time that she’d needed a bra, Mom had taken all three of us to pick them out. Ruby and I had teased Raegan about stuffing hers until she turned fourteen and got a visit from the Titty Fairy.

  I picked Raegan up from the airport and headed straight to our favorite coffee shop, where we could sit in overstuffed chairs and sip on our fancy coffee while we caught up.

  Looking up from her cup, Raegan said, “So how’s life?”

  I bit my lip. Today was going to be an emotional day as it was. I didn’t need to have Raegan overanalyze my decision to go out on a date with Reese.

  “Uh oh, what happened? Tell me all about it.”

  “It’s not a big deal. And don’t read more into it than there is, because there isn’t anything, but I met a guy last night.”

  “You meet guys every night, Tess.”

  “Yea, I know, Rae.” I sighed. “The thing is that I agreed to go out on a date with him.”

  “WHAT?”

  “Shhhhhh! I know, I know. I shouldn’t have, but he was just so… I don’t know how to explain it, Rae. He had me panting like a fucking dog without even touching me.”

  “How long has it been since you’ve dated anyone?” Great, this was exactly why I hadn’t wanted to tell her.

  “You know as well as I do that I haven’t dated anyone since Brady. I’m happy this way. I don’t have to hide who I am or what I like from anyone. I don’t have to worry about someone judging my fucking kinks. I get what I need, and they get what they need. And then we each go on our merry way and nobody gets hurt.”

  She held up her coffee like she was making a toast. “Here is to you finding someone someday who loves you for your fucking kinks!” Then she clinked her cup to mine, which was still sitting on the table, and took a sip.

  “Raegan, if you tell anyone in the family about this, I will tell Mom that you were the one who spilled grape juice on the couch when we were eleven.”

  Her eyes went wide “You wouldn’t!”

  “Hell yes I would.”

  After we had finished our coffee, we walked outside and hailed a cab. On the way to visit Ruby, we stopped and picked up a bunch of Butterfingers. They had been her favorite and we all ate them every year. Everyone else was already there when we arrived, and after a short
walk across the grass, we joined them.

  It was a beautiful day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the birds were still singing their morning song. Mom and Dad had brought fresh flowers. My sister Emily, her husband Kurt, and their daughter Abigail were there as well. Abigail was running around in her cute dress, chasing butterflies.

  After I handed out the candy bars to everyone, I placed the last one on top of the headstone and said, “Happy birthday, Ruby. I love you, sweetie.”

  Every year after we visited Ruby, the whole family went to the local junior high school to talk to the teens about violent acts and how to stay safe. We told Ruby’s story, and though it tore me apart, I knew that if we could save one person from her fate it was worth the pain.

  We had finished the assembly and were standing outside of the school. “Do you really have to go back to New York tomorrow?” I asked Raegan.

  “Yeah. I have a meeting I can’t miss the next day. I hope I can get some sleep on the plane.”

  “I hate it when you aren’t here.”

  “I know, Tess. I miss you too,” she said while pulling me into a tight hug. “I’m here now. Let’s make the most out of it, okay?”

  “You bet your sweet ass that we are going to,” I said, and we climbed into a cab to go back to my apartment.

  Raegan and I were sitting on the floor in front of my couch. After finishing a bottle of wine, we pushed the coffee table off to the side and I pulled our memory box out from under my bed. This was the only night each year that we opened it. An hour and another bottle of wine later, we were surrounded by pictures, trinkets, and memories.

  “Hey, Tess, I found your favorite lipstick. God, I can’t believe you used to wear this horrific color! It’s like Barbie fucked a bottle of Pepto Bismol and they had a baby!”

  I snatched the tube away from her, took the lid off, and twisted the lipstick up to carefully apply it to my lips. “Do you remember when I made out with Johnny between classes with this on? The dumbass didn’t even think to wipe it off before going to health class.”