Sinner-Saint Box Set (Sinner-Saint Series)

by Roxie Odell

  She scrambled out of her suit and kicked it across her room. She hurried into a pair of boyfriend jeans, cinched at the waist with a distressed leather belt. She chose a pale pink Lycra cotton top with sleeves off the shoulders. She had a nice, yoga-taut body, so the shirt hugged her form well, showing just enough skin and shape to be super sexy without being sleazy.

  She quickly rubbed sunscreen into her exposed skin, then dabbed herself with perfumed powder under her arms, on her back, and between her breasts. It gave her a little pleasure knowing he might catch the freshly applied, sweet fragrance.

  Good to go, Cheri ran down the stairs two at a time. She didn’t want to risk a fall or a sprained ankle, but she could not get to Thomas fast enough.

  When she walked outside she saw him leaning against his bike, a romantic, sexy silhouette worthy of a poster she would have readily pinned on her ceiling. He was always so cool, but he was semi-secretly impatient. They weren’t so different, playing their true feelings close to the vest. She knew him, though, and he couldn’t hide much from her, just as she couldn’t hide much from him.

  Thomas was holding her helmet, but he set it down and fished in his pocket. “Turn,” he said.

  Cheri lit up with delight, shocked that she’d forgotten one of her favorite parts of riding with him. The feel of Thomas’s hands in her hair as he threw it into a quick braid was an amazing experience every time, one that relaxed her so deeply that it put her on the verge of unconsciousness. She wondered if some part of her left her hair down on purpose. “That’s the best,” she murmured.

  His laughter rumbled softly in his chest. “Good. You can put your helmet on now.”

  Cheri waited and watched as Thomas swung his magnificent leg over the bike, and then she slipped the headgear on. Like an old pro, she steadied herself on his powerful shoulder and took her place behind him. He drew her up against him, and they fit together just like perfectly scrolled puzzle pieces. She wrapped her arms around him and held on with total pleasure.

  Cheri was certainly not a seasoned Harley girl. In fact, the only bike she’d ever been on was his. They had gone long distances before, and they’d been up and down hilly terrain, but they’d never journeyed to the highway together. It wasn’t a long stretch, but for Cheri it was a scary one. She braced herself as Thomas took them to Great Falls, Virginia, a vast park with paths for hiking and biking.

  The scenery was beautiful, with thick, lush forests on either side of the road, like a sprawling jungle. The recent rain had left the humidity at a comfortable, tolerable level, and the late summer light carried just a hint of fall orange in it, gilding everything it touched.

  The river rushing through the park swelled well beyond its normal level, a rambling body of water, fierce and wild. Their route ran on an elevated bank parallel to the muddy river, and Cheri felt as if they were racing with those roaring rapids.

  The bike cut through the scenic pathways, and it was a sensual experience to ride beneath that parasol of rich green, holding onto the man she once thought she had fallen in love with. It was a dream come true for Cheri, in the most literal sense, a happy déjà vu. The surroundings carried her back to her visions of the apple trees from her dream the day before.

  The ends of Thomas’s hair tufted beneath his helmet in soft, shiny waves. Eventually, he wound around to a picnic area, with tables set on slopes. The ground beneath them was fairly solid, and there not much mud. He parked the bike and they both climbed off, removed their helmets, and set them on a table. He swung a bag out and quickly unpacked the food he’d brought.

  “Looks good,” Cheri said, rubbing her rumbling tummy that was reminding her she’d skipped breakfast.

  He laughed softly at her eagerness.

  “What?” Cheri protested mildly.

  “I know you. You eat like a bird, and I figured you planned to just grab a little something on the way to work,” he said. “I’m sure you haven’t had anything all day.”

  “How do you know I wasn’t up for hours already?” she teased. “Maybe I ate before you got there.”

  He arched an eyebrow at her, signaling his disbelief. “Did you?”

  She sighed, looking every bit like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Score one for you, Thomas Graham. You were pretty sure that I was going to join you. You even packed enough food for two.”

  “Let’s just say I was keeping the faith.”

  They both enjoyed the meal he’d brought, delicious English muffin sandwiches with Swiss cheese and ham. The carafe of homemade fruit and vegetable juice wasn’t the most appetizing color, but it was chilled, refreshing, and sweet, a clear indication that he knew how to put flavors together.

  The breeze lifted, and the sound of the rain-swollen creek rushing just beyond their picnic table serenaded them so loudly that they had to almost yell to talk over it. Life seemed perfect at that moment, just the two of them, basking in the beauty of nature and their incredible chemistry.

  “That was the best, Thomas,” she remarked as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Really delicious.”

  “Thanks. I started juicing a little while ago. I tried a juice fast and lasted almost a whole day,” he confessed with a chuckle.

  “Well, it’s great with a meal, but I don’t know if I could stand it as just a meal.”

  “I’m very glad you liked it,” he said, then guzzled down the last bit from his cup.

  The sandwiches were small, and Cheri ate one and a half. The food made her lazy, and she had the urge to lie back and nap, but she couldn’t resist staying up to eat the chilled fresh peaches he brought for dessert. They broke into a round of childish giggles as they slurped the juicy fruit.

  “No easy way to eat ‘em, is there?” Thomas asked, dabbing the sticky peach juice from her face with a fresh napkin.

  “This is the best way,” she said between bites.

  Their eyes met and held. Not only did she see the adoration that he had for her, but she also felt it. It was a physical force, as powerful and real as the occasional gusts that blew off the rushing waters nearby. As those drafts of passion washed over Cheri, she had to ask herself whether their enamored feelings were simply the result of their recent absence, just a novelty, or if there was more to it than that. She wasn’t sure she should continue seeing him, and she worried that it wasn’t fair to either of them to lead one another on by spending time together.

  One thing that Cheri did know was that if they continued to linger, continued gazing at one another, they would inevitably collide in a kiss. Thomas was smart enough to sense her hesitation, though, and he avoided the kiss he wanted to give her, moved all their picnic gear off the table, and stretched out on it.

  “I could fall asleep right here,” he confessed.

  “Breakfast or brunch or whatever it was… That was very thoughtful of you,” she said softly.

  “Like I said, I’m glad you liked it.” He sighed contentedly, his eyes closed.

  Cheri sat on the bench and leaned her head back on his hip. The past few days were quickly catching up with her, and she was also longing for sleep.

  Thomas raised his hand and ran it through her hair. He stroked slowly at first, but then his touch intensified, with more purpose, and he was glad when Cheri didn’t resist him or pull away. “Hey, we’ve talked a lot about me and my drama since we, uh…parted ways. What have you been up to since you turned me away?” he asked in a low, sensual voice.

  “I just…” She trailed off and sighed, not sure what to tell him about her rather unexciting life. She certainly wasn’t going to confess that she’d spent much of her time thinking about him and working off her sexual frustration by cleaning her house.

  Thomas flexed his arm, and Cheri lifted her upper body. Then, just like that, entirely on the same wavelength, the two of them came together to kiss, clearly something they’d both been wanting to do since they bumped into each other at his construction site.

  Instantly, they were all hands, pulling and
grinding, trying to taste every morsel of each other that they possibly could. Their tongues swept into one another’s mouths, tagging and claiming and entwining, as if they were starved to death for one another.

  Thomas lifted her up and onto him, and she stopped kissing him and rested her head on his chest. They embraced, and he enveloped her with his powerful arms.

  “You can’t say you don’t miss this,” he said in a barely audible whisper.

  “Thomas…” she pleaded.

  “Cheri…” he countered.

  She lifted her head and looked at him. “I do miss it,” she sighed, “but I also sometimes think you want me because I turned you away, as you put it.”

  “You think that’s all this is?” he asked. “I admit I’m not perfect, but you make me want to be.”

  “You’re too dangerous for me,” she said, shaking her head. “Lots of other women like you, and you like them as well. I can’t be just a notch on a bedpost, Thomas. I have to be special. I can’t…” she tried, then stopped herself.

  “You are special to me,” he rasped passionately. “I’ve been trying to tell you that.”

  “You said the words before,” she replied, remembering painfully, “but it’s not all about words.”

  “Cheri, you caught me off guard before. I had no idea I could ever feel as strongly about another human being as I feel about you.”

  She stared at him, wondering if he meant it, wondering if she was ready to believe such a well-spoken declaration so close to those three little words every woman wants to hear.

  “What if I prove it to you?” he asked, his voice practically dripping with desperation and hope.

  “How?”

  “Let me date you, Cheri. We can take it slow or fast, however you wanna play it. We’ll get to know each other.”

  “On one condition.”

  “Name it.”

  “We have to be exclusive,” she said firmly. “I’m not into holding anyone hostage, but I don’t share.”

  “No problem there.”

  She put out her hand for a shake, as if to seal the deal. He took it, and she tugged his arm till she had his full attention. “I thought you said there were no strings attached to this bike ride,” she teased.

  “I lied,” he retorted, winking.

  He pulled her up so her face was above his, then kissed her with excruciating slowness, so slowly that she thought she might faint if he didn’t get on with it. She lay atop him, with all her body weight, slight as it was, pressing down against the hard surface of his chest. Something about being entirely on top of him made her feel heavy, but when they kissed she felt as light as a feather.

  They were out in the middle of nowhere and alone, yet they were somewhat vulnerable, since there was a good chance others would come along in the rare good weather. Nevertheless, their passion took on a furious urgency.

  Thomas seemed to be on autopilot. He lifted Cheri with ease and walked to a grove of trees, her body braced entirely against his torso. He was able to navigate even while blinded by her kisses. He backed her up to a broad trunk, and they both pushed their jeans down just enough.

  He splayed his hands across her buttocks to steady her, then entered her quickly. His tongue was warm and wet in her mouth as his hips swiveled into her body. The excitement of being with him in such a forbidden, risky setting pushed Cheri to the peak of excitement quickly, and she was sure it was not going to take much more to set her off.

  Thomas, on the other hand, had the stamina of a bull. His body was tense with arousal, but he held off, savoring the moment for as long as he could. His mouth found her ear, and he released a warm breath there, drawing shivers from deep within her core. He nuzzled her hair, and the effect of that sent her into a round of shudders against the tree bark. Her body drew up tightly around him. A few times, she thought she would cartwheel into ecstasy, but she was only suffering delicious false starts. She extended one leg to the forest floor to give her more ability to control her motion, desperate to rock up against his rock-hard body.

  Out of nowhere the sound of a car engine echoed from somewhere down the road, getting ever closer.

  The lovers froze, still connected, and Cheri’s heart pounded insanely in her chest. She tried to remain still, to control her breathing, but she could not catch her breath as she stared at Thomas, wide-eyed and still.

  Fortunately, the car continued on and did not stop.

  “Close call,” Thomas said, before he chuckled and began their erotic dance anew.

  She hitched her knee upward, to his hip, and countered his rhythm with her own. She draped her arms around his broad shoulders, never letting her mouth stir from his. She took their privacy for granted and let herself be as loud as she felt like being; at one point, he had to shush her passionate cries.

  “We’re gonna have a park ranger over here if we don’t watch it,” he said in his deep, rich voice.

  “Park rangers?” Cheri muttered, startled.

  “Shh…” he said.

  When she was securely in his hands, Thomas drove into her, picking up the pace so they could conclude their interlude, knowing the longer they lingered the likelier it was that they’d be discovered. He already had a rap sheet, and the last thing he wanted was to add public indecency to it.

  He plunged his tongue into her ear and worked her earlobe almost painfully between his teeth, the perfect combination of pleasure and pain as he chased a powerful orgasm. She tightened the muscles of her channel, clenching and releasing as he drilled unmercifully. At least, she spasmed involuntarily.

  Sweet, sweet ripples of sugared climax rolled through her abdomen, gathering at her core. Cheri went limp, leaving poor Thomas to do all the heavy lifting. She tried to support herself with one foot, but she couldn’t help squirming in his hands, setting off his pleasure.

  He buried his face in her hair to mute the cries of ecstasy that erupted from him. He was careful not to let her back make contact with the coarse surface of the tree. As awkward as it was balancing against an oak while trying to find their pleasure, it was also an incredible, unforgettable encounter, the stuff of romance novels and naughty dreams.

  As soon as their rapture peaked, they quickly fixed their clothes. Cheri smoothed her hair that had frizzed out of the braid during their thrashing. Adrenaline cleared her brain, and she suddenly grew nervous that someone might be watching them. After all, they had been so immersed in passion that they had forgotten to stand guard. “Anyone see us, ya think?” she whispered.

  “Only the birds and the bees, honey,” Thomas joked.

  Chapter 7

  Thomas knew just how to get to Cheri, and that was through that bike of his. Everything else about him was intoxicating, but the Harley was what really did it for her. Cheri found riding on the back of it, hugging his body so tightly with the wind ripping through her braid, to be the most magical of experiences, absolutely addictive.

  It was a different experience altogether straddling the motorcycle after such intense pleasure, like her own sweet, private hell. The vibration of the bike tortured her all the way home. It was tough to focus, so she held on a little more tightly than usual.

  The mild weather that made their two-wheeled tour of Great Falls so spectacular didn’t hold out, and by the evening hours the pressure of humidity mounted and promised to deliver more intense, heat- and/or power-packing thunderstorms.

  Despite their resolution that they would give dating a try, Cheri let Thomas walk her to the door but not beyond it.

  “You’re not gonna invite me in?” he asked, perplexed.

  “I would love nothing more than to spend more time with you,” she said in her sweetest tone, “but I don’t want to ruin anything. We already kind of abandoned taking it slow, but I do have a lot to think about. Slow is real, Thomas. Goodnight.”

  “Wait,” he said. “What about the work on your house?”

  “I think I should give the other guy a chance. He got high marks on the Yelp reviews.
Plus, he kept talking about Bible stories. I’m sure he’s not a bad guy.”

  “Yelp and Bible stories?” he said, scrunching up his face. “Wow, Cheri. Just…wow.”

  “Thomas,” she said, frustrated. “Please don’t try to change my mind. I just… I need tonight on my own. I’m sorry.”

  “Okay, but I will be calling you,” he said, as if it was a threat.

  “I would expect nothing less.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him, then closed the door and spied on him through the sheers in her front room.

  Thomas stomped to his bike like a boy throwing a tantrum, which drew a girlish giggle from Cheri inside her house. He swung his long, powerful leg over his bike and motored away, and she knew he’d be dying to call her soon.

  ***

  Cheri no longer had to decide whether she would walk or take the metro to work, because she had door-to-door service from her hunky, gorgeous suitor. The other contractor had arrived and was in her back yard, so she quickly scurried to the truck before the two men had a chance to run into each other.

  Knowing Thomas was coming to get her, since he had very adorably asked her if he could before her head hit her pillow that night, Cheri wore a sweet suit with a skirt that was borderline too short, along with a pair of classically elegant high heels.

  The price she paid for wearing the sexy pencil skirt was that she had to be lifted into her seat with his assistance. There was no graceful way to get into his vehicle in her sexy business attire, but she didn’t mind his hands on her as he hoisted her and sat her on her rump.

  She turned to him, taking his face in her hands. He was the perfect height from there, and she let her skirt hitch up, pressing a knee on either side. She kissed him without a care about anyone looking on.

  Thomas pressed one large hand against the curve of her buttocks and the other against her back, pinning her to absorb the full impact of his kiss. “We’d better get a move-on, or I’ll take you right here,” he threatened.