The Season of Sin (Peace In The Storm Publishing Presents)

by Stacy-Deanne

  “I want us to be a real couple.”

  “You…uh…you do?” He tried to catch his breath but wasn’t sure he had any left.

  “I’m not trying to put you on the spot or make any demands but I really care about you. I love the time we spend together. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. I want to be your girlfriend. I’m falling in love with you. I know you’re surprised and feel like this is coming out of the blue. Maybe it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have had sex with you so quickly that first time. I regret that now.”

  He rested on the pillow.

  “You don’t have to say anything.” She put her finger on his lips. “I understand if you’re not there yet.”

  Yet? He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be there.

  “Zoë you mean a lot to me okay? You’re a very special person.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  “Have we been having sex or making love?”

  Why did women always do this? At one point he thought he could learn to love her. But his feelings for her hadn’t moved since they had sex on Jasmine’s stairs. He cared about her. He wasn’t the kind of man who could have sex with someone and not care. But love? He couldn’t bring his mouth to say that word around her. He felt obligated but not once had he felt he loved her. He loved Bree.

  He’d been so desperate to teach Bree a lesson. He felt if he moved on, it would force Bree to take him back. Shit that’s what he wanted.

  Now he had this gorgeous woman in front of him who’d just spilled her guts. Was he a jerk or just an idiot? Any man would kill to be with a woman like Zoë Peron. But if Brianna gave him one tiny bit of a shot with her he’d drop Zoë on the spot.

  Yep he was a jerk.

  “I…”

  “Shh. You don’t have to answer that.”

  “Well we really haven’t known each other all that long right? It takes time.”

  She caressed his face. “Yeah you’re right.”

  “If we’re talking getting serious, we need to know more about each other.”

  “I think we already do.” She went to kiss him but he stopped her.

  “Sexually speaking, we know each other very well.” He touched the ends of her hair. “But I want to know about you in general.”

  “I don’t understand. What else would you need to know? We’ve talked about my modeling, where I went to college and me being adopted.”

  “But you don’t talk about your adoptive family. You don’t talk about your parents. You don’t talk about where you grew up or where you’re from. Have you lived in New York all your life? If not, where did you grow up? How many guys have you dated? How many serious relationships? I don’t know enough about you, Zoë.”

  “What’s with you lately? How come every time we’re together now I only get questions?”

  “You’re the one who just said you want us to get serious. Well I can’t if I don’t know you well enough. You know all about my family and past. I’ve been upfront even about Bree. You haven’t shared much of anything. I’m beginning to think you’re using sex to divert me from asking about you or something. I care about you and I just wanna know more about you.”

  “But why all of a sudden you’re so anxious to know more? At first just knowing how to make me come was enough for you.”

  “Is that another diversion? You just asked me how I felt about you and I told you that being in love is part of knowing someone.”

  “You do know me.” She got her barrette off the dresser. “You know what’s important.”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I don’t like being interrogated all right?” She got her comb from her purse.

  “So because I wanna know more about you, it’s an interrogation? Why? You got something to hide?” He threw the covers off.

  “No. But man you’ve been a drag lately. Every time we’re together it ends up with these questions and I don’t like how you look at me lately.”

  “And how do I look?”

  “Like that.” She pointed. “Like you’re accusing me of something. I don’t need this shit, Steven. I like you a lot and it hurts that you seem to be only suspicious of me.”

  “Wait.” He held her. “I just asked some questions. Why are you getting so upset?”

  “I’m not upset but I feel like something has changed with you. I hope Bree hasn’t been planting things in your head.”

  “She wouldn’t do that.”

  “Steve.” She combed her hair. “You might think you know women but I am one and we’re all shady sometimes.” She made a tight ponytail and clipped it down with her barrette. “Even Bree’s not perfect.”

  “I never said she was.”

  “Did she get a bunch of questions after you guys made love or did you save such special treatment for me?”

  “I don’t understand the attitude at all. You act like I accused you of being with another man or something.”

  She put on her earrings.

  “You’re not right?”

  “Not what?” She put on her bracelet.

  “Seeing someone else?”

  “Stop it, Steve. Goddamn it what’s going on? Of course I’m not seeing someone else but I don’t get you. I ask you if we can be serious, you give me the runaround now you wanna know if I’m with someone else.” She got her lipstick and eyebrow pencil out of her purse. “You really don’t have the right to ask.”

  “You’re right. I don’t.”

  She painted her eyebrows. “I’m not seeing anyone else. I really, really like you. Don’t I show that every time we’re together?”

  “Yes.”

  “And I’ll share more okay but I’m very private. It’s just how I’ve always been. It takes time for me to open up. But please don’t doubt that I want us to be more than just sex. I mean that with all my heart.”

  “I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad.”

  She threw her arms around him. “I just don’t want this to change. You’re the only thing in my life that brings me peace.”

  “Things won’t change.” He kissed her cheek. “Just know you can come to me if you need to.”

  “I know.” She put on lipstick that made her dark skin sparkle. “I gotta go.” She kissed him. “I do trust you. Do you trust me?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Goodnight. I’ll see myself out.” She blew him a kiss and left the bedroom.

  “Goodnight my ass.”

  Steven got dressed.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Zoë parked behind the building next to the Daily Inn. She sauntered down the connecting sidewalk and went up the outside stairs.

  Steven parked behind an overloaded trash bin. Tonight boasted a significant temperature drop from previous nights. The violent chill shot through the car doors.

  Zoë stood in front of one of the motel rooms. She kept looking around as if someone might follow her. The door sprung open when she knocked. Steven couldn’t see the person from where he sat. Zoë dipped inside. He didn’t understand anything about her. His only concern should’ve been finding out her connection to Billy. That’s why he’d led her on all these weeks but personal feelings kept seeping in.

  His cock tingled.

  Hell he didn’t give a shit about her and Billy right now. He wanted to know who’d called her. Who would make her rush out in the middle of the night? Who was that man on the phone that she loved?

  He hadn’t committed to her but that didn’t stop how enraged he got when he thought of her with another man. Maybe it was a man thing but he didn’t want to share her no matter how selfish that was.

  Ring! Ring!

  “Shit.” He got his phone from his jeans. He guessed Brianna before seeing the caller ID.

  “Yeah, Bree?”

  “Hey. You with Zoë?”

  “Um, yes and no.” He took his keys out the ignition.

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’m with her but she doesn’t know it
.”

  “What?”

  He got out the car. “I’m kinda busy here, Bree.”

  “Just wanted to see if you found out anything yet.”

  He ducked under the security lights in the lot then stopped at the steps.

  “No.” He stooped around the corner when a man walked through the lot.

  “You said you’d find out something soon and it’s been weeks.”

  “I can’t just come out and ask about Billy can I? You think it’s so easy why don’t you confront her yourself? I feel like shit, sleeping with her only to find out answers.”

  “But you didn’t mind when you were doing it behind my back right?”

  “It doesn’t feel right. I feel like I’m using her.”

  “This is serious. I know you don’t wanna hurt her but we gotta find out why Zoë lied. I’m beginning to think you’re dragging this out on purpose so you can spend more time with her.”

  “Oh that’s bullshit. You know it.”

  “Do I?”

  “I can’t get anything out of her, nothing.”

  “That’s a sign that she’s well-guarded and she wouldn’t be if she wasn’t hiding something.”

  A man and woman came down the stairs. The woman dug underneath her miniskirt and spit gum on the steps. The man shot Steven the “you-don’t-know-me-and-you-don’t-wanna-know-me-either” look and went to the soda machines. The lady stopped in front of Steven, pushed up her bosom and licked her lips.

  “Hey.” Her breath smelled like cigarettes and pastrami. “You wanna date, handsome?”

  “Steve?” Brianna yelled through the phone.

  “Hey, bitch!” The man pulled her away. “I paid for your ass for the whole night. Bring your ass over here, trick.”

  She blew a kiss at Steven and followed the man to a black pickup truck.

  Steven fanned away the woman’s stench. “I gotta go, Bree.”

  “Where the hell are you?”

  “The Daily Inn. I’ll call you later.”

  “Why the hell are you down there?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

  Steven awoke an hour later to a lady getting in the car beside his. The lady drove off the same time Zoë did. He wasn’t leaving until he saw the person Zoë had met.

  A man walked out of the room in a baseball cap and jacket.

  The man’s movements seemed familiar, something about the shuffle in his walk.

  “Come on, walk into the light.”

  The man tilted his cap and looked toward the security lights.

  Steven did a double-take. “What the fuck?”

  Nick Sebastian strutted from the motel.

  Dylan opened the Albany paper the next morning. Bruce’s release made headlines.

  All Charges Dropped Against Prime Suspect in Kuriakis Murder.

  Beside the article sat a picture of Bruce on the county jail steps with Annabelle at his side.

  Ballistics had confirmed that the bullet found in Shannon’s skull hadn’t come from her gun. The police lacked sufficient evidence to keep Bruce in jail for the murder.

  Dylan swayed in Jasmine’s hammock on the front porch. Thank goodness Bruce wouldn’t go to prison for something he didn’t do. But she’d give anything to find the killer and put this nightmare to an end.

  The birds hopped from one point of the roof to the other. Bruce’s release signified the first chance at peace since Nadia’s death. She’d thought about him everyday. It became excruciating to think of him in jail no matter how angry she’d been about him sleeping with Shannon.

  If she lost Bruce forever she’d deserve it. She loved him but hung onto pride instead of standing by him. All because she wanted to save face and not have to explain herself to Jasmine. But now she didn’t give a shit what anyone thought. She might’ve been alive without Bruce but she wasn’t living.

  A drop of sweat fell down the side of her face. Nothing she’d done helped her to get over him. She’d thrown herself into activities, painted, anything to keep her mind off of him. Spending time with Nick had been amazing but sometimes she wished he’d been Bruce. She’d give up everything if he forgave her. She’d beg and plead. She didn’t care how it looked.

  No wonder Mr. Swaggert hated her so much. She’d turned Bruce’s life upside down and didn’t have the nerve to support him in the end. Despite how much he’d done for her.

  Bruce always said he didn’t deserve her? Bullshit.

  She slung her legs off the hammock.

  She had to get him back. She’d been a wreck just the short time he’d been in jail. But how could she expect him to forgive her? She couldn’t even think of forgiving herself.

  Bruce once told her that their love could survive anything.

  But did he still love her? Was it too late?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  New York City

  “I can’t believe we’re doing this, Steven.” Brianna stood in Zoë’s living room doorway. You know the trouble we could get into for this? Captain Jersey would wring our necks.”

  “She won’t know if you keep your mouth shut.” He zipped around the room like Spiderman. He searched Zoë’s bookshelf and the drawers in her entertainment system. “Instead of just standing there you could be helping.” He knelt in front of the computer desk. “We’ll get out of here quicker.” He shook sweat from his face.

  “And since when is breaking and entering something you’ve ever seen me do?”

  He walked across the hallway to Zoë’s bedroom.

  “Steve this is nuts!” Brianna stomped behind him.

  “You’re the one who wanted to know more right?” He scooted Zoë’s end table from the bed and went through the drawers. “Don’t you wanna know what she’s hiding once and for all?” He flipped through a notebook then tossed it on the bed. “You gonna help or just bitch? ‘Cause I could’ve come alone.”

  “You begged me to come.”

  “I thought you’d help.” He pushed the end table in place and started on Zoë’s underwear drawer.

  “Don’t.” Brianna slithered between him and Zoë’s chest. “You can’t search her underwear drawer.”

  “The hell I can’t.” He pushed her aside and rummaged the drawers. “Don’t pretend you care about Zoë okay? Please.” He threw panties and bras over his shoulders.

  Brianna scooped up the garments. “And you think she’d hide something in her underwear drawer?”

  “Duh, that’s why I’m searching it.” He hocked a lacy thong over his shoulder.

  “You sure could learn something about women. You gotta be one to know where we hide stuff.”

  “Ah, I don’t think so, Bree.” He searched the last drawer in the chest.

  “Can you tell me why you are so suspicious of Zoë all of a sudden? And why you dragged me here this morning?”

  He opened Zoë’s double closet doors. “She was with another man last night.”

  “What?” A part of Brianna wanted to throw a party while the other felt guilty for the desire. “Uh, how do you know?”

  “Remember I was at the Daily Inn right? I followed Zoë last night and she met another man.” He went through Zoë’s clothes.

  “I’m sorry but I still don’t see why seeing her with another man made you so suspicious now.”

  “The man was Nick.” He pulled out boxes of designer shoes.

  “Nick Sebastian?”

  He nodded.

  “Hold on. Are you sure?”

  He looked through a box with a pair of Italian suede heels in it. “And she was in there an hour, Bree. I doubt they were exchanging recipes.”

  “She’s having an affair with Nick?”

  He shrugged.

  “Do you think they knew each other all along or they hooked up after he got into town?”

  “Your guess is…ah…” He crawled into the closet and threw shoes from his path. “As good as mine.”

  Brianna thumbed through designer suits, mini dresses and pants. “It do
esn’t make any sense to have this many clothes.” She examined tags. “She’s only a size four?”

  He crawled out the closet. “Jealous?”

  “No,” She lied. “I just didn’t know she was that small.”

  He got boxes off the top shelf.

  “Are you mad that Zoë was with another man or that it was Nick?”

  “I’m not mad.”

  “Yes you are.” She touched his hand. “You can be honest. Is it that you don’t wanna see her with anyone else?”

  “I…shit.” He threw a box down. “I don’t know. What the hell is she doing meeting up with Nick? I just wanna know why.” He pulled out a mound of fur. “What the hell is this?”

  “It’s a shawl.”

  “Oh.” He put it back in the box.

  “We need to get out of here.”

  “Shit.” Steven straightened up the closet. “Man I know there’s something here.” He went to the other side of the bed. “Something about her and Billy and why she gave him that money.”

  “Look the best bet is to see if you can get something out of her like we planned. Anything else might set her off.”

  “No. I can’t keep pretending with her.”

  “What?”

  “I can’t keep being with her knowing she’s hiding something. I mean, she gave Billy that money for a reason. Not to mention he’s a suspect in Klein’s murder.”

  “Do you think she knew about that?”

  “I don’t know shit, Bree. But we both know something went on between her and Billy. She gave him that money for a reason.”

  “Is there another reason why you don’t wanna keep doing what you been doing with her?” She sat on the edge of the bed.

  “You know it is.”

  “Do I?”

  “It’s not fair to you or Zoë. I gotta end it before it gets out of hand.”

  “But do you wanna end it because she’s hiding something or for another reason?”

  “Jesus you know why. I don’t love Zoë. I never did and I probably never will.”

  “I thought it was becoming serious.”

  “Well it wasn’t. I’m very, well extremely attracted to Zoë. But as far as love, it’s not there for me. I was mainly with her to make you pay attention and I hoped that would…”