Wicked Sinner

by Stacey Kennedy

  “Yeah, okay, sure,” the man scoffed, then nudged his daughter forward. She gave Remy a wave.

  Remy laughed softly and lifted her eyebrows at Asher. “I guess some people will never believe in all this.”

  “You’ll make them,” Asher said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “All they have to do is meet you.”

  His flattery felt so much more than flattery. He meant what he said, and part of her began to question why she’d shut him out for so long. He’d been back in Stoney Creek for five years now. For four of those years she’d fought like hell not to even look at him, knowing when it came to him, those gorgeous green eyes would devastate to her. She barely said a word to him, and avoided him at Whiskey Blues if she was working behind the bar. But then when she met Damon and fell in love, a part of her had wanted Asher to see her happy. To know that his leaving hadn’t ruined her. Her smart plan backfired, of course. And even though she cared for Damon, she hadn’t loved him like Asher. She realized now that shutting him out had been wrong. He might have been a bad boyfriend, but he was a great friend. Every day since he objected at her wedding, he’d been there, helping her get her feet on solid ground again. Whatever she needed or wanted—including when she jumped him—he gave her. Every step along the way had been on her terms, and that bit of kindness was not something she was used to with men. “I haven’t thanked you yet for everything you’ve done for me. For the long talks, the laughs, and for helping me these last two weeks get the shop ready, thank you.” She smiled.

  He shifted on his feet. “Don’t thank me. I want to be here with you.”

  The front door opened then, and the gang strode out, laughing about something.

  “We’re all done in there,” said Kinsley, sliding her arm into Remy’s and moving her toward the road. “You’re all set for the grand opening, just got some little stuff left that’s for you to do since you’ll inevitably do it better.”

  “I cannot thank you enough,” Remy said, and glanced at Peyton too. “I seriously don’t know what I would have done without either of you.” They were both business owners. They knew how to open a company and handle all the little things Remy never thought about. Probably things she would have learned if she’d stayed in college.

  “I’m so excited about tomorrow,” Peyton said, leaning into Boone’s embrace as he wrapped an arm around her.

  “You’re going to kill it tomorrow, Remy,” Rhett said, then clicked the key fob of his truck, and the loud beep had Remy moving away from the curb. “I’ve got a date,” he added with a dangerous grin. “I’ll be back in the morning to help out where I can.”

  “Planning a sleepover already?” Boone asked with a laugh.

  Rhett got in his truck, then rolled down the window. “Isn’t positive thinking good for the soul?”

  Everyone laughed as he drove off. Everyone except Kinsley. Remy caught her glancing at her cute high heels. She wore a pretty pink dress and a jean jacket. Kinsley always dressed up when she knew Rhett would be there, and Remy had caught Rhett a few times over the years watching Kinsley. Remy’s heart twisted. She guessed there was something that was worse than having a con man for a fiancé, and that was being madly in love with a man who would never love you back. Kinsley had loved Rhett since the tenth grade. Rhett had a reputation, and it wasn’t a good one. Boone would never approve, and Remy wasn’t sure she would either. Rhett was trouble with a capital T, and a world of baggage came with him.

  Kinsley finally caught Remy looking at her and put on a fake smile. “I need to get to the bar for my shift,” she said.

  Remy hurried to her and hugged her tight. “Thanks again for everything. I love you.”

  “Would you stop thanking me? Jeez.” Kinsley hugged her back, then leaned away and grinned. “Love you too, babe.” She gave Peyton and Boone a wave, then strode off toward Whiskey Blues two doors down.

  “I’ve got to get into work to finish up some paperwork,” Asher said, drawing Remy’s attention back to him. He glanced at Boone and they had a silent man-talk.

  Boone smiled and then glanced at Remy. “We best be on our way too. We’ll be here bright and early to help out all day tomorrow.”

  Remy hugged Boone first, then when she hugged Peyton, she said, “You’ve been so awesome through all this. And thanks again for forgiving me for getting paint on that shirt. I’m still not sure I’ll ever forgive myself.”

  Peyton laughed. “Oh, it’s fine. It’s just a blouse. We’ll see you in the morning.”

  With them on their way, Peyton waved at Boone as she entered her lingerie shop, and he continued on to the police station. Remy turned back to Asher, but he had already gotten close again. Too close. Dangerously close.

  “You’ve eaten as much food as I have today, which is barely anything,” he said, staring at her mouth before meeting her eyes again. “Want to grab dinner later?”

  “Ah….” She flipped her hair, her scalp prickling.

  He laughed softly. “A ‘no’ will suffice if you’re not interested.”

  God, sometimes being around cops sucked. They knew body language too damn well. “I just…” Time felt like it slowed down. “I don’t trust myself with you.”

  There, she said it.

  “Well, we’ll have to change that, won’t we?” Then he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her cheek, like he belonged there.

  But her heart promptly reminded her that Asher had a terrible habit of breaking it.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

  She nodded. “See ya.”

  He gave that knee-wobbling smile before striding away, looking like a god in his jeans and leather jacket. She sighed and went into the shop. She glanced around at the bookshelves full of all her nana’s creams and bath salts and incense, just everything that Nana had created over the years.

  Remy smiled, seeing Nana in all this, and feeling good about everything.

  She moved to clean the paintbrushes in the back sink when her front door opened. A good-looking man, who appeared to be in his mid-thirties, entered, dressed in a fine navy-blue tailored suit. His brown eyes held a certain hardness she found unsettling. “I’m sorry, but the grand opening isn’t until tomorrow,” she said. “Store’s closed, I’m afraid.”

  “I’m not here for the grand opening,” he said, shutting the door tightly behind him.

  Something about his demeanor screamed trouble. He moved slowly, like nothing could get through him. He watched her carefully, almost like he knew her. His gaze scanned the room quickly before returning to her. “You’re a witch? You’ve got magic?”

  “I don’t personally have magic,” she explained, annoyed that this guy was so ballsy not to leave when she asked him to. “But I know a thing or two.”

  “Interesting.” He moved near the bookshelves that held all the small jars of teas. Each one had her logo matching her sign outside on the circular sticker, along with the type of tea blend. “A protection tea, huh?” He lifted up the jar and examined the contents, giving it a grin.

  Not a nice grin. A scary grin that made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. “I really think you should leave now.” She moved toward the door.

  He caught her by the arm, his fingers tightening just enough to let her know he could overpower her easily. “We need to talk.”

  She jerked her arm away and took a step back. “I don’t even know you. Get out. Now!”

  “Ah, but I know your fiancé,” he said. “Damon Lane.”

  She felt like ice had been poured over her, all the heat leaving her body. “He’s no longer my fiancé. He’s been arrested.”

  “Yeah, I heard that,” the man said, finally letting her go and looking her directly in the eye. “Wanted to come see for myself.”

  “Okay, so you’ve seen that he’s not here,” Remy said. “Now you can leave.” Things felt like they were moving too fast. He crossed his arms, appearing so much taller than he did a second ago. “I’m not asking again. Leave now and don’t come back
. Or I’m calling the police.”

  He gave an easy laugh that shook her limbs when he moved to the door. “There are many things you could do, but trust me, going to the police is not the wisest one.” He slammed the door behind him.

  Remy stared at the door, not quite able to move. She’d met all types of men working in the bar, and she knew without a doubt that this man was not the type she should mess with. Everything he said repeated in her mind as she quickly cleaned the brushes, then headed out the front door, locking it behind her. The brisk air brushed across her face, waving her hair around her face as she glanced up and down the street, not seeing the man anywhere in sight. Feeling like his creepy eyes still watched her, she scooted forward and entered Peyton’s lingerie shop next door.

  Uptown Girl was narrow and long and set into one of the historic buildings on Main Street. The walls were painted hot pink, and there was a sales counter out front and white tables set out with the lacy garments, as well as rows of intimate wear hanging on the walls. She found Peyton behind the counter. Though the moment the door closed behind her, another cold breeze sent a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the guy. Weight suddenly pressed down on her shoulders and the light in the room seemed to fade. “Oh, damn, we’ve got to fix this immediately.”

  Peyton glanced up. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’ve got a situation in here.” Remy reached into her purse and searched for her black tourmaline stone that she always kept on hand, as well as nearly everything she needed in an emergency. She offered the stone to Peyton when she reached her. “Put this near your register.”

  “Why?” Peyton asked, unblinking. “And what kind of situation do I have?”

  “There’s still bad vibes in here.” Remy glanced around the shop and shuddered, feeling the hair on the back of her neck now standing straight up. She grabbed her rose water from her purse and began spraying around the front of the lingerie shop, helping protect the space from any lingering darkness that remained. When the sense of dread finally left Remy, easing her chest and allowing her to breathe normally again, she turned back to Peyton to find her wide-eyed. “It’s okay, you’re not being haunted by the woman who was murdered here. The energy just stays around for a while. We need to cut through it.”

  Peyton slowly looked around, seemingly ready for a ghost to jump out at her. “If you say so.” She finally glanced back and gave a tight smile. “I wasn’t expecting a visit. What’s up?”

  “A guy just came into the store.” Remy felt the hair still raised on the back of her neck, and that had nothing to do with the lingering icky energy in the space. “He said he knew Damon.”

  “Really?”

  Remy nodded. “Yeah, and I just got this really creepy vibe off him.”

  “You should tell the guys,” Peyton said.

  Remy gave a quick nod. “If he comes back, I will. Who knows, maybe he’s just a friend wondering where Damon was?”

  “You told him that Damon’s in jail?”

  “I did, yeah.”

  “Good. I’m sure you’re right. Maybe he just wanted to see for himself that Damon’s gone.” Remy watched as Peyton moved to the door, then flipped the closed sign. When she turned back, she smiled. “Speaking of Asher, how are things on that front? You both seemed very comfortable together today.”

  “We are comfortable, but there’s nothing more to report,” Remy said, moving to the panty table, picking up a black lace thong that she knew for certain Asher would love.

  Peyton sidled next to her. “It’s yours.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “You know, not for any particular detective, just for you.”

  “Are you sure?” Remy asked.

  Peyton nodded. “Most definitely.” Then color rose to her cheeks and she glanced up through her thick black lashes. “I hate to kick you out of here, but I need to meet Boone in a bit to chat with our travel agent about the wedding.”

  “Oh, sure, no probs,” Remy said, giving Peyton a quick hug. “Just wanted to stop in to say thanks again for all the help this afternoon.” Lies! The thought of going home alone after meeting that guy made her want to crawl out of her skin.

  “You really need to stop thanking all of us,” Peyton said with a sweet smile. “Everyone wants to help.”

  Remy smiled to hide the nerves tickling her belly and then moved to the door. “Call me later and tell me how the appointment went.”

  “Will do,” Peyton called as Remy headed out.

  Remy didn’t look back, scared that if she did, Peyton would see she was rattled. When the cool, crisp autumn air greeted her outside, she took another quick look around. Seeing no one, but still too freaked to go home, she quickly beelined it for Kinsley’s bar.

  By the time she got inside and plopped her butt on the stool, she was breathless.

  Kinsley immediately came over. “Hi, buttercup, miss me already?”

  “Always.”

  Kinsley laughed, then poured Remy a glass of red wine. “So, are we going to talk about Asher nearly kissing you outside today?”

  Remy accepted the glass and took a sip. “There’s nothing to say,” she replied after swallowing.

  Kinsley moved around the bar and came to sit on the stool next to Remy. “That’s actually what worries me the most. You’ve slept with Asher, and we’ve barely talked about that, and you’ve both got some serious chemistry going on. Neither of you are acting like this is just friends. You’re acting like flirty teenagers. And all this is on top of everything else you’ve had going on that you’ve barely talked about.”

  Remy exhaled a long breath and felt the tightness in her tummy. “I know it’s a lot,” she eventually said, looking at Kinsley. Peyton was new to their friendship, and special in her own right, but Kinsley…Kinsley was like Remy’s sister. They’d been through all of life together. “But I’m okay.”

  “Are you?” Kinsley asked, taking her hand. “Asher and you…it’s not a casual thing. It’s never been a casual thing. I just don’t want you to get hurt again. I remember when he left. I remember the pain you went through. I’m just really worried that neither of you have your heads clear about all this.”

  “Well, it’s a little murky,” Remy admitted, not surprised Kinsley was calling out the hard stuff. “But being with him feels good when I think I should be feeling really bad. That’s got to be something, don’t you think?”

  “Of course,” Kinsley said. “But is your heart at risk here?”

  “I can’t give him my heart again,” Remy said firmly. “At this point, I don’t think I can give any man my heart. It’s just not there to give. But I can have fun, and laugh, and now that I’m not so angry at him anymore, Asher is making me feel all those things.”

  “He always was good at that.” Kinsley gave a soft smile.

  Remy considered her next thoughts and then went on. “The sexiness, that was like a blip in time, a moment of weakness, but it’s been two weeks and I haven’t jumped him again.” Though that challenge was becoming harder and harder.

  Kinsley laughed.

  Remy laughed too. “Right now, all this feels good. If it ever doesn’t feel good, this thing between Asher and me stops.”

  “So, you’re not getting back together?”

  Remy didn’t even have to consider it. She adamantly shook her head. “Us getting back together is not on the table. He’s helping me through this shit, and we’re finding our way back to friends again. Honestly, thank you for worrying about me. I love you for it.” She took Kinsley into a warm hug. “But Asher isn’t offering a relationship, and I don’t want one. We had a hot night that was spurred from a curse breaker that had way too much booze in it. That’s all.”

  “Okay.” Kinsley eventually leaned away and gave a firm nod. “We had the talk. I know you’re good. And I love you back.” She hugged her tight once more, then jumped off the stool. “And now I need to get back to work. Call me later?”

  “You know it,” Remy said to a retreating Kinsley, who headed i
nto the back to probably work on the schedule and the books. A job that Remy helped with when she worked there. Which, in truth, would help her succeed in her own business now. She learned everything she knew about business from Kinsley, who actually graduated college with a business degree.

  When a group of men entered the bar, talking about where the pretty bartender was, Remy polished off her wine and slid off the stool. Kinsley had obviously found herself some admirers. The dark-haired one was totally Kinsley’s type. Remy headed for the door, feeling all loved up and much better than after her chat with Damon’s “friend.”

  Chapter 9

  Back at the station, the promise of caffeine led Asher into the break room. He grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured himself a coffee. Remy was on his mind. The continuing heat between them ruled his thoughts, as did the fact that she had avoided being alone with him these past couple weeks. He was sure as shit that they were both going to explode if something didn’t happen between them soon. He’d done his best to keep things strictly in the friend zone until today, but he remembered her taste, could still hear her sweet moans, and he wanted her again. Badly.

  “How’s our girl doing?” Boone asked, entering the break room, grabbing himself a coffee.

  Apparently, Remy wasn’t only on Asher’s mind. “She’s hanging in there,” Asher reported. “The shop is good for her, you know.”

  Boone nodded, taking a sip of his coffee and leaning back against the countertop. “You’re good for her too.”

  Asher snorted. “I wouldn’t go that far.” He was part of the reason she found herself in this mess. He couldn’t ever forget that. His guilt ensured he never messed up again and hurt her. “I’ll keep an eye on her,” was all he said. He turned to head back to his desk to finish looking through Fanning’s file, confirming for himself that there was no longer a threat to Remy out there.