Sinner (Shelter Harbor #1)

by Aubrey Irons

  Shit.

  He smiles curiously, as if surprised to see me here, in Denver, where he knows I live now. He whispers something to the pretty girl at the bar before he stands and moves towards our table.

  I tense.

  “Hi, Serena.” He flashes that grin at me that used to make me smile, until I realized how phony it was. That smile I might have once told myself I loved before I realized how bullshit a sentiment that is. I’m mute, merely blinking at him as he turns to Landon.

  “Hey, bud, David.”

  Landon holds his eyes with a steely look, ignoring his outstretched hand.

  “What are you doing here?” I finally blurt out, swallowing the lump in my throat as I stare at him. This was supposed to be one of the good points about moving away from Houston all the way to Denver - a zero percent chance of seeing my ex fiancé.

  “Work thing,” he shrugs. “There’s this conference going on here this weekend they wanted me at, so we decided to come a little early and make a mini-vacation out of it.”

  “We,” I say icily. I look past him, at the young-looking girl sipping a pink cocktail at the bar behind him. She looks up and waves cheerily.

  “That’s not Lisa.”

  David just spreads his hands with a shrug.

  “Same old, same old, huh, David?”

  “Don’t get high and mighty, Serena,” he shoots back. “Look I just wanted to come over and say hello, okay? No need to get all dramatic about-”

  “That’s enough.”

  Landon’s voice is like iron, his hand clenched into a fist on the tabletop

  David turns back to him. “Look, pal, why don’t…” he trails off as recognition suddenly dawns on his face. “Oh, shit! Aren’t you- I mean, didn’t you used to play ball?”

  “I used to.”

  David grins, his eyes darting back and forth between us. “So you seeing my girl here, now?”

  “She’s not your girl.”

  “She was.”

  “That’s wonderful for you.” I can see Landon’s arms tensing, his muscles bulging under his dress shirt as he narrows his eyes at David.

  “Well.” David glances back at me. “So, you’re dating retired football guys now huh? Guess Daddy would be proud.”

  “I think it’s time for you to leave now,” Landon says icily.

  David smirks. “Hey, you enjoy, pal.” He claps Landon on the shoulder.

  “Leave. Now.”

  David sizes the much bigger man up for a second, smirking. He turns and shoots me a dark look. “Just as a fair warning, buddy. Hope you’re not looking to get serious or start a family with this one.” He levels his eyes at me and shrugs.

  “Nice to see you, Serena.”

  I don’t realize how tightly I’m clenching my fists until he walks away - until I can finally feel the nails piercing the skin of my palms. I’m trembling, the horrible, tearing feeling like a knife twisting in my gut as I force myself not to cry.

  Don’t cry. Don’t you dare fucking cry.

  The sound of Landon’s chair sliding back across the floor brings my vision back into focus as I see him stand abruptly.

  “No, just…” I blink, willing the hot tears I can feel brimming at my eyes not to fall. “Just leave it.”

  He stops for a second, sucking his teeth, before he shakes his head.

  “Yeah, no, I don’t think so.”

  He whirls and strides across the bar to where David’s rejoined the girl. David who looks up in surprise as Landon yanks him around and jabs a finger against his chest.

  “You’re a real piece of shit, you know that?”

  “Excuse me?” David sputters.

  People at the bar start to turn at the commotion, craning their necks to see what’s going on.

  “I said you’re a real piece of shit. And a fucking idiot.”

  “Who the hell do you think you-”

  “You walked away from that?” Landon jabs a finger back towards where I’m sitting, his eyes burning holes into David. “What, because things got hard? Because life isn’t fucking perfect all the time?”

  David snorts and waves Landon off. “Listen, pal, you don’t know the first thing about it, okay?”

  “I don’t have to know shit to know a coward when I see one.”

  He turns, his face dark as he starts to walk back to our table.

  “Oh, says the washed-up has-been?” David snorts.

  Landon keeps walking.

  “Hey, buddy, have fun with my sloppy seconds, alright? Damaged goods, but hey, knock yourself out.”

  Landon freezes mid-step.

  There’s a beat, where he looks up and meets my eye, his flashing green fire before he quietly shakes his head and turns.

  David’s already turning back to the girl, the bar around him already turning back to their conversations, when Landon strides up, yanks him around, and punches him square in the face.

  “Learn some fucking manners,” he snarls as David half falls off his bar stool. He starts to turn when David launches himself at him, grabbing his shirt and swinging a fist into his side. The two of them go crashing to the ground as the bar collectively gasps in horror, scuffling before Landon growls and shoves the smaller man away. He gets to his feet, grabs David by the collar, and knocks him to the ground with one punch.

  The place goes dead silent, David sniveling on the ground holding his bleeding nose and Landon standing above him, his shoulders heaving. He steps back, his eyes darting around the silent room before he strides back to the table and takes my hand.

  “Let’s go,” he says quietly.

  I blink, still staring at my asshole of an ex kneeling on the ground with his “date” sort of hovering and not knowing what to do.

  Landon pulls me to my feet, drops some cash on the table, and pulls me through the stunned crowd and out the door.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Serena

  “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  I grin at him as I dab at the cut on his temple.

  “No, I think you definitely should have done that.”

  He turns and flashes a quick grin at me before he hisses.

  “Sorry,” I murmur, making a face as I finish dabbing rubbing alcohol on the cut. We’re sitting on the couch in my still mostly-bare living room in my still mostly-bare condo.

  “Here, this’ll help.” I pass him the glass of whiskey I poured him when we walked in the door, and clink my tequila against it when he takes it.

  “Cheers,” he mutters, taking a sip and crunching on an ice cube. “Not exactly the drink out I was planning. Sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. David’s an asshole.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.” He glances at me. “Look, Serena, what he said was way out of line.”

  “It’s fine, really,” I shrug, taking a sip of my drink. “He’s just a consummate dickhead is all.”

  “Yeah well, you didn’t deserve that.”

  “Thanks,” I say quietly. My face scrunches up. “God, I actually feel bad for Lisa. How fucked up is that?”

  “Very. I think we need another round.”

  I laugh as Landon starts to stand before he winces.

  My brow furrows. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, just…” He grumbles as he sits back down, gingerly rubbing his side. “That ex of yours has a meaner hook than you’d think.”

  “Let me take a look.”

  Landon raises a brow at me and I sigh. “Shirt. Off. Now.”

  “Me, Tarzan. You, Jane,” he says in a low, goofy voice.

  “Dork. C’mon, let me take a look.”

  Landon meets my eyes with his for a second before his hands move to his tie. He undoes it, pulling it from his collar before he reaches for his shirt buttons. He pops them one by one before pulling the shirt away from his grooved, inked torso and shrugging it off his shoulders. My eyes drop to the red and raw looking abrasion on the side of his ribs.

  “Oh, yeah, that’s going to bruise.
Hang on.” I jump up from the couch and dart into the kitchen, grabbing an ice pack from the freezer before running back to sit next to him on the couch.

  “Here, let me.”

  Landon hisses as I place the frozen ice pack against his bare skin.

  “Don’t be a baby.”

  He chuckles, taking a sip of his drink and easing his head back.

  “I don’t normally do that, you know.”

  “What, defend the honor of damsels in distress?”

  “I was going to say start bar brawls.”

  I grin. “Yeah, well, feel free to defend my honor whenever you want. That was kind of awesome.”

  Landon snorts, immediately grimacing again as I shift the ice pack on his ribs. “Oh, yeah, awesome.”

  “Trust me, as a spectator, it was pretty hot watching you jump in to-”

  I freeze the second the words leave my lips and I quickly look down at the ice pack.

  “I meant to say cool. It was cool watching you knock his ass down.”

  I chance a glance back up and see that he’s looking at me, his eyes burning into mine.

  We’re close. We’re very close, our knees touching, inches away from each other, and he’s not wearing a shirt. Why is he not wearing a shirt right now?

  Because you told him to take it off, dummy.

  I look up at him, the heat palpably rising between us as I quickly swallow.

  “Serena.” His eyes narrow at me as his jaw tightens. My eyes land on the shadowed hollow of his cheekbone, resting there as I feel my pulse thudding through my veins.

  “We…this…” his head slowly shakes side to side.

  “I know.”

  “I don’t do this, I told you,” he growls, the words sounding more like he’s reminding himself over me. “I have rules.”

  “What sort of rules,” I say quietly, my eyes still dragging over those cheekbones, those perfectly formed lips, the cleft above them and the strong, defined jawline below.

  “Rules against this, and I keep breaking them,” he growls darkly.

  I glance up into his eyes, feeling my heart beating a mile a minute. The ice pack drops from my hand, and my fingers suddenly find themselves touching the coolness of his skin. “And it’s been so damn terrible letting go?” My eyes narrow at him. “Has it been that bad breaking one of your stupid rules here and there?”

  He moves closer to me, the heat and the scent of him enveloping me, his lips inches from mine. “Rules are a slippery slope. You break one, you break them all.”

  “Well we wouldn’t want that would we,” I say mockingly.

  I gasp as he suddenly pushes me back into the couch, his arms going to either side of me as he hovers over me. “Watch it,” he growls, his eyes flickering across mine. He’s between my legs, and I can feel how hard he’s pressing against my pussy through the fabric of my skirt.

  “I think some rules are meant to be broken,” I whisper out. “And I think you should-”

  My words drown in his lips as he mashes them against mine. I moan into his mouth, my hands wrapping around him as he growls, kissing me hot and kissing me fiercely. His hands slide into my hair, pulling me against him and demanding my lips.

  Hands move to my top, pushing it roughly up over my breasts as his hands slide over me. I moan, tugging at his belt before he pushes my hands above my head to slip the top off of me. I reach back for my bra, letting that come away and letting him strip that from me as well. He reaches for my skirt, pulling down the zipper at the back and yanking it down over my hips. I lift my legs as he strips it from me, his eyes dancing over me lying there in just my panties.

  “You think I should break some of my rules, hmm?” he growls as he crawls back over me, his eyes fierce.

  I nod breathlessly, feeling the raw desire pooling between my legs. He leans into me, his lips teasing over the hollow of my neck.

  “Well, maybe I should set some new ones instead,” he whispers gruffly into my ear.

  “You think you can just boss me around?”

  I gasp as his teeth nip at my earlobe, the ecstasy shivering down my spine.

  “Watch me,” he growls.

  I moan loudly, arching my hips against his and gasping as his lips trail down my neck.

  He stands, his eyes flashing raw heat at me. “Turn around, on your knees.”

  I shiver, my eyes going wide at his firm words.

  And yet, I nod.

  Slowly, biting my lip and feeling the heat pulsing through my skin, I turn over onto my knees, my elbows resting on the back of the couch.

  I can feel him move behind me, and suddenly he’s slipping something over my face

  His tie.

  “Landon-”

  “Trust me,” he whispers in my ear.

  I nod.

  The silk teases over my eyelids as I close my eyes, and I can feel him pull it around and tie it at the back of my head.

  “Spread your legs.”

  His voice is edged with something I haven’t heard before, something that makes me whimper and something that sends a throb of heat through my body.

  I do as I’m told, and I can hear him groan behind me.

  I shiver as I feel his hands on me, sliding up my thighs, over my ass and over the small of my back. I’m panting as they slide higher, up my back and into my hair, and when they tangle there and pull, I moan out loud.

  “Here’s a new rule,” he husks into my ear. “The new rule is, you’re going to do everything I tell you to.”

  I nod, panting as my pulse thunders through me. This is raw, and filthy, and like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.

  And I’ve never been more turned on.

  His hand slides back down, slowly teasing over my spine. His palms move over my ass, swatting it just enough to make me shiver and gasp and his hands move over me. His fingers slip into the waist of my thong panties, and he starts to pull them slightly over my ass. My breath comes heavy as he pulls them tight, then tighter still, until suddenly, his strong hands grip my panties and yank them hard. The thin fabric shreds, and I gasp out loud as Landon Reece literally tears my panties off.

  I can hear him growl behind me, his hands stroking over my skin as he tosses my ruined panties aside.

  “Give me your hand,” he says darkly.

  I nod, reaching back with one trembling hand. He slips it into his, fingers entwining with mine and squeezing before he pulls my hand back.

  Between my legs.

  I whimper as Landon presses my fingers against my own pussy, letting me feel how wet and slippery I am.

  “I want you to rub your clit.” His voice comes husking into my ear, his breath hot against my cheek. I moan as he rolls my fingers over my clit, the pleasure immediately melting through my core.

  Landon moves down, and suddenly I gasp as I feel his lips brush against my thigh. His lips trail up my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake as he moves higher. Lips and teeth trail over my ass, biting, sucking, licking as I slowly rub my aching clit for him.

  His mouth moves in, centering on me, and when I feel that tongue tease over my lips, I cry out.

  “Play with your pussy for me,” he groans, and I whimper as I feel that tongue suddenly drag through my wetness. He pushes it deep, his hands grabbing my ass and spreading me wide as he laps at my slickness.

  I moan loudly, my fingers moving faster as his tongue starts to slide in and out of me, like he’s fucking me with it. His hands tighten on my ass, fingers kneading my skin, a palm occasionally swatting against me as the pleasure roars through me. I’m panting, my mouth hanging open and bracing myself with one hand against the back of the couch as Landon’s tongue drives me higher and higher.

  He gently pushes my hand away from my clit, his tongue swirling over it to take its place.

  “Reach back,” he growls. “Reach back and I want you to spread yourself for me while I make you come on my tongue.”

  I’m moaning incoherently now, babbling something as I reach back and
grab my own ass. My face presses into the couch cushions as I feel his filthy mouth move over my pussy, his tongue swirling over my clit as I start to tremble under him. He keeps an even tempo, swirling, sucking, licking, teasing, until I’m going out of my mind. I can feel every muscle in my body start to tighten, my toes curling. My breath starts to hitch in my throat as the impending earth-shattering orgasm starts to build into an inferno inside me.

  He sucks my clit between his lips, and as his tongue goes into overdrive, I shatter.

  I cry out, screaming into the sofa as the orgasm rips through me - everything going white as my whole body launches into orbit. His tongue swirls over and over my clit, rocking me all the way through my climax before I collapse in a heap.

  “Fuck,” I whisper, panting and feeling like every cell in my body is on fire.

  Landon’s hands slide over my hips, pulling them up so that my ass is in the air. My cheek rests against the couch, my arms outstretched in front of me.

  I moan when I hear the tear of foil, a moment, and then the feel of his thick cock pressing against my opening. His hands move over my ass and grab my hips, and I cry out as he growls and buries every inch inside of me with one thrust.

  He pulls back before sliding deep inside again, his grooved hips resting against my ass. His hands dig into my waist, holding me tight as he starts to rock in and out with deep, powerful thrusts.

  I’ve never had sex like this before. No one’s ever dominated me like this. No one’s ever demanded the orgasms from my body and stolen it lick by lick and stroke by stroke.

  No one’s ever fucked me like this.

  I cry out as he rubs against that spot inside again and again with every thrust. My hands claw at the couch, my back arching as I thrust my ass back to meet his hips. His hand slides over the skin of my back, slipping into my hair again and making me gasp loudly. He tugs at the tie covering my eyes, pulling my head back slightly as his lips brush against my ears. I can feel his powerful arms surrounding me, owning me. His breath hot against my neck, teasing me and sending shivers through my body.

  His cock, driving in deeper, and harder, and bigger than anything I’ve ever felt.

  “You’re going to do one more thing for me,” he growls, his lips against my ear as his cock drives into me again and again.