Sin (The Stone Society Book 8)

by Faith Gibson

  The more Julian dug into Katherine’s background, the more red flags arose. He had only scratched the surface into her past before he hit a roadblock. Landon was working on getting past that hurdle and deeper into the false codes and documents the hacker had fabricated. If Landon managed to figure this shit out, Julian was going to step down from his position and hand it over to the other Goyle. He was going to hide Katherine far away from society where she would never be subjected to this type of torment again. If he only knew what she was going through.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Katherine gasped for breath when the butch of a woman pulled her head out of the toilet. She had long since given up on hope Julian would get her out of the hell she was currently in. Katherine had seen a lot of shit in her time as a reporter, but she’d only heard of the types of torture she’d already endured. She was certain there was more to come. If only she were guilty, she could tell them what they wanted to know. Since she’d been framed, they were going to kill her and still have no information.

  “The sooner you tell the truth, the sooner this will all stop,” the woman said against Kat’s ear.

  “Just go ahead and kill me. I can’t tell you what I don’t know.” Kat gasped in a breath as her head was shoved under water. She didn’t fight it. The harder she fought the more oxygen she craved. She squeezed her eyes shut and thought about the kiss. The soul-shattering kiss Julian gave right after he called her Kat. Nobody called her that, not even her parents. Coming from him, she liked it. Ever since he’d talked to her at the diner a couple of months back, Katherine couldn’t keep her mind on anything else. Not her work, not the man she was supposed to be dating, not the same page she’d read a hundred times before giving up. You are mine. Julian had claimed her, but he’d also promised to clear her name. If he didn’t hurry, it wouldn’t matter because she’d be dead at the hands of the U.S. Government.

  Sinclair was trying his best to understand where Rocky was coming from. She’d been through the ringer as far as Blake Stansbury was concerned. Still, it didn’t do his heart good to hear her speak the way she did. What if he couldn’t convince her to change her mind?

  You must convince her. She is our mate.

  She’s been hurt.

  You cannot give up. We are Gargoyle, and we are strong.

  Strong has nothing to do with it. I can’t very well manhandle her into wanting us.

  No, but you could kiss her.

  Rocky pulled her old Saab into the parking lot of the same cell phone store where Sin bought the Clan’s phones. He parked in a spot close to her and got out of his car. He did not follow her in the store. Instead, he leaned his butt against the hood of his car and waited. For the foreseeable future, Sin needed to drive his sedan instead of the Lambo. It wasn’t conducive to hiding out or tailing someone. Not that Rocky didn’t know he was following her.

  As for kissing Rocky, he and the beast were on the same page. He wanted to kiss her. Hold her. Feel her skin against his. Maybe he should kiss her and let her feel the mate pull. It would be cheating, but when it came to convincing Rocky he wasn’t like Blake, he might have to resort to nefarious tactics.

  Sin reached out with his shifter hearing to listen in on Rocky’s conversation with the clerk. When she began explaining that she didn’t need an expensive smart phone, Sin pushed away from the car and went inside the store. It was probably going to piss her off, but his mate was not going to settle for some cheap phone when she could have the best. He strode up to her, pulled her to his side, and said, “Hi, honey. Sorry I am late.” He kissed her on the temple before turning his attention to the salesman. “My girlfriend would like the newest model smartphone.”

  Rocky tried to interject, but Sin twisted her body so she was facing him. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Only the best for my girl,” he whispered against her mouth. He banded his arm around her waist so she couldn’t go anywhere even though she was squirming against him. The salesman was still standing there, and Sin raised his eyebrows at the man. When the clerk disappeared into the back of the store, Sin leaned his bearded cheek against Rocky’s smooth one and rubbed. “Please indulge me in this one thing, beautiful girl.”

  “Why is me having an expensive phone I don’t need important to you?” Rocky asked. She had stopped trying to get out of his embrace, but she had yet to touch him.

  Sin had never been one for public displays of affection, but he couldn’t help himself where his mate was concerned. He didn’t have to tip her chin up, because she was glaring at him. Her sapphire eyes were bright with disdain. Sin leaned closer and whispered into her ear, “Everything about you is important to me. You have bewitched me with your beauty and have beguiled me with your stern countenance. Your strength makes me want to applaud you.” Sin kissed the shell of her ear, and Rocky shivered. “I want to wrap you in my arms and hold you close. I want to kiss your pink lips until I can no longer breathe. I need to feel your skin against mine as I take your body to heights you never thought possible.”

  Rocky closed her eyes, and Sin continued, not caring that people were watching them. “Most of all, beautiful girl, I want to show you I am a real man who will treat you the way a woman should be treated. With respect. Gentleness. Caring. Love. I want you to know what it feels like to be cherished.” Sin pressed his lips to hers again, keeping it chaste. He would wait until they were alone to show her what a real kiss was.

  The salesman returned with a phone, and Sin pulled back only far enough to address the man. “Put it on my account.”

  “Yes, Mr. Stone. Will there be anything else?”

  “No, thank you.”

  Rocky’s eyes were still guarded, but her body had relaxed, and her hands were on his chest. Sin wanted to throw her over his shoulder and take her to his home, never letting her go. But he knew he had to tread carefully, even with the little progress he’d just made. The clerk returned with the phone in a bag, and Sin took it from him. He linked his fingers through hers and led her out of the store. Once they had reached her car, Rocky snapped out of her trance, trying to jerk her hand away from him. Sin let go so she wouldn’t hurt herself.

  Rocky whirled around on him and put her finger in his face. “All right, Captain Caveman, you got what you wanted. The only reason I didn’t bust your balls back there is because I didn’t want to make a scene. From now on, keep your fucking hands off me.”

  Sin grabbed the finger and brought her hand to his chest. “No can do, beautiful girl. I meant what I said. I am going to prove to you what a good man is.”

  “Why?”

  “Because your soul calls to mine, Raquel.” When Sin used her real name, she flinched. “I will call you Raquel until you forget the man who made you hate your beautiful name.” Sin pressed his body against hers, securing Rocky’s body against her car. His dick had been hard ever since he first stepped foot into her bedroom at Finley’s. “I know you feel it. The inexplicable force drawing us together. You want to touch me. You want to kiss me. You are afraid of giving yourself over to me because you do not know me. I want to change that. I will give you all the time in the world until you give me a chance to show you what it is like to be with someone good.”

  “And what if I don’t want that? What if I want to simply fuck you and Finley every once in a while? What if I don’t want to know the good side of you, only the naked side?” Rocky was turned on, but mentioning Finley had been as effective as a bucket of ice.

  “There will be no sharing, Raquel. Once you and I become intimate, there will be no need to invite anyone into our bed.”

  “You’re such a hypocrite. If I hadn’t gone to meet with my lawyer on Tuesday, you and I would have already been intimate, and Viv and Finley would have been right there with us.”

  “I can assure you, if you had shown up instead of the blonde, the night would have turned out much differently. Finley and Vivian would have found their way back to Finley’s home before the clothes came off.”

  �
��Why? You fucked Dana with them in the room. Is it because you’re ashamed of my body? You don’t want anyone to see how damn skinny I am?”

  Sin growled low and deep. Rocky tried to shrink away from him until he explained, “You are never to speak ill of yourself again. Do you hear me? You are the most beautiful woman in the world. I am drawn to you in a way I hope to someday explain to you. Until then, rest assured all trysts are in the past. I will not be sharing my bed with Finley or anyone else. Only you. If I have to wait years until you come around, I will keep myself from all others.”

  Rocky may or may not believe him, but he was tired of talking. Sin slanted his mouth over hers and licked at her lips. He thought she was going to refuse, but Rocky finally opened up, and he plunged his tongue into her heat. With one hand, Sin loosened Rocky’s hair, letting it fall around her shoulders. He fisted a handful and deepened the kiss, making love to her mouth the way he wanted to do to her body. Rocky grabbed his hips and writhed against him. When someone let out a wolf whistle, Sin remembered they weren’t alone. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward his car. There was no way he was letting her get away now.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as he opened the passenger side door to his car.

  “I am getting started showing you how good you can feel.”

  “No, you aren’t. I have to get to the bar.”

  “Not until six. I promise to have you there on time.” Sin nudged Rocky, and she slid down into the low seat on a huff. When Sin was seated, he said, “Please put your seatbelt on.” Sin didn’t wait for the buckle to click into place before he was tearing out of the parking lot. His home was too far away to have her back to RC’s on time, so he made his way to the penthouse.

  “Kidnapping me is not the way to make me like you,” Rocky huffed.

  “No, but ravishing your body might be a good start,” he responded.

  Rocky turned her attention to the interior of the car. Most people had never seen a Lamborghini up close, much less ridden in one. Sin left her to her perusal and turned into the parking lot of the hotel where he often conducted business meetings. He pulled up to the curb and, once he was out of the vehicle, tossed the valet his keys.

  “Mr. Stone,” the young man greeted him.

  “Jeffrey, how are you today?” Sin asked as he opened the door for Rocky. He held his hand out to her, and she reluctantly allowed him to help her from the car.

  “Fine, sir. Thank you for asking.”

  Sin handed him a twenty before leading Rocky inside. He bypassed the front desk since he paid monthly for the penthouse suite. He had never brought a woman to the hotel, so he knew the clerks at the front desk were probably already gossiping, but he couldn’t care less. The most important thing was getting his mate upstairs and naked. Rocky remained quiet until they stepped into the elevator. Once the doors were closed, she started in on him.

  “If you think taking me upstairs and fucking me is going to–”

  Sin grabbed Rocky’s hair and pulled her head back so her neck was exposed. He kissed her hard to shut her up. Sin’s dick was ready to burst out of his pants, and by the way Rocky’s heart was beating, she wasn’t immune to his kiss, either. When she began breathing hard through her nose, he let her up for air, only to trail his tongue down the curve of her jaw. Sin realized the elevator wasn’t moving. He’d been so caught up in his mate he’d forgotten to press the button. He pulled his wallet from his pocket, removed the key card he needed to reach his private floor, and swiped it in front of the sensor.

  “I guess you come here a lot if you have your own key.” Rocky’s mood had cooled off instantly. Sin was having nothing to do with it. He pulled her against him again and brushed her hair back from her beautiful face.

  “I have a suite I use for business. I have never brought a woman here for any reason. I doubt if you believe me, but it is the truth.”

  “Are you always so proper?”

  “Does it bother you?” Over the years, Sin had not adapted to the less formal way of speaking. He had never felt the need, but if Rocky didn’t like it, maybe he could try to change.

  “It doesn’t bother me, but you sound stiff. Stuffy.”

  The elevator door opened directly into the foyer of his apartment. Rocky didn’t move to get out as she took in their surroundings. When he procured the suite, Sin redecorated it to suit his needs. To the right was a hallway leading to the two bedrooms. Directly in front of them was a long conference table that seated twenty. To the left was a full kitchen and living area. A set of double doors opened off the living area onto a large balcony equipped with a patio set and six chairs. With the hotel being situated as it was, the balcony was hidden by a group of trees. While it wasn’t the best scenario, if he or the other Gargoyles needed to take flight, they could without the probability of being seen. But that was only on a moonless night.

  “Would you care for something to drink?”

  “Do I have a choice?” Rocky asked as she stepped into the room, tossing her purse on the table. Sin handed her the bag containing her new phone so she could activate it.

  “Of course. You are not my prisoner, Raquel. I only brought you here so we could spend some quality time together. While I would love nothing more than to rip your clothes off and take you right there against the wall, I will n… I won’t be so brutish. Unless you want me to be.”

  Rocky swallowed hard, her eyes dilating with lust. Yes, she wanted him. Maybe she needed a little coaxing. “Or would you rather I push you over the arm of the sofa and have my way with you from behind? Slide my hard cock into your pretty little pucker? Maybe drop to my knees in front of you and tease your clit with my tongue? Would you like to straddle my lap and ride me while I twist and suck your nipples? What would please you, Raquel? Because I am willing to give you anything your heart, and pussy, desires.”

  “Anything?” she asked, her chest rising and falling faster than it had been.

  “Within my power, yes.”

  Rocky set the bag down next to her purse and toed off her shoes. She pulled her shirt over her head, exposing a lacy black bra. Her breasts were larger than average, and by the placement of them on her chest, Sin knew she’d had them enhanced. He preferred the natural look and feel, even if they were smaller. Maybe he could convince her one day she didn’t need implants to be beautiful. Rocky unbuttoned her jeans, pulled the zipper down, and pushed her pants to the floor. She kicked out of them and was standing before him in matching lace panties.

  “What is it you want from me?” he asked, his eyes continuing to take in all her beauty.

  “Kiss me.”

  “Excuse me?” She’d removed her clothes for a kiss?

  “You said anything, and I want to be kissed. Is that a problem?”

  If Sin didn’t feel Rocky was his mate, then yes, it would be a problem. Since he had no doubt of their bond, he would give her what she wanted.

  “Absolutely not.” Sin stepped toward her and placed his hands on her jaws, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. He leaned down, slanting his mouth over hers. He kept the touch gentle. Tentative. Testing her lips and relishing the taste. Sin pulled back so he could see her eyes, but they were closed, so he kissed her again, this time with more pressure. Rocky’s lips parted slightly, and Sin teased her with his tongue. She opened farther, meeting his tongue with hers. If Sin didn’t know better, Rocky was either shy or wasn’t exactly sure of herself. He planned to keep the kiss gentle, but Rocky deepened the movements and moaned.

  Sin allowed his female to lead the mating of their mouths, and before long, she was grabbing at his clothes, trying to pull him closer. His already hard cock was straining against his pants, and his beast was getting agitated.

  Fuck her now!

  I’m getting there. Shut up.

  “Turn around,” he instructed. Rocky did as he bade, showing off her toned ass cheeks, which were peeking out from beneath the lace edges. Sin placed his hands on her thin waist. It was taking every bit of hi
s strength not to rip her panties off and shove his hard cock into her slick core. He knew she was wet for him. The evidence was seeping through her panties. Sin slid his hands around to her stomach and up to her breasts, cupping and squeezing them together. As nice as her bra was, it was in his way. Sin preferred skin on skin action. He dipped his right hand into the left cup, cradling her breast in his hand. Massaging. Kneading. Twisting her nipple until she leaned back against his body and moaned. He lowered his left hand, sliding it between her panties and skin, not stopping until he reached the tiny nub he would soon have in his mouth. Sin loved eating pussy, and he knew his mate’s essence would be the sweetest he’d ever tasted.

  Sin continued his torture of Rocky’s body with his hands while his lips found her neck. His fangs itched to slide forth from his gums and sink into the skin on her shoulder. His claws were tingling to break through so they could rip the lace from her body. His cock was pulsing behind his zipper, and if he didn’t free it soon, he was afraid it would never recover. “What do you want, beautiful girl?” Sin whispered against her ear as his hands continued to pleasure her.

  Rocky wrapped her arms around Sin’s neck and rocked her lower body forward, trying to get more friction where she needed his fingers. He would gladly give her what she needed, but he wanted her to ask for it. “Anything you want, Raquel. Just ask, and it’s yours.”

  “Make me forget. Fuck me until I don’t know my own name,” she begged, still squirming against his hand.

  That he could do. He removed his hands from her underwear and scooped her into his arms. Rocky let out a squeal but held on tight as Sin strode down the hallway into the bedroom he’d only used a couple of times to rest. When they reached the bed, Sin set her on her feet. Rocky had asked for a fucking, but Sin was going to make love to her. He was going to torment his mate until she didn’t know her name, but by the gods, she’d be screaming his.