Sinned: A Priest Romance

by Daye, Veronica

  I laughed hearing this large man, a stranger, call me that. He placed his large hand on my back and brought me to another section of the gallery. Tall white curtains stood in front of us.

  “You worked, now you see,” he said as he pulled the curtain back.

  The space was white and lit with tiny tea light candles that formed a pathway to a circle in the middle of the room. Shane stood in the circle. A covered painting leaned against a pillar beside him. He was dressed in black pants with a dark plum button-down shirt like the day he picked me up from the airport. His sleeves were rolled up and I could see the rose tattoo on his bicep.

  “How did you plan this? You didn’t know I was coming here. I didn’t know I was coming,” I said.

  “I know you better than you know yourself, Rosalie.” He walked over to me, took my hand, and led me into the circle. “I knew you couldn’t wait. It was just a matter of time before you showed up here.”

  He grinned as his arms wrapped around my waist. Spotlights lit several square paintings lined horizontally on the wall. At the end was a blank space.

  “I’ve dreamed about today,” he said. “Each of these paintings represents something in our relationship. Some people might think it’s crazy, or obsessive, but even when we were apart, all I thought about was you.”

  He pointed to the first painting. On the canvas was a childlike princess with a young boy looking up at her. Shane lifted a handkerchief from the top of the pillar, revealing a tiara similar to the one I used to wear as a child. I laughed as he placed it on top of my head.

  “You are crazy,” I said.

  “I’m sure you recognize the second painting, the rose. That’s the one I was making for your birthday when we were living at your dad’s.”

  “You never gave it to me.”

  “I never thought it was good enough.”

  “You should never think that. It’s beautiful.”

  He shook his head, unable to take the compliment. I knew him well enough to not press. He would see how talented he was soon. I had no doubt that everyone would love his work.

  As I looked at the different pieces, several of them really stood out to me. The first had a dark background with two white figures twisting together into one.

  Another had a harsh red color and had the person from the other painting being ripped apart. He didn’t need to tell me that was when we broke up, I felt his pain from the canvas. It brought all those memories back of how much I hurt him and myself. I still felt bad about that.

  The last painting was swirls of colors. I felt the confusion and anger from it. My chest ached thinking about how much pain I had caused him.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I never meant to hurt you. It really was the last thing I ever wanted to do.”

  “Please don’t be sad. It’s in the past, our past, but all of my pain is there in the art. That’s where it belongs. And who knows, maybe it was meant to happen so we could be here today.” He kissed my forehead and pointed to the blank space on the wall.

  “Where’s the final painting?”

  “It’s here.”

  He picked up the painting that was leaning against the pillar and held it up. It was similar to the harsh-colored painting but had softer colors. Instead of having two bodies in it, the painting had two hands blending together as one.

  “I’ve been working on these for years, but I knew the series didn’t end there. Now I have the ending and I’m hoping it’s the beginning of our life together.”

  He put the painting back against the pillar and started to kneel, but the candles were in the way.

  “What are you doing?” I laughed.

  “I wanted to kneel for my princess, but I obviously didn’t think this through all the way,” he said with a smirk.

  Shane reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. He held it towards me, between his fingers, and smiled. It was a gold ring with a cluster of diamonds that formed a flower. I didn’t know why the ring was familiar.

  “I don’t know if you recognize this ring,” he said. “Before we left your dad’s, I asked him for his blessing to marry you. I wanted to make sure he was alright with it.”

  “You mean you wanted to know if he was alright with his son marrying his daughter?” I joked.

  He laughed. “Something like that. Well, he gave me this ring. He said it belonged to your grandmother.”

  I took the ring from him and admired it.

  “I remember. She used to wear it all the time. I loved this ring.”

  He took the ring from me. “I’m not done.”

  “Well, hurry up then.”

  He laughed. “This isn’t going how I planned. I had this whole long thing I planned on saying, but fuck it. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “Will you marry me?”

  “Let me think about that…umm yes.”

  “You had to think about it?”

  “I didn't want it to be too easy,” I said.

  “Why not? You are easy, you know.”

  “Only with you.”

  “Good, that’s the way it should be.”

  He laughed and slid the ring onto my finger. I threw myself into his arms and we kissed. I couldn’t wait to begin our life together.

  ~ Epilogue ~

  One Year Later

  They say you never forget your first love. Well, Shane Ventana was my first crush, my first love, and my first heartbreak. He was my first everything, well, not everything, but he was the love of my life. I had never felt like I was alive until Shane entered my life. The years we were apart I felt empty without him. As sappy as it sounds, he completed me.

  He was so much a part of me that I put aside the book I was working on and started a new one, a romance novel. The more I wrote, the more I wanted to tell my own story about falling in love. Eventually the book became more of a memoir than fiction, but only the people closest to me knew the truth.

  The book got a lot of attention and my publisher brought Shane and me to New York for a launch party. It was surreal to me that they were making such a big deal about it that they rented a room at an upscale hotel in Midtown for the event.

  Shane and I were late getting to the party. The taxi took a sharp turn, pressing me against Shane. I looked up at him and he smiled.

  “I always told you you were going to be a famous writer,” he said.

  “It’s just a party. There’s no guarantee anyone is going to want to read a book about a girl falling in love with her stepbrother.”

  “I’d read it. And I have read it, it’s great. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “You have to say that,” I said.

  “No, I don’t. Why would I lie?”

  “Because you’re my husband, it’s what husbands do.”

  He kissed my forehead as I smiled at him. He reached for my left hand and held it in his. Seeing our hands like that reminded me of the final piece of his art series.

  As the taxi jolted to a stop in front of the hotel, Noelle opened the door. She held a clipboard tightly to her chest.

  “It’s about time,” she said. “You promised you’d be here on time. You wouldn’t lie to your assistant, would you?”

  “Blame Shane,” I said, grinning as I stepped out of the car.

  “It’s not my fault,” he said. “You were tense so I did what I could to relax you.”

  “Oh, come on guys.” Noelle rolled her eyes. “Can’t you control yourselves for once?”

  “You’re just jealous,” I said.

  “I’m always jealous. Why couldn’t I get a hot stepbrother?” She laughed. “But seriously, Shane, if you ever get tired of Rosalie, you know where to find me.”

  “I’ll never get tired of her,” he said as his hand slid over my butt.

  “Is my dad here?” I asked.

  “Of course he is,” Noelle said. “You know he wouldn’t miss this. He brought Joanna.”

  “I’m not surprised,” Shane said. “They’re insepar
able. I never understood why they divorced.”

  “Me neither,” I said.

  The room was filled with balloons and large cardboard images of the cover. As I looked around the room for my dad, he stood up and waved at me. I walked over to where he was with Shane in tow.

  “Always late,” Dad said. “You know you were born late, too. That was the best day of my life.” He smiled wistfully as his eyes watered. “I’m so proud of you, Rosalie.”

  “Thanks, Dad. It really means a lot to hear you say that.”

  “I’ve always been proud of you, you’re my daughter.”

  I hugged him tight as tears filled my eyes. After everything that happened with my mother, I knew how lucky I was to have my dad. I blinked back my tears and sat beside him as my agent, Mena, came over.

  Mena was very New York with her fancy clothes and perfect appearance. Underneath the façade, she was a fierce negotiator and one of the smartest people I knew.

  “Shane,” she said as she extended her hand to him. “I’m so glad to finally meet you. How do you feel about Rosalie naming the hero after you?”

  “It’s great. Rosalie has a great imagination.” He laughed then cocked his brow at me.

  “And how about you? Rosalie tells me you’re an up-and-coming artist,” Mena said.

  “She exaggerates,” he said modestly.

  “I’m not exaggerating,” I said. “You’ve been in magazines, won two awards, and there’s a wait list of people demanding new pieces from you.”

  He shrugged. “I am working on some new things and have another exhibit in a few months. But today isn’t about me, it’s about Rosalie.”

  Shane slipped his arm around my waist and brought his lips close to my ear.

  “How are you feeling? Still nauseous?” he whispered.

  I shook my head, not wanting anyone to hear.

  “Good. I hope you didn’t mind what I told Noelle about being late.”

  “It’s okay, I thought it was funny,” I said. “Plus I’m not ready to tell everyone just yet. Not until my dad knows.”

  “I’m having a hard time keeping it secret.”

  “I know, me too. You know I can’t keep secrets. I want to tell my dad in person, but not here in the middle of all of this. We can tell him and your mom tonight at dinner.”

  “You are going to be a wonderful mom,” he said, pulling me tight against him.

  “Shhh, you talk too much.”

  Shane kissed me and we smiled at each other. I couldn’t stop smiling if I tried. We were starting a family and we couldn’t be happier. I looked at the display table with my book as the centerpiece. That was my story, our story. Whether it was fact or fiction, I got my happily ever after.

  The End

  Thank you for reading Stepbrother Bad Boy! I hope you enjoyed it. Continue reading for Tease: A Stepbrother Romance.

  Tease

  A Stepbrother Romance

  by

  Veronica Daye

  About Tease

  “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do after you come. Will I use my tongue on you or make you ride my cock?”

  Sierra

  Asshole, dick, prick are all words that describe Jagger Myka. I thought when he moved away five years ago I'd never have to see him again. I'm not that lucky. Our parents are getting married this summer, making the one guy I hate the most, my stepbrother. Oh and did I mention he's hot?

  Now despite how much I hate him, I can't get him out of my mind. Okay, not really just him, more like his...well, I can't say it but yeah, I saw it, and I'll never forget it. He won't let me forget it either.

  Jagger is back to his old teasing. But this time in a different way; a way that means I get to see a whole lot more of him. And despite how much I want to keep hating him, I don't know how much longer I can resist.

  Jagger

  Sierra was always the sweet, innocent good girl. How could I not tease her? I swore this summer would be different, but as soon as her cheeks turned red after seeing me naked, I knew I found a new game to play. I know she hates me, but now that we're under the same roof, she can't avoid me.

  But all that dirty talk has made me realize I don't trust myself to not fall for her. If only I had more time before leaving for the Navy. Maybe then she'd see I'm not the bad boy she thinks I am.

  Tease is a standalone novel. It contains a dirty talking, cocky stepbrother with a big...well, you know.

  Tease: A Stepbrother Romance

  Copyright © 2015 by Veronica Daye and Flirt Publishing/A Division of Jaded Speck Publishing LLC

  Cover Design by CT Cover Creations

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Part One

  ~ One ~

  Sierra

  “Sierra,” Mom called from the backyard. “Sierra, I need your help. Bring me a towel!”

  “I’ll be right there!” I yelled from inside the house.

  I slipped my feet into my flip-flops and stepped out onto the deck. My mother was standing in the middle of the garden with small pots of flowers lined up waiting to be planted. Her curly dark red hair was covered with a large floppy hat, her hands were covered with soil, and her khaki shorts were soaked.

  “What happened?” I asked as I handed her the towel.

  “Promise you won’t laugh,” she said. “I was on the phone with Phil and it slipped from my shoulder. I tried to catch it, but ended up tripping over the watering can.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t laugh, Mom. I just realized where I got the klutz gene from.”

  “I’m surprised it took you so long to figure that out. You are my mini me, you know. Or have you not realized that yet?”

  She grinned at me as she wiped her hands.

  Phil Myka was my mother’s boyfriend. They had been living together for a couple of years. Every few months, Phil went to Tucson to visit his asshole of a son Jagger. I was glad Phil always went to him.

  “How’s Phil doing?” I asked as I pushed my own dark red hair behind my ear. “Is he staying his usual two weeks?

  “He’s good. No, he’s coming home tomorrow night.”

  “That’s early. Did something happen?”

  “Sort of. Melanie got upset when he told her we were getting married. I don’t know all the details, but he decided to cut the trip short and come home instead of staying. Anyway, he asked Jagger to be his best man, so he’ll be staying with us this summer.”

  My stomach sank. I tried to keep my face straight, but my mother still saw how unhappy I was.

  “I know you don’t like him, but he is going to be your stepbrother,” Mom said.

  “I know. I’m just kicking myself for not realizing sooner that he’d be my wedding partner.”

  “Give him a chance. You’re both eighteen now. I’m sure you’ve both changed a lot.”

  “You’ve said it yourself, people don’t change. I know him. He’s the same jerk now that he was the last time I saw him. I’m still upset you made me go to that party.”

  “When was that? Five years ago? You were children then.”

  “That just means he's had all those years to perfect how awful he is. I can’t believe I have to spend time with him. It’s been five wonderful years since I last saw him. And it was five years before that when I met him for the first time. I guess just like bad luck runs for seven years, Jagger shows up to torment me every five.”

  “Just try to be nice to him. He’s flying in for the wedding, but I don't think he’s staying for too long,” Mom said as she looked at the ground
.

  “Tell him to be nice. He’s the one who was always making fun of me.”

  “You know what they say about boys who do that.”

  “Yes, Mom, that means he liked me. Right, he liked me so much he decided to make my childhood a living hell.”

  I hated Jagger. I've hated him since the first time I met him when I was eight. We went to school together for five years and every chance he got, he teased and tormented me. Nothing was going to change my mind about him. Absolutely nothing.

  Fall

  Ten Years Ago

  The tan brick building of my new school loomed against the sky as my mom’s car pulled up in front. I looked down at my plaid uniform and pulled at the skirt, wishing it was a little longer and hoping no one could tell it was secondhand.

  “I know you’re nervous, but I’m sure there will be other kids starting third grade, too,” Mom said.

  “Why did we have to move? I miss having my own room. And I miss my friends.”

  “I’m sorry, honey. I promise once I get a better job we’ll be able to move to a nicer apartment, one with two bedrooms and in a good area. I know it’s been hard on you these past few months, but I’m doing the best I can. This is a really good school and I’m sure you’ll like it here. I know you miss your friends, but you’ll make new ones, I promise.”

  “I miss Dad.”

  “I do too, sweetie. I really do.”

  Mom gave me a big hug before I got out of the car. A small woman with warm brown eyes walked towards me and waved to my mother as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

  “Welcome to Saint Peter’s. I’m Sister Anne, the principal here. I’ll take you to your classroom.”

  I nodded as we entered the building. Paper flowers decorated the hallway. Everywhere I looked, people looked happy. I tried to force a smile, but Sister Anne frowned in response.