Sins from Her Past (Scandalous)

by Jules Bennett

  “I’ve tried to face my fears,” he confessed. “I even took lessons and have my pilot’s license. It didn’t help. I thought it was a control issue and if I was the one flying the plane the problem would be solved.”

  Evelyn laughed. “Always trying to fix things and solve the problem, aren’t you?”

  “Better than sitting by and doing nothing,” he told her. “Might as well face your fears rather than let them consume you.”

  Evelyn knew he was talking about himself, but that advice couldn’t be more tailored to her. It wasn’t so much the fear of what she’d done—okay, yes, that time in her life had left her scarred and damaged—but she was more afraid of what would happen if anyone, Dylan and Vin especially, found out.

  Evelyn walked back to her seat, thankful this was a short flight and they would be landing in a couple of hours. She wanted to concentrate on something she had total control over and that was work. In that aspect she and Vin were the perfect couple.

  Vin had loved Maui since the first moment he’d stepped foot onto the beach when he’d graduated college. He’d always known this was where he’d want to put a resort, but he wanted this one to be special.

  This was the very first place he’d ever been able to afford. He’d scraped and saved every blasted dime he could because this had been his mother’s home and the place he was born. He always knew he would come back, even now that his mother was gone, and start a business.

  So here he was, breathing in the crisp, salty ocean breeze and standing beneath a palm-lined street with Evelyn at his side. She looked at home here too, with her long, dark hair dancing in the wind and her tanned skin. Damn, she was a sight and he never tired of looking at her.

  But right now he had business, and from the looks of his building, the business was looking better than he’d anticipated. Already the pale pink stucco was applied to the building, the clay tile roof was completed and doors were being installed.

  “Vin, this is stunning,” Evelyn exclaimed with a smile. “It’s absolutely gorgeous. I can’t wait to get inside and see the layout.”

  “Here’s the foreman now,” Vin said, taking her elbow and leading her across the site. “I’ll make sure someone gives you a tour inside.”

  “Mr. Hawk.” The foreman extended his hand and shook Vin’s. “Great to see you again.”

  “You too, Mike.” Vin gestured to Evelyn. “This is Evelyn Banks. She’s my designer and she was hoping to get a peek inside if that’s okay.”

  “Absolutely.” Mike called for another man to come over and bring a couple more hardhats. “This is Mike. He’ll take you around.”

  Evelyn took the hardhat and plopped it on her head. Yeah, even in a beat-up, old hardhat she was sexy.

  “I’ll meet back up with you when you’re done,” Vin told her. “Take your time.”

  Evelyn smiled and eagerly set off with Mike. Vin didn’t miss the way all the men nearly broke their necks to get a better glimpse of Evelyn when they’d stepped from the car. He couldn’t blame them. She was a sight to behold, even in her jeans and boots. He’d made her pack for walking around the construction site, and even in that low-key outfit her curves were mocking him.

  So far none of the men had pulled out the clichéd wolf whistles. Vin silently dared them to. He’d lay into their asses so fast they’d never whistle again.

  Vin had no hold over Evelyn, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see her treated like just another woman—because she wasn’t. Evelyn was special and damn it— No. She wasn’t his.

  Vin settled his own hardhat on his head and turned to Mike. “I’m ready to see what’s been going on since I was here last.”

  As Mike discussed the project, how it was a little over budget but still within the time frame, Vin was pleased with how well the work was coming along. No major setbacks, which was a miracle for a resort of this scale.

  After about an hour Evelyn came back with her escort and was near beaming. He knew she’d fall in love with this place. Knew she’d get that giddy feeling that always settled in him when he worked on a project.

  And he refused to feel guilty for taking her on just because Dylan had asked him to. Evelyn was more than holding her own and if being with her day in and day out was part of the deal, then he was so coming out of this favor on top.

  “What did you think?” Vin asked as she came to stand by his side.

  “I think this is more than I ever thought it would be. My mind is working overtime.”

  She simply shined. Her face had a smudge of dirt on one cheek, damp hairs clung to the side of her neck from sweat and she had absolutely no makeup on, but she was just as stunning as she was when she was dressed in a cocktail dress with her hair and makeup perfectly done.

  Vin turned to Mike. “Thanks for everything. I’ll stop back by tomorrow.”

  Evelyn handed over her hardhat, as did Vin. When he walked her back to the car, she was tugging a rubber band from her wrist and pulling her hair back into some haphazard-looking knot at the nape of her slender neck.

  “Where to now, boss?” she asked as she opened her car door.

  “Now we’re going to shower, dress and go out to eat,” he told her. “I have just the place in mind and I think it will inspire your creativity.”

  Looking across the top of the rental car, she grinned. “Oh, I’ve already been inspired for years to come. But I’m not turning down food. I’m starving.”

  As he watched her disappear inside the car, his gut clenched. Yeah, so was he.

  Chapter Eight

  Okay, so maybe coming here was not the brightest move.

  Vin continued his torturous day with Evelyn as he sat cozied up next to her in—what else?—a corner booth. Why was it that when a man and woman came into a restaurant, people always assumed they were an item and wanted the make-out section?

  So here they were, after dining on an amazing meal, plus a chocolate dessert he’d had the agonizing pleasure of listening to her groan about as her sensuous lips closed over the fork with each blasted bite.

  “So what do you think of this place?” he asked, once they were alone and the dishes had been cleared away.

  “The food is amazing, Vin. You have to try to steal this chef.”

  Vin laughed. “We’re on the same page because my assistant has already been in contact with him. We’re offering him quite a bit more than he’s making here and we’ve added some other sweeteners to the pot.”

  “You always get what you want,” she joked.

  Not everything.

  “I like the feel here,” he told her, getting back to business so he didn’t concentrate on the fact that her sundress was strapless and she had two thin white tan lines that extended up around her neck. He wanted to lick them. “The color scheme, the coziness. I feel like I’m taken back in time to when things weren’t so rushed, so hectic.”

  Her eyes darted around the intimate restaurant. “I agree, but what gives you that feeling is the ceiling fans.”

  Vin’s eyes immediately darted up, then back to her. “What do the fans have to do with anything?”

  “See how the blades are very large and shaped like a giant leaf?” she asked, pointing. “They’ve put the setting on low so you can see each blade as it spins.”

  He saw what she was talking about and a part of him wondered how in the hell he was sitting next to his best friend’s smokin’-hot sister, whom he’d hired as a favor, and instead of staring at her cleavage, he was looking at the damn blades of a ceiling fan.

  Yeah, his masculine meter just plummeted.

  “Also, with the earthy tones and dark wood, you’re immediately calmed when you come in,” she continued. “With that wall entirely made of a waterfall, the trickling sound soothes you. And because they only take reservations for a certain amount of people at a time, you’re not getting that rushed feel of people being ushered in and out the entire time.”

  “You’re good at this,” he told her, forcing his eyes to stay on hers.


  She laughed, resting her elbow on the table and shoving a stray hair from her face. “What? Did you think I just picked out paint colors and throw pillows for a living? There’s so much more to designing. Just because I worked on a team in Miami doesn’t mean I can’t do this on my own.”

  “I’m not questioning your ability. And I knew there was more to decorating than pillows and paint,” he defended. “I guess I didn’t realize how much you studied your surroundings and used them to your advantage.”

  “The surroundings are everything,” she told him. “Each aspect, no matter how small, plays a part in coming together to form an overall ambience.”

  Vin slid his arm along the back of the booth, his fingertips coming to rest on her silky hair. Hey, he’d take what he could get as far as touching went right now. Seeing as how he still had no clue what all Evie had dealt with in her past, he’d keep things light until he had the signal to move further.

  “Think we can work with something like this for the resort?” he asked. “Something simple, yet elegant.”

  Evelyn beamed as a smile spread across her face. “Absolutely. This is exactly what I had in my mind. See? Exotic doesn’t have to be all palm trees. It can be elegant, not tacky.”

  He wished she’d quit saying “exotic” because in his mind the word came across as “erotic”. No, he wasn’t mature, seeing as how that’s where his mind kept traveling, but he couldn’t help it. Not when he was spending so much time with Evie.

  She pulled a pad and pen from her purse and began jotting down notes, all the while muttering to herself. God, she was a woman who spoke his language. When duty called…

  He let her lose herself in her thoughts as he sipped his beer and studied her. When she wanted to scratch out what she obviously thought of as a bad idea, she literally shook her head as if telling the paper no. He hid his smile and wondered how serious he looked while working. Did he totally submerge himself into it the way she did? More than likely.

  Dylan may have wanted Vin to hire Evelyn as a way to give her a boost in her new business, but Vin knew, once word of how amazing and creative she was got out among the big dogs, she would have so many clients, she’d be making more than enough money to start creating her own designs and branch out like she wanted.

  When she sat back against the booth and sighed, Vin grinned. He had a feeling he’d nearly just witnessed a sexual completion.

  “Finished?”

  Her eyes remained on the notes and drawings. “For now.”

  “Ready to head back to the hotel?”

  She gathered her things together and slid from the booth. As they stepped outside, Vin instinctively put his hand on the small of her back. Besides the fact it was gentlemanly, he was really just a selfish bastard who wanted an excuse to touch her.

  The warm ocean breeze enveloped them as they walked back to their hotel. He’d booked two separate rooms—adjoining, but still. He wanted her to know she had privacy, yet he also wanted her to know he was right there. Yet again, selfish on his part.

  They rode the elevator up in silence and Evelyn fished out her keycard from her bag. When he led her to her door, she slid the key through, opened the door and turned with a smile.

  “That was amazing, Vin. Thanks so much. I’m really excited about this project.”

  “You can thank me by making this resort something people will talk about all over the world,” he told her, taking a step toward her.

  Her eyes widened, but she remained in place. “You really put the pressure on, don’t you?”

  He shrugged. “I just know that when someone has the ability to do something I want, I can demand it.”

  She licked her lips, her eyes darted to his mouth. “Are we talking business now or personal?”

  “What do you think?”

  Slowly, he leaned in, keeping his eyes on hers, giving her that extra second or two to tell him to stop, but when her body eased forward, he knew she wasn’t going to stop him.

  So he took everything she may have been offering and more.

  Vin slid his arms around her waist and pulled her body flush with his, while remaining in the open doorway. To anybody walking by, they’d look like they were getting their foreplay on in the hallway, but Vin knew this wouldn’t go beyond the doorway…at least not tonight. He wouldn’t take advantage when she was obviously vulnerable, obviously still battling something he had no control over. All he could do was be patient and show her how special she was.

  He captured her lips and slid one hand up to cup the nape of her neck as her hands gripped his biceps. When he thrust his tongue into her mouth, she met him with hers. When he changed angles, she was a step ahead. But when he tilted his hips, she jerked back.

  “Vin…” A shaky hand came up to cover her mouth. “Damn, I can’t think when you kiss me.”

  Such a high compliment, but with her body visibly shaking, he kept his thoughts to himself. He hadn’t meant to scare her, but his mind and his body were battling each other.

  “I really enjoy kissing you, more than I should,” she muttered, eyes darting down.

  “Nothing to be ashamed of.” He hooked his finger beneath her chin and brought her gaze back to his. “Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean we couldn’t be more.”

  Her eyes searched his, and a shaky breath shook her body. “You don’t know how much I want to try, but…”

  “What?”

  Lids lowered over haunted eyes and Vin knew those nightmares she’d been having were seeping into their intimate moment.

  “Whatever has happened before has nothing to do with now,” he assured her and not just because he wanted her in his bed—he wasn’t that much of an asshole. No, he wanted her to feel safe, to let go of whatever it was that kept her so guarded.

  She opened her eyes and offered a sad smile. “But that’s just it. My past has everything to do with now, with this…whatever this is that is happening between us.”

  “It doesn’t have to,” he assured her. “We all have pasts we’re not proud of.”

  “I…I can’t talk about it.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Please, just forget this.”

  She all but shoved him back and closed the door, the resounding click of the deadbolt echoed in the empty hall.

  What the hell had just happened? Just how damaged was she and why the hell hadn’t he heard about…something before now? Did Dylan know his sister was so broken? So tormented?

  Then again, if Dylan knew it’s not like he’d be forthcoming in advertising his sister had issues with intimacy or sex.

  Horrid images filled his mind as he made his way to his own room. Images that nearly brought him to his knees with anger, grief and rage.

  Who the hell had hurt her? Vin wanted to get his hands on the person—or, God forbid, persons—and kick their ass. But that was the fighter side of him. The realistic side knew if he wanted to pursue any type of relationship beyond friendship or business with Evelyn, he’d have to really watch what he said, how he responded to and acted toward her.

  And there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he wanted something more with her. What, exactly, he didn’t know, but he knew he wanted to help her through this…whatever the “this” may be.

  She was worth the wait, worth the cold showers. Because someone had obviously not taken their time with her, not shown her what intimacy should be…at least, that’s the conclusion he was drawing. He prayed to God he was wrong.

  He stripped down to his boxers and lay on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Was she next door replaying that steamy kiss in her mind? He sure as hell was. Did she fantasize about what the next step could be between them? Did she have any idea the lengths he’d go to in order to keep her safe?

  Vin knew the answer to the last question. Probably not. In Evelyn’s world, Vin was just a friend whom her brother and Alan had brought home from college. They’d grown close over the years, but their bond wasn’t as deep as the ones she shared with the
other guys.

  Vin wanted to show her just how serious he was about getting to know her on a deeper level. He was dead serious on how much he needed to prove to her that he was the guy who could help her overcome whatever fears she faced. He was the one who would show her the tenderness she needed.

  And he’d damn well slay anything else that crossed in front of her and caused her harm.

  Chapter Nine

  “Thanks so much, Marcia. I’m forever indebted to you.”

  Evelyn hung up with Rick’s assistant and set her phone on the desk. Thankfully the elderly woman was going to send out a mass invite for the surprise party and Evelyn would just work on the catering. That she could do from a distance and it wouldn’t be so time consuming.

  She stripped on her way into the hotel bathroom to grab a quick shower before she had to meet up with Vin. After last night’s kiss and then her clamming up, she hoped their day wouldn’t be too awkward. Vin made it no secret he wanted her. Hell, it was when he’d pressed himself against her last night that had freaked her out—and they’d been fully clothed. How in the world could she ever actually get naked with a man if she flipped out over an erection beneath jeans?

  She hurried through her shower and wrapped a towel around her hair and body. As she stepped from the bath, her cell chimed on the desk. When she glanced at the screen, she didn’t recognize the number.

  “Hello.”

  “Evelyn.”

  “Alan.” Her heart sank. Of course he had her number, but she’d never asked Rick or anyone else for his.

  “I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

  That low, menacing voice she’d come to loathe slid through the phone and sent goose bumps popping up all over her still-damp body.

  “What do you need?”

  Rich laughter mocked her. “Oh, the list is endless, Evie. I can see you’re not in the mood for small talk. I called to see if you were able to contact any caterers.”