What They Call Sin

by Philippa Grey-Gerou

  And punched him.

  The crowd around them gasped and pulled back, save for two men, one older, one younger, who lunged forward to grab her arms and keep her from attacking again.

  "How dare you!” He backed away, but he was cornered by the crowd and the layout of the gallery. “After what you put her through, you dare to show up here?"

  And suddenly Lindy and Diana were there. Diana tried to sooth Kathleen's rage while Lindy turned to him.

  From the gob-smacked look on her face, she'd been expecting someone else.

  "'Lo, Lindy."

  She looked incredible. Her hair flowed in loose waves about her face and shoulders, obscuring the silver medallions hanging form her delicate earlobes. Her eyes were smoky and dark, although at the moment they were big as saucers. She wore a sweet little sleeveless black dress more suited to her style than all the couture she'd been wearing in the fall. The scooped neck displayed her décolletage to its best advantage, while the fat clusters of scarlet red roses embroidered along the hem drew his eye to the length of her thigh and calf. And those shoes. Christ. He wanted to take her little feet in hand and toy with those little silver baubles with his lips and tongue for hours. They were enough to give a man a fetish.

  And thoughts like that weren't going to make it any easier to sleep tonight.

  "What are you doing here?"

  The crowd seemed aware that something significant was going on. Rogue could almost feel the pressure of all those people trying not to seem like they were listening in.

  He pulled the postcard out of his pocket. “Got an invitation, didn't I?” He held it up so she could clearly see the label affixed with his address on it.

  "Oh, Lindy!” Diana breathed guiltily. “He's on my mailing list. I didn't even think...” She moved to Rogue's side. “I'm sorry. Maybe you should go..."

  "No!” Lindy seemed as surprised by her outburst as anyone. “No, it's okay. He can stay."

  The two men holding Kathleen took this as a sign and released her to begin dispersing the milling audience, returning their attention to the artwork. Kathleen shrugged her dignity back on like a cloak and turned her back to Rogue and Lindy.

  But Rogue could have sworn she winked at him.

  Lindy drew him away from the main gallery without touching him. “So ... um ... how have you been?"

  He was amazed. Was she really trying to make conversation with him? “I'm good. Thanks. And you?"

  She nodded. “Yeah, me too."

  They were awkwardly quiet before Rogue blurted out, “I like the show. It's really good work."

  She blushed and cast her eyes down. “Thanks. It was all kind of sudden."

  "Yeah? Sounds like a story."

  He mentally kicked himself for the words, an unintended reminder of their last conversation. “I'm glad you were able to have it here,” he hurried on. “Diana was really keen to get you here."

  "She didn't leave me much choice. She all but threatened to fire me if I didn't let her host."

  "Fire you? You're working here?"

  She nodded slightly.

  He shook his head with a derisive chuckle. “Diana never told me."

  "I know. I asked her not to.” She actually looked apologetic.

  He shrugged. “No reason you shouldn't."

  "Okay then."

  "Yeah."

  The awkward silence returned. “Bugger this,” he finally said, disgusted with himself. “I'm gonna shove off. Congratulations on the show. It's brilliant."

  "Thanks.” She hesitated. “It was good to see you again, Rogue."

  God. He hated that name on her lips. She could still give him redemption and damnation in one sentence.

  And he was happy for it.

  Chapter 48

  The crowd was gone. The caterers had finished removing all signs of their presence and departed as well. Only Lindy was left to turn out the lights and lock up.

  She didn't mind. She was too geared up to sleep anyway, so when Mercedes came by to meet Diana, Lindy had sent them on their way. Diana didn't want to leave her. “This is your night,” she had insisted. “You shouldn't have to work.” But finally Lindy and Mercedes convinced her, on the condition that Lindy take the next day off. Lindy didn't mind agreeing to that. As she was probably going to be up bouncing off the walls most of the night anyway, she didn't think she would be any good working in the morning.

  A horn sounded in the street, signaling the arrival of her cab. She quickly flicked off the row of switches, plunging the gallery into darkness, then stepped out to close and lock the door. Finally she dragged down the ornate security gate and locked it as well. Dropping the keys in her bag, she turned toward the cab.

  Rogue was standing on the other side of the street.

  She couldn't breathe looking at him. She'd been working with his image for months now, but she'd forgotten how much better the real thing was. He was dressed all in black, the silk tonal striped shirt hinting at the cut muscles underneath. The flat front trousers displayed his hips perfectly, and he wore matte black dress shoes that were just this side of boots. His silver tie was loosened, the collar of his shirt unbuttoned, and the blazer of the suit thrown over his shoulder. His shadowy dark hair was rumpled and curled slightly the way she liked it. He had obviously been waiting for her all night.

  He just watched her quietly.

  "Hey lady, you need a ride or what?"

  The cabby's terse demand jerked her out of her trance. She stepped into the street and reached for the cab door.

  "Lindy."

  He had mirrored her actions and now stood on the other side of the car.

  "What are you doing here, Rogue?"

  "Didn't we have this conversation already?"

  "I expect that the answers have changed."

  "I just wanted to talk to you."

  "We don't have anything to say.” She pulled the cab door open to escape him.

  She didn't see him come around the car before he slammed the door shut again. “We have a lot to say, Lindy.” His voice was tense, his eyes flashing. “Whether we want to hear it or not."

  He was so close she was overwhelmed. Despite her best attempts to hold onto the rage, the shame, the guilt, all she could feel was his presence. Finally she capitulated.

  "Yeah? Okay.” He bent down to the driver. “Sorry, mate, lady's gonna walk for a bit."

  The driver grumbled and pulled away, leaving the two of them standing in the street.

  They simply stood there, looking at each other for the longest time. But she refused to make things any easier on him, so when he didn't speak up, she began walking toward home.

  He caught up with her quickly. “So,” he finally said, “how did the show go?"

  "Fine,” she answered coolly, not looking at him. “Better than I had hoped. I sold seventeen paintings and got two commissions. Julian is thrilled."

  "Julian?"

  She glanced over, surprised that he sounded genuinely interested. “My representative."

  "Ah."

  They continued on in silence until they reached Hudson Street and she reached the end of her patience. “Look, you wanted to talk. If we aren't going to, then I'd just as soon...” She raised her hand for a cab.

  "I'm sorry!” he blurted out, trying to stop her with his words.

  She dropped her hand.

  "I never meant for you to get hurt."

  "Well, then, you shouldn't have asked me to walk home in these shoes.” She turned to start walking up Hudson towards the studio.

  "Lindy,” he growled, obviously frustrated by her quip.

  "What?” She whirled on him, forcing him to stop in mid-stride in surprise. “What did you think would happen, Rogue? Did you think you could seduce me and rub Gabriel's nose in it, and when it was all said and done he'd take me back?” She marched off again, the rage she had been searching for now fully aroused.

  "To be honest, I didn't think about you when I came up with this stupid plan."

>   "Oh, well that makes it all better, doesn't it?"

  "How could I possibly imagine you?” he defended. “I couldn't picture Gabriel involved with anyone who wasn't as vicious and manipulative and self-absorbed as he was. You don't fit his profile, pet. You have to forgive me for not seeing you coming."

  "I don't have to do anything."

  "I admit it,” he continued after her, “when I came up with the idea, I didn't give his wife any thought. He hadn't given me a thought when he started screwing Hope, had he? And let's be honest, that first time? In the restaurant? I didn't even have to try real hard, did I? You seemed to prove every preconception I had. Except you were a sight prettier than I'd expected. And felt a lot better to fuck."

  "You're a pig.” She walked faster, hiding her blush.

  "But by the third time I knew I was wrong about you. I started feeling guilty. And by the second week I'd given up the whole thing as a hopeless case."

  "Why?"

  "Because I'd fallen in love with you."

  She hesitated. “You never said."

  "How could I?” He shrugged. “You'd made it pretty clear I was just a training ground for you. You wanted to go back to your life afterwards. Why should I spill my guts when it wouldn't amount to anything? I just figured on taking what you would give me and hoping that would be enough."

  "I didn't...” She floundered against his confession, reaching for anything to help her hold onto her anger. She threw the first thought she found at him. “You are so full of shit. You asked Gabriel if you could seduce me!"

  He grabbed her arm at that, and she saw the barely controlled rage in his face. “I never did. He found out about us. I don't know how, but he did. After we'd been together about three weeks, he finally confronted me on it. And he magnanimously” the word dripped bile coming out of his mouth, “allowed us to continue. That's why he didn't come home that one night. I'd beaten him up over it. I never asked him, I never told him, and I never intended to. Not after I got to know you."

  She jerked out of his grip, but her indignation had subsided a bit. She started walking again.

  "How can I believe you? After all those lies..."

  "No lies.” He shook his head in denial. “I never lied to you."

  "But..."

  "No! I never lied to you.” His eyes fell to their moving feet. “I didn't tell you everything, but I never said anything to you that wasn't true."

  She tried to find one instance to spit back at him, but the longer she thought about it, the more she realized that he hadn't ever told her an untruth. All those chances, and he'd so carefully kept his integrity. She wasn't sure how that made her feel.

  He moved up to walk beside her, hands in his pockets, eyes on the street. “I hadn't thought he'd have the nerve to use our relationship against you in the divorce. With his history of philandering, I wouldn't have figured he'd want to risk it. Hadn't counted on you layin’ down and takin’ it."

  "How do you know about that?"

  "Oh. Um.” He looked sheepish. “Diana called me. She was worried for you. Asked me to help."

  "And you gave Sidney the files on your divorce to use against Gabriel."

  He looked more uncomfortable.

  "Oh my god.” She threw her hands up in disgust. “You know Sidney, don't you?"

  "We went to school together,” he admitted.

  "What is this, some grand English conspiracy to control my life?"

  "Well, I don't think so, but I haven't been to the meetings in a while..."

  "Do you know Julian, too?"

  "Can't say I do, but I'm inclined to approve of him. He did right by you when I couldn't."

  She couldn't look at him. “Did ... did you know about all those other women?"

  "No.” He stroked her back, a quick, comforting gesture that shouldn't have left fire burning under her skin. But it did. “I suspected, but I didn't know anything for sure. I gave Sidney Kathleen Fallon's name. Figured she hated Gabriel enough that she knew where the bodies lay. Didn't realize she was one of them."

  "So many secrets.” She felt the weight of them on her heart. “No one ever told me any of these things."

  "They were just tryin’ to protect you, pet. Didn't want to see you hurt."

  "Not everyone."

  "No,” he conceded. “Not everyone. But most everyone. The people who love you."

  She hated seeing him like this, so humble, so passive. What happened to his snark, his swagger, his supreme confidence? He seemed somehow broken.

  "What are you doing here?"

  "I think we already covered that."

  "No, I mean what are you doing in New York? You didn't come just for my show."

  "I would have, if I'd known. But no.” He pulled out the gallery postcard, indicating the address label.

  She read it, then looked up at him in surprise. “But this is in Chelsea."

  He shrugged. “I've got a flat there. It's not much, but it'll do until the practice gets established."

  "Practice?” She was speechless.

  "Yeah.” He smiled boyishly, shyly. “I've started my own firm. Legal counsel for creative types. I've already got retainers with a couple of new independent publishing houses. Got tired of shilling for the corporate hacks. Decided to do something I wanted for a change."

  "That's...” She stopped herself. Why was she so excited for him? Because he was doing the same thing she was. Moving on. Starting new. Becoming the person he was meant to be. “Rogue, why are you telling me all this?"

  They had finally reached her building. The alley was deserted, dark except for two exterior lights that hadn't burned out and been forgotten.

  "I wanted you to know.” He looked into her eyes, letting her see clearly the depth of his feeling. “I couldn't stand the thought of you in the world hating me."

  She unlocked the security door and swung it open before turning back to him. “Rogue, I've changed..."

  "I understand that. I've changed, too. I know you need time. I know you've got no reason to trust me. We hardly know each other anymore. But I can wait, if you'll just give me a chance..."

  She grabbed his tie and pulled him in to devour his mouth.

  He didn't respond for long seconds, and Lindy began to think she'd made a mistake when his arms closed around her like iron bands, his mouth opening to welcome her in.

  It was like coming home. He fit her so well she knew he was made for her. Her hands tangled in his soft curls as he ran his hands along her back, both of them reacquainting themselves with the other.

  It was right, it was true.

  She was complete.

  She found herself backed against the open door when she finally broke their kiss. “I've changed a lot,” she said huskily, her eyes meeting his passion-dark ones. “I know what I want now."

  He slid his hands up into her hair, never breaking eye contact. “What do you want, love?"

  "I want you to take me upstairs."

  "Your wish is my command."

  And he swept her off her very expensive stilettos to carry her home.

  Chapter 49

  She was so lost in his tender mouth, in the warmth of his solid body supporting her, that she had no idea how they made it upstairs without falling.

  He set her back on her feet at her door, but didn't release her. Instead, as she tried to find the keys she'd had just moments before, he curved his hard lines against her back, one hand wrapped around to rest on her stomach, the other drawing her hair back to give him clear access to her neck.

  The keys struggled against her like live things, her hands resisting all commands to do anything but touch him. His tongue toyed with the weight of her earring, sliding the tip of his tongue along the sensitive underside of her lobe, setting the ornament swinging to tickle along the column of her neck. She gasped at the sensation, allowing her head to fall back against his chest. With a growl, he snatched the keys out of her hands to try his luck. He had better success than she, but by the time he found
the right key, she had his shirt open and was sliding her hands over the velvet cut of his muscles.

  The door burst open and slammed against the wall as Rogue swept her back up and carried her over the threshold. “You got ahead of me,” he grumbled against her throat.

  She trembled. “Then you should catch up, don't you think?"

  He growled, making her cling to him tighter, burying her face in his hair. “Where?"

  She understood him instantly. “Upstairs."

  He held her more securely as he mounted the cast iron stairs to her bedroom, barely glancing at the new arrangement.

  Dropping her on the bed, he shrugged off the shirt and jacket, pulling the loop of his necktie off over his head. He was about to toss it aside when she smiled impishly at him. “Keep that handy,” she purred. “We might need it later."

  "Why, Miss James,” he started, “I've never heard such...” his words petered out as she lay back on her elbows, slowly sliding one elegantly shod foot and then the other up along the lengths of her calves, allowing her skirt to fall up around her waist.

  He just stared at her in awe. “Fuck, but you're pretty."

  She blushed and laughed, then presented one foot to him. “And what are you going to do about it?"

  He took the heel in his hand and sank to his knees in front of her at the foot of the bed. But to her surprise, he didn't take the shoes off her right away. Instead, he ran his tongue in lingering strokes along the side and over the top of her foot, pausing to give the same attention to the medallions there that he had to her earring. Lindy hadn't known her feet were so sensitive, but even through the silk of her stockings his touch aroused her. He took careful time to explore every inch of the first foot before gently tugging on the tie holding the shoe in place, allowing it to fall to the floor as he turned to give similar attention to her other foot.

  She watched all of this, fascinated. This as the most erotic thing she had ever seen. He seemed transported by being allowed to do this, and his reaction was as much a turn on as his actions. It seemed to take hours for the other shoe to hit the floor, and by the time it did, she was his to command.

  He rose up on his knees between her calves and met her eyes. She lifted one foot to stroke her toes along his bare chest. His warm hands coasted up her legs, pushing her skirt higher to reveal the black garter holding up her stockings and the black silk panties covered in tiny red rosebuds that covered her intimate places. His fingers caught in the straps of the garter, quickly releasing the catches before gently sliding the silk off one leg and then the other. He nuzzled his cheek into the warm, bare flesh of her inner thighs, and she whimpered at the feel of his hot breath so near her center. He kissed and nipped at the delicate skin as she spread her legs wider and wider in invitation. His hands moved up again to the waistband of her bikinis, and he met her eyes as he began drawing them down, almost as though asking for permission. In answer, she drew her knees together gracefully, allowing him to remove the panties easily, before she spread her legs again in open invitation. His blue eyes were so dark now, and they never stopped watching her as he lowered his mouth to her.