Sin's Flower

by Carlene Love Flores

  Twenty short minutes later, because wherever you needed to get, there was a freeway waiting, Lily was stuffing a tiny piece of mustardy ketchup-covered pickle she’d somehow missed into her mouth while Benny watched. She was sure he’d eaten his burger in three bites about ten minutes ago. Show off. But she loved him already. Enough so that she felt she could ask him a question that had been eating at her ever since he’d whisked her out into the recording studio parking lot.

  “So Benny, what’s Jaxon James like?”

  His eyes popped, reminding her of that cartoon movie where the little girl was kidnapped by jewel thieves and they sewed this gigantic diamond into the girl’s teddy bear. Those huge, glass stones were Benny’s eyes, except his were green. He refused to stop sucking pop through his fat straw and she heard slurping sounds that said he’d emptied it.

  “Never mind. I’ll find out soon enough for myself.”

  “Oh no, no, no,” he said in a blur.

  Great. Had Lucky called and gotten to him already? Oh boy, or better yet had Lucky spilled the beans to her sister? That was way more likely. “What, did Tris give you orders, too? Am I to stay away from the big bad wolf, Grams?”

  “Hey, don’t call me that. I’m not your granny.”

  Benny was way too cute to stay mad at. Lily tugged on his beanie and he showed her how much he didn’t like it with a twisted mouth. But she did it again. “How old are you, Benny?”

  “Twenty-nine.”

  “Well good then. That makes me your elder and someone you’re supposed to respect and…”

  “Nuh-uh. Nice try. I don’t believe you. No way are you in your thirties.”

  “Oh yes I am. Thirty-one, as a matter of fact. Better get those eyes checked.” But she’d just found another reason to love him. “Are you up for adoption? You are so cute.” Maybe if she found a way to take this one home with her, Jaxon James would have a good reason to follow.

  “You will not distract me,” he chanted twice.

  Oh my. He had a serious fear of something or someone. Lily would lay odds it was her sister. When big sis meant business, she meant business. If Benny had been told not to spill the beans, those puppies were staying put in the old pot with the lid tightly secured. Maybe she could throw him off with a jolt of pure, straightforward honesty.

  “How old is Jaxon James?”

  “Sixty-three,” he shot out quickly.

  She slapped his arm and a thick shock of black, rubber bangles shifted around his wrist. “No he’s not. Why are you being so silly? I bet he’s in his early forties, max.”

  The next words out of Benny’s mouth were so profound she almost choked on her last salty fry. “Let’s hope you’re as good a judge of character.”

  After a quick recovery, she couldn’t help but stutter out the first thing that came to her. “Guess we’ll see if I’ve gotten any better at that.”

  He shook his head, sending locks of long, russet bangs into his eyes which he tucked back into his wool hat. But then he went silent again.

  Lily tried a different approach. “So, how well do you know my sister? I assume we’re allowed to talk about her.”

  At that, Benny didn’t hesitate. “I’d do anything for Trista, including following her wishes when it comes to you.”

  Ugh! She popped an imaginary bubble in the air with the tip of her pointer finger.

  So flipping things on Benny wasn’t gonna work. He was way too smart. Laid back, grungy skater look was a total put-on. The guy could drive on the freeway at insane speeds and still remain stoic and evasive. Her attempt would have to be much more clever. “Why do you think I’m out here, Benny? Huh?” She didn’t let him answer because she already had one prepared. “Jaxon James is needed in Tennessee, and not just by his daughter, hello,” she said smartly, “but by my sister, that girl you care about. That’s why I’m here to convince her best friend to go see her. That’s all I’m interested in.”

  He looked at her with a tight lip. She guessed he had nothing to say. They sped up the coast, giving her a few moments to regroup and strategize. It was Christmas time, dammit. There would be cheer and joy in her sister’s house if she had to tie it up, stuff it in a trunk, and drive it to Tennessee herself.

  “Oh my God, is that the ocean?”

  Benny, who seemed more like a race car driver than genius, bangle-wearing Sin Pointe webmaster, continued to tear them up the coastal highway. Lily could barely catch her breath. Palm trees really did line the hills and the tanned cliffs were magnificent. She could be stuck in traffic all day long with this view. A sea gull swooped down to the right of them just then, and she was close enough to see it dive bomb into the not so distant sea. She wiggled out of her tennies, her feet itching to be bare and running through all that sand.

  “Benny? Is there any chance I could convince you to pull off at the next exit and let me get my feet wet? I’ve never been, you know.”

  He grinned and even though his eyes were hidden behind a pair of charcoal gray Ray-Bans, she knew he was peacocking under the shades. She would be, too, if this was what she called home. He didn’t bother answering but hit his blinker and jammed toward the exit.

  So he’s a quiet one, Lucky told me that. And he’s pretty sweet. He told me that too.

  In fact, Benny was the only one she’d been permitted to ride alone in a car with, according to big, protective Lucky, when he’d waited with her at the bus stop. Speaking of her sizable brother-in-law, she’d never seen Jaxon James close up and wondered how much like Lucky he would be.

  Tall and naturally muscled? At the handful of Sin Pointe concerts she’d attended, the stage had been too far away for her to see their leader all that well. But he had a super muscly build that was evident even under the solid black he wore.

  Gosh, how embarrassing, but she realized then that with all the magazine photos she’d hoarded and the concert t-shirts she cherished, her focus had always been on Stefan. The most accurate description she could give of Jaxon James was that he had dark blond hair that was very short on the sides with long bangs on top that reminded her of Elvis’ pompadour. Oh, and some infamous neck tattoo he blew off when asked about in interviews. That was it. That was all she had on the man. Well, that and he wrote some disturbingly good songs. But since it was Stefan’s voice who sang them, that’s who she had always been most attracted to. There was that humming sensation again making her dizzy and unexpectedly hot.

  She clicked through the list of forbidden boys. Absolutely no solo rides with Stefan Calderon. As if Lily would be able to breathe in a car with him. He was all about the “P” word according to Lucky. The other no-no for absolute alone time was Mr. James. They were just gonna have to fudge on that one a wee bit. She had time to deal with that anyhow, since sweet Benny appeared to be detouring her through the dusty green hills, down a winding road to the ocean. The houses here were amazing. Everyone must be beautiful. Lily could see how Trishad fit in when she’d lived here.

  She could just make out small tips of waves peaking and then tumbling back in with the rest of the salty smelling water when they pulled into a private driveway.

  Benny stepped out, walked around to her side and opened the door like a true gentleman.

  “Benny, can we be parked here? Do you know whose…mansion…this is?”

  Magenta pink bougainvillea draped itself over everything. She was sure some Spanish king and queen were missing their retirement home, and then she prayed they didn’t come walking out of the gorgeous villa archways anytime soon.

  “My place,” he said.

  “Your place?” she squeaked. “Benny, is there something you need to tell me?” she stuttered.

  Like your title and given royal name?

  “Well, mine and Jaxon’s. I figured why drive you all the way down when I could just park and we could walk. Plus, I have to pee super bad.”

  If he said this beach was private, as in only for the owner of this…palace, she was going to asphyxiate herself with a face div
e into the bougainvillea. “Are you serious? This is where you guys live and this is your own piece of beach?”

  He nodded.

  “Benny, I’m going to cry. This is too much. Way too much.”

  He seemed touched or maybe that was the pee pee dance. Lily’s heart sank even through her awe. How in the world did she convince a sand flea, let alone Jaxon James—the rock star who owned the ocean—to leave and come to Bugscuffle, Tennessee? Not a one idea bothered to come to mind. Her gut warned that she didn’t figure this problem out by turning to jelly every time she saw the life-altering view of the water. She pulled herself together and made an offering for all the drooling she’d done since she’d rolled bus wheels into the state of California.

  “Benny, if you could just show me inside the house, you know, where to stow my bag… I’d like to get started on a thank you meal for you and your roommate. Southern style. And if you say no, I’ll be all kinds of offended.”

  “But, but what about the beach?”

  It sure was tempting, but now the tightness of her schedule flared to mind. Oh, and the miracle she had to perform.

  Benny let out one giant, genius groan and then stuffed his hands into his pockets, only to pull the left one back out and lock a stare on his watch face. That’s when his toe started tapping. She wasn’t sure if it was from his full bladder or his pending knowledge of when a certain off-limits roommate might be coming home, but he wasn’t the only one not taking no for an answer. “Come on, we have a few minutes. You came all the way out here, and if nothing else, you should at least see the ocean.” He shrugged and looked up at her like he hoped his offer was sufficient.

  At least. She’d have to do better than that. Lily tugged down on the hem of her blouse and took a moment to really think about where she was and what she was doing. Maybe it was the calling of the crashing waves and the way they changed the ripples in the sand each time they came in. She was here for Tris, but Lily needed to believe in herself again if she wanted to accomplish her mission. Otherwise, Benny was right. The ocean might be the only awe-inspiring thing she saw. And that wouldn’t do Tris any good.

  Chapter Five

  If she’d had the idea of walking in the front door, setting her bag down and getting straight to business, it was gone now. Her toes threatened to cramp from all the curling she’d just done in the cool, silky sand. Benny passed her by several times, bumping her arm, as he bouncily moved here and there. Straightening?

  He finally noticed she was frozen in place and gently took hold of her at the elbow. “Hey, let me show you where to put your stuff.” The sweat from his hands moistened her skin. She guessed he had no idea what else to do with her than bring her here to stay and the place was so big, she could see how people could live here and never bump into each other. She’d bet that was his hope for her and Jaxon James.

  “Okay.” She wanted to follow after him but she was dying to get her tennies off again and feel the soft fur of the rug spread out on the hard wood floor. In a second, the loose shoes were in her hand while her toes unfurled into the fabric she’d only ever imagined on a fine coat. Quickly, she stepped from it, feeling like her feet had no business mashing around on such luxury. She had a meal to make. And hopefully more than one to cook for. She wondered where Jaxon James was and then let her mind try and place the man she knew from Sin Pointe, clothed in black and zippers, walking down that elegant, dark wooden staircase.

  Following long, lanky Benny up the regal stairs, she asked, “So what time do you guys normally eat supper around here?” He turned around and faced her with a smirk. Well, that was deliberate. “What, you don’t eat at home?”

  “Oh, we eat. Just not together. I’m a day walker and Jaxon, well, he’s a night owl.”

  Really? Was this what boys said when they were offered a free, homemade meal? No. It couldn’t be true. She’d never had to convince a person to accept her food. “Okay, well, I’m gonna be hungry in a couple hours and if either of you are around, there will be plenty to share.”

  She blinked so exaggeratedly that she felt her lashes tickle the skin beneath her eyes. She was trying to pull off vague and unoffended. But Benny must have seen that look before. “Lily, I’m sorry. Look, I didn’t meant to be rude, but we might as well get something out in the open now about you showing up here and…well, me bringing you back to this house.”

  She waited for him to continue but he just quieted all the more and continued onto a room where he gestured for her to enter first. She set her bag down, and then took a seat on the edge of the heavily blanketed bed. It was plush and promised a regal night’s sleep. The creamy colors reminded her of vanilla ice cream and hot buttered toast. Her tummy groaned. “I’m listening.”

  Benny stood tall and lanky in the doorway; Lily had no idea where his burgers went. He leaned against the frame, filling it to the top and brushed his long chocolate bangs away from his eyes in the adorable way he had of doing. “I get it that you came here to convince Jaxon he should pay Trista a visit in Tennessee.”

  She interrupted him. “Not just Tris, but his family. You know his father and uncle, and Lucky. And yes, little Maryella. They all will want to see him.”

  He nodded in acceptance but continued, effectively ignoring her point. “I get it. And Trista is your sister and Jaxon’s her best friend. Trust me, I understand. It’s why he agreed to fly Maryella back there for Christmas, to spend time with her family.”

  Lily couldn’t help throwing out her two cents. “So, what’s his problem?”

  Two large hands shot up into midair. “Whoa, that’s not fair, Lily.”

  “Maybe not. It just feels like he’s got something against them. I mean, what’s the deal? They’re good enough for his daughter; they should be good enough for him, too.”

  “That has nothing to do with it. Don’t be like that.”

  She really was sorry and hadn’t meant to have gone off on a man she’d never even officially met yet. Huffing, she silently admitted to not knowing whether Jaxon James thought he was better than the rest of them or not. The things she’d heard from Tris and Lucky didn’t really lead her to believe that.

  As if reading Lily’s thoughts, Benny started again. “Think about it, Lily. Jaxon has to have a good reason for keeping his distance, right?”

  She guessed he had a point. She knew all about keeping her distance. And her reasons for it. Suddenly, she was aware of how awkward it was going to be when Jaxon James came home and found her there.

  “And do you know what that reason is?” she asked Benny. The man lived in a mansion overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Maybe if you were used to getting and having whatever you wanted, it could be a pretty big blow to suddenly not get it. The word selfish popped into mind.

  Benny just stood there, eyeballing her. “I do,” he said in a near whisper.

  But he apparently wasn’t gonna tell her. “Listen, let’s forget all my judging and prying. It’s really not what I intended to do. I would like to spend the next couple days getting to know the both of you better and I’m sorry, but with me, that means over a meal.”

  He seemed to accept that she’d be cooking and he’d be eating. She’d convince Benny to help her wheel in Jaxon James once he tasted her peanut butter, bacon and sausage sandwich. He should be easy pickings after that.

  They glided down the grand staircase and traveled an apartment length to a brilliant wine, olive and cream colored kitchen. There wasn’t a drop of grease to be seen.

  She had one thought.

  The kitchen was the heart of any home, and it had been sorely neglected here. Suddenly, Lily didn’t see Jaxon James as the untouchable rock star who was too good to pay his family a visit. She sensed he might be just a little more human than that, something she could relate to. Now if he’d just show up and prove it.

  * * * *

  If he didn’t know better, Jaxon would have sworn Benny had ordered Denny’s take out again. The guy had a strange all-day love thing for breakfast, part
icularly bacon. The house currently smelled like he’d greased the walls with it.

  Jaxon just wanted a hot shower and then an unforgiving set of laps in the pool. And then a word with Benny. He was never allowed to leave the studio again. Jaxon had spent too many minutes on the phone convincing a spirited young lady who claimed to work for the local radio station that he was not Jaxon James and didn’t know anything about a new Sin Pointe record or a new tour. At least some of it had been true. Purposefully losing his Aussie accent had helped in the end. Then on a much scarier note, he imagined hearing the captivating voice of their curvy blonde visitor from earlier. That voice could have strung him along over miles of hot burning coals with a mere whisper of his name. It was a good thing she’d come and gone and he’d stayed hidden. He would not ask Benny about her.

  Jaxon took the stairs two at a time, stripping on the way, eager to feel the high-powered water jets pounding his back and neck. As he stood under the streaming hot water, a lonely hand made its way down his chest and to his dick. He wasn’t sad Vangie was out of the picture, but he did miss a woman’s touch. Even though hers had been hurtful, it had been something. He stroked himself roughly, spitting water a few times when he forgot to close his mouth, thinking instead of the mystery woman, her faceless shapely legs and her stranger’s feminine, curvy hips. After a couple minutes, he turned away from the showerhead so he could open his eyes and watch his body release when he came. He didn’t know why he liked that. Shit, he didn’t know why he got off on most of the stuff he did. With that over, he grabbed a towel and made his way to his bedroom.

  Strange…Jaxon heard Benny talking, hopefully to another person and not himself, poor guy. Jaxon went to close his door, assuming they had a visitor and that Benny hadn’t lost it. For all he knew, Benny had been duped by another cute face who had convinced him she had no idea who Sin Pointe was but it was so cool that Benny worked for them like had happened last week. Unable to worry about anything else these days, Jaxon fell backwards onto his mattress, moisture still clinging to the backs of his knees, shoulders and ass which he wiggled to get dry. He swiped a hand through his hair, sending sprinkles all over the satin sheets.