Sinful Intentions

by Crystal Rhodes

  “Oh, Mr. Reasoner! I didn’t know that you were home.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Lucia. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just came in through the garage.” He started past her. She stayed him with one hand.

  “This came for you special delivery.” She thrust a cream-colored business envelope toward him. “I just signed for it.”

  “Thank you.” Sin barely glanced at the envelope as he slipped it in the pocket of his suit jacket.

  “Important?” Mrs. Lucia tossed over her shoulder as she headed into the kitchen.

  “I’m expecting some papers from a business acquaintance,” Sin replied absently as he continued through the house. His mind was already preoccupied with the plans he had made for the evening. Nedra would be coming home with the kids soon, and he wanted to be ready.

  One hour later when she walked into their bedroom, Sinclair was sitting in the middle of their bed. He was dressed in a navy blue, double-breasted suit, complemented by a yellow shirt and tie with matching handkerchief. He looked dashing, even though he was shoeless. Nedra couldn’t help but smile at the devilish look on his face. She cocked her head.

  “Just what are you up to?”

  “I’m up to taking my favorite lady out to dinner tonight. I’ve already asked Mrs. Lucia to spend the night with the kids, and our dinner reservations are in an hour.”

  “An hour! I need longer than that to get ready!”

  Sin’s appreciative eyes swept the length of her curvaceous body. Dressed in a form-fitting soft suede dress covered by a matching jacket, suede sling-back heels completed the ensemble. She looked every inch the efficient administrator that she was.

  Unfolding his long form from the bed, he walked up to his wife, stopping directly in front of her. His eyes seared her from head to toe.

  “You look delicious, baby.” He hooked an arm around her waist and drew her flush against his body. “Good enough to eat.”

  Nedra didn’t try to fight the fire that started to kindle. She snuggled closer to him. “And what does a hungry man plan on doing about that?”

  “Satisfy his appetite.” He nibbled on her ear.

  Nedra purred. “Mmmmm. Well just let me jump into the shower—”

  Sin pulled back and grinned wickedly. She thumped him on the chest.

  “Alone.”

  He pouted, eliciting a giggle from her. “And then I’ll throw on a little something…something—”

  “I’m telling!” Gillian’s high shrilled voice drifted through the open bedroom door. Her parents froze, instantly on alert as her footsteps echoed on the parquet floor of the hallway leading to their bedroom. Each step she took told the entire household that Gillian was on the warpath and somebody was going down.

  Sin rushed toward the door in an attempt to close it before their daughter reached her intended destination. It seemed as if it would be a photo finish race to the end when Colin came to the rescue. Outside the door they could hear, “Leave them alone, Gillian. We’ll handle this situation.”

  “Put me down, Colin!” Their little warrior squealed. “You’re not the boss of me.”

  Any additional protest the feisty little girl meant to make became muffled cries fading in the distance as Sin reached the door and quickly locked it. Leaning against the welcomed barrier, he turned to his wife and uttered one desperate word.

  “Hurry!”

  * * *

  The evening turned out to be just as Sin planned—perfect. It started at a five star restaurant renowned for its French cuisine. The ambiance was cozy and romantic. It was a place meant for lovers. After a meal that more than satisfied the palate, they went to a nightclub where they could dance the salsa.

  Prior to their marriage Nedra hadn’t known how much her husband liked to dance, and he was a good dancer—very good. His tall, toned body moved effortlessly on the dance floor, and she followed suit. Over the years, she had become a formidable partner. It had taken time for her to reconcile whether it was appropriate for an ordained minister to go to nightclubs; but neither of them drank, they only danced, so she figured that the Lord would forgive her for this one indulgence.

  As she and Sin glided along the dance floor, they made a striking couple. He was proud of his wife’s sophisticated beauty, and Nedra had long ago grown used to the attention her husband received from the opposite sex. She was equally as proud of him. Suspicion and jealousy were not a part of their relationship because she had a man who showered her with love and attention on a daily basis.

  Sin had confessed some time ago that his was a love forged by a crush that he had harbored for her since they were teenagers. He told her that their paths had crossed in a community center in her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. However, she had to confess that she didn’t remember the rude, foul-mouthed youth he described himself as having been at that time, but she did appreciate the kind, generous, loving man that he turned out to be.

  At one time, she had wondered how this man with his striking good looks, GQ wardrobe and sporting an earring could possibly be the man that God had chosen for her. After all she had been a minister leading a flock when they met, and he hardly fit the profile she had imagined as her lifetime mate. Yet, after loving him and being loved by him, she had no doubt that he was the one. Sinclair Reasoner was a fantastic husband and father and a wonderful man.

  As the feverish frenzy of the salsa music slowed to a mellow love song, Nedra nestled content as always in her husband’s arms. She sent up a prayer of thanks that she had been blessed with such a good man. No, as she told Sharon, life wasn’t perfect, but at the moment she really couldn’t think of one reason to complain.

  “Oh no,” Sin’s voice invaded her thoughts. She smiled up at him.

  “No, what?”

  “No thinking about the kids. This is our night—no kids, no jobs, and no responsibilities. It’s just us. Agreed?” He squeezed her tightly to him.

  She laid her head on his chest. “Agreed.” Yep, he was worth keeping.

  As they made their way back to the table after the dance a familiar voice stopped their progress.

  “Hello!”

  Nedra and Sin looked into the smiling face of Evelyn Linwood, Trevor’s teacher. She was seated with her date and another couple, all of whom she introduced. After engaging in small talk, Nedra and Sin moved on.

  “Didn’t Miss Linwood look nice?” Nedra said above the din of the noisy room. “She really looks good in that dress she’s wearing.”

  “Yeah,” Sin answered absently as he worked their way through the crowded club. It was obvious that he had already dismissed the brief encounter as he maneuvered them toward their destination.

  Glancing back at the attractive, young woman, Nedra caught a look on her face that she hadn’t expected. It was a look of longing, and it was aimed directly at Sinclair. Nedra shifted her attention to her husband who remained oblivious to everything except the goal of reaching their table. She smiled at him fondly. She couldn’t blame the woman or the countless others she saw everyday who looked at Sin the same way. The man was a superb male specimen who let her know, in every way, that his heart belonged only to her.

  * * *

  Sin’s eyes fluttered open as the early morning sunlight filtered through the skylight onto his face. It took a moment for him to gather his senses and to remember where he was—burrowed on the luxuriously plush carpet on the floor of the huge master bathroom in their home. A sleeping Nedra lay in his arms.

  He shifted carefully, trying not to disturb her. He felt absolutely great. The love he and Nedra had made last night had reached levels he hadn’t known possible. If someone had told him that making love to the same woman after four years of marriage could get better, he wouldn’t have believed it, but it was true. Completely satisfied, that’s what he was feeling. Could it get any better than this?

  He and Nedra had come home around two in the morning, giggling like a couple of teenagers. As they stole up the stairs, they took care not to awaken the household
.

  As soon as the bedroom door was closed and locked behind them, Sin took Nedra into his arms. They made love propped against the door, not willing to wait any longer to extinguish the smothering embers that had threatened to ignite out of control all evening. The sensuous salsa dancing had sparked a fire that had been doused not only against the door, but on the sitting room sofa, in the shower and eventually on the bathroom floor where they now lay.

  Sighing, Sin closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Nedra’s moist body against his own. How many times had he marveled at his good fortune? Being the object of this woman’s love was something about which he had daydreamed, but never expected in his life. He had never done anything to earn such devotion. Much of his earlier life had been spent engaged in endeavors less noble. He had confessed all, and she still loved him.

  Nedra—forever the preacher—had called their union a blessing. She gave all credit for their good fortune to God. Personally, he had never believed in anything he couldn’t see.

  Orphaned when he was ten, bounced from one foster home to another, he had no reason to believe in any invisible force about which he had seen no credible evidence in his life. Living by his wits, he had learned to believe in very little other than his own ability to survive. He hadn’t expected to become the wealthy, respected businessman he had become. Actually, he hadn’t expected to live long enough to achieve any level of success. Some of the activities in which he had engaged as a young man nearly guaranteed his early demise. Sin touched the scar on his chest that was a permanent reminder as to how close he had come to death. No, he had never expected to live long enough to marry or to become a father, but Nedra’s presence in his life had changed everything. She brought with her love, hope, caring, loyalty and even a degree of faith.

  He had been slow to respond to the latter, refusing to go inside a church except to be married, and that was only because that was what Nedra wanted. The ceremony was small and private, held in her mother’s church and performed by her. Their closest friends and the boys were the only ones in attendance. It was the happiest day of his life.

  It was a feeling that only intensified after their marriage. The good fortune that on the Reasoner family was abundant. The finalization of the boys’ adoption and later Gillian coming into their lives were the highlights. The foundation he initially funded prospered, and his import business grew by leaps and bounds. His net worth was considerable, but it wasn’t the latter that mattered. It was the looks of adoration that he saw in the eyes of his wife and children that meant more to him than anything else in the world. He wondered at such good fortune everyday.

  As time passed, he had become more amenable to the possibility of miracles. Perhaps his unexpected riches might have come from some source other than luck. One Sunday morning he made the decision to investigate that probability and accompanied Nedra and the children to church. She had never nagged him to do so and didn’t appear surprised at his action. She simply gave him that secret smile of knowing that she flashed now and then.

  Sin had been attending church on a fairly regular basis since that time, although he was choosy about which minister he wanted to hear. Rev. Nedra Davis-Reasoner was his favorite. She didn’t speak often, but when she did accept a church’s invitation to deliver a message to its flock, he was front row center. Her sermons were presented with quiet elegance and were always simple to understand—faith and love could conquer anything.

  Shifting his wife in his arms, he gazed down at her as she slept peacefully. He brushed his lips across hers. Although his faith in the Almighty wasn’t as strong as Nedra’s, having her in his life made that message easy to believe. She was a gift that he would always cherish.

  Carrying his sleeping wife to their bed, he planted butterfly kisses on her face in an attempt to awaken her. As tired as he was, he was still willing to go for another round of lovemaking, but despite his efforts, Nedra barely responded and rolled onto her stomach in her favorite position when he placed her in the bed. It was obvious that she was down for the count. Covering her with the down comforter, he began the task of preparing for bed.

  Slipping into a robe, he exited the room and went to check on the children. With that accomplished, Sin returned to the bedroom where evidence of their amorous evening was scattered from the door to the bathroom. Sin followed the trail of clothes and undergarments retrieving some for deposit in the dirty laundry and others for padded hangers. He had finished that task and was headed for bed when he spotted the suit jacket he had worn yesterday draped neatly across the back of a chair. Without thought, he snatched it up and headed for the closet, but was stopped by an envelope that fell from the inside pocket to the floor. Picking it up, he placed it on a table. He would open it later.

  After hanging up the jacket, Sin dragged his exhausted body across the room and crawled into bed next to Nedra. Folding her in his arms, he cuddled against her and instantly drifted to sleep. The couple slept soundly as the sun crept higher in the dawn sky. Neither was aware that it was to be the last peaceful sleep that they would enjoy for quite some time.

  * * *

  Winston Duncan’s body shuttered as the power of his release took control, culminating in his final surrender as his seed spilled into his wife’s body. He shouted his pleasure, and she followed suit before collapsing on top of him.

  It took them both quite a while to recover from their morning of passion. Sharon had initiated their stimulating romp, and he reveled in her assertiveness. When it came to getting what she wanted sexually, his lovely wife was no wallflower. Of course, all it took was one glance from her, one brush of her hand on his and he was ready. It seemed as though he wanted her 24-7. He was slavishly in love with this woman, and he was happier than he had ever known it was possible. Despite having been married previously for eighteen years, he had never been in love before.

  He had married his first wife because she was pregnant. Despite that, she was in love with him, and he respected her as his wife. That was the foundation of their marriage. To others they appeared to be a happy couple, but eventually even that façade wore thin. They stayed together for the sake of their child, each resenting the other for the farce that they had made out of the institution of marriage, but neither chose to leave.

  When his wife died unexpectedly from a heart aliment, he grieved and it was sincere. She had been a beautiful woman, but an embittered one. Most of her life had been spent loving a man who didn’t love her and at her death Winston felt guilty. So, he had spent the years that followed denying himself even the thought of finding love in his life—that was until he met Sharon.

  She stirred in his arms. Their bodies were still intimately joined. Tightening his grip on her sweat, sleek body, he twitched deep inside of her. Sharon opened her eyes slowly and gave him a lazy smile.

  “Oh, oh. It looks like you might be ready for some more good lovin’.” She rested her chin on his hairy chest.

  He returned her smile. “Looks like I just might be.” With one swift movement, he reversed their positions, flipping her onto her back. She laughed, delighted at the sensations caused by the movement. Winston’s eyes swept her lovely face. Her hair lay in disarray against the pillow; her face was flushed and her eyes were shining like stars. She looked like a woman in love, and he was the recipient. It was still hard to believe.

  “I love you so much it hurts.” His voice wavered with emotion as he closed his eyes and felt the words from the depths of his being.

  Sharon swallowed the lump in her throat as she caressed the early morning stubble on his chin. “Love isn’t supposed to hurt,” she whispered.

  How many times had Nedra and Carla said those words to her when she was involved with Richard? At the time she wasn’t quite sure what they meant. Now she had no doubt. Love was euphoria, a flight above the clouds on gossamer wings. It had been a few short months since she and Winston married and her feet had yet to touch the ground. She was so happy that sometimes she had to pinch herself to tell
whether she was dreaming. This man was everything she had ever wanted in a man—strong, decisive, determined and ambitious, loving, considerate and kind. There weren’t enough adjectives to describe him.

  Winston opened his eyes to look at her. His gaze was as filled with love as her own.

  “That sounds like the words of Rev. Nedra Davis-Reasoner.” She was always quoting her friend’s words of wisdom.

  “One and the same, and backed up by one Carla Belle and yours truly, the very loved wife of Winston.” She gave him a kiss that made silent promises before she broke it. “Love knows few boundaries. That’s something else I’ve learned over the years, and sometimes I had to learn it the hard way, but your love has been so complete I can hardly believe it’s real.”

  “It’s real and it’s very true.”

  “I have no doubt, and I know that it extends beyond the boundaries of just our relationship. I see how you are with Rhonda and with your parents. Your capacity to love is limitless.”

  “I sure hope so.” He nibbled her neck, ready to prove just how true that was. Sharon guided his head to rest between the palm of her hands so that their eyes locked.

  “That’s why I know that your capacity to love our baby will have no limits either.”

  Winston gave an obligatory, “Uh huh,” as his lips once again found her neck and he continued to nibble. Then, in different stages, it slowly began to dawn on him what Sharon had said. She watched in growing amusement as the expression on his face began to change from one of confusion to comprehension.

  “Uh, what did you say?”

  “I said that I know that your capacity to love our baby will have no limits either,” Sharon repeated, holding back the burst of joy that was straining to be released.

  Winston frowned, unable to believe what he thought he was hearing. “I know that you’re not saying…Are you telling me…” His deep voice turned high pitched as he struggled to form his words.

  Sharon scooted up against the padded backboard of their bed and hugged her knees to her chest. “Am I trying to tell you what, Winston?” She wanted to grin at the wondrous excitement she saw on her husband’s face. His reaction was like a script out of a movie.