Guilty As Sin (Sin Trilogy#2)

He shakes his head and comes around to crouch in front of me. “There’s no choice to be made. That’s been done for years. I was too young and stupid to realize it before, but I’m not now. She told me what she said to you. How she tried to scare you, and then I fed into all of it that night at the cabin and pushed you away.” His hands cup the sides of my face, and he looks into my eyes. “I’m never pushing you away again.”

I know what Lincoln’s thinking right now. If he chooses me over his mother, we can live happily ever after, and I wish that were true. But there’s no way I can ever be happy knowing I caused that breach with his family. He may think his mother will get over it, but I know the truth. That woman will hate me until the day she dies, and I won’t be responsible for causing that break.

I wasn’t lying when I said that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to see my mom again. To hear her voice. To smell her perfume. To listen to her hum as she cleaned the house.

Nothing.

“Please tell me you believe me, Blue.”

That’s the only easy part of this whole situation. “Of course I believe you,” I tell him.

“And you forgive me?”

This life has taught me more than anything that holding on to a grudge is the biggest mistake of all. I don’t know what he really thinks he needs forgiveness for, but I’m not holding on to any of it.

“I forgive you.”

His mouth finds mine, and every emotion comes through his kiss. Pain, regret, loss, sorrow. I taste them on my lips, and they make the kiss even more bittersweet.

No matter what Lincoln wants, tonight is good-bye.

One last night.

Maybe it’s unfair for me to take it, but it’ll be the memory I hold on to when I’m sleeping alone and missing him.





51





LINCOLN





I CARRY WHITNEY INSIDE, and as soon as I set her down, her fingers tear at the buttons of my shirt. The thread gives way, and they go flying.

She wants me just as badly as I want her. That’s how it’s always been. She’s always matched me kiss for kiss, touch for touch, thrust for thrust.

Tonight, I want to savor her, but she’s rushing, almost desperate to strip us both naked.

I will never not give her what she wants. Never again.

Her robe falls to the floor, revealing her naked curves.

“So fucking beautiful.”

She backs up until her shoulders press against the slider, and she uses the leverage to wrap first one leg around my hip and then the other.

“You sure this is what you want?”

“Yes. I don’t want to forget this.”

“I can give you unforgettable.”

I grip her hips, holding her against the door as I pull back a few inches to fit my cock against her. I open my mouth to ask her if she’s ready, but she’s already soaked.

“You’re always ready for me.”

“I can’t help it. I’ve wanted you all night.”

“I always want to give you what you want.”

With my gaze locked on hers, I push inside her inch by inch, watching her pupils dilate and her bottom lip fall open.

“I love watching you. So sexy. So incredible.”

Her hips buck against me. “Faster.”

“I need you on the bed to do this right.” I pull her off the glass, my hands cupping her ass as I walk to the edge of the bed. Instead of laying her down on her back, I sit, and she kneels above me.

“Take what you need.”

Whitney nods, and she starts to move. I let her set the pace, control every single thing, and she looks fucking magnificent as her head tips back and her black hair swings free.

She pushes at my shoulders and I lie back, shoving us further toward the middle of the bed. Whitney goes wild, her hips bucking and grinding, and she says my name over and over.

I reach out and find her clit with my thumb.

“Oh God. Yes. Yes. Like that.”

Whitney picks up the pace and before long, I’m the one yelling her name as I lose control and empty myself inside her.





52





WHITNEY





I NEVER WANT TO MOVE. Ever.

Lincoln sleeps beside me on his stomach, his arm stretched out and his hand on my belly. My gaze drifts between his fingers and the sun rising over the gorge.

With each passing moment, I know the clock is ticking down. My bags are packed and waiting in the living room. My outfit for today is folded on the chair, just waiting for me to dress and walk out of The Gables and Lincoln Riscoff’s life forever.

When the room is bathed in yellow, I know I can’t put it off any longer. It’s time.

I roll out from under his hand, grab my clothes, and sneak into the bathroom. I wash my face, swipe on just enough makeup to get by, dress, and open the door just as silently as I entered.

I tiptoe out into the bedroom, but the bed is empty. Lincoln’s gone.

Did he run when he had the chance?

I walk into the living room and find him standing by the door, his arms crossed.

“What the hell is this?” He jerks his head toward my suitcases.

I swallow. “I told you. I have to go.”



“And last night? What the fuck was that?”

“Good-bye,” I say, a hint of shame wrapping around me.

Lincoln shakes his head. “No. No more fucking good-byes. You leave? I leave. That’s how this works, Blue.”

“You can’t. You have a life here. A family that loves you—”

“And so do you.”

The man is impossible. I look up at the ceiling, find my confidence, and stare him down again. “I can’t stay here and drive a wedge between you and your mother. I won’t.”

Lincoln’s hard expression doesn’t shift. “And I’m done letting other people manipulate our lives to keep us apart. I’m fucking done. You leave, I leave. End of story.”

“I’m not worth it.” My voice breaks on the last word.

Lincoln’s arms fall to his sides. “Bullshit.” He strides toward me, his hands going out to cup my cheeks. “You’re worth everything. Every-fucking-thing. I have fucked up over and over again when it comes to you, and I’m not doing it again. I felt it last night. You felt it too.”

My lip trembles. “I told you, that was good-bye.”

“No, it wasn’t.” He looks at my suitcases. “You need to get out of Gable? You need to get out of this fucking hotel and away from this madness? I can do that. I will do that.”

He releases my cheeks and whips out his phone, tapping the screen a few times before lifting it to his ear. “Fuel up the chopper. I want it on the helipad at The Gables in thirty minutes or less. I’m going to Blue House.”

“What are you doing?”

Lincoln smiles. “Getting us both the hell out of here. I told you . . . you leave, I leave.”

“Lincoln!”

He shakes his head, and I recognize the stubborn look on his face. “You’re not getting rid of me this time, Blue. Not a fucking chance. We’re in this together. Whatever comes next, we face it together.”

I swallow because I love the sound of that. I want it to be that easy.

But nothing ever is.





53





WHITNEY





The past

WHEN I WALKED downstairs at Jackie’s house the next morning, the only thing I could think was at least I didn’t let him throw me out again. I took a stand. I could still respect myself this morning, even if I felt like my heart was breaking all over again.

Maybe there was some way it could work between us . . . somehow?

I walked into the living room on my way to the kitchen and froze.

“Hey, baby,” Ricky said as he jumped up from the couch.

My eyes must have been as wide as dinner plates as they tracked from him to Aunt Jackie, Asa, Cricket, Karma, and Ricky’s mom all in the room. Cricket’s face looked strained, and she shook her head like she was trying to send me a message.

What the hell is going on here?

“Are you okay?” Asa asked. “Sleeping till noon isn’t normally your thing. And does anyone know whose truck is parked out front?”

Oh shit. It didn’t even occur to me that I needed to park Lincoln’s truck farther away from the house, because I was too upset.

“I swear I’ve seen that truck before,” Karma said, and the keys hung like dead weight in my hoodie pocket.

“I need coffee,” I blurted, poised to escape to the kitchen.

Ricky stepped forward. “Not yet. I have something I need to ask you first.”

“Can it wait until—” My question trailed off as he dropped on one knee, right there in Aunt Jackie’s living room in front of both our families.

Oh my God. Oh my God. No. This isn’t happening.