THE FIRST SIN

THE FIRST SIN

CHEYENNE MCCRAY

March 15

Kristin Donovan looked around at all the flashing lights in the packed nightclub, jammed with lots of hot, sweaty bodies, and barely dressed barmaids walking around selling Jell-O shots and neon shooters. At least that’s what Carlene and Tess called them.

Kristin shifted in her chair and tugged down on the dress that kept creeping up her thighs. “I can’t believe you two dragged me down here.”

“The Diamond Castle is one of the hottest Boston nightclubs.”

Carlene set down her Heineken. “It’s Friday night. You can forget your stupid paper and take one day off with no guilt, Kristin.”

Tess finished her cosmo. “You spend too much time studying and not enough time living.”

Kristin shrugged. “I’ll do my ‘living’ when I graduate.” “Yeah, right.” Tess shook her dark hair. “Then you’ll be wrapped up in whatever it takes to be a psychologist.” She waved her hand. “In-service work or something?”

“Practicum. Internship. Fellowship. Or something.” Kristin smiled as her body relaxed from her two rum and Cokes and she began to feel more than a little tipsy. “You’re right. It’s good to get out. I can spend Saturday and Sunday working on that paper.”

The paper was for her graduate class in abnormal psych, one of her toughest subjects at Harvard, and she would get through it without help. Other than asking each of her professors questions from time to time.

The abnormal psych class was so difficult, though, that when she went to Professor Michaels’s office to ask a question he’d offered to give her private tutoring, like some of her other teachers had. After he answered her question, she’d said thanks to his offer but she’d figure this thing out if it killed her. It was a tough class, but she preferred to make her way through her classes on her own. Her professor had simply nodded his bald head and turned his attention back to grading the essays on his desk.

She should be studying for that class.

Nah. Screw it. As long as she didn’t have a hangover on top of lack of enough sleep tomorrow, she’d be fine. “Your turn to buy.” Carlene waggled her Heineken from side to side.

“I could use a Smirnoff Ice “ Tess had downed her cosmo. “I need something a little more refreshing.” She glanced at Carlene. “Something that doesn’t come in a black or green bottle” “And you could use another rum and Coke.”

Carlene gestured to the glass that was only filled with melting ice now. “You need to mellow out a little more.”

“I am mellow.” Kristin stood as Tess rolled her eyes.

“Okay, one more rum and Coke.”

“Lightweight,” Carlene said, and Kristin grinned as she turned away.

In her too-high heels, Kristin did her best to push her way through the mass of bodies in the nightclub. Deafeningly loud music throbbed in her head and the flashing, colored lights caused her to blink and see spots whenever she closed her eyes. Lots of dirty dancing was going on—really wasn’t room for anything else.

The two rum and Cokes Kristin had downed gave her such a relaxed, tipsy feeling that she didn’t care how many bodies pressed against her.

She wasn’t much of a drinker. When was the last time she’d had alcohol?

Smells of sweat and too much cologne and perfume made her wrinkle her nose. The heat of so many people crowded together made her own body sticky with sweat. Kristin winced, then grimaced as someone slammed into her from behind. She stumbled sideways and hit a man’s chest with her shoulder, hard enough to force them both against the bar.

She blew out a huff of air which poofed her long blond hair out of her face.

“Sorry,” she shouted over the pounding beat of the music, as she looked into a pair of dark brown eyes.

Wow.

The man’s grin was so sexy that she caught her breath while he steadied her before bending close and murmuring in her ear, “No problem at all.”

Kristin shivered, a streak of desire shooting straight to her belly. The rum and Cokes, definitely working overtime. “Dance?” he asked, his mouth still close to her ear. When she looked at the incredibly gorgeous face, her body said, “Oh, yeah, I’m so there,” but she just nodded without answering.

He settled his palm on her waist and guided her into the middle of the hot, gyrating bodies. When they came to a pause, he smiled and moved his other hand to her waist and pulled her close. Their bodies weren’t quite touching, but they might as well have been. Kristin’s entire being was aware of this man she didn’t even know, and her body was screaming at her to get to know him better, a lot better. She could just picture their naked bodies sliding together, his minty aftershave mingling with his male scent.

What’s wrong with you, Kristin Donovan? You don’t do one nighters. Actually she hadn’t “done” anyone since her first encounter with Steve, her freshman year, and that hadn’t been nearly as exciting as the way this stranger made her feel.

“I’m Joe.” He slid his hands a little farther down from her waist, his fingertips nearly touching her buttocks, and she gasped. “What’s your name?”

She settled her hands on his shoulders. “Kristin.”

He moved his mouth to her ear and she shivered while an arrow of desire traveled straight between her thighs. “I didn’t hear you.”

Joe’s face was close enough to hers that she caught her breath, wanting to kiss this stranger. Feel his lips move over hers and taste him as his tongue explored her mouth.

Get a grip!

“Kristin.” She swallowed when his stubble scraped her cheek as he moved his face closer to hers. Joe said, “You’re so sweet,” just before he nipped her earlobe and she gasped. “Yeah, sweet.”

Heat flushed from her neck to the roots of her hair as he drew her tight to him, his hands on her butt now and what was clearly a good-sized erection pressed into her belly.

What are you doing, Kristin? You don’t do things like this.

The way he was holding her so close made it automatic to slip her arms around his neck. Blood rushed in her ears, muffling the sound of the pounding music and she had a hard time catching her breath. She moved her face away from his and laid her cheek over his heart. Its beat was steady, calm, comforting.

Joe rubbed her backside through her short dress and nuzzled her hair as they slowly rocked and turned in the same spot. He smelled so good. Kristin started trembling with need so great she wasn’t sure she could control it. She could picture this big man and his thick erection sliding into her in hard, deep thrusts. Her panties grew damp the more she pictured it.

Must be the rum and Cokes. Need to get out of here. It’s too dangerous getting the hots for a stranger like this.

But maybe he’d want to see her again—with no sex. Yet.

Maybe they could date a while.

But just dating this big package of sensuality wouldn’t be enough. She’d want him more than she could probably control herself.

“What are you drinking?” The warmth of his breath and the light mint of his cologne pitched another thrill straight to her belly.

Kristin tipped her head back to look at him. “Rum and Coke.”

He took her hand and she could just imagine that big hand skimming down her body.

Joe guided them to the bar and turned to speak to the bartender, whose boobs were half falling out of her skintight shirt. When Joe gave his order to the barmaid, it gave Kristin a chance to check out his firm backside and the way his T-shirt stretched across his back. He looked as delicious from behind as he did from the front.

Joe let go of her hand and at once she wanted him holding her again. While she waited, Kristin looked around the dance floor and tugged down the thigh-length blue dress Carlene had loaned her.

His smile sent crazy sensations through her body as he turned and handed her a glass that was light on the ice but cold in her hand.

She shivered from his nearness and more wild thrills stirred in her belly when she looked up into his handsome features. He had a square face, nice eyes, and short-cropped brown hair.

He clinked his bottle of Guinness against her glass and said what she thought was, “Here’s to sexy blond women.” Her stomach flip-flopped and her hand trembled a little as she raised the glass to her lips. The rum and Coke tasted funny, but she’d always preferred her drinks out of a can over sodas dispensed from a machine.

The drink couldn’t begin to quench the thirst that came on suddenly.

Probably from the heat of all the bodies pressed against her. She drained her glass in moments before handing it back to Joe. He winked, and set his bottle and her glass on the bar.

The stuffiness of the room, the gyrating bodies, the loud music, and the stench of sweat became more pronounced. A sense of light-headedness caused her to list to the side, and Joe caught her by the shoulders.

“You okay?” he mouthed in her ear.

“I—I think I need some air.” She barely managed to get the words out as she struggled for breath. Hyperventilating.

She was hyperventilating.

Joe anchored her by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and he kept her from tripping.

Her head spun even more as Joe guided her through the packed room.

Vaguely she realized he was taking her to the back rather than the front entrance.

They walked through a fog-shrouded doorway and into a hallway where the noise seemed cut in half. Kristin stumbled but Joe kept a grip on her as he brought her down the long hallway, farther from the noise and heat and smells. “Better?” he said in a low voice that was as sexy as his grin.

Better. Yes, this was better.

Her head lolled against Joe’s chest and her knees gave out. He kept her from falling as he pushed open the back door. Funny how the cold air wasn’t making her shiver. She felt hot all over, like she had the flu.

Joe led her toward a maroon van. “I think you need to sit down, baby.”

Sit. Yeah, she’d feel better once she had a chance to rest for a moment.

She frowned as the door opened and another man appeared from the inside of the van.

“The boss is waiting,” the man said in what she thought “ was a Swedish accent.

Kristin felt like she was going to slide into a gelatinous puddle as she tried to register what he was saying and what was happening as they dragged her into the van and spread her out on the backseat.

Her dress hiked up to her waist, exposing her panties. She would have pulled it back down if her arms hadn’t felt like stretched taffy. And if she had cared.

The other man disappeared and the van vibrated as the engine started. Joe stood outside, his hand on the door as he ‘ looked her over. “I’d sure like to fuck you right now. But rules are rules. Don’t screw the merchandise.” He slid the van door shut.

March 27

Wednesday morning

The harshness of the heat presses down on me. Sweat slips from my forehead, drips over my brow, and into my eyes. Can’t move to wipe the sweat away. Can’t blow my cover. I don’t even dare blink as I site my target through the scope of my M16. My spotter, Keets, remains as motionless as I do. The mission is its own version of hell. Ever since we landed in Nigeria, a crawling sensation along my spine has told me that something’s off about this whole setup. Something desperately wrong.

When I told Captain Williams, the bastard blew me off. He doesn’t like the fact I’m one of the first women snipers in the history of the US Army. And I’m damned good at what I do—

Killing terrorists, saving American lives.

Captain Williams—what a dick. But a soldier follows orders.

My spotter, Keets, gives me the signal that I’ve got the best shot possible.

Target in my sights. I squeeze the trigger of my Ml6.

At the same time, Keets gets some chatter over his comm.

He shouts, “Wait!”

But it’s too late. I see the spurt, the telltale arc of blood from my target’s forehead before he goes down. One shot. One kill.

My heart thunders as I look at Keets, who says, “Oh, shit.”

Something has gone horribly, horribly wrong.

I’m running.

Bars—I’m behind bars. Everything’s so close. Tight. Damp.