WalkingSin

Walking Sin

Lynn LaFleur

Third in the Men With Tools series.

Dax Coleman has it all—money in the bank, a
job he loves, and an address book filled with the names of women who only want
a good time. He’s never had a problem charming a woman into his bed. He meets
his match when Kelcey Ewing comes to Lanville. A former roommate of his
brothers’ girlfriends, Kelcey is as serious as Dax is carefree. He considers it
his personal goal to loosen up Kelcey so she has fun, preferably in his bed.

An unforgettable incident in her life has
left Kelcey wary and unable to have a normal relationship with a man. She
decides she’s destined to be alone, until Dax’s lovemaking wakes up her senses.

Kelcey’s unwilling to risk a broken heart
with a man she considers walking sin. It’s up to Dax to prove to Kelcey his
love for her is real and will last the rest of his life.

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked
status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work
of fiction:

Camry: Toyota Motor Co.

Coke: The Coca-Cola Company

Corolla: Toyota Motor Co.

Dallas Cowboys: Dallas Cowboys Football
Club, Ltd.

iMac: Apple, Inc.

Kleenex: Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Mavericks: Radical Mavericks Management,
LLC

Rubbermaid: Rubbermaid, Incorporated

Snickers: Mars, Incorporated

UPS: United Parcel Service of America, Inc.

Chapter One

Dax Coleman propped his cue stick on the
floor and wrapped both hands around it. He watched while Kelcey Ewing studied
the table, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Obviously new at playing
pool, she was overlooking a shot he could have easily made. He almost pointed
it out to her, but stopped before saying anything. Kelcey hadn’t exactly been
friendly toward him. She answered when he spoke to her, but didn’t put out any
effort to get closer to him. Alaina—his brother Rye’s girlfriend—told him his
reputation as a womanizer turned Kelcey off completely.

The reputation exaggerated the number of
women he’d fucked. Yeah, he enjoyed sex. He went out with women who enjoyed sex
too. His dates usually consisted of women who wanted nothing more than an
orgasm, which had always worked for him. That didn’t mean he didn’t know how to
romance a woman.

It wouldn’t be a hardship for him to slowly
wear down Kelcey’s resistance. She wasn’t as voluptuous as Alaina, or as
make-your-tongue-hang-out sexy as Emma, his brother Griff’s girlfriend. Still,
at about five-eight and slim with shoulder-length ash blonde hair and huge blue
eyes, Kelcey had been blessed with good looks. Small breasts and narrow hips
gave her a gentle sex appeal. She made him think of moonlit nights, gentle
kisses and soft caresses instead of fast fucking.

Maybe the moonlit nights and soft caresses
would be nice for a change.

Kelcey took a different shot than the one
he would’ve taken. Her ball hit the rim several inches from the pocket. Blowing
out a heavy breath, she looked at him. “I missed.”

“I noticed.”

Her eyebrows drew together in a frown. “I
suppose you’ll run the table now.”

“Maybe.” Unless he was a gentleman and
purposely missed a shot, which he should do so Kelcey wouldn’t feel bad. She
was still learning how to play pool, unlike Emma who beat him half the time
they played.

Dax leaned over the table and lined up his
shot. “Eleven in the corner.” The cue ball tapped the eleven, sending it
sailing toward the corner pocket. It slid in without even bumping the sides.

“Why can’t I do that?” Kelcey asked.

“You will,” Emma said. She sat in one of
the oversized loungers next to Alaina in Rye’s game room. “You just need more
practice.” She patted Griff’s thigh. He sat on the chair’s arm next to her.
“This is the guy to give you lessons.”

“Excuse me.” Dax straightened before he
took his next shot. “Griff isn’t any better than I am.”

“Griff never loses,” Emma said with a
smirk. “You can’t say that.”

“I don’t believe this abuse,” Dax muttered.

She grinned at him. Dax fought to keep from
grinning back. He and Emma teased each other the way brothers and sisters
would. She’d been involved with Griff less than six weeks and it already seemed
as if she was one of the family. His parents adored her, partly because she was
smart and clever and fun, but mostly because she had brought Griff back from
the edge of darkness after he lost his wife. Jana’s death eleven months ago had
almost destroyed his brother. Now he laughed the way he used to. Emma’s
incredible cooking had helped put on a little of the weight he’d lost. Once
again, he enjoyed life.

He was back to being a brother again.

Only two more striped balls plus the eight
to sink and Dax would win. He lined up his shot. “Ten in the side.” At the last
moment, he pulled back so the cue barely bumped the ten. The ten ball stopped a
few inches from the pocket.

He glanced at Emma. She winked at him. She
knew he’d missed that shot on purpose.

Kelcey smiled. “Reprieve!” She leaned over
the table to line up her shot. “Seven in the side.”

She made it, but missed her next try. Dax
had to admit Kelcey got better every time they played. He could easily make the
rest of his shots, but decided to give her another chance. Besides, looking at
her ass in those tight jeans when she bent over the table made his hormones
very happy.

He sank the ten, but missed the thirteen.
He stepped back while she lined up her next shot. The faded denim molded to her
cheeks and thighs. He imagined tugging down that denim until he could nibble on
her ass…

Oh yeah,
very
happy.

When she missed her next shot, Dax decided
it was time to end the game. He sank the thirteen, then the eight.

“Well, piffle.” Kelcey laid her stick on
the table. “Losing makes me hungry. I need chocolate.”

“I’ll second that.” Alaina rose from her
chair, quickly followed by Emma. “We have tons of miniature Snickers since we
didn’t get any trick-or-treaters tonight.”

“I told you I don’t get any out here,” Rye
said. “Harvest Fest was on the square today. It’s always held on the Saturday
before Halloween. The kids go there and hit up the businesses for candy.”

“I wanted to have some candy on hand just
in case.”

“You wanted an excuse to buy Snickers.”

“You know me so well.” She gave him a quick
kiss. “We’ll bring some back for y’all.”

As soon as the women left the room, Dax
faced Rye. “Did you get it yet?”

“Yeah. I picked it up this morning. Hardy called
me as soon as he finished it.”

“It’s hard to believe Hardy is still making
jewelry. What is he now, about seventy?”

“At least.” Rye reached behind a section of
books in the bookcase and removed a dark blue velvet box. “I told him I wanted
it a little different, but similar to the ring he made for Mom when Dad
proposed to her.” He opened the box to reveal a two-carat round diamond on a
gold band. A spray of smaller diamonds arced along one side of the center
stone.

Griff released a long whistle. “Damn, bro,
that’s gorgeous. Mom will be jealous. Her diamond isn’t that big.”

“Do you think Alaina will like it?”

“Hell yes, she’ll like it. She’ll probably
cry.”

“Crying is okay, as long as they’re happy
tears.”

“When are you gonna pop the question?” Dax
asked.

“I don’t know. It has to be the right time.
Maybe I’ll take her out to dinner at a really nice restaurant and ask her
there.”

Voices getting louder signaled the women’s
return to the game room. Rye quickly closed the ring box and replaced it in the
bookcase.

“I don’t know yet,” Alaina said as she
walked into the room.

“Don’t you think you should decide soon?”
Emma asked.

Alaina set the bowl of Snickers on the
small table between two of the loungers. “I’m open to suggestions.”

“Suggestions for what?” Griff asked.

“A name for the B-and-B. I can’t call it
Stevens House forever.”

“She’s rejected every name I’ve suggested,”
Rye told his brothers.

“That’s because none of them worked.” She
returned to her lounger. Emma took the chair on her left, Kelcey on her right.
“Give me a good name and I’ll take it.”

“What about May House?” Kelcey suggested.

Alaina wiggled her mouth back and forth. “I
thought about that. Do you think it would be okay?”

“
I
don’t,” Rye said.

She turned her head toward him. “Why not?
It is my last name.”

Forget about the fancy restaurant. This was
the perfect time for Rye to propose to Alaina. Dax looked at Rye and nodded.
Rye glanced at Griff, who nodded too. A look of panic crossed Rye’s face for a
moment, but disappeared when he took a deep breath. Dax doubted if Rye had
anything to worry about. Alaina adored his older brother. She wouldn’t possibly
say no.

Rye removed the ring box from its hiding
place again. “I’m hoping May won’t be your last name for long.” Crossing to her
chair, he dropped down to one knee and opened the box. “Will you marry me?”

Alaina’s mouth fell open. She covered it
with one hand while tears filled her eyes. An unfamiliar tightness gripped
Dax’s chest as his future sister-in-law smiled, touched Rye’s cheek and
whispered, “Yes.”

Rye slipped the ring on Alaina’s finger.
With tears flowing down her cheeks, she cradled his face in her hands and
kissed him tenderly.

Chaos reigned after that, so Dax didn’t
have the chance to examine that strange feeling. Emma and Kelcey were crying
too when they grabbed Alaina for hugs, then Rye. Griff drew Alaina into his
arms for a huge hug. When he released her, Alaina turned to Dax. Smiling, he
hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.

“Welcome to the family, Alaina.”

“Thank you, Dax.”

Emma clapped her hands once. “We need
champagne.”

“You’ll have to settle for white wine,” Rye
said. “I don’t have any champagne.”

“You’re as bad as Griff. He didn’t have any
either until I taught him how to stock his liquor.”

“What else did you teach my brother?” Dax
asked, grinning.

A devilish light shone in her eyes. “That’s
none of your business.”

Dax laughed. Emma was as good for Griff as
Alaina was for Rye. Even though Griff loved Emma, Dax knew it was too soon
after Jana’s death for him to think of marriage. Someday, though, Dax wouldn’t
be surprised to see a ring on Emma’s finger.

“I’ll get the wine and glasses,” Kelcey
said.

Dax fell into step behind her. “I’ll help
you.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder, a
look in her eyes that clearly said she didn’t want or need his help. He simply
winked and kept following her. She’d have to get used to having him around, now
that she’d moved in with Alaina and Rye until she found her own place to live.
In a small town like Lanville where rentals were scarce, that might take her a
while.

“It’s great about Rye and Alaina, isn’t
it?” he asked once they were in the kitchen.

“Very. I’m happy for them.”

Dax removed a round tray from the pantry.

“He really loves her. She’s so different
from her sister.”

Kelcey took six wineglasses from the
cabinet and set them on the tray. “From what I’ve heard, I’d rather not ever
meet her.”

“You wouldn’t miss anything. She really did
a number on Rye. Her betrayal hurt him for a long time.” Locating the corkscrew
in a drawer, he accepted the bottle of chardonnay Kelcey had taken from the
refrigerator and opened it. “Are you all settled here?”

“I’ve unpacked, if that’s what you mean by
settled.”

“Are you going to sell your house in
Dallas?”

“Someday. I’m not in a hurry. My neighbors
on both sides of my house offered to watch it for me.”

As Dax splashed the cold wine into the
glasses, he realized this was the longest conversation he and Kelcey had had so
far. He didn’t know her well yet, but he enjoyed talking to her.

He’d enjoy her in his bed even more.

He hadn’t asked her out yet, but he’d
hinted about showing her around the area. Perhaps he should stop hinting and be
more direct.

“Now that you’re living in Lanville, I’ll
be happy to show you around. I’m a great tour guide.”

That cute little nose of hers lifted an
inch. “I’m sure Alaina and Emma can show me whatever I need to know.”

She walked out of the kitchen, leaving him
stinging from her rejection. He wasn’t used to a woman rejecting him.

Eyes narrowed in determination, Dax picked
up the tray of wineglasses. So she was going to play hard to get. No problem.
He enjoyed a challenge.

* * * * *

Kelcey thought of Dax as walking sin. With
that tall, buff body, sexy brown eyes and long brown hair, he reminded her of a
pillager from many years ago. She imagined him riding into a village on a huge
black horse, long hair flying behind him, leading a group of bandits to rob the
men and rape the women.

No, that wasn’t true. She couldn’t picture
Dax ever hurting a woman. Not like…

Kelcey shook her head to clear it of any
bad thoughts. She wouldn’t let anything—or any
one
—intrude tonight. One
of her best friends had just become engaged to the man she had loved for most
of her life. That’s the only thing Kelcey wanted to think about tonight.

She could feel Dax’s presence right behind
her as she stepped into the game room. His closeness rattled her. Being
triplets only minutes apart in age, Rye and Griff were just as handsome as Dax.
They
didn’t rattle her. She didn’t like that feeling. She liked being in
control. Structure and routine made her happy.

There wasn’t anything routine about Dax
Coleman.

Everyone accepted a glass from the tray.
Dax raised his wineglass toward Rye and Alaina. “To my brother, who was smart
enough to fall in love with a very special lady. We all wish you many years of
happiness.”

Crystal clinked together. Kelcey watched
the newly engaged couple as she sipped her wine. Rye dropped a tender kiss on
Alaina’s temple. She smiled up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears.