Son of Sin (Book 3 of the Forbidden Series)

2

Damien pulled out a suit jacket from his closet and looked it over. “What do you think?” He asked holding the jacket up to himself and looking in the full-length mirror.

Donna was laying on her back across his bed with her head hung over the edge flipping through a fashion magazine. “I think you should just go naked and you’ll get in her bed faster, the mom might even join you.” She teased not looking up from the pages of her magazine.

Damien snatched the magazine away and tossed it on the bed. “I’m trying to look respectable.”

Donna groaned and rolled over propping herself up on her knees. “Damien you’re a billionaire for god sakes, you have attended a thousand release parties and high-class red-carpet events in your lifetime. You know what looks respectable. Why are you tripping over this?”

“I know what is fashionable and what they’re wearing in Paris. I don’t have a clue what they wear on church dates. The last time I did church I had a uniform.” Damien tossed the jacket aside and took out another. “Damn it why did he have to pick a Reverend’s daughter?” Damien grumbled.

“Because we want to win.” Donna chuckled climbing off the bed and buttoning up the last top buttons of his dress shirt for him. “Don’t worry Damien. You could wear a turkey on your head, and every girl in the room would still want you. You will do just fine.”

Damien rolled his eyes back and whined. “But she is going to be so boring. Why a Reverend’s daughter? I’m going to lose my mind trying to play nice. John is trying to kill me that's his plan.” He complained pulling the new dark jacket on. “They didn’t even know who I was.”

Donna laughed and sat down on the bed. “I know John called me and told me all about it. I have no doubt you’ll bag her, but you are never going to make six months, you might as well give up now and write the cheques.”

Damien left his room and strolled out into the hall with Donna right behind him. He picked up his watch from the table in the hall and put it on. Then he walked into his kitchen and opened the hide-a-way-door that led into his wine cellar. “White or red?” He asked not sure what to bring.

“Do Reverends drink?” Donna asked not sure how the whole thing worked.

Damien poked his head out with a confused look on his face. “I don’t know. I can’t show up empty-handed that’s just rude.”

“Bring her a sports car,” Donna suggested.

“Funny.” He said bringing out a bottle of both. “I’ll bring one of each; god knows what they’re serving.” Damien placed the bottles on the counter and posed for Donna’s approval spinning around so she could get a full view. “So?”

“Smoking hot as always.” She smiled and tapped her nose. Damien leaned over and breathed on her. Donna offered him a tic-tac. “You should have laid off the rum before the date. They will smell it.”

“I needed a drink to bear this evening.” Damien took the pack of tic-tacs; he would eat them on the way and hope it did the trick to mask the rum. Picking up the bottles of wine he headed for the door. “Now there is only one more thing.”

“What’s that?” Donna asked.

“Get out.” He yelled back heading for the elevator. “And lock up behind you.”

***

Damien stood at the door of the large white house in the middle of suburbia hell. Since his wealth was what had caught her parents’ approval, Damien had driven his Porsche and made sure to park it in front where it was visible to the family. He had picked up a bag for the bottles of wine and a bouquet of flowers for Mary on the way. Damien took a deep breath and prayed he could manage to be civil all night. Then he rang the doorbell and forced a smiled.

The door opened, and he came face to face with the mother. Mrs. Cassie was a nice enough looking woman somewhere in her early fifties with light mousy blonde hair but a tad on the heftier side. Certainly nothing special in his books but he knew it always helped to make a fuss. “Wow, you look incredible Mrs. Cassie. If you weren’t married, I would have to try my hand at snagging you.” A bull faced lie, but it put a big smile on the ageing woman’s face.

“Oh, Mr. Sanchez you are incorrigible.” She blushed fussing with her hair. “Please come in.” She said showing him into the dining room calling to her family that their company had arrived. “We are so glad to have you with us tonight Mr. Sanchez.” Mrs. Cassie told him gesturing to the seats. “Please take a seat. I hope you’re hungry.”

“Starved, and please call me Damien.” He said offering her the wine he had brought. “Some wine. The very best from my collection.”

“How nice.” She said accepting the bottles. “And please feel free to call me Heather.” She said.

Mary entered the dining room just then in a soft white dress and her hair up in a dressy ponytail. She looked very nice as she smiled at him from the other side of the table. “You look lovely.” He said, and she blushed. Damien walked around the table and offered Mary the flowers he had brought. A collection of yellow tulips.

“Oh, they are beautiful thank you.” Mary accepted the flowers. “I’ll just go put these in water.” She said and took them to the kitchen with her mother. Damien was alone for a moment, and he sighed to himself, he was bloody bored already.

Damien’s attention was suddenly captured by the girl that walked into the room just then. Damien stood at attention surprised by what he saw. She was short and thin; she had a dancer’s body trim and athletic. She wasn’t dressed like the others in conservative tans, whites, and grays. She was in jeans and a flashy T that hung off her left shoulder exposing the white tank she wore under it. Around that trim waist, she wore a thick leather belt that looked similar to something Donna would wear on stage. Her raven black hair hung in long thick curls down her back. An iPod was plugged into her ears, and she was doing her best to ignore him, but he knew she had noticed him as he had her. How could she not?

She was nothing like Mary and Damien wondered why he had not seen this sister at the church. “Who are you?” He asked waiting for a reply and receiving none. Damien knew she heard him because she had lifted her stunning silver eyes to glare at him and then she had adjusted the volume on her iPod to tune him out.

She was rude, and he was fascinated. However, if she wanted to play games, he could certainly play. Damien looked around to make sure they were alone. He walked around the table, stood behind his mystery woman, and leaned over until his lips brushed her ear. He pulled back the earpiece and softly whispered. “What’s your name darling?” A satisfied smile came to his face when she shuddered. After thirty-three years Damien was a master at picking up on female arousal.

“Eve.” She whispered and gazed up at him through long dark lashes.

She was stunningly beautiful, and Damien felt his body stir. He was about to speak when he heard footsteps. Damien rounded the table quickly and took the seat across from Eve. He smiled smugly at the girl who was now smiling back at him. Perhaps dinner was not going to be as dull as he had originally thought. Mary and her parents came in carrying serving trays with glazed ham, baked potatoes, and steamed corn.

Mary sat beside Damien, and Mrs. Cassie sat beside her other daughter pulling the earphones from her ears. Her husband sat at the head of the table, which Damien assumed was his usual seat. They all held hands and bowed their heads to say grace. Damien peeked to fined Eve peeking back at him.

Mr. Cassie opened the bottle of red wine and smiled at Damien. “Normally we don’t drink except a little wine on holidays, but since this is a special occasion, we will make an exception. Is this a good year?”

“It should be,” Damien said with confidence, “it’s older than I am. I picked it up the last time I was in Paris. It’s just been sitting in my wine cellar since then.”

Mary stared at him wide-eyed. “You have been to Paris? France?”

“Yes, ten or twelve… no maybe fifteen times.” He said thoughtfully; in truth, he had lost count a long time ago. “Probably more like fifteen.”

“Do you travel abroad a lot Damien?” Mr. Cassie asked passing his daughters each a glass.

“Oh yes, I fill up six or seven passports books before it’s even time to renew them.” He said watching Mary sip at her wine and place it on the table.

The other girl took a huge unladylike swig, and her mother scolded her. “Eve, don’t drink so fast it’s not ladylike.” Damien grinned; this sister was far more interesting than Mary. “I must apologize for my daughter she is incredibly rude, bringing this Walkman to the table.”

“It’s an iPod Mom.” Eve corrected her.

“I don’t care what it is it shouldn’t be at the table, and the way you are dressed is just unacceptable for dinner.” Her mom sighed poking at her food humiliated by her daughter. “There is just no reasoning with this one.”

“It’s fine she makes me feel at home.” He said dismissing Eve’s reprehensible behaviour in her mother’s eyes. In truth, Damien didn’t see the problem. He found nothing wrong with the way she was behaving or the way she was dressed. Then again if they knew him better, he was sure they would take issue to his behaviour as well.

“Really?” Mr. Cassie asked as shocked as his wife.

“My family is pretty colourful.” He smiled. Colourful was an understatement. His family was positively scandalous.

“So, where else have you been?” Mary asked trying to redirect the focus off her annoying little sister.

“All over Europe, most of Asia, and Australia. All of North America and some places in the south.” Damien said taking a bite of his supper. It was tasteless. His palate was more refined than this bland meal. Damien forced a polite smile. “Delicious.” He lied.

“Where do you call home?” Mrs. Cassie asked with a charming smile.

“I keep an apartment in the city here. One in Toronto. I have a beach house on Vancouver Island and one in Malibu. I have a penthouse in New York, and a townhouse in Paris, but I’m hardly ever there.” Everyone had stopped eating and was staring at him with surprised eyes. Damien realized that was perhaps not a useful answer to the lady’s question. “I’m originally from Alberta.” He said hoping that would get the conversation flowing again.

“So, you grew up here in Alberta?” Mrs. Cassie was the first to speak.

“Yes. My parents have an estate about an hour north of Edmonton. My sister and I grew up there when we weren’t on the road with my parents.” Damien explained.

“What do your parents do?” Mr. Cassie asked curiously.

“Well, right now my mother owns three hospitals. One in Calgary and two in LA. My father owns and still operates an international recording business with studios in Canada, America, Europe, and Russia. But back when they were raising us, they were touring a lot because my dad is a Heathen.”

Damien sat up straight when the three of them choked on their food. Eve covered her mouth, but he could tell she was laughing and trying hard to hide it. “Your father is a what?” Mr. Cassie asked clearing his passageway.

Damien looked at the cross nailed up on the wall and realized how things had sounded to the Reverend. “Oh no, you misunderstand. A very strict Catholic woman raised my father, and he sent me to a Catholic school my whole life. No, my father is Mike Sanchez the guitar player for the rock group called the Heathens.”

“That is a terrible name, so blasphemous. You say he is some rock person?” Mr. Cassie asked staring at Damien.

Damien shook his head in amazement. Oh, come on were these people for real? Everyone in the civilized world knew who his father was. “Yes, they’re quite famous worldwide. They’re in the rock n’ roll hall of fame. Right along with the Beatles and Elvis.” He looked at their vacant faces. “John Lennon? Seriously?” What were these people born under a bloody rock?

“And you are in music too?” Mary asked.

“Yes. I play the drums in a band called FX.” He smiled proudly.

“Are you any good?” Her mother asked.

Damien stared at her for a moment. “Yes, we are multi-platinum.”

“Is that good?” She asked. Eve covered her mouth again with her napkin and laughed receiving a nasty glare from her father.

Seriously? Damien took a deep breath; god give him strength. “Yes, that is good.” What was wrong with these people? He felt like he was trapped in the twilight zone. “What do you do?” He asked directing the question to Mary.

“I’m in college finishing my bachelor of teaching degree. I want to be a kindergarten teacher.” She smiled.

“And you?” He asked looking at Eve.

“Oh, you don’t want to hear about that.” Mr. Cassie interjected not giving his daughter the chance to speak.

“If I didn’t want to know I wouldn’t have asked,” Damien said trying to hide his annoyance with the older man.

“I want to be a dancer,” Eve said with a smile.

“Hip-hop?” He asked knowing it was all the craze at the moment.

“Ballet.”

Damien was impressed; ballet was difficult from what he had heard. His family had often attended the ballet, and he must confess a fondness for the hot little dancers in the skin-tight tights.

“Have you applied to art schools?” Damien found himself asking.

“A few.”

“Are you any good?” He asked.

“I like to think so.”

“You know my niece married a dancer.” He said.

“Ballet?”

“Exotic.” Suddenly everyone at the table choked on their food once more. It was starting to become a habit.

“Her father must be disappointed.” Mr. Cassie gasped. On the contrary, David had given Alexander a better job once he realized he was merely a poor boy trying to pay off his dying mother’s medical bills.

“Well I like to perform at church they are such beautiful songs,” Mary said trying to bring his focus back to her.

Damien did his best to pretend to be interested and found his patience wearing thin. Eve didn’t talk during the rest of dinner unable to get a word in between Mary’s clumsy flirtations and her parent’s high praise.

Damien excused himself before dessert to use the washroom and splashed his face with icy water. Looking at himself in the mirror, he thought about breaking the glass and slitting his throat. These people were clueless. He needed a good stiff drink, but he couldn’t drink the way he wanted here. He needed to go home get a drink and call up some girls to relieve the stress. He’d have dessert and excuse himself with some lie about working early or whatnot; they would not know any better.

Damien opened the door and coming out of the bathroom he bumped into Eve. “Sorry.” He apologized and smiled down at her. “Well then finally alone.”

She lifted one dark brow and crossed her arms. “What do you want alone with me you’re here for Mary?” Eve snipped bitterly.

“Only because I didn’t see you first.” He teased.

“Oh, you saw me.” She said opening her bedroom door and going inside.

“You aren’t going to join us for dessert?” Damien asked leaning against the doorjamb so she couldn’t shut the door.

“No, I think my family would prefer if I didn’t,” Eve said trying to shut the door and finding his size to be an obstacle.

“But I’m the guest, and I would much prefer it if you did, and my opinion is the only one that matters.” He grinned placing his hand on the door not letting her shut him out.

“You forget one little thing.” She said calling him closer with a finger and a smile. Damien leaned over until he was face to face with the little minx and she whispered breathlessly. “I don’t care what you want.” And then she placed her hand on his chest, pushed him out into the hallway, and shut the door in his face.

Damien felt positively giddy staring at the door. He had to have her. He returned to the dining room and finished out the evening then excused himself for the night claiming an early meeting with his mother. Again, a lie, but it served the purpose and got him out of the house.

Damien drove away parking his car around the corner and down the block so not to be seen. He walked back and slipped through the back gate and into the yard. He was trespassing, but he didn’t care if he did this right they would never know he was even there. Damien watched the windows for a few minutes trying to decide which one was the one he wanted. He looked around for a tree to climb or something and found a trellis covered in vines leaning against the wall of the house.

Damien climbed his way up to the second level with ease. He had done it enough times going in and out of the windows of married women without being seen by jealous husbands. He carefully shuffled along the edge and peeked into the window glad to see he had been correct in his choosing. He saw Eve thumbing through a book on her bed. Damien tapped on the window and startled her.

Her eyes were wide when she saw him outside her window. Getting up, Eve came over and opened the window. Sticking her head outside, she scolded him. “What the hell are you doing out here? I should push you and teach you a lesson for skulking outside a girl’s bedroom window.”

Damien nudged her aside and slipped through the window surprisingly easy for a man of six four. “If you left me there much longer I might have fallen.”

“I doubt that you look pretty good at this window entrance. I assume you’ve had practice?”

Damien just smiled at her and started exploring the small bedroom. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want an honest answer to.” He winked at her looking at a picture on the dresser and then moving to her closet and opening it up to see what else she owned.

“Are you always so intrusive and nosy?” Eve asked following him around the small room.

“Yes.” He answered honestly. Pushing her clothes aside and taking out the plain ugly dress she had worn to church. Now he recognized her. She was right he had seen her, but she looked so childish in this ugly thing he would have never guessed she was an adult. Damien took the thing out and held it up to himself. “Is it me?”

Eve snatched the dress away from him with a smirk. “It is not even me.”

“You got that right. You look fourteen in that terrible thing.” He laughed moving to the desk while she put the dress away.

“They make me wear it when we go to church, so I don’t embarrass them.”

“Well, I assume you are at least eighteen since your uptight parents allowed you to drink.” He guessed nosing through her books. Eve came over and cleared the books from the desk dropping them on the dresser out of his reach. Damien leaned against the desktop and studied her trying to guess her age. “Just how old are you?” He asked watching her intently.

Eve’s cocky gaze never faltered, she stared him down. “Twenty-one.” She told him. His gaze moved to the college broachers she was hiding and then back to her. He wasn’t buying it. “Twenty.” He lifted a dark brow and smirked. “Nineteen.” She said biting her lower lip.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m nineteen.” She confessed. “I’m going away to college in the fall.”

“Where to?” He asked standing up straight and crossing the room to be closer to her.

Eve snickered looking up at him from her lower vantage point with those amazing eyes. “You didn’t ask these many questions of Mary all night.” She observed.

“Yes, well that was because I didn’t care. Frankly, she strikes me as rather dull.” Damien admitted, taking a chance that he read her body language correctly. He did not think the two sisters got along too well.

Eve smiled. “May I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure.”

“Why in the world would a guy like you be interested in a girl like Mary in the slightest? I’m sure you can do a million times better.”

“I have fifteen thousand reasons to be interested in her.” Was all he said.

She did not have the time to question his peculiar answer when they heard the doorknob turning. Eve stood up straight, and Damien backed up against the wall behind the door just as it opened. Mrs. Cassie came into the room standing just on the other side of the door. Two inches of wood the only thing separating her from Damien. Eve tried hard not to look at him so not to give away his presence. Her parents would flip out to find a man in her bedroom, especially one they meant for her sister.

“Good you are still up.” Her mom smiled. “Look Eve darling. I don’t want you to feel like we were unfairly hard on you tonight. I am sorry. Your father and I love you very much. We wish you would be more agreeable. Especially when we have company that could change your sister’s life.”

“Yes, Mama.” Eve agreed, hoping to make her mother leave. “But I wouldn’t get my hopes up about this guy. Guys like him are probably fickle. He might want one thing one day and something else another.”

“Well, still next time he comes around try to be more proper.”

“Ok.” She said watching her mother leave. Eve closed the door behind her and took a deep breath of relief for not having been discovered.

“Don’t you dare.” Damien drawled. “You are the only interesting one here.”

Eve looked up at him and asked. “What do you want from me?”

“Wow, do I get options?” Damien grinned wolfishly moving to her bed and dropping down into a lazy sprawl.

“No, you have to get out,” Eve ordered pointing at the window. “Leave the way you came.”

“I don’t want to, and you can’t make me. I’m way bigger than you.” Damien pointed out placing his hands behind his head.

“I could call for my father.” She threatened.

“Ok.” He called her bluff.

Eve opened her mouth to protest and then snapped it shut without a word. She planted her hands on her narrow hips and glared at him. Contemplating how to make him leave. “Why are you here?”

“The night is young, and I’m bored.”

“What can I do to make you leave this room?”

“Do you want to sneak out with me and hit the party scene?” He tempted her.

Eve bit her bottom lip, and her eyes darted to the open window. She was considering it he could tell but, in the end, she shook her head no and pointed to the window. “You have to leave. Whatever this is you can’t be here. Please leave.”

Damien frowned and got up. He walked over to where Eve was and stood inappropriately close. “Come out with me, let’s have some fun.” She took a deep breath and shook her head no. “Ok, then how about a kiss good-night?” He asked softly. Eve sucked in a shocked breath and stared up at him. “Right there.” Damien tapped his cheek to make her feel more comfortable. “Then I’ll leave.”

Eve contemplated it and decided a peck on the cheek was fairly harmless and nodded. Damien leaned over bringing his face down to her level and turned his cheek to Eve. Eve leaned in but at the last moment Damien turned his head, and his lips met hers. She moved to pull back, but his arms had wrapped around her pulling Eve’s small body against his as his tongue invaded the warm depths of her mouth. He could still taste the sweet wine on her lips and the smell of her filled his senses.

It took a moment but her resistance faded and soon Eve was kissing Damien back with a fierce desire that rivalled his own. Her hands gripped his biceps tightly, and she practically purred as his mouth moved down her throat, a sound that spiked his libido. Suddenly Eve released her grip on him, placed her palms on his chest and firmly pushed Damien away. He looked down at her confused for a moment by the lust in her eyes then grinned when she shoved him hard, so he fell back on her bed.

Damien lay back as Eve climbed up on the bed and straddled his lap. His hands moved to her belt, and he made short work of it tossing it across the room. Eve’s hands moved over his chest, and she pulled his dress shirt open wide popping the buttons and ruining his shirt. Damien grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and lifted it over her head tossing it to the floor. She was hot it drove him crazy. His hands went to her waist, and he pulled her close to kiss her again while her hands roamed his broad chest and shoulders.

“I knew he couldn’t do it; he didn’t make it one day before he slept with the girl’s sister.” John’s annoying voice surfaced in the back of Damien’s mind.

“Where’s his chequebook?” Donna would cackle. His friends laughing at his failure echoed in his head.

“No, wait.” Damien groaned rolling Eve beneath him and pinned her hands to the bed so she could not touch him. She was so hot and willing he wanted her terribly. However, she was just a girl like any other, and frankly, his pride meant more to him. He was not going to lose this damn bet and sleeping with the sister seemed like something that might upset a woman.

As much as he disliked what he was about to do next, Damien heaved himself up off the bed and took a moment to compose himself. “I’m sorry.” He apologized trying to re-button his ruined shirt. Damien raked his long fingers through his dark hair. “This went way too far.” He looked at the confused girl on the bed and sighed. “This is wrong, and I think we both know it. I just wanted to get to know you a bit. I shouldn’t have come.” He said moving to the window. Damien said good-night and climbed out the way he had come in leaving Eve alone.

He dropped to the ground and almost lost his balance. He needed to put some considerable distance between him and Eve before he did something he was going to regret later.

***

Eve lay in bed staring at the ceiling. What the hell had just happened? Everything had happened so very fast. How had his interest gone from Mary to her and back so quickly? She couldn’t be that bad a kisser, could she? Oh, but how good he was at it. Damien’s body had felt good, a miraculous combination of soft skin over hard tight muscle. His cologne had been incredible and his kiss intoxicating. It had only taken Damien a moment to make her lose her mind and become shamelessly wanton.

Damien suited his name perfectly he swooped into a girl’s life like some demon tempting them to do wrong and leaving them filled with shame and regrets. She had never felt so unbelievably foolish than she had when he pulled away. Thank the lord it had not gone any further, but should she tell Mary? Should she tell her sister that her new beau was a philandering jerk?

Eve thought of all the times Mary had stolen her thunder in some way or had stolen the attention from her on her birthdays. How she would always be lectured about her perfect sister and why she couldn’t be more like Mary. Eve smiled and rolled over pulling the covers up around her shoulders. Let Miss. Perfect find out the hard way.