Lace and Sin (Sinners Series Book 1) Read online

“Possibly” I answer with the grin still on my face and look out the window as we turn down a side street, and then pull over by the curb behind another parked car. As soon as he turns the car off he turns my way, runs a hand through his hair and looks like he’s going to say something but decides against it. He clears his throat, and then opens his door - “Shall we?”

  He hops out and tries getting around the car to open my door, but I manage to get out before he even gets the chance. I guess I never expected that from him because I'm not used to that sort of treatment, so I hopped out of the car like I would any other time with anyone else.

  “Most girls like having a guy open their door for them and help them out” he says with a smirk.

  “Because they’re too incompetent to do it themselves?”

  “Kayla can open her own doors and likes a bad boy, duly noted” he teases.

  “I’m sorry…I don’t mean to be a bitch it’s just that I’m used to doing things for myself. I don’t waste my time looking for a guy to do things for me or someone to leech off.”

  “Well that’s refreshing to hear.”

  “I’m not going out for a drink with you in the hopes we get married and I end up with all your money” I laugh.

  “Damn, I was hoping to pop the question tonight” he chuckles and shakes his head at me. I find it kind of refreshing that it’s so easy to interact with him, and it leaves me regretting not going out for a drink sooner. Everything I originally thought about him seems to be way off - he’s in fact a total enigma right now and surprisingly I’m intrigued, very intrigued. Especially after all the little gentlemanly things he’s been trying to do. Maybe because I haven't had anyone want to be a gentleman around me before, it has me more curious than it should.

  We walk into the bar grinning like idiots as we joke all the way from the car. The bar is called Jimmy’s Brew and tucked away down the side street we parked down, out of sight.

  There’s a young guy around my age behind the bar polishing and stacking glasses, while a short curvaceous blonde fills up the ice. As soon as we step through the door laughing, her head shoots up in our direction and she grins widely up at Carter.

  There's a faint smell of smoke and beer in the air, with a light haze towards the back corner where a group of men sit puffing on their cigars. There’s a low rumble of old school music playing with a soft thud in the background, low enough to not be annoying, but loud enough to be heard over the chatter throughout the bar. Typical bar, yet strangely cleaner than I expected.

  We walk up towards the bartender and take a seat on the stools, and I notice Carter sit close enough to me that our thighs brush against each other every time we turn on them. I grin like an idiot, and then shake my head at how he seems to make me act like a sixteen year old. I am a grown responsible adult dammit…I don’t get all giggly and stupid over guys.

  The guy behind the bar puts down the glass he’s polishing, tucks the rag into his back pocket, and leans casually against the bar top in front of us.

  “Hey Jimmy, this is Kayla. Kayla, this is Jimmy” Carter says, doing the quick obligatory introduction.

  Jimmy eyes me questioningly for a second before a huge smile spreads across his face. He reaches out his hand for me to shake and as soon as I place my hand in his, he shakes it enthusiastically - “Pleasure to meet you sweetheart” he says in a heart stopping British accent.

  He’s a pretty decent looking guy too but nothing like Carter. Jimmy has this cheeky laid back thing going on with tattoos covering one whole arm and peeking up from his shirt on his neck just like Carter. He has sandy blonde hair that’s shorter on the sides, and made out in a messy faux Mohawk, which seems to suit him quite well. And lastly a dark set of eyes that are still eyeing me curiously. He seems to have this fun-loving aura about him that I think would match Alek's, so I find myself grinning at him in response.

  I notice then the small blonde behind Jimmy walk around the bar and jump straight into Carter’s arms, wrapping her little hands around his neck.

  “Carter, why haven’t you been around to see me lately?” she practically purrs in his arms. She turns her head in my direction as if only just noticing he came in with someone else.

  She seems like the type of girl that I never would have gotten along with, and never plan on getting to know either - especially with the way she’s glaring at me right now. I don’t want to be getting in the way of Carter and his ex-flings, I mean why bring me to a bar where there’s girls he’s slept with? Shit, am I jealous? The bastard brought me here for that reason the cheeky asshole.

  Carter hugs her back quickly and then lets her go, kindly pushing her off his lap. He looks my way and rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, which throws my theory straight out the window. She stands there waiting for an introduction, which I notice no-one is going to bother with, so I stick my hand out and introduce myself – “Kayla…I’m…uhh…I’m Carter’s friend.”

  She huffs and finally shakes my hand, “I’m Liz. Carter and I go way back.”

  I simply nod and release my hand from her clutches. I shouldn’t be bothered, but the fact that she considers me as a threat whoever she may be to him, is certainly a boost to my ego especially because she’s actually kind of pretty - minus a few points for the bitchy attitude of course.

  After she walks back to the other end of the bar and busies herself with some customers, Jimmy laughs lightly and turns back to face us, “Why was that so awkward?” he jokes.

  “I don’t think she likes me very much. Ex-girlfriend?” I ask Carter curiously.

  “No” Carter answers quickly as Jimmy starts laughing louder. A few of the patrons turn their heads in our direction at the noise.

  “You know what - I think she’s just as surprised as I am to see Carter bring a girl in here.”

  I turn my head towards Carter questioningly and almost miss the glare he’s sending Jimmy’s way.

  “She just fancies him, always has - kind of embarrassing to see your sister throwing herself at your friends all the time.”

  “Wow - sister?” I wonder why she doesn’t have an accent too.

  “Well half-sister. She was struggling for a while getting on her own feet so I let her have a job here, and ever since Carter walked in to the bar she’s had her heart set out for him” Jimmy says with a quiet chuckle.

  Half-sister, I guess that explains the no accent.

  “Breaking hearts all round I see” I nudge Carter but can’t help feel slightly jealous. What a cute match that would be - Carter with his friend’s sister.

  “I told you why that would be a terrible, terrible idea Jimmy. Plus I have Kayla here” he says as he wraps his arm around my shoulder, tugging me against him.

  “We’re just friends actually” I correct him, but don’t bother sliding away from his hold on me. I guess I’m a very touchy person naturally so it’s nice to have someone wrap their arm around me playfully.

  “Well then friend, first rounds on me” Jimmy chuckles at Carter and pulls out two clean glasses, then fills them with beer.

  “Just friends?” Carter finally asks me after Jimmy starts helping out a few customers. I scan the bar quickly out of habit, and finally return my gaze back to Carter’s curious one before answering.

  “Are we not friends?” I ask as I take a tiny sip since beer isn’t essentially my all-time favourite.

  “I was under the impression we were a little more.”

  “What gave you that idea?”

  He looks at me for a moment, takes a sip of his drink and then finally says, “For starters you don’t try to picture your friends naked, but I was only joking though, you know that right?”

  “Oh” is all I can manage to get out, because for a brief honest moment my mind actually fantasised about the idea of being more than friends with the interesting and highly mysterious Carter.

  “Oh? Were you hoping for more than friendship babe?”

  Babe? Did he just call me babe? As stupid as it might sound I a
ctually love when guys use shitty pet names for women, it’s very flirty and shows how comfortable they are. I like the sound of that a little too much, even if he might use it on every woman he talks to it still makes me feel a little…weird, in a good squishy on the inside kind of way. I like it but hate it at the same time because I know deep down I shouldn’t be here.

  “I don’t have time for relationships right now Carter, I’m sorry.”

  “Not a hearts and flowers kind of girl?”

  “Not right now I’m not” I give him a small smirk, because every girl is a hearts and flowers type of girl deep down. He scratches his chin lightly and takes another sip of beer as he contemplates something for a moment.

  “What kind of girl are you then?”

  “One that shouldn’t even be talking about this with you, you’re like my boss’s boss for starters.”

  “Your boss’s, boss’s boss actually” he corrects me and I can’t help but roll my eyes, “so we’ll never even see each other around the office.”

  “I’ve seen you every day this week” I argue and his only response is a smirk, “What are we even arguing over?”

  “I think you’re kind of arguing with yourself actually. I was going to be the nice guy and ask you out on another date…”

  “This isn’t a date” I interrupt, but he just ignores me and keeps going, “Being a nice guy gets me nowhere with you it seems.”

  “So what are you saying exactly?”

  “If we fuck and then I ignore you for the first week, would that get your attention?”

  I scoff and almost dribble my mouthful of beer down my chin at his bluntness, “Who said anything about fucking?”

  “You did, kind of…the whole ‘I don’t have time for a relationship’ thing. Fucking isn’t a relationship” he grins at me, so confident in himself and what’s going to happen.

  “You’re so sure of yourself aren’t you? What makes you think I even want you like that?”

  His grin grows wider as he slowly leans in a little closer towards me, his breath against my ear. His palm slides up my thigh slowly, delicately, as his warm touch seems to spread up my leg and get dangerously higher. I try but fail miserably to hold in the soft whimper that escapes my lips, and I feel him grin against my neck.

  “Don’t lie to yourself Kayla” he says and winks at me when he pulls back. Confidence and a lot of it, that’s definitely a big tick on my non-existent perfect guy list - as well as the good looks, tattoos, and possibly a want for adrenaline and excitement just like me. Sounds very superficial, I mean obviously I want a guy that has similar interests and can make me feel like I don’t have to hide things from him. Someone I can be myself around and make me feel slightly powerless for a change. Give up the control partially for a moment in time since I always have to do everything and be in charge.

  While I sit there with my mouth practically hanging open, he keeps talking as if he didn’t just propose to screw me casually. Who the hell is this overbearing and confident, yet strangely tempting and enticing guy?

  Seems like the person he wants people to see him as, is far from the person he really is. At first he comes off as this typical rich guy that wouldn’t hurt a fly but it seems like there’s a little devil inside him that’s dying to break out of his shell, and it’s tempting…very tempting.

  “You’re not what I expected you to be Carter” I finally say.

  “Mm…and what were you expecting me to be like?”

  “Refined and very appropriate, someone who does everything by the rules.”

  “Is that because of who I am, your boss?”

  “My boss’s, boss’s boss” I correct and we both grin at each other like idiots for a moment, so close to each other I can see the blue specks of colour in his otherwise green eyes.

  “So if I’m not those things, then what am I?” he asks as he pulls out a cigarette packet from his pocket and taps it before pulling one out.

  “You smoke?” I ask a little surprised.

  “Is that bad?” he asks, smoke hanging between his lips as he pats down his pockets again looking for a lighter.

  “No, it just proves my point more.”

  “And what point would that be Kayla?” he finally lights the cigarette and leaves it hanging between his lips as he puts the lighter up on the bar.

  “That you’re bad. Deep down you are anyway.”

  He doesn’t agree or disagree, just gives me a long hard look as he takes a pull of his smoke.

  I never used to really like smokers, but Carter makes it look pretty fucking sexy. I don’t know whether it’s the tattoos, mixed with whatever he’s got going on, it makes me jealous of the stupid cigarette, wishing his lips were on me instead.

  I shake my head - what the fuck Bunny! What is wrong with you?

  He can see how much he’s affecting me and surprises me by getting off his seat, putting some money down on the bar for Jimmy, and turning back to me, “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

  I’m speechless for a moment but then silently get up and follow after him back to his car like a lost puppy. Did I say something wrong?

  “You look disappointed” he finally says as he finishes his smoke and gets in his car.

  “No, just thoroughly confused” I chuckle lightly.

  “Why are you confused?”

  “I guess because one moment you’re this perfect gentlemen, opening doors, offering me rides, trying to fix the printer for me” I chuckle as I see his lips pull into a grin, “then the next moment, you’re driving like someone’s after you, offering to be my fuck buddy, and I find you have tattoos and smoke.”

  It’s like he’s ticked off things on an imaginary list of clichéd typical bad boys, but on him every single thing just fits perfectly.

  “I just don’t think I’ve ever had to try so hard with someone before. All the normal stuff just doesn’t seem to cut it with you, so I gave up trying to be some gentleman” he says as he steers his way through traffic and follows my directions.

  “And now I’m exceptionally turned on by bad boy Carter” I mumble, but I know he still hears me because he’s grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.

  Chapter 4

  Kayla

  After Carter dropped me off at my place and I stupidly asked him to come inside, he nicely declined and said he really needed to head home. Why did I even ask, after spending the past week telling him no to everything? Was it because when we first met I thought he was out of my league, too clean cut and good for someone like me? And now that I’d seen small parts of another side to him I seem to jump right at the opportunity. God I’m such a dipshit!

  A knock on the bathroom door startles me out of my thoughts, “You okay?” Alek yells through the door.

  “Yeah why?”

  “You’ve been in the shower for almost forty five minutes.”

  “Oh, just warming up I guess” is the best response I can come up with, but in all honesty Carter was messing with my head. I never got distracted like this, never got close enough to anyone to even remotely care what they think - but for some reason I cared what Carter thought, I cared a lot. This is insane - I mean I barely know the guy and he’s somehow crawled right under my skin.

  My usual way of doing things was just having casual hook-ups, not that there have been many because I don’t want anyone finding things out about me, don’t want people knowing the real me and the things I get up to in my spare time. I’d be thrown straight in jail, or maybe even murdered by half the people I’ve pissed off.

  I never even tell anyone where I live, and for some reason I led Carter directly to my front step, even inviting him inside. Alek’s more casual about things - he always has girls around, maybe knowing they’re too stupid to go snooping around or figure out what we do for a living. I probably just don’t have the same kind of trust in people that Alek does. Or I do in fact need to lighten up.

  It was a good thing that Carter didn’t come inside. If we ended up doing anything I k
now I would’ve been side tracked from my objective - we didn’t even have sex and I’m already unfocused.

  I switch the shower off and grab the towel hanging on the wall, wrapping it around myself. I brace my hands on the sink and stare at myself in the mirror, my dark hair hanging limp and wet against my chest and my cheeks are flushed from the heat of the water.

  What would happen if I let someone in for a change, would it be so bad? Am I that much of a horrible person? I do bad things but I do them for the right reasons, or so I tell myself anyway. Yes I get paid for jobs occasionally but I like to justify my actions. I never steal from people that can’t afford it and it’s usually things that belong to others that were wrongfully taken, and okay…the occasional piece of jewellery from ladies that certainly have money to burn.