A Sin and a Shame: A Novel by Victoria Christopher Murray

Author:Victoria Christopher Murray [Murray, Victoria Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Romance, Usenet, Fiction, Literary, C429, Kat, Exratorrents
ISBN: 9780743293358
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2006-05-30T09:59:42+00:00

In front of Jasmine’s apartment, Hosea said, “I’m not feeling too well.” He tapped his chest. “Feels like heartburn.”

“Do you think it was something you ate?”

“I don’t know.” He leaned across the console and kissed her cheek. “I’ll catch you tomorrow, okay?”

“That’s fine,” Jasmine said, more than ready to put an end to this day. She didn’t add that his father had made her sick too.

Four hours later, the afternoon sun had long ago departed, and Jasmine had done nothing more than change into an oversize T-shirt and park in front of the television. Inside her mind, images played like a Broadway production. Images of Brian and Alexis. Images of Brian alone. Images of Brian naked.

“Why am I doing this?” she screamed to the television. She didn’t even like Brian, but it was the love that she had for the way he felt—and the way he made her feel—that kept her obsessed. He was a demon who’d taken control of the worst part of her.

“Never again,” she told herself, as she watched a woman in a Lifetime movie beg her husband not to leave. “Never again.”

This time, she’d stand by her vow. There was little probability of seeing Brian. And if their paths did cross, she would fight Brian’s lust and think only of Hosea’s love.

With that promise, she flicked off the television, but she hadn’t taken two steps before the ringing telephone stopped her.

“Ms. Larson, you have a guest,” Henrikas said. He hesitated. “Mr. Brian Lewis.”

She couldn’t tell if the pounding came from her heart or her head.

“Ms. Larson?”

Tell him to go away, Jasmine. “He’s a doctor.” As soon as she spoke those senseless words, she realized they weren’t much of an explanation. Her doorman had already seen her with Brian. “Send him up,” she added in a whisper.

The self-berating began the moment she hung up. Why did I do that? she asked as she paced.

She decided that all she would do was ask questions—find out what he wanted, why he was there—and then she’d send him back to his wife.

The moment she heard the elevator, she opened her door, making sure Mae Frances did not see her visitor.

Brian swaggered into her apartment as if he was supposed to be there.

“What do you want?” she asked the moment she closed her door.

He faced her with a grin. “Like you don’t know.”

She breathed deeply, initiating the fight within. “You don’t need to be here.”

“I know. But I’ve discovered that my needs and my wants are usually the same.” As if he had an invitation, he settled onto her couch and loosened his tie. “Nice place. I didn’t get a chance to check it out last time.” He stretched his arms along the sofa.

“Where’s your wife?”

“At a meeting.”

“Why aren’t you at the hotel waiting for her?”

“Because I wanted to see you.”

“Don’t tell me the great Alexis isn’t taking good care of her man,” she said, enjoying for the moment the fact that she could have Alexis’s husband anytime she wanted him.

“Oooh, your claws are showing, Jasmine.

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