Sinful (Desired Affliction Book 4) Read online

  Sinful

  Desired Affliction Series,

  Book Four

  C.A. Harms

  Sinful

  Copyright © 2016 by C.A. Harms.

  All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: November 2016

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1-68058-890-3

  ISBN-10: 1-68058-890-7

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  Sometimes I talk to you, even though you’re not there. You’ve moved on among the heavens, but in my heart you’ll remain, and somehow I find comfort in that thought.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Epilogue

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  Prologue

  Brock

  I’d hit my all time low.

  I scraped the bottom of the barrel when I decided to pull an Adam. I mean, hell, it didn’t work for him; what made me think I’d be able to get away with it?

  Granted, my brother wasn’t dumb enough to pull the same shit in Kole’s gym, but I’ll admit I didn’t know better.

  I knew the guy was mean when provoked, but I thought I could get away with it. I was wrong.

  I took a chance, and it was one hell of a stupid one.

  Which explained my current situation.

  It was seriously pathetic that I barricaded myself inside my brother’s office while Kole camped outside, waiting for me to escape.

  But in my defense, that guy looked murderous. I don’t think I have ever in my life witnessed a man’s face change to that shade of red. I swore I saw steam shooting out of his ears when he entered the locker room to find me nailing some brunette. I hadn’t even taken the time to ask her name.

  She shrieked and scurried across the room in search of her pants.

  I looked over, intending to play it all off as if I didn’t care that I had just been found in a compromising position, because I truly didn’t.

  That was until I saw Kole glaring at me, his hands fisted at his sides. I knew it was only gonna get worse. With each passing second, his face grew angrier, and he literally shook from rage.

  I honestly thought I was gonna die.

  So I did what any man in my position would have done. I fucking bolted. Buck naked, things a-swinging and flopping around for all to see. I hurdled a couple of obstacles along the way.

  It was honestly a damn miracle I didn’t face plant or worse.

  The moment I reached Adam’s office, I hurried inside, and I locked the door behind me, sliding a large credenza in front of it.

  The loud banging on the door literally shook the metal cabinet against it.

  I leaned back against the desk in relief that I made it out alive—until my current situation struck me.

  The knocking had finally stopped.

  The threats of bodily harm and other serious details involving my manhood had died out. It should have made me relax, but it only made me realize just how fucked I was.

  Kole was not gonna let this go; I knew that.

  I was now locked in an office with no windows or any other means of escape.

  And the worst part about it was I was naked.

  Now I was generally happy with my body and had no quarrels about showing it off to whoever wanted to see it, females anyway. But this was bad.

  My brother was gonna beat my ass after Kole killed me.

  Did I mention I was so fucked?

  Chapter One

  Charlotte

  I’d been a nervous wreck since I’d woken up this morning, without warrant. I’d trained for this. I’d worked my ass off to get to this point. It was time to prove I was not the same girl I had been all those years ago.

  I’d proven my worth, my dedication.

  And it was time to show everyone else what I was made of.

  Starting here, starting now.

  I took in one last deep breath before I entered Kole’s gym, a place that had taken the area by surprise and went from a developing gym to so much more. It had drawn an abundant crowd. Not only had it become a place for athletes, but also a place where so many came to regain strength and confidence. That was where I came in.

  I was trained in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai. Both were commonly used in self-defense techniques. They were the same techniques I learned after a horrific attack that took the life of my sister and mother only six years ago. I was sixteen at the time and was lucky enough to escape the terror they both went through, but never had those images ever left my mind. In fact, it was because of the two of them that I became almost obsessed with protecting myself.

  Martial arts became my life.

  Not because I wanted to fight but because I wanted to survive.

  It was an addiction that each day only seemed to grow.

  I had to get better, be better. Because in my eyes there was nothing acceptable about weakness.

  In some strange way, me getting stronger was somehow a weird connection to Corrine and my mother. It was like they were with me, fighting alongside me, climbing the ranks.

  I decided that I wanted to teach other women how to defend themselves. I never wanted another woman to feel as if they could be overpowered by any man.

  I knew that was an unattainable goal, because I couldn’t save everyone, but I had to start somewhere.

  I’d been inside the gym a couple times, but each time I entered it still amazed me. It had top-of-the-line equipment, trainers, and a dietary specialist. Hell, the place always looked as if it was sanitized hourly; it didn’t even smell like a gym.

  Kole Hartman prided himself on professionalism, and it showed. Each member of his team wore printed t-shirts or tanks with the gym logo on the front. They were always so polite and accommodating.

  As I approached the front counter, a large muscular guy stood and eyed me over before smiling wide.

  “You must be Charlotte,�
�� he said.

  I then noticed his embossed name just under the logo on his shirt. “Radley,” I said in return as I held my hand out toward him. He reached out, shaking my hand firmly. “I’ve heard a lot about you. And please call me Charlie.”

  “Nice to meet you, Charlie,” he said, pulling his hand back and rounding the counter. “Kole has actually extended praises for your abilities to the entire staff over the last week, so I think we’re all looking forward to adding you to the team. Actually, quite a few of the female crew have already shown interest in joining your classes.”

  “Really?” I said with a smile. That sounded promising.

  I looked around the area for a moment and observed the members and staff moving around. It just felt right here. It had since the moment I first entered over three weeks ago when I expressed interest in renting the space upstairs.

  “Is Kole available?” I asked, suddenly curious why he was not the person greeting me on my first day.

  When Radley didn’t answer, I turned back to face him, and he continued to smile brightly.

  “Kole,” I repeated. “Is he here?”

  “Oh, he’s here,” Radley said, never once wiping the grin from his lips. Suddenly I was skeptical, but he did not give me time to ask any further questions before he stepped past me. “Follow me,” he said with a little wave and an almost giddy look.

  I looked around as we passed the little waiting area, the dietary room, and the oversized weight room with more equipment than I’d ever seen in one place.

  I looked back toward Radley, and with the size of the guy it was hard to see too much in front of him.

  He rounded a corner, and when he stepped aside, I came to a screeching halt.

  There, camped out in the center of the hall, was Kole, perched on a chair, staring with determination at the closed door before him.

  He had not noticed me, and I don’t think he even took his eyes off the door when he barked angrily at Radley. “That fucker is dead.”

  Now I didn’t know yet who the “fucker” was, but from the tone in Kole’s voice, I would have hated to be him.

  Radley looked in my direction and smirked.

  “Bossman,” Radley said with humor lacing his words. I could tell he wanted to laugh. I was so confused. “Charlie’s ready to get on the payroll.”

  I stared at Radley, afraid to look toward Kole. But when I did, I could see the anger in him. Then that anger faltered, and suddenly he was up off the chair and holding his hand out toward me.

  “Sorry, Charlotte, I wanted to show you around and help you get settled. I apologize for this less-than-professional display.” He looked back over his shoulder, and I then noticed not one but two empty bottles of water.

  I guess he’d been there a while.

  “Call me Charlie,” I said again, to Kole this time. “And really, it’s okay.”

  I heard a sound that resembled a heavy chair screeching across a hard floor, and all three of us looked back toward that direction.

  Slowly the closed door that Kole had been staring a hole through only moments ago came open, and a head poked out.

  Burred haircut, handsome face, appealing eyes.

  He looked around as if testing the waters before his eyes locked on mine.

  He opened the door further, stood tall, and continued out of the room.

  Silence fell over the hall.

  I could feel the heat rise in my neck and settle in my cheeks.

  I think Kole growled, Radley chuckled, and I swallowed hard.

  The unnamed man with an arrogant smile stood before us, stark naked and with absolutely no shame. Granted, from the looks of it, he didn’t have much to be ashamed of; he was gloriously perfect.

  Yes I looked, because there was no way I couldn’t.

  And he noticed; his cocky smirk was a sure sign of that.

  “Hey,” he said.

  It was as if that one word pulled me out of the haze this entire scene had caused, and I regained my composure.

  “Impressed?” he asked.

  Kole took a step toward him, and I grabbed for his arm. I didn’t need him defending me. I could handle that all on my own.

  “Actually, no,” I said in return. “I was just wondering how a boy who is obviously lacking in the penis department got up the courage to walk around naked. Isn’t it hard enough to get a woman to give you the time of day without actually showing them your suffering with Gherkinson’s Disease first? I honestly feel sorry for you; life must be so difficult.”

  If I had any question as to whether Radley was laughing before, there was no doubt now. He sagged back against the wall and made no attempt to hide it this time. Kole crossed his arms over his chest, as if daring the guy to take this any further.

  Of course Mr. Swinging Cock made absolutely no attempt to cover himself. I think he knew I had just told the biggest lie of my life. This guy was not lacking; in fact, I thought he had been overly blessed.

  But I refused to break eye contact.

  He continued to smile, and when he licked his lower lip, I knew I was screwed. I had a feeling I just made this game a must win for him. It was the complete opposite effect I was hoping for.

  “Get some clothes on, Brock,” Kole said, finally stepping in between the two of us and breaking up the stare off we’d been having. I was unbelievably thankful. “I expect you in my office waiting for me when I get there.”

  Kole turned to face me and began leading me back down the hall toward the main lobby.

  Just before we rounded the corner, the guy I knew as Brock hollered out. “I’ll be seeing ya, Red.”

  I’d always hated being called Red.

  Chapter Two

  Brock

  “I was out of town for two days, Brock.” Adam stood over me, his jaw tensing in anger. “You couldn’t even hold it together long enough for me to talk Natalie out of town on a small trip. It was supposed to be relaxing, Brock.”

  I wanted to laugh, but I knew if I did, the guy would lose his shit. His ears were blood red, and his entire head looked like a cherry tomato about to burst. If I laughed, I’d be a dead man.

  I think the only thing stopping him from kicking my ass was Luke, only a few feet away in his swing.

  “Sorry,” I said in a hushed tone. I sure as hell wasn’t gonna be the one the one to wake the little tank. Natalie would kill me. “It was a dumb choice, I know that. But in my defense, the girl started it.”

  His chest was heaving now. “I stuck my neck out for you. I went to bat with Kole and promised him you’d be on your best behavior. Of all the places to bang some skank, you had to choose his fucking gym.”

  “Adam,” Natalie said as she entered the living room from the kitchen carrying a bottle of water. She pointed toward the baby because Adam’s booming voice had begun to make him stir.

  “Sorry, babe.” His anger faltered when he looked toward his fiancée with a loving smile. The guy had it bad.

  “I thought you were getting your shit together, Brock.” I’d looked back toward my brother, and the disappointed look on his face made my stomach ache. I’d seen it before, many times, but there was just something different this time. He looked defeated as he sat down in the chair only a few feet away.

  “What is it gonna take for you to start taking life seriously? You just have no idea the struggles people face daily, yet you take what you have for granted over and over.” Adam looked up at me, and there was no amount of humor, not an ounce of anger, nothing, just a blank look on his face. Like he had nothing left to give me.

  I’d suspected I’d be running around trying to escape the wrath of the Hulk the moment he got home, but it was just the opposite.

  And it hurt much more than I ever thought it would.

  Adam’s quick movement startled me as he got up from the chair and walked toward his room. A soft click of the door indicated he had closed it, and a silence set in over the room. Only the soft continuous snick of Luke’s swing filled the space between
Natalie and me.

  It was an annoying silence.

  Because it only reminded me of the discouraged look on my brother’s face.

  “He wants more for you,” Natalie finally spoke. Only I couldn’t look at her. I was too ashamed. “The entire drive home he told me stories of how the two of you were best friends growing up. How he didn’t care what his friends thought about you tagging along whenever they hung out; you were his brother, and he’d never leave you behind.”

  My throat felt tight.

  “He laughed reminiscing over the days you two would terrorize Kate. At one point he laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes.” She got quiet for a moment, and I took a chance and looked up at her. “He loves you, and he’s worried about the life you’ll have if you don’t start changing it now. The drinking and drugs have all changed, which is huge, but the lack of responsibility and that ‘don’t give a shit’ attitude is gonna bury you if you don’t change it now.”

  “I’m not like Adam,” I said.

  “No, you’re not,” she agreed. It shouldn’t have surprised me Nat was the one lecturing me. The girl gave it to me straight and has every day since I moved in with them. I’d learned things about her that showed just how tough she was. And she didn’t bullshit me.

  “You’re a good guy, Brock; I’ve seen it in the way you are with Luke, or even Hanna for that matter. You have a huge heart; you just hide behind the bad boy image you’ve perfected. It’s not working for you anymore.” She tilted her head to the side as if daring me to argue.

  I didn’t because she was right.

  “Stop trying so hard to prove you are this domineering, pigheaded asshole.” I chuckled at her description of me. “Let the real you shine; I’m pretty sure everyone would love that version of you so much more than the one they’ve seen lately.”

  Chapter Three

  Charlotte