The Secrets of Sin

Mari

Ben’s kiss sends tingles through my body, like an electric shock that passes through my entire core.

My lips work with his like they are synchronized, and he bewitches me with the singular kiss. My mouth parts, letting Ben’s tongue meet my own for a taste of something truly sinful.

I feel hot prickles down my spine, prodding into my legs, making my knees clack together and go wobbly. My head spins like a hit from the strongest drug in the world.

I can feel the addictive gene waking up from absolute hibernation and begging for more. The kiss isn’t even over and I’m already a full-blown junkie.

His tongue licks my entire mouth, tasting me like a savory dish and licking the plate clean. A moan breaks free when I feel his wide, strong hands grip onto my hips and pull them flush to his groin.

His bulging rock-hard erection scrapes the front of my stomach, inciting another moan that Ben eats up from my lips. This strange feeling runs through me and drenches my panties.

A need sets me on fire. Like Ben’s kiss, his touch heats my very core. A need that feels so foreign, and yet so primal, courses through my bloodstream.

Ben growls low from his chest when I swish my hips in his hands and make his wood stick me deeper in the stomach. I don’t know why but I feel like I’m hungry.

I’m starved for whatever it is Ben is feeding me. I feel so ravenous for Ben’s every touch, every swirl of his tongue, every second he is pressed to me and claiming my lips.

A loud knock makes us jump apart.

Ben turns away and slams the door to his bathroom, leaving me alone and missing him. I whimper when the rush of cool air douses me like a fire extinguisher.

Opening the door, I feel dazed. Brittany’s worried gray-green eyes scan me. The sting of Ben’s bruising kiss still sends tingles through me.

“Ready to go? We need to hit the stage at least once before closing.”

I step out of Ben’s dressing room and pull her along. We get to the car in a flash and I stick the yellow manila envelope into my bag. Brittany doesn’t ask me anything.

We get to The Bunny in what feels like the blink of an eye and change into our stage clothes.

***

For the rest of the night, I feel like I’m on fast forward and everything rushes by. Before I know it, I’m home and telling Brittany goodnight.

It’s late, but Erik shouldn’t be home until midnight or later. I still have an hour, at least. Everything is okay.

I lock the door and kick my bag off, tuck my sneakers into the shoe tree, and head to my room.

I swing the door open and hit the light, letting a scream out in surprise when Ben shuts the door behind me.

“Ben? What are you doing here? In my room, in the dark, so late. Aren’t you supposed to pick Erik up?”

I hold a hand over my heart, watching Ben glare down at me.

“Where were you tonight?” His tone makes me feel caught.

“I was at school and then a study group with Brittany. We got dinner together and she talked me into going to a movie. I know I’m home later than usual, but I don’t have school in the morning. Why?”

I cross my arms over my chest, but inside, I’m freaking out. I read a detailed lie is better when trying to be convincing. I just have to remember it.

Ben’s glare hardens. His eyes feel like they’re cutting deep into my soul.

“B-Ben is s-something wrong?” I twist my fingers and start to pick at my nail beds.

“Don’t lie to me. Where were you?” His voice darkens. He steps closer and closer with every step I take back.

“I w-was with Brittany. And at school.”

My back hits my bookcase, stopping my retreat. Ben’s eyes never leave mine. He clears the tiny bit of space between us and hovers over me like a predator does his prey.

“I think you’re lying to me, Marcella. I think you’ve been doing things you know you’re not allowed to and hiding it.”

I flinch when he uses my full name. He never calls me that. It’s always Mari or kitten.

I gulp. The lump in my throat feels like a jagged rock.

I try to form a sentence to come to my defense and stick to my lie till the very end, but nothing comes out but a strangled gasp when he leans further in and brushes his thumb down my bottom lip.

“Have you been lying to me?” he growls.

I barely shake my head no, unable to look away from his sheer intensity. I can’t give in to him. Not like I did as Sin, then he’ll know for sure.

“I’m a good girl. I’m always a good girl,” I say weakly.

Another growl leaves Ben’s chest. His fingers roam freely across my cheek and he tucks his face into my long brown hair.

I can feel his hot breath on my neck. The tingling feeling starts to buzz inside me like a wind-up toy.

I don’t know what to do.

I don’t know what to do.

Thinking fast, I wrap my arms around him and engulf him in a hug.

“I love you, Benny. I promise I’ll always be a good girl for you.”

I sweep his light brown locks out of his face and pin them behind his ear.

I can feel his tense body relax a little. Like waves crashing on the shore.

He drops his face further into my neck, then almost jumps out of my hold completely.

“Ben, is everything okay?” I coo into his ear.

His grip around me tightens for a moment before he picks me up and squeezes me to his chest with a deep hug.

“Goodnight, kitten,” he says with a gruff voice as he drops me back to my feet and leaves me alone again.

That same familiar rush of fire is extinguished by his absence.

He almost caught me.

He might have his doubts but as long as I have proof of my lies, then he can’t catch me.

He can’t know. Erik can’t ever find out.

If Ben thought it was me under the mask, then some part of my normal Mari side must have revealed itself.

But where? When? How?

No, my appearance is foolproof.

I change the way I walk and the things I wear. I’m more confident as Sin. I wear a wig, and no one has seen Mari’s body, so it’s not like they can say, “Oh, I know those boobs.”

Some of the girls at The Bunny list a price for a topless dance, but that’s not something I would do. Bra and panties are my limits.

How did Ben guess it was me?

How?

***

“Mari, wakey, wakey. Get up.” My brother’s bothersome antics shake me awake.

“Erik? Is something wrong?” I smack the hair off my face and lift my head off the bed.

“I got the weekend off and wanted to do something. Wanna go to the lake?” His cheesy smile is wide.

I squeal with excitement and flip the covers back to spring from bed.

“Yes! We haven’t been in so long!” I hug him and make him laugh.

A whole weekend? That hasn’t happened in years.

“Then get changed. We leave in ten minutes.”

He leaves me so I can get ready.

We haven’t been to the lake in years, the last time being when I was fifteen. My body has changed. I don’t think my bathing suit is going to fit.

Squeezing into the army green one piece, I think about how funny I must look. Honestly, it seems like I’m trying on a kid’s swimsuit.

Knowing we don’t have time, and I don’t have anything else, I pull on a pair of jean shorts, a white tank top, and a purple pants t-shirt.

I pull my hair into a high ponytail and go to the bathroom to grab towels and then slip on some flip-flops.

When I walk out of the house to ask Erik if he has packed any food, I stop and gulp, seeing Ben, Ross, and Stevie all waiting on me.

“Come on, Mari, let’s go!” Erik slapped the truck.

“Do I need to pack food or…?” I say, hustling down the steps toward the red truck.

“No, we’re good, the cabin is gonna be fully stocked.” Erik jumps into the passenger side.

“Cabin?” I ask, confused.

“Yeah, Stevie’s dad owns it.”

I nod and hop in. Ross, Stevie, and Erik cram into the front while Ben and I are in the back.

The seats face each other so Ben has to put one long leg on each side of me. I’m practically cradled in his lap.

The guys in the front turn on music while we take the hour ride to the lake.

Not wanting things to feel out of place, I act like Ben isn’t in a fight club, that he hasn’t met Sin, and we did not kiss.

My first kiss.

I didn’t feel his malehood press into me either.

That definitely didn’t happen.

“Hey, Ben.” I smile and reposition my small legs. Being five foot two comes in handy in situations like this.

“Hey, Mari,” he says, smiling back.

“Are you feeling better today?” I fold my arms.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.” He rubs his neck. He’s nervous.

“It’s okay. I know you were just looking out for me. Whatever it is you thought, it’s forgiven. Best friends forever.”

No more of this nonsense.

He nods and his eyes fall back to my legs. I watch him roll his gaze up to my thighs.

I suck a breath and hold it. I can see the wheels turning and cogs clicking into place.

His eyes snap to mine. A dark look sweeps over his face. His eyes feel like they could set me on fire.

Play dumb. “Ben?” I squeak.

“Mari, do you know that you have a beauty mark on your calf? Two side by side, and another right above that makes a triangle.”

Play it cool; he still knows nothing. “Really? Huh, that’s really cool. I never noticed that.” I cross my legs and tuck them close to me, so he can’t see them anymore.

“Did you also know how rare it is for someone else to have the same markings in the exact…same…spot.” His hands tighten at his side.

“I-I guess pretty low? But it is possible. I don’t take a statistics class. W-why?”

He shoots daggers at me.

Oh, fudge.

Fudging fudge.