Cheyenne McCray - [Lexi Steele 01] Read online

  Praise for Bestselling Author

  CHEYENNE McCRAY

  MOVING TARGET

  “The sex sizzles and the danger crackles in McCray’s hot new tale. Staying one step ahead is the name of the game in this dynamic story that races cross-country and tests the loyalty and character of all involved. No matter what the genre, McCray is hot!”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4½ stars)

  “A riveting tale that brings the reader to the edge of their seat. It will definitely take you on a ride that leaves you breathless and wanting more. Once again, Ms. McCray has written a winner!”

  —Fallen Angel Reviews

  “A captivating tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “A hot romantic thriller that ratchets up the sexual heat and suspense.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  CHOSEN PREY

  “Bestseller McCray takes her blistering-hot writing style into a new arena with her first romantic thriller. McCray’s versatility and talent make her a star in any genre she chooses.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4½ stars)

  “Sexy, sinful and a rollercoaster ride of emotions make Chosen Prey a must-read for all romantic suspense fans. Readers will be enthralled from the very first page. Ms. McCray is truly a genius who knows exactly which elements work best together.”

  —Dark Angel Reviews

  “Rip-roaring romantic suspense from start to finish.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  WICKED MAGIC

  “Blistering sex and riveting battles are plentiful as this series continues building toward its climax.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)

  “Cheyenne McCray shows the best work between good and evil in Wicked Magic. The characters are molded perfectly…sure to delight and captivate with each turn of the page.”

  —Night Owl Romance

  “A sinfully engaging read.”

  —A Romance Review

  SEDUCED BY MAGIC

  “Blistering passion and erotic sensuality are major McCray hallmarks, in addition to a deft and exciting storyline. This magical series continues to develop its increasing cast of characters and complex plotline; the result is erotic paranormal romance liberally laced with adventure and thrills.”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 ½ stars Top Pick)

  “The slices of humor, the glimpses of the characters’ world through fantastic descriptions, not to mention fascinating characters landed this book on...[the] keeper shelf.”

  —Romance Divas

  “Witches, drool-worthy warriors, and hot passion that will have readers reaching for a cool drink. Cheyenne McCray has created a fantastic and magical world where both the hero and heroine are strong and are willing to fight the darkness that threatens their worlds.”

  —A Romance Review

  FORBIDDEN MAGIC

  “McCray will thrill and entrance you!”

  —Sabrina Jeffries, New York Times bestselling author

  “A yummy hot fudge sundae of a book!”

  —Mary Janice Davidson,

  New York Times bestselling author

  “Charmed meets Kim Harrison’s witch series, but with a heavy dose of erotica on top!”

  —Lynsay Sands, New York Times bestselling author

  “Wildly erotic and dangerously sensual, this explosive paranormal thriller sizzles. McCray erupts on the scene with one of the sexiest stories of the year. Her darkly dramatic world is one readers won’t mind visiting again…. McCray knows how to make a reader sweat—either from spine-tingling suspense or soul-singeing sex….”

  —Romantic Times BOOKreviews

  “McCray’s paranormal masterpiece is not for the fainthearted. The battle between good and evil is brought to the reader in vivid and riveting detail to the point where the reader is drawn into the pages of this bewitching and seductive fantasy that delivers plenty of action-packed sequences and arousing love scenes.”

  —Rendezvous

  “Forbidden Magic is a spellbinding, sexy, superbly written dark fantasy. I couldn’t put it down, and you won’t want to either…[a] fabulous plot…. Longtime fans and newbies alike will be enchanted and swept away by this enduring tale of courage, love, passion, and magic.”

  —A Romance Review

  “If one were going to make a comparison to Cheyenne McCray with another writer of the supernatural/sensuality genre, it would have to be Laurell K. Hamilton…. Forbidden Magic definitely puts McCray in the same league as Hamilton.”

  —Shelf Life

  “Cheyenne McCray’s Forbidden Magic is an intoxicating blend of luscious eroticism and spine-tingling action that will have you squirming on the edge of your seat.”

  —Angela Knight, USA Today bestselling author

  “Cheyenne McCray has written a sexy adventure spiced with adventurous sex.”

  —Charlaine Harris, New York Times bestselling author

  “Erotic with a great big capital E. Cheyenne McCray is my new favorite author!”

  —Bertrice Small, New York Times bestselling author

  “Forbidden Magic is a fabulous faery tale. The writing is sharp; the story hot!”

  —Virginia Henley, New York Times bestselling author

  “Cheyenne McCray has crafted a novel that takes the imagination on an exciting flight. Full of fantasy, with a touch of darkness, a great read for anyone who loves to get lost in a book that stretches the boundaries!”

  —Heather Graham,

  New York Times bestselling author

  “Explosive, erotic, and un-put-downable. Cheyenne McCray more than delivers!”

  —L.A. Banks, bestselling author of

  The Vampire Huntress Legend series

  “Magical mayhem, sexy shapeshifters, wondrous witches and warlocks . . . in Forbidden Magic, Cheyenne McCray has created a fabulous new world. You won’t be able to get enough!”

  —Lori Handeland, USA Today bestselling author

  “Fans of dark paranormal fantasy will enjoy the fast-paced, spine-tingling twists and turns of Cheyenne McCray’s Forbidden Magic.”

  —Toni Blake, author of

  In Your Wildest Dreams

  “Cheyenne McCray’s Forbidden Magic is a rich mix of witches, demons, and fae in an epic tapestry full of conflict and desire.”

  —Robin Owens, author of Heart Choice

  “Chock-full of emotion and action, Cheyenne McCray’s Forbidden Magic will find a spot on the keeper shelf of every reader who enjoys a touch of the paranormal along with her erotic romance. I highly recommend it!”

  —Ann Jacobs, author of A Mutual Favor

  “Cheyenne McCray has written a tempting, exciting novel rich in magic and pleasure.”

  —Lora Leigh, author of

  The Breed Next Door

  “McCray’s knowledge of Fae, Fomorii, elves and ancient Irish magics shines in this book of witches, warriors and dangerous desires.”

  —Linnea Sinclair, author of

  Gabriel’s Ghost

  “Cheyenne McCray delivers a scorching tale of modern witches and ancient Fae, a winner rich with lore, fantasy, gritty action, and heart-gripping romance.”

  —Annie Windsor,

  award-winning author of Sailmaster’s Woman

  “This modern-day tale meets ancient-world paranormal isn’t just a book, it’s an event. The elements all come together in this paranormal romance. You start reading for the story and end up reading for the characters. You’re left at the edge of your seat needing more until the very last satisfying word. You won’t be able to put it down once you start reading!”

  —Sheila Englis
h,

  CEO of Circle of Seven Productions

  Other St. Martin’s Paperbacks titles by

  CHEYENNE McCRAY

  Paranormal Romance

  Dark Magic

  Shadow Magic

  Wicked Magic

  Seduced by Magic

  Forbidden Magic

  Romantic Suspense

  Moving Target

  Chosen Prey

  Anthologies

  No Rest for the Witches

  THE

  FIRST SIN

  Cheyenne McCray

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks

  NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed

  in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are

  used fictitiously.

  THE FIRST SIN

  Copyright © 2009 by Cheyenne McCray.

  Excerpt from Demons Not Included copyright © 2009 by Cheyenne

  McCray.

  Cover photo © Royalty Free Image/Veer.

  All rights reserved.

  For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York,

  NY 10010.

  ISBN: 0-312-94644-9

  EAN: 978-0-312-94644-9

  Printed in the United States of America

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / February 2009

  St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth

  Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  To the world’s best agent, Nancy Yost.

  May there be many more sinful adventures ahead.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  After a few research trips to Boston, it has officially become one of my adopted cities. I love the people, the atmosphere, the history, the lay of the land. (Which I traversed on foot from Back Bay to Southie and everywhere in between and around. What a blast!)

  I have so many special thanks to give. NUMBER ONE is Officer T.J. Leonard, patrolman with the Boston Transit Police Department. Wow, what an incredible, tremendous help he has been throughout writing The First Sin. I cannot begin to thank him enough. Even the most inane questions he answered—possibly with amusement—but he helped me in more ways than I can thank him.

  Chris Vanderslice, you are awesome. You were my first official Boston tour guide and you are the best. Thanks for everything, including giving Lexi and Nick good homes.

  Lauren Vitale, it was a pleasure and thank you. Armani it is!

  Thank you so much to Boston Police Department Sergeant Detective Kelley O’Connell of the Family Justice Center Human Trafficking Task Force. I greatly appreciated her time and the information she provided on human trafficking for this persistent author. This book is a long way (a long, long, long way) from what we talked about, but I have a much greater understanding of the overall picture relating to HT.

  Much appreciation to Suzanna Jones for your support of the Arizona Literacy Foundation.

  A huge thank-you to Rani Ogitani for your support of Brenda Novak’s fourth annual online Auction for Diabetes Research.

  Anna Windsor, Tee O’Fallon, Patrice Michelle, and Nelissa Donovan—I love you, babes.

  Thanks to everyone at St. Martin’s involved in every step of every process in making this novel come to light, and to Monique Patterson for helping it to come alive.

  To my three sons—your understanding of Mom’s need to bury herself in this project means a lot to me.

  And thank you, Dave Gilpin, for all of the smiles when I needed them most.

  “Can’t shake the Devil’s hand and say you’re only kidding.”

  They Might Be Giants, music artists

  PROLOGUE

  Kristin

  March 15

  Kristin Donovan looked around at all the flashing lights in the packed nightclub, jammed with lots of hot, sweaty bodies, and barely dressed barmaids walking around selling Jell-O shots and neon shooters. At least that’s what Carlene and Tess called them.

  Kristin shifted in her chair and tugged down on the dress that kept creeping up her thighs. “I can’t believe you two dragged me down here.”

  “The Diamond Castle is one of the hottest Boston nightclubs.” Carlene set down her Heineken. “It’s Friday night. You can forget your stupid paper and take one day off with no guilt, Kristin.”

  Tess finished her cosmo. “You spend too much time studying and not enough time living.”

  Kristin shrugged. “I’ll do my ‘living’ when I graduate.”

  “Yeah, right.” Tess shook her dark hair. “Then you’ll be wrapped up in whatever it takes to be a psychologist.” She waved her hand. “In-service work or something?”

  “Practicum. Internship. Fellowship. Or something.” Kristin smiled as her body relaxed from her two rum and Cokes and she began to feel more than a little tipsy. “You’re right. It’s good to get out. I can spend Saturday and Sunday working on that paper.”

  The paper was for her graduate class in abnormal psych, one of her toughest subjects at Harvard, and she would get through it without help. Other than asking each of her professors questions from time to time.

  The abnormal psych class was so difficult, though, that when she went to Professor Michaels’s office to ask a question he’d offered to give her private tutoring, like some of her other teachers had. After he answered her question, she’d said thanks to his offer but she’d figure this thing out if it killed her.

  It was a tough class, but she preferred to make her way through her classes on her own. Her professor had simply nodded his bald head and turned his attention back to grading the essays on his desk.

  She should be studying for that class.

  Nah. Screw it. As long as she didn’t have a hangover on top of lack of enough sleep tomorrow, she’d be fine.

  “Your turn to buy.” Carlene waggled her Heineken from side to side.

  “I could use a Smirnoff Ice.” Tess had downed her cosmo. “I need something a little more refreshing.” She glanced at Carlene. “Something that doesn’t come in a black or green bottle.”

  “And you could use another rum and Coke.” Carlene gestured to the glass that was only filled with melting ice now. “You need to mellow out a little more.”

  “I am mellow.” Kristin stood as Tess rolled her eyes. “Okay, one more rum and Coke.”

  “Lightweight,” Carlene said, and Kristin grinned as she turned away.

  In her too-high heels, Kristin did her best to push her way through the mass of bodies in the nightclub. Deafeningly loud music throbbed in her head and the flashing, colored lights caused her to blink and see spots whenever she closed her eyes. Lots of dirty dancing was going on—really wasn’t room for anything else.

  The two rum and Cokes Kristin had downed gave her such a relaxed, tipsy feeling that she didn’t care how many bodies pressed against her.

  She wasn’t much of a drinker. When was the last time she’d had alcohol?

  Smells of sweat and too much cologne and perfume made her wrinkle her nose. The heat of so many people crowded together made her own body sticky with sweat.

  Kristin winced, then grimaced as someone slammed into her from behind. She stumbled sideways and hit a man’s chest with her shoulder, hard enough to force them both against the bar.

  She blew out a huff of air which poofed her long blond hair out of her face. “Sorry,” she shouted over the pounding beat of the music, as she looked into a pair of dark brown eyes.

  Wow.

  The man’s grin was so sexy that she caught her breath while he steadied her before bending close and murmuring in her ear, “No problem at all.”

  Kristin shivered, a streak of desire shooting straight to her belly. The rum and Cokes
, definitely working overtime.

  “Dance?” he asked, his mouth still close to her ear.

  When she looked at the incredibly gorgeous face, her body said, “Oh, yeah, I’m so there,” but she just nodded without answering.

  He settled his palm on her waist and guided her into the middle of the hot, gyrating bodies. When they came to a pause, he smiled and moved his other hand to her waist and pulled her close. Their bodies weren’t quite touching, but they might as well have been. Kristin’s entire being was aware of this man she didn’t even know, and her body was screaming at her to get to know him better, a lot better.

  She could just picture their naked bodies sliding together, his minty aftershave mingling with his male scent.

  What’s wrong with you, Kristin Donovan? You don’t do one-nighters. Actually she hadn’t “done” anyone since her first encounter with Steve, her freshman year, and that hadn’t been nearly as exciting as the way this stranger made her feel.

  “I’m Joe.” He slid his hands a little farther down from her waist, his fingertips nearly touching her buttocks, and she gasped. “What’s your name?”

  She settled her hands on his shoulders. “Kristin.”

  He moved his mouth to her ear and she shivered while an arrow of desire traveled straight between her thighs. “I didn’t hear you.”

  Joe’s face was close enough to hers that she caught her breath, wanting to kiss this stranger. Feel his lips move over hers and taste him as his tongue explored her mouth.