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The Sin Bin Ch. 01

By: MugsyB



Here's something brand new, from me to you! I started this story ages ago, basically forgot all about it, and came across it again few weeks back. After that, I couldn't rest until I finished it!

This isn't exactly like my other hockey stories. There's hockey, and the mention of a game or two, but it's not based on a player at all. Also, I completely fictionalized the playoffs just to make the playoffs work around my story, instead of the other way around.

Hopefully, you still enjoy it.

As always, take care and happy reading!

M. ;)

****

The Sin Bin

AKA: the penalty box.

****

"This place is perfect."

"Oh no, Maria. No way."

"Come on, Steph."

"It's The Sin Bin. We can't go in there!"

Maria paused on the sidewalk next to her roommate and eyed the front entrance to the bar. It looked harmless enough. Heavy wooden double doors, bright lights overhead, tinted windows hiding the clientele within, and patrons of both sexes coming and going. 

"There're other women going in." Maria gave Stephanie a sideways smile.

Stephanie stood on the sidewalk with her arms crossed over her chest, shaking her head. "No. Way."

Maria groaned as she threw an arm around Stephanie's shoulders. "Come on. I'll even buy the first round."

"Are you deaf? I said no."

"I'll do the dishes for a week."

Stephanie rolled her eyes and tried to pull out of Maria's grasp.

"A month!" Maria tried again. "And I'll make cookies and muffins for a month too."

At last, Stephanie showed signs of relenting. "With buttercream icing?"

Maria stifled a grimace at the thought but nodded. She may not enjoy her own rich baking but if it made others happy - and got Stephanie into this bar tonight - she'd do it.

"Whatever you want, Steph."

Stephanie eyed the bar entrance again and blew out a noisy breath. "Fine. But if someone with eighty tattoos and a name like Cutter comes on to me, I am so out of there."

With a triumphant laugh, Maria hugged her friend. They turned together and walked into the bar.

They stopped inside the big double doors, allowing their eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim lighting. The interior of the bar came into focus and Maria couldn't stop smiling as she took it all in.

This was exactly what she'd been looking for tonight. There were pool tables in one corner, each one surrounded by a few burly men. Several tables were placed around the open-concept floor and a jukebox lit up the far corner. A few waitresses moved from the pool tables to the regular tables and the bar and two bartenders manned the bar itself. Some of the bar stools were occupied by a few men and women.

Maria headed for the bar, holding Stephanie's hand in hers. She claimed two bar stools and turned a grin towards Stephanie.

"Isn't this great?"

Stephanie gave her a narrow look before settling on the stool next to her.

"Come on, Steph. It's not that bad." Maria gestured at the long bar in front of them with one hand. "It looks pretty clean to me."

"You say that now. Just don't touch anything. You could catch hepatitis."

"God, when did you become such a snob?"

"I'd say about the same time you decided you liked dives like this one."

Maria couldn't help but laugh. Stephanie had a point. Maria had been past this bar a hundred times and every time, she'd suppress a grimace. Of course, that had been before Rick had dumped her because she wasn't sophisticated or cultured enough. According to him.

Well, Rick could have his sophistication. He could shove it up his prissy, stuck-up ass for all she cared. Maria wanted to have some fun for a change.

"So do you think there's a bartender here or do we just reach over and pour the draft right into our mouths?" Stephanie nudged Maria's arm with her elbow.

A laugh sounded from Maria's other side and both women turned to look at the man sitting on the next stool over. He looked like he was seventy years old and three sheets to the wind. He tottered on his stool and Maria reached out to steady him.

"Lonnie, maybe I should call you a cab."

Maria looked over as a bartender approached. He was tall and broad through the shoulders. His shirt had short sleeves, revealing toned arms with a smattering of dark hair that matched the floppy curls on his head. He had dark eyes and his grin was wide.

From beside her, Stephanie drew in a sharp breath and Maria grinned.

"Is he a regular?" Maria asked the handsome bartender.

He nodded. "Yeah, a regular drunk."

Stephanie made a tittering noise and Maria had to look over her shoulder at her friend. With a blush, Stephanie averted her eyes.

"Thanks for catching him. Usually people let him slide to the floor." The bartender leaned over the bar and tapped Lonnie's arm. "Lonnie. Can you hang in there until a cab comes?"

"Course I can. You think I can't hold my liquor?"

The bartender lifted his eyebrows at the two women who smothered their giggles at his expression.

"All right, Lon. You hang tight. I'll be right back."

Maria watched Stephanie watch the bartender walk away. When Stephanie turned and met her curious gaze, Maria was smiling.

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me." Maria leaned her arm on the bar and gave Stephanie a knowing smile. "You were totally smitten with that guy!"

"No, I wasn't!"

"Oh, don't bother denying it, girlfriend. I know you."

Stephanie flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder. "Whatever. I was just wondering when he'd be back to take our orders."

Maria laughed and nudged her friend with one shoulder. "Puh-lease. You want to know if he's on the menu."

Stephanie gasped in outrage but they dissolved into giggles a second later.

In another minute, the cute bartender walked back over and informed their elderly friend that his ride was outside.

"Do you need help getting to the street?" the bartender asked.

Lonnie eased himself off the stool as he tossed a glare at the bartender. "Don't sass me, boy. I was in the war."

It was on the tip of Maria's tongue to ask which war but Lonnie was concentrating too much on standing. He wobbled and threw a hand out to steady himself but there was nothing to catch him from falling.

Without thinking, Maria jumped to her feet and slipped her hand under Lonnie's arm.

"I hope you don't think I'm being too forward, but I sure would appreciate an escort outside." This she said with a sweet smile and Lonnie straightened with a grin.

"Why sure thing, young lady. I'm heading that way myself."

Maria pushed her chocolate-brown hair over her shoulder. "What a coincidence!"

Lonnie pulled her arm close to his side and started for the double doors. Maria followed, careful to balance his weight against her side.

"Sure is a fine night," Lonnie remarked as they walked outside. "Smells like rain, though."

"You think so?" Maria didn't notice anything untoward in the air. "The forecast was for sunny weather tomorrow."

"I can always tell when it's going to rain, darlin'." He stopped next to the waiting cab and smacked a palm against his leg. "Ever since I got my hip replaced, it aches like a bitch when there's rain on the way."

Maria smiled. "That's a handy gift, Lonnie."

"Sure is. Gift and a curse, if you ask me. I suppose this is my ride."

"I suppose so. Thank you for the walk."

"My pleasure, darlin'. You take care in there. Sweet gal like you could get in trouble around those sorts."

"Those sorts?"

"This place ain't called The Sin Bin for nothing."

"That's interesting. I thought sin bin was a sports term."

Lonnie snorted then turned his head and spat on the sidewalk. Maria concealed her shudder and gave the old man a weak smile.

"Sport. Sure, those guys in there love a little sport." He paused and straightened a bit. His rheumy eyes twinkled and his gnarled hand curled around Maria's fingers. "You take care. You're a sweet girl to see me outside and I don't want to come in tomorrow only to hear stories of you gettin' in trouble."

That took Maria by surprise and she smiled at the sweet old man, no longer minding the bitter scent of alcohol on his breath. "Thank you, Lonnie. I'll keep an eye out for the sinners."

He barked out a laugh. "See that you do."

Maria helped him to the cab and waved as the vehicle pulled away. As she watched the cab disappear into traffic, a breeze swept along the street and she shivered. Then she smelled it, the sharp tang of moisture in the air. Rain, indeed.

With a smile, she turned to walk back inside the bar. At first, she didn't notice the big man standing inside the entrance. Then a shadow fell across her path and she looked over to see a man fall into step beside her.

She wasn't a short woman but her steps faltered at the sight of him, so tall and broad as he was. He was dark-haired and badly in need of a hair cut, or style. He wore a short-sleeved shirt, like the bartender, and Maria's eyes were drawn to the line of a tattoo just under the hem of a sleeve when his arm shifted.

When she stopped, he paused next to her, the expression on his face something close to a smile.

"Hi," Maria said, aware of how inane that sounded.

His expression became a real smile and her stomach clenched.

"That was nice of you to see Lon outside."

Maria shrugged, trying to regain her composure. "He didn't have anyone with him and probably wouldn't have made it as far as the door, let alone into a cab."

"All the same, most people would have just laughed as he fell down. It's happened in the past."

Maria frowned. Sometimes, people sucked. "That's unfortunate."

"It is, but then again, Lonnie makes his exit pretty much the same way every night. I see it from behind the bar often enough."

Maria blinked. So he was another bartender. "You let him drink himself stupid every single night?"

The rugged-looking man lost his smile at that and crossed his arms over his chest. Maria's gaze slipped over his broad chest and folded, muscular arms. She gave herself a mental shake and met his steely blue gaze.

"I don't let him do anything," he told her. "Lon's a grown man and can say for himself how much he wants to drink or not."

"Isn't it the bartender's responsibility to make sure the customers don't overdo it?"

His eyes narrowed. "I don't have time to baby-sit every goddamned drunk who walks in here, lady."

Maria's eyebrows went up and she smirked at him. "Lady?"

He responded with a smirk of his own, though the way his full lips curled at the corner was bordering on a sneer.

And still, Maria's stomach was fluttering. What the hell was wrong with her?

"I've got work to do." He turned away from her without another word and headed behind the bar.

Maria watched him walk away, trying not to stare at his behind.

Jeez, one week without Rick and I'm a raging bag of hormones. Shaking herself, she walked back to the bar to join her friend. A disgruntled bartender was not what she needed. A drink was what she needed. And wanted.

Lucky for her, Stephanie was still chatting with the other bartender.

The bartender looked up with a smile. "Hey. Did Lonnie make it into the cab all right?"

Maria nodded as she slid onto her stool. "Yup. Well, he made it to the cab. Lord knows how he'll make it out on the other end."

The bartender chuckled and reached a hand across the bar towards her. "I'm Lucas."

"Maria." She shook his hand.

"Can I get you a drink, Maria? First round is on the house."

"Oh, you don't have to do that."

"It's the least we can do." Lucas slapped a palm on the bar's surface and grinned. "So what'll it be?"

Maria smiled. She already liked this Lucas. He didn't give her ridiculous butterflies like his colleague but he was pleasant and he made her best friend smile so that was a mark in his favor.

"I'll have a Crown and ginger, please."

"Coming right up." He turned away to see to it.

"Crown and ginger?"

Maria turned at Stephanie's murmured query. "Yeah?"

"I don't want to be scraping you off the bar floor tonight, Maria."

"You won't be." Maria rolled her eyes and shot a look towards Lucas. "Besides, you might not even stay with me long enough to see it."

Stephanie followed her gaze. "Oh please. You know I never take men home from the bar."

"Maybe you should."

"What?"

"Come on. Your track record with guys is worse than mine."

Stephanie gaped at her. "Are you kidding me? You're the one who wanted to come into this dive to get over Rick."

Now it was Maria's turn to flush with embarrassment. It was a sensation that intensified as Lucas gave a discreet cough. He set the drink on the bar in front of them and both women turned to him with awkward smiles.

"Don't worry. I often refer to this place as a dive too." He looked around before leaning across the bar and speaking in a conspiratorial tone. "Just don't let Damien hear you say that."

"Damien?"

Lucas jerked his chin to the left and Stephanie twisted around to see who he was pointing at. Maria didn't even have to look. She was certain that the man he was talking about was the same one she'd been confronted by at the front door.

"He's the grouchy looking guy bussing that table there." Lucas gestured with one hand.

"Why should it matter if a busboy hears us?" Stephanie asked.

Lucas chuckled as he folded his arms and leaned on the bar. "He's not the busboy. He just likes to do it to help the waitresses out sometimes. It gets him away from the drunks who sit at the bar."

Stephanie whirled back around to stare at Lucas as Maria snickered. Lucas grinned at Stephanie, letting her know that he was only kidding.

"Damien's the owner," Lucas said. "And he's sensitive about the bar's rep."

Of course he's the owner. Maria stifled a sigh. She lifted her glass to her lips and took a long drink of whiskey and ginger ale. The carbonation tickled her nose as the liquor warmed her insides.

"He doesn't look like an owner," Stephanie commented.

Maria snorted and had to set her glass down to keep from spilling it. "What does an owner look like?"

"I don't know." Stephanie shrugged and gave Lucas a shy smile, ignoring her friend now. "An owner should smile more and maybe wear something nice."

"Nice?" Lucas laughed and shook his head. "Sweetheart, take a look around. This isn't a 'nice' club."

As one, Stephanie and Maria turned to observe the rest of the bar's interior. There were still several people surrounding the pool tables and some of the tables were filled with laughing customers. Patrons filed back and forth from the washrooms and all the stools at the bar were now full. Damien had moved out of the sight but the waitresses still worked the room, smiling and joking around with the customers.

Maria recalled what her impression of the place had been before they walked in there. The Sin Bin wasn't anything like she'd thought it would be.

It was true, what Lucas had said, but not being some yuppy hangout didn't lessen the appeal of this place or the obvious warmth between the staff. Some of the people in the crowd looked rough, but they were all having fun with friends and being courteous to the staff.

"Damien must be very proud of this place." Maria turned back to face Lucas.

He smiled, his brown eyes twinkling. "He is. Can I get you another drink, Steph?"

Maria's friend blushed but nodded. Lucas moved away to fill her order and was soon flagged down by other people seated at the bar. Maria watched him for a few minutes as he smiled and laughed with a few of the customers. Then a taller, broader figure appeared around the corner and her stomach clenched in reaction.

She downed the last of her drink as she watched Damien move around Lucas to help fill orders. She thought Stephanie might have been speaking to her but she was captivated as she watched the big man.

He had to be over six feet tall and she could tell he worked out. Maria didn't need to see him lifting a crate of empty glasses or twisting to pour a pint to figure that out. The way he filled out his tight black t-shirt and dark jeans was evidence enough.

Maria licked her lips as she set the glass back on the bar and ignored the heat in her face when Damien turned towards her.

His eyes narrowed and he paused before moving closer. Maria watched him approach, her mouth going dry. When he stopped in front of them, she was caught by his dark blue gaze and didn't register his words until Stephanie nudged her side.

"What?"

"I asked if you wanted a refill," he asked.

Maria glanced down at the empty glass in her hand before nodding. "Uh, sure."

"What are you drinking?"

"Crown and ginger."

His dark eyebrows went up and the corner of his mouth quirked. He reached over and scooped the glass from her hand. "Coming right up."

"What is wrong with you?" Stephanie hissed in her ear.

Maria turned to meet Stephanie's laughing gaze. "What?"

"You haven't been this tongue tied since high school."

That was probably because she hadn't been confronted with such a man before. The mere sight of Damien and the sound of his voice all but gave her palpitations.

"It must be the Crown Royal. Going straight to my head."

Stephanie snorted, her opinion of Maria's choice of drinks plain.

"Don't tease me, Steph." Maria watched her friend's gaze follow Lucas behind the bar. "Not when you're minutes away from offering your body as a tip."

Stephanie tried to look shocked but a smile took over her friend's face instead. Maria laughed and bumped her knee against her friend's leg.

The bar was busy now and it would be a few minutes before either Lucas or Damien could return to them. Maria decided to ignore the men and talk to her friend instead, something she hadn't been able to do in a long time.

****

"Are you taking care of those women?"

Lucas looked up from pouring a draft for someone. "You wanna narrow that down for me, buddy? There's more than a few ladies in here tonight."

Damien rolled his eyes at his friend's tone. "Those two. The blond and her friend."

"Oh yeah. Well, I'm sure taking care of the blond." Lucas shot Damien a grin.

"The brunette wants another drink too."

Lucas gave him a pointed look before turning to slide the beer across to a customer. He wiped his hands on the towel hanging from his belt and faced Damien.

"So? Why don't you get it for her?"

With a scowl, Damien dumped the dirty glasses in his hand into the bin on the counter behind them.

"I'm busy."

"We're all busy tonight." He gestured towards the packed crowd. "Get your ass over there and fill her order."

Damien glared at Lucas and opened his mouth to protest but his friend stopped him.

"Fuck off and get their drinks." Lucas turned to walk away but paused. "Oh, and the blond is drinking dirty martinis." Then he was gone.

Damien watched Lucas walk away, cursing him the whole way. How dare his so-called friend leave him high and dry. Lucas knew he didn't like to deal with the customers often, if he could help it. It's why he'd hired Lucas, for Christ's sake.

Damien turned around and eyed the two women sitting at the bar. They were laughing and talking with each other, not even looking in his direction. He'd already taken note of the attention Lucas had been paying the blond woman. Damien had a sneaking suspicion his friend would be offering the lady a ride home tonight after the bar closed, if the women stayed that long.

The other one though, the one with the mouth, she was unexpected.

When Lucas had walked to the back to call for Lonnie's cab, Damien had gone out to see to the grizzled drunk himself. Only to be stopped by the sight of the pretty brunette helping him across the bar. Then they'd spoken and he'd pushed aside his initial attraction to her.

That sort of base physical attraction had never been his friend in the past.

At the moment, he knew Lucas was right. He may be the owner but it was a busy night and he prided himself on being able to pitch in wherever and whenever. So he grudgingly mixed the drink and moved back down the bar towards her and her blond friend.


The Sin Bin Ch. 01



The women broke off whatever conversation they'd been in the midst off as he approached.

"Here's your drink." He slid it across the bar to her.

"Thank you," she replied but didn't reach for the drink.

He met her eyes and held her gaze for a long moment. She had bright grey-green eyes surrounded by thick dark lashes. His gaze slipped over her face and settled on her full pink lips before he moved back a step. He turned himself with an effort towards her companion.

"Uh, can I get you anything?"

The blond smiled and nodded. "Sure. Can I get another dirty martini?"

He nodded and moved away without looking at the brunette again. It didn't matter that her lips had parted when he'd looked at them. He wasn't about to take a stranger home. It had only led to headaches and disappointment in the past for him.

Lucky for him, the night moved on very fast after that. He wasn't given another minute to think of her. It was Saturday night and every screen in the bar displayed a hockey game.

The Stanley Cup playoffs were on.

Damien didn't like to think about them if he didn't have to. He didn't particularly like to watch the games either but then he should have thought of that before opening a bar called The Sin Bin. Still, his painful memories were eased by the noise of the bar and the atmosphere, which was why he stayed and kept the place running.

It was sometime after midnight when the bar quieted down some. Most of the hockey games were done, except for a Vancouver-San Jose game on the West coast. The jukebox wasn't blasting any music and several of the waitresses had gone home for the evening. The two remaining waitresses were clearing tables and Lucas was tidying the space behind the bar. His progress was hindered by his frequent stops to chat up the blond still sitting on the other side of the bar.

Damien stifled a grin and walked behind the bar. Lucas didn't even notice his approach until Damien bumped into him.

"Sorry, Lucas."

Lucas straightened and shot him a fierce scowl. Damien met his look with raised eyebrows while the blond fidgeted on her stool. He smiled at her before giving another pointed look to his friend and moving on.

It was only when he walked away, that he realized the brunette was no longer with her friend.

Damien paused near the opening in the bar and looked around. The only patrons left in the place were over by the pool tables in the large alcove at the end of the room. He didn't spot her at first until one of the men moved over.

She was laughing at something the man next to her had said, one hand raised to her face and her other hand clutching a pool cue. As Damien watched, she said something in return that had the men around her laughing.

Damien shook his head. For all her supposed kindness in helping Lonnie outside, she looked like every other tart who spent her Saturday nights in here. If he were a betting man, he'd have bet that she was angling for an invite home with one of those guys. It shouldn't bother him. He didn't even know her name.

With a scowl, he turned away and continued cleaning up.

An hour later, he stood at the end of the bar watching the highlights of that night's games. He lifted a bottle of beer to his lips and sipped as he watched a grueling hit on one of the San Jose Sharks. His body almost felt the impact as he took in the sight of the player falling to the ice, stunned.

It was as if it had happened yesterday.

"Meg and Wendy have gone home for the night." Lucas's voice drew him out of his memories.

Damien turned to see his friend lean against the bar beside him. "You walked them out?"

"Yup. Watched them drive away too."

It was something they did for every female employee of The Sin Bin. The area where the bar was located in downtown Toronto was harmless enough during the busy work week, but on weekends and in the evenings, it was always best to be careful.

"You taking off?"

"If you're all right to finish up on your own." Lucas jerked his chin towards the pool tables. "There's still a couple guys playing over there."

Damien followed his gaze and saw the two regulars still talking at the corner of one of the pool tables. The brunette was missing but he also didn't see the pretty blond anywhere. His gaze came back to Lucas's face and he smiled.

"Did you lose your quarry?"

Lucas looked over at him. "My quarry?"

Damien chuckled and turned around to brace his backside against the end of the bar. "Pretty blond with the cute smile? You were sure giving her star treatment all night."

At his words, Lucas grinned, unabashed. "Damn straight. Turns out she needs a lift home."

"Where is she then?"

"Ladies room."

For a few minutes, they both turned back to watch the sports highlights.

"What about her friend?" God help him, the words were out before he could suck them back.

Lucas turned a knowing look on him that Damien tried to ignore. "What about her?"

"Is your blond going to ditch her friend to go home with you?"

Lucas gave a careless shrug as he continued to study Damien. "So what if she does? They're both adults."

Now Damien did meet Lucas's grinning face and narrowed his eyes.

"If you're so worried about her, why don't you ask if she needs a ride home?"

Damien's eyes flickered to the pool table but the only people there were still the two men. "She's not there."

Lucas chuckled. "At least you've been keeping a close eye on her."

Damien cursed at having been caught. Lucas took great delight in making fun of Damien for his reluctance to have anything to do with the women who came in the bar. That's not to say that he didn't like women, or even have relations with them in his downtime. He just didn't like the women who frequented the bar and came on to him when they were so drunk they couldn't even tell him their name.

"Since you've been monopolizing her friend's time, I figured it was the least I could do," he said.

Lucas laughed and gave his shoulder a light punch. "Don't give me that. There's nothing wrong with checking her out, man."

Damien snorted and lifted his bottle to down the last of the beer. He walked away to dispose of the bottle in one of the recycling bins in the back. He finished tidying up in the back before heading out to the front again. Lucas was nowhere to be seen and Damien assumed he'd taken off.

Raised voices and laughter reached his ears and he turned to see the two guys at the pool tables. The brunette was there now. With a scowl, Damien dropped the towel he'd been holding on the bar and strode over to the pool tables.

"Hey guys. We're closing up."

The two men looked over at him as the woman rolled the pool cue between her hands. Damien tried not to look at her and focused his attention on the two big men who'd been lingering all night around the pool tables.

"Really?" The first one to speak looked surprised about the time. "Man, I didn't even hear last call."

His friend gave a rueful laugh before he turned and slid his pool cue back onto the rack. "I did, but you've had enough to drink, Kyle."

Kyle shrugged, looking unrepentant as he replaced his pool cue in the rack as well.

"We'll get out of your way," the other guy said to Damien.

"You got a way to get home?" Damien asked as he eyed each of them.

"Yeah. I haven't been drinking."

At Damien's skeptical expression, Kyle nodded and clapped his companion on the shoulder.

"Carter is the responsible one."

Carter shrugged his friend's arm off and offered Damien a rueful smile. "I've got my truck parked about a block away." He paused and turned to look at the woman who was just putting her pool cue away. "You need a ride, Maria?"

So her name was Maria. Damien allowed his gaze to settle on the brunette who'd tried to lecture him about his patrons drinking. She didn't look at him as she came around the tables.

"Sure. My friend up and left me." She gave them a pouty smile.

Damien stifled the urge to groan at her blatant display. As she came closer, he saw the wobble in her step and recognized the look in her eyes. If she'd been hanging out with Kyle and Carter for the majority of the night, putting on this act, she was most likely soused from the drinks they'd have been buying her.

Damien's eyes flicked back to Carter and tensed all over when he saw the look in the other man's face.

"I can call you a cab," he suggested before Carter could take her out of there.

Her eyes met his. She smiled and made a show of patting the pockets of her jeans, drawing Damien's gaze to the way the dark denim hugged her curves.

"I'm out of spending money."

"You don't have to pay me with cash, Maria," Carter chipped in with a grin that Damien didn't like.

Maria's bright eyes went back to Carter. "Such a gentleman."

Hardly. It was all Damien could do to keep from saying it aloud.

"Where do you live?"

Damien's gaze narrowed at Carter's question. He looked at Maria and saw her hesitation before responding. That hesitation was enough for Damien.

"I think you really ought to take a cab," he said. "I'll front you the cash and you can pay me back another time."

Carter's head whipped around and Damien met the other man's gaze without flinching. Carter glared at him but said nothing. Damien was reassured that he was making the right call. Kyle stood by in silence, drunk and unaware of what was happening around him.

"Well, that's very generous but unnecessary," Maria said with a laugh. It would seem she had no idea of Carter's actual intentions either. "I can catch a ride with Carter, since he's offered."

Damien wasn't convinced. He'd seen the hesitation, the momentary flash of discomfort in Maria's face and he wasn't about to let her leave alone with a man twice as big as her who didn't seem to have her best interests at heart.

Not that Damien was any kind of white knight. He felt a certain level of responsibility for all his customers, especially the women, no matter what he'd said to her earlier about Lonnie. Even stubborn, smart-mouthed women like this one.

Damien clenched his jaw. "I insist."

"Come on, Carter," Kyle whined, breaking through the tension. "I need to get outside. I'm not feeling so good."

At his words, Maria recoiled. She took a step back and gave Carter a weak smile. "On second thought, it seems you might have enough to deal with right now, Carter. Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll take the cab instead."

Damien rolled his eyes. He reached out and slipped his hand around her arm. "Come have a seat while I lock up after these guys."

Carter and Kyle walked to the front doors, Kyle leaning on his companion and clutching his stomach with one hand. Carter grumbled at him and Damien smirked as he followed. They didn't say a word as they left the bar and Damien snapped the locks into place with a sense of relief.

He wasn't one to back down from a fight, if confronted with one, but he didn't seek them out. Lucky for him, Carter cared more about getting his buddy home than squaring off with Damien. That, or without Kyle to back him up, Carter realized his odds were not good.

Walking back to the bar, he glanced at Maria. She was propped on a stool and covered a yawn with one hand. When she saw him approach, she gave him a tentative smile. He wasn't expecting it and stubbed his toe on the edge of the bar as he rounded it. Stifling a curse, he kept walking until he faced Maria across the bar.

She leaned forward, still smiling. "I'm sorry to cause you trouble."

"It's no trouble." He picked up a few remaining stray glasses and put them in the bin at the end of the bar. "I'm used to having a few drunk stragglers at the end of each night."

Maria's smiled dimmed and she straightened. "I'm not drunk."

Damien gave her a pointed look. At the beginning of the night, she'd been dressed to the nines. Dark jeans, a button-up rose-colored blouse over a darker pink undershirt. Her hair had been up and smooth and her jewelry all in place. Now, she was missing her dangly earrings, her blouse was untucked and unbuttoned and her hair was a wavy mess. Damien kept looking her over and, while he hadn't been adverse to her look before, he found he didn't mind the way she looked now.

Her cheeks turned pink and she looked down at her fingers splayed on the bar. "Fine. Not that drunk."

Damien turned away to hide his smile at her tone. "Did your friend leave you behind by accident?"

Maria shook her head. "No. She wrangled me into the ladies room earlier and said she wanted to go." She shrugged and looked up. "I didn't feel like leaving yet so I told her to go and I'd see her at home later."

"You're roommates."

Maria nodded.

"She actually didn't leave all that long ago. Safely, if you want to know. My bartender Lucas drove her home."

Maria smiled. "He's safe?"

"He's the safest man in this bar."

They stared at each other for a long moment. Damien watched the wheels turning in her head and wondered what had brought a buttoned-up, pretty little thing like her into his bar tonight. Her cheeks were still pink, though from her state of drunkenness or discomfort, he didn't know. She looked away first, but not before Damien felt the buzz of his desire for her.

"Look, if you want to call the cab, I'll wait outside. I don't want to bother you while you're working."

Damien scoffed. "I'm not going to let you wait outside, alone, after what I just saved you from."

"Saved me?" Maria let out a laugh. "Those guys were harmless."

Damien sighed and wiped his hands on a towel. "The one was harmless." He gave her a firm look. "The other was very aware of what he was doing."

Maria met his look with a belligerent one of her own.

"I know you probably think nothing bad would have happened but you were about to leave here with two men, much bigger than you, one of them in no shape to either enjoy you or help you."

She wrinkled her nose. "How nice."

"It's the truth." Damien tossed the towel down. "Why don't you have a purse, anyway? I've never seen a woman without one."

She glanced down, as if noticing the absence of one for the first time. "I gave my purse to Stephanie before she left. I have some cash on me and my ID but I didn't want to risk losing my purse with all my other stuff in it."

"Seems smart. You don't even have your phone though?"

She shook her head. "I was planning to call a cab from here anyway, before you interfered."

He chuckled at her wording. "Still not the best plan for an evening, if you ask me."

"Did I ask your opinion?"

He smiled and lifted the bin of dirty glasses from the bar. "I'll be right back to take you home."

"I thought you were going to call me a cab?"

He ignored her question as he walked to the back. He put the last of the dirty dishes away and tossed the empty boxes and crates out into the bins in the alleyway. After everything was done, he washed his hands and locked his office door before returning to the main room.

Maria wasn't on the stool any longer. For a second, he wondered if she'd taken off but heard music. She'd wandered over to the jukebox and selected a song. The first verse of a familiar classic rock tune was playing as he walked over.

"Planning on dancing?"

Maria glanced over her shoulder with a smile. "No. At least, not alone."

Damien laughed before he could stop himself. "There's no way I'm dancing with you."

Maria shrugged one shoulder and turned back to the music player. She sighed and flipped through a few more albums. "I used to love jukeboxes."

"Yeah?" Damien walked over and braced a hand on the top curve of the big classic-style jukebox. He'd bought the big machine on a whim and kept it operating even though it made him little to no profit. He liked it anyway.

"I grew up on Prince Edward Island and my parents used to take me and my brother to a diner in Summerside once every month. They had those little players on each table." She glanced up at him, her face soft with the memory. "I'd save my allowance every week so I could play music the whole time we were there."

Damien smiled. "Doesn't sound a bit like The Sin Bin."

Maria laughed and turned around. She leaned back against the jukebox and stared off across the now-empty bar. "No. Well, not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"That diner was family owned and operated. The owner's wife used to wait tables and they were both so friendly. They knew most of the regular customers by name and treated everyone, regular or not, like family."

"I still don't get it."

Maria looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "You're the owner here, aren't you?"

"Lucas told you that." Damien sighed and moved a step closer to peer down at the disc covers beneath the glass. He didn't like telling people he was the proprietor. He preferred to blend in, go unnoticed.

"I watched you working tonight and saw the way you run this place. Your employees like you and you like them. Your customers are almost all exclusively regulars and you treat everyone in here like a friend. Even the strangers." She waved a hand between them. "Bar and restaurant owners don't usually make a point of rescuing drunk patrons."

He nodded. "You also accused me earlier tonight of not taking enough care of my patrons."

She grinned and nodded. "So I did. I was defensive because of how you made me feel."

Damian blinked, taken aback by her confession. Maybe the amount of booze she'd consumed had loosened her inhibitions. A smile spread across his face and he moved closer. She didn't move away so he shifted even closer.

"How did I make you feel?"

She tipped her head back to look into his face as he leaned closer. "Like you are now."

He narrowed his eyes, focusing his gaze on her lips. She had sweet, full pink lips and now, he let himself wonder how they'd taste. "How am I making you feel now?"

"Really tiny."

Damien chuckled and shifted again, placing his body in front of hers, all but pinning her to the jukebox. But he wasn't touching her. Not yet, anyway.

"I've never heard that before."

"I've never felt that before," she countered.

They stared at each other for a long, charged moment. Damien could see her chest rising and the pulse jumping beneath her chin. She eyed him and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

"Do you always offer rides home to the drunk loiterers in your bar at the end of the night?"

"No. Never."

Her lips curled up at the corners and she tilted her head to one side. "What makes me so special?"

To hell with all this talking. Damien closed the last few inches of distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. He caught her gasp in his mouth and licked the tip of her tongue as she opened for him.

In the next moment, he had his entire body pressed against hers. Thank God for the jukebox behind her or they might have tumbled to the floor. With the machine bracing them both, he was able to feel every curve. She melted against him, her hands landing on his shoulders as he continued to explore her mouth and those luscious pink lips.

He could taste the alcohol on her tongue but beneath that, she tasted of woman. Warm, willing and open to him. He slid one hand across the curved glass front of the jukebox until his fingers slipped into her long, dark hair. Holding her head now, he angled his mouth for a deeper kiss and felt his body tense at her responding moan.

All at once, he forced himself to break the kiss. He pulled away and pushed his arms straight, holding himself away from her body. She looked up at him, her eyes unfocused. He leaned close again, just for one more taste. As he pulled back this time, she came off the jukebox, her face still upturned.

Damien felt a jolt right to his groin and couldn't deny how his ego enjoyed the evidence of her desire for him. He ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it over her shoulders and held her upright. Her fingers stayed on his shoulders, slipping just a bit to the skin below his shirtsleeves.




The Sin Bin Ch. 01



"I'd better get you home."

She blinked and her gaze focused in another second. "Home?"

He nodded and stepped away from her, making sure she could stand on her own. She let her hands fall to her sides and stared at him, her face falling.

"You're going to call a cab now?"

At her incredulous tone, he smiled and reached out to tweak her chin. "I told you I'd take you home."

"How nice of you. Driving the poor, silly drunk woman home." She tried to stalk past him but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

With a gentle tug, he pulled her back around and she stumbled into him. He lowered his lips to within an inch of her mouth. "I didn't say which home I'd be taking you to."

With that, he led her out of the bar.

****

Maria may have had a lot to drink but she was fully aware of what was happening now. Damien had kissed her like a man meeting a woman after years on a desert island. She felt silly thinking it but she couldn't deny his intensity. Now, she was in his car, a small pick-up truck that looked to be a few years old. She could tell Damien took care of his vehicle as she looked around the interior.

After locking up the bar and walking down the alley to where he'd parked in the back, Maria was still trying to piece together how she'd got to this point. As they drove off, still in silence, Maria felt her confidence waning and wondered if she'd made a huge mistake in letting her attraction become known.

He'd been the one to warn her about those men she'd been playing pool with. She'd never intended to go home with either of them. Or both, as he'd implied. But his interference had made her want to defy him. She knew it had been a ridiculous feeling and in the end, she had welcomed his rescue.

She hadn't expected what had followed. She was still reeling from his kiss. Without thinking about it, she lifted a hand and rubbed her fingertips over her lips.

"I'm sorry."

Maria looked over at Damien. "For what? Kissing me?"

"No." He slid her a look that made her insides tingle. "Definitely not sorry for that." He rubbed a hand over his chin and cheek, the palm of his hand scratching against the stubble there. "I haven't shaved in a day or two and I'm sorry if I scratched you at all."

Maria felt her face warm at the thought of having his stubble scratch her elsewhere. Damien glanced at her and she saw his jaw tighten. A second later, she heard the engine accelerate.

A giddy laugh bubbled up in her chest and threatened to escape. She managed to keep control of herself and concentrated on trying to calm her heart rate.

A few minutes later, Damien pulled into the underground parkade of a high-rise apartment building. They got out of the truck in silence and Maria smiled up at him as he came around to open her door for her. He took her hand and led her to an elevator.

She watched him hit the button for the fifteenth floor and turned to look up at him. As the elevator doors slid shut, he turned to her and pressed her to the wall before covering her mouth with his.

Maria couldn't believe the way his mere kiss was turning her bones to jelly. They'd just met! Still, she clutched his shoulders and lifted her chin to kiss him back.

All too soon, the elevator ride was over and Damien was pulling her down the hall to his apartment. Maria's mind spun from his kiss until he opened the door and led her inside.

"Wow. You live here?"

Damien chuckled as he locked up behind her. "You sound shocked."

Maria gave him a sheepish grin as she walked over to the big floor-to-ceiling windows. "I'm sorry. After seeing the interior of your bar, I would have expected something along the same lines for your home."

"I work there and I love it, but even I can acknowledge that it's not exactly..."

"Homey?"

"Yeah." He joined her at the windows as they looked out.

"You have a wonderful view."

She glanced around at the sparse but clean and modern decor. It looked like a typical bachelor pad, with a big screen TV on one wall with a complicated stereo system. The kitchen was large and looked well-used and the furniture looked comfortable. There was little to no artwork on the walls, though he did have some photographs in frames on a bookshelf against one wall.

Her gaze came back to Damien and her heart skipped a beat. He moved close to her and laid his hands on her waist. As he bent his head, she caught her breath and took a step back.

He looked surprised but not angry. "What's wrong?"

"Can I use your phone?"

His face relaxed and he nodded. "Of course. You should call your roommate and let her know where you are, right?"

"Yes." She was relieved that he understood. She felt more sober now and she realized that she might not have been acting in her own best interests tonight.

Damien walked away and came back with a cordless phone. While she dialed her shared apartment with Stephanie, she had the brief thought that her friend might be busy with Lucas anyway. The machine picked up and Maria left a brief message.

"She didn't answer?" Damien took the phone from her and tossed it on the couch.

"No."

He raised his eyebrows. "Maybe she's busy with Lucas."

Maria laughed. "I thought the exact same thing."

He smiled and took hold of her hands. Reeling her in until he could close his arms around her, Maria's laughter died. She stared up at him and into his dark blue eyes and knew there was nothing else to stop her from going through with this.

"You look like you're unsure about this," Damien whispered.

Maria shivered at the deep timber of his voice. "I'm not."

He smiled.

"Not really, anyway." She let out a shaky breath and ran her hands up his arms to his shoulders. "Whatever you might think of me tonight, I don't do this."

He leaned back with a curious look. "You don't do what?"

"Go home with strange men."

"Ah." He let her go and held a hand out. "I'm Damien Walker."

She laughed and slid her palm against his, shivering as he closed his fingers around hers. "I'm Maria Riordan."

"Nice to meet you, Maria." Damien jerked her hand, pulling her back into his arms. "Now that we're not strangers, can we get back to what we were doing?"

Damien didn't wait for a response. He kissed her. This time, she let go of her insecurities and apprehensions. She stroked her tongue along Damien's bottom lip, pleased at his brief exhalation in response. Then he took over and her mind went blank of anything but the pleasure she felt in his arms.

She felt herself moving, being lifted. She pulled away to see Damien had picked her up off her feet and carried her down the hallway. In another moment, they were in a bedroom, his bedroom, and he set her back on her feet. She clung to him, aching for more of his kisses but he dropped his mouth to her neck and kissed her there.

Her earlier thought about his stubble against other parts of her body came back and she moaned at the sensation. He rasped his chin up her neck and nibbled on her ear. She shuddered at the feeling.

Then he was yanking her shirt down her arms and lifting her flimsy camisole over her head. She took his cue and wrenched at his snug-fitting shirt as well. He pressed her backwards and she felt his fingers working at the clasp of her bra. He muttered an oath and grasped the strap, lifting the entire contraption up and over her head.

She laughed until he pushed her back onto his bed. "I would have undone that for you."

"Too much time." He knelt over her and ran his hands from her neck to her chest and lower.

Maria swallowed at the feeling of his big hands roaming over her body. She felt his knuckles graze her abdomen as he worked the button of her jeans free. Then the zipper came down and he tugged them off her hips. She helped him, caught in his gaze as he glanced back to her face.

Tossing her jeans aside, he came to her again, crawling over her to capture her lips with his. She pushed at his shoulders though, until he lifted his head. Both of them were breathing hard and he frowned down at her.

"What?"

"Take your pants off."

He seemed surprised by her demand.

"Now."

His face split in a sexy grin that made her insides clench before stealing another kiss. Then he stood and kept his eyes locked on hers as he undid the button fly of his jeans and shoved them down, along with his boxers. Maria raked her gaze over him, taking in every inch - every inch - and licked her lips. From the stark lines of the tattoo wrapping over his shoulder to the angles of his chest and stomach, he was stunning.

"Satisfied?" His voice was a growl.

Maria nodded and reached down for the panties he'd left on her body for some reason. His eyes flicked down as she moved, wriggling and twisting until she could kick the underwear off. For a few seconds, neither of them moved.

Maria sucked in a breath and Damien moved then. He came over her on the bed, pressing his hips between her legs as he kissed his way across her chest and up her neck. Their lips met again and she opened to him, wrapping her arms and legs around him.

As they moved and writhed together, Maria felt the hard length of him slide between her legs and she wrenched her mouth away with a cry. He licked and nibbled his way down her neck as his hands stroked and touched her everywhere else. He rubbed a nipple between his thumb and forefinger before moving his palm down over her hip and between her legs. He stroked her, and she didn't feel at all embarrassed by her level of arousal.

"God, Maria." His voice rumbled through her, his mouth pressed to her neck.

She didn't know if he expected a response but he stroked her again until she cried out. She tangled her fingers in his hair and dragged his mouth back to hers. He moved up, nudging her thighs wider around him as he settled his hips against hers.

Maria opened her mouth, licking at his lips and gasping as he slid into her, filling her. She rocked her hips, taking him deeper and pressing her palms over his shoulders. She wanted to touch him everywhere, to feel every part of him as he moved within her.

Their pace was frantic, both of them heady with the need for release. Maria ached for more, even as he gave it to her.

He reached down and lifted her leg. She raised it higher at his urging, wrapping it around his hip and broke their kiss with a cry as he rubbed her where they were joined. Another few wild moments passed and she felt her climax charge through her like lightning. She clung to him, digging her nails in and not caring if she scored his skin. He came soon after, groaning into her neck and thrusting hard inside of her.

As the passion waned and they parted, Maria felt reality intrude. She looked over as Damien got up. He pulled the bed covers down and helped her slide between the sheets. He disappeared into the connecting bathroom and returned with a tall glass of water. 

"Here you go."

She drank it, grateful for the consideration. He swallowed the rest and set the glass on a nightstand before slipping between the sheets. She remained sitting up and Damien eyed her as his mouth opened on a yawn.

"I'll drive you home if you want." He smiled at her. "Just give me a few minutes."

Maria returned his smile and shrugged. "I don't mind."

He nodded, his eyes sliding shut. She watched him and wasn't at all surprised when his breathing deepened and lengthened. In another minute, she made herself comfortable and closed her eyes as well.

****

In the morning, Damien woke and opened his eyes to see the other half of his bed empty. He sat up and looked around, wondering if she'd left during the night. The bed was rumpled and he could still smell her scent on the pillow so at least he knew he hadn't hallucinated the entire thing. With a grin at the recollection, he threw the covers back and grabbed his jeans off the floor. As he pulled them on, he saw Maria's pants and pink blouse still laying where he'd tossed them last night.

He made a quick visit to the washroom and then walked down the hall. Maria was standing before his extensive entertainment system, one hand on her hip, the other pointing a remote control at the TV. She was muttering to herself and shaking her head. Clad in only her dark pink camisole and underwear, she had her hair tamed into something like a bun, with a pen sticking out of the middle.

Damien walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle, not caring if he couldn't disguise his early morning response to the sight of her half-naked body.

She jumped and twisted in his grasp to look up at him, her face turning pink. "Oh. Hi."

"Oh, hi?" He chuckled and stole a kiss. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"No." She looked down at the remote in her hand. "I hope you don't mind. I was trying to get your rocket TV system to work."

"I can see that." He took the remote from her and turned it on. "What would you like to watch?"

She didn't answer and he glanced down to see her looking at him with a strange expression on her face.

"What?" He wondered if he had a dry crust from drooling on his face or something.

"Uh. Nothing. I just..." She shook her head. "Since you're up, I thought you might want to take me home."

He hadn't expected that. He supposed it made sense though, feeling disappointment wash over him. He remembered then that he'd promised to drive her home last night before falling asleep. Letting go of her, he stepped back and rubbed his face, now even more shadowed with stubble than the night before.

He cleared his throat. "Just give me five minutes to get dressed and make a coffee, and I'll take you home." He started to walk away.

"Damien?"

He stopped and faced her.

She fidgeted with the remote in her hand, not looking at him. "Thank you for last night. It was... fun."

Fun. Fun? As if he'd taken her to a carnival. He tried not to let his reaction show and figured he failed when he saw her look up and frown. "Yeah. A lot of fun."

Turning away, he went into his kitchen to turn on his single cup coffee maker. While that warmed up, he went back to his room and pulled on his shirt from the night before. Why bother making a good impression now?

He shook his head as he sat down to pull his socks on. He'd been a fool, letting his attraction to her get so carried away. All women were the same. They'd flirt, smile, act like he was something special, and then in the morning light, they were done. Even at the height of his career, he'd only been able to string together a streak of one-night stands, nothing more. After a while, he'd given up on trying to make something out of nothing. All that nothing got tiresome and he stopped trying for even that. Last night had been one of his rare lapses and he was once again reminded why he'd given up in the first place.

After his injury, it had been easier to avoid women altogether but as Lucas so often reminded him, he wasn't dead.

He couldn't say for sure why he'd brought Maria home with him the night before. He really had intended to drive her home. Then she'd started talking about that diner and how she saw his place the same way.

Empty flattery. He let out a rueful sigh. She was good, he'd give her that. She'd played him like a fiddle.

He heard her footfall a second before she appeared in his bedroom doorway, looking awkward. She had her hands clasped before her, as if trying to hide herself from him. Never mind the things he'd done to her the night before, when she'd been naked and begging for him.

"Sorry. I'll get out of your way." He stood up. "Let me know when you're ready to go."

She opened her mouth to reply but he brushed past her and hurried down the hall to the kitchen. He needed coffee.

A minute later, Maria walked out, fully dressed. Her hair was still up in that bun and when his eyes flicked to the pen, she reached up and pulled it out. "Here."

He watched as her hair tumbled down to her shoulders and swallowed a scalding mouthful of coffee. Wincing, he took the pen from her and tossed it on the counter. "Thanks."

They stood there staring at each other for a second. Damien didn't know what to say and she was clearly at a loss as well.

He'd put his coffee in a travel mug so there was no reason to sit around looking like idiots. "Well, let's go."

She nodded and they got their shoes on and headed down to the parkade. Maria gave him directions to her place and other than that, they didn't say a word to each other. He was impressed with the look of her building, an older Tudor-style building that had been made over into apartment condos. It was a pleasant neighborhood and he figured she must be pretty well-off to afford a place here, even with a roommate.

As he rolled to a stop in front of the building, Maria looked over at him. She gave him a small smile and he managed one in return.

"Thanks again, Damien. I really did have a good time."

He cringed inwardly at her classic brush-off. "Yeah. Sure. Me too."

Her smile faded and she looked down at her hands in her lap. "Well. Thanks. I guess I'll see you around?"

"Sure. Come back to the bar anytime."

Maria nodded without looking at him. "OK. Bye." She opened the door and jumped out. Damien watched her go and buzz her own apartment. Apparently she hadn't even kept her keys on her. Lucky for her, the roommate was home and she walked inside a few seconds later.

Once she was gone from sight, Damien let out a breath and put the truck in drive.

****

Maria took a deep breath as she turned the knob on her apartment door. Stephanie hadn't said a word over the intercom when she'd buzzed the apartment. God, what a fool she'd been last night! Forgetting all about her keys was just one item on a very long list.

"Steph?" She closed the door behind her and kicked her shoes off.

Her roommate appeared at the end of the hall and crossed her arms as she looked at Maria. "So. You made it home."

Maria rolled her eyes and walked past Stephanie to go down the hall to her bedroom. "Stop acting like my mother."

"I'm not acting like your mother. Your mother would have tanned your hide for not coming home and not calling."

"I did call. Didn't you check the messages?"

Stephanie nodded. "Of course. That's not the point."

"Of course not." Maria went to her closet and pulled out her bathrobe.

"So you went home with some guy?"

Maria whirled around. "You went home with some guy."

Stephanie blushed. "I didn't go home with Lucas. He drove me home and then asked for my number. That's it. I didn't disappear for a night and not get a number." She narrowed her eyes at Maria. "Unless... did you get his number?"

Maria shook her head. "No, I didn't." Not that it mattered. She knew where to find him, if she ever felt up to facing him again. Humiliation washed over her as she recalled the night and her behavior. Apparently something showed on her face because Stephanie came closer and laid a hand on her arm.

"Maria? What's wrong?"

"Oh God, Steph. I'm so embarrassed."

Stephanie looked surprised. "About what? I'm sorry I gave you a hard time about calling but if you were having a good time, that's no reason to be embarrassed."

Maria laughed and shook her head. She turned and walked over to her bed to sit down, clutching her robe in her hands. "It's not that."

"Then what?" Stephanie sat down beside her.

"I got so drunk last night, Steph." She shook her head again. "I was trying to forget about Rick and what an idiot he was."

"I know you were." Stephanie smiled. "Apparently it worked."

Maria groaned and covered her face with the balled-up robe. Stephanie laughed and tugged her hands down. "Come on, fess up. What's so bad about hooking up with someone?"

"Nothing, in theory." Maria gave her friend a rueful look. With a sigh, she explained what had happened after Stephanie left The Sin Bin last night. Her friend's eyes grew wider and wider and then she flushed when Maria got to the part about ripping each other's clothes off at Damien's apartment.




The Sin Bin Ch. 02



A week after the night she'd gone home with Damien, Maria stood in front of The Sin Bin and stared up at the three foot tall letters announcing the bar's name. The awning lights overhead lit the letters but one bulb must have been burnt out because there was a dark shadow over 'Sin'.

She'd been standing there for ten minutes, wondering why she'd stopped and wondering why she didn't go in, if she wanted to. She'd worked late that evening and it was a little past eight. After a nasty confrontation with Rick at work, she hadn't wanted to go home to an empty apartment, since Stephanie was on a date with her barman.

Reminded of the things her ex had said to her, Maria scowled and straightened her shoulders. She wasn't the girl who cowered and slunk home when a man said mean things to her. She was the girl who shook it off and kept on living her life. She had nothing to be ashamed of, no matter what Rick tried to convince her of.

With that thought crowding out her nervousness, Maria reached for the door. She walked into the bar, let her eyes adjust and was startled to see how busy it was. Her eyes ran over the crowded tables and full bar stools to the TV screens hanging high on the walls. A hockey game was on and she recognized the jerseys. She wouldn't call herself a Leafs fan but she knew what a big deal it was for the team to be in the playoffs.

As the action on the screens ebbed and flowed, the noise of the crowd followed suit. Maria moved through the tables, heading for the one empty stool at the bar. She left her jacket on though it was more than warm in the bar and dangled her purse from one arm as she settled against the bar. No one paid her any attention for a while, so she joined the crowd in watching the game. Eventually a bartender stopped by and asked what she wanted.

"I'll have a vodka and lime juice, please." Maria smiled and watched the tall man walk away. She didn't recognize him and couldn't deny the spark of disappointment she'd felt to not have Damien take her order instead.

She looked around and didn't see Damien anywhere. She wondered if he had the night off as well. Maybe he was on a date or home with some new girl he'd picked up. With a sigh, she accepted the drink from the bartender with a smile and tried to push the bar owner from her mind.

The game came to the second intermission in a couple more minutes and the noise in the crowd went up to a normal level of conversation. Someone picked some music on the jukebox and Maria felt her cheeks warm when she glanced over, remembering the night when Damien had pressed her against it.

All week, she hadn't been able to get Damien out of her head. After a time, she'd let go of the embarrassment she'd felt over her drunken behavior and she'd started to wonder if he'd even cared about her behavior. He'd taken her home, sure, and they'd had a great time after that, but in the morning she was the one who'd shut him out, unable to face her humiliation.

She sipped her drink and swished the little straw around and around, listening to the ice cubes clinking. As she stared into space, someone walked out from the back and stopped at the end of the bar. She glanced over and sat up straight when she saw Damien, staring right back at her.

God, he looked good. He was wearing another snug-fitting t-shirt, this one dark grey with the blue logo of the Maple Leafs. He'd shaved, his jaw and cheeks not as dark as when they'd first encountered each other a week ago.

He frowned and came closer. "What are you doing here?"

Not exactly the greeting she'd been expecting but not a total shutdown either. "I just got off work and didn't feel like going home yet."

He quirked an eyebrow at her and his expression eased. "Your friend isn't here."

"I know." Maria smiled. "She's out with Lucas."

Damien nodded but didn't say anything. Maria squirmed in her seat as the silence stretched. Then someone called Damien's name and he moved away to assist his employees with the busy intermission crowd.

Maria watched Damien work as she sipped her drink. The other bartender came by and gave her another and she asked for a glass of water to go with it. She didn't want to get drunk tonight.

As the third period started up on the screens, the noise of the crowd fell and Damien stopped running around to help everyone. He worked behind the bar for a few minutes, helping the bartender tidy up and making sure everyone seated at the bar had drinks. When that was done, he at last came back to the end of the bar and Maria.

"So you're here for a drink after work?" Damien eyed the half-finished second drink in her hand.

"Yeah." She set it down and turned it around on its coaster.

"Your work must be nearby."

She looked up, a question in her eyes.

He shrugged and wiped his hands on the towel hanging from his belt. "You live a ways from here."

She flushed, recalling how he knew that. "That's true. I work at one of the hotels on the harbor."

"And you walk this way to catch the train?" He frowned. "It's not exactly on your way."

"No. It's not." She met his eyes and gave him a little smile. "That night last week when Steph and I came here, I'd picked her up from her work about three blocks away. We were going to go to dinner together. Then I convinced her to come in here. I'd passed this place so many times when I'd walk to meet her. I wanted to see what The Sin Bin was really like."

Damien's face relaxed into a smile. "And it was as sinful as you imagined?"

She laughed. "No."

For a moment, they didn't speak, both their gazes going to the TV as the crowd noise rose a few decibels. Maria felt herself relaxing. Damien wasn't being rude and she didn't get the sense that he felt put out by her presence. She didn't know why that pleased her so much.

He turned back and asked her something but the crowd roared as Toronto scored a goal. They both looked as the crowd leapt to their feet, high-fiving each other all around.

Damien tried to say something to Maria again but she shook her head. She couldn't hear anything over the sudden noise. He came around the bar and took her arm, bending close to speak into her ear.

"Come to my office with me. We can talk there."

She shivered at the way his warm breath brushed her skin but she nodded and slipped off her stool, taking her small purse but leaving her drink behind. She followed Damien down the hall to an office and he closed the door behind her.

"So this is your office?" She looked around, smiling at the sports memorabilia on one shelf behind his desk.

"Yeah." Damien walked over and moved a stack of drink pamphlets from one chair. "Have a seat."

Maria sat and watched him moved around the office, straightening things and tidying. With a smile, she realized he was trying to make his personal space more presentable. "Don't clean on my account."

He glanced over his shoulder at her as he stood leveling a picture on the wall. "I'm not."

She raised her eyebrows.

He gave her a sheepish smile and stepped away from the picture. "I'm not used to having guests in here."

Maria looked around again, feeling nervous again. "Why am I here?"

"I thought we could talk easier in here." He moved around to stand before her, leaning back against the front of his desk. "You were going to tell me the real reason you came back here."

She looked up with a frown. "I told you."

"Yeah, you told me you pass this way when you meet Stephanie. But she's busy tonight." He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a smug look. "So what are you doing here?"

Maria didn't like the look he gave her. She didn't know why she'd come there except that she'd left work in a rotten mood after her fight with Rick and didn't pay attention to where she was walking. Before she'd known it, she was in front of the bar.

At her silence, Damien chuckled. "You wanted to come here and see if you could have a repeat of that night?"

Maria gaped at him, her face flaming. She shook her head and tried to reply but he spoke again.

"I'm impressed that you waited this long. I don't like to brag but I thought I did all right that night. I would have thought it was good enough for a follow-up the day after."

Maria frowned and kept shaking her head. She didn't know why he was saying these things, mocking her. "I didn't come here for that."

"Oh? Really? You expect me to believe you came to The Sin Bin for the ambiance?"

"Stop it." She stood up. "Look, I don't know why I came here but it wasn't to be made fun of like this."

She tried to walk past him and head for the door but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Wait, I'm sorry."

She glanced at him and saw that condescending look was gone from his face. He looked apologetic.

"I didn't mean what I said." He swallowed but didn't drop his hand. "I shouldn't have goaded you like that."

She nodded. "It's fine. Can I go now?" She had no desire to hash out her reasons for coming tonight, not now that she felt the embarrassment creeping back in. He'd said those things to her because of how she'd acted last week, like a regular bar tart with a penchant for one-night stands. That wasn't her and that's why she was still so ashamed of her behavior.

"Maria, I'm sorry."

At the sound of her name coming from him, she looked up. "I said it's fine."

He shook his head and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Maria could still feel the heat of his hand on her arm and glanced down to where he held her. They were standing very close, so close that she could almost feel his chest rising with each inhalation. He shifted and she looked back up to see him reach for her with his other hand.

He captured her gasp of surprise with his mouth, kissing her like he had the week before, when he'd pinned her to the jukebox. Would she ever be able to see his kiss coming?

It didn't matter in an other second when his tongue slid along her lips and she parted them to let him in. Her insides melted at the way he claimed her, taking the kiss deeper. His arms closed around her waist, bringing their bodies up against each other.

Dropping her purse to the floor, Maria lifted her hands and slid her palms over his shoulders until she felt his hair on her fingers. As she played with the longish bits of his hair at the back of his head, he made a sound in his throat and raised a hand, tangling his fingers in her hair. She liked how it felt, his big hand holding her head in place as he directed the kiss.

After a few minutes, he eased back, slowing things down, and released her head. She blinked up at him, gratified to see the same look of surprise in his eyes. Even if he had taken control, at least she knew he wasn't unaffected.

"That wasn't why I came here," she managed to say, embarrassed to hear how husky her voice sounded.

He chuckled and pressed another kiss to her lips. She knew he meant to keep it light but she could feel the need around the edges of the contact.

At length, he let her go and set her back about a foot away from himself. Not a lot of space but enough for them both to clear their heads a bit.

"I am sorry for what I said." Damien cleared his throat and met her eyes. "I didn't mean it. I'm used to never seeing women again after a one-night stand."

Maria smiled. "I understand. I'm not the kind of woman to have a one-night stand."

They stared at each other, coming to some kind of understanding.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "So are you asking me out?"

Maria burst out laughing and shook her head. "You've really got a way with the ladies, don't you?"

He gave her a sexy grin that made her knees tremble. "How about this. It's going to be busy until the game ends but usually on weeknights like this, it empties early."

"OK." Maria wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"How about you hang out for a few hours and I can take you home after I close up?"

She smiled and nodded. "My home?"

He laughed and reached out to put his hands on her waist. She stepped closer, enjoying the casual embrace now that her nerves were calmer. "Whichever home you choose."

"Deal." She pressed a quick kiss to his lips and stepped out of his grasp. She bent to scoop up her purse and headed for the door.

Damien followed and they walked together back to the main room. Maria's stool was still unoccupied so she sat down again.

"What do you want to drink?" Damien asked.

"I'll stick with pop for tonight." She grinned as he laughed. "Just a root beer, if you've got it."

"Hard core." He winked and went off to get her drink.

The night passed by in a bit of a blur. As Damien had said, the crowd petered out after the game and by eleven, the place was almost empty. Maria answered a couple texts on her phone from Stephanie and told her she'd be home soon.

After sending that message, Maria wondered if she would be. She should. It would be the smart thing to do. She had to work at ten the following morning. But as she watched Damien moving around, cleaning up and laughing with his employees, she decided that life was too short.

That, and he probably wouldn't mind driving her home early in the morning.

****

When he'd seen her sitting at the bar, Damien had thought for a moment that he was hallucinating. He'd expected to never see Maria again. Then, there she was, sitting at his bar as if it was something she did every day. She was wearing what he assumed was a work outfit: dark blue pants with a snug-fitting cream-colored blouse. She had a jacket on but it was open and she wore a navy blue paisley scarf around her neck.

As he hurried through his closing procedures, he thought about how he'd almost blown it in his office. He'd decided that the reason she was back was for more of the 'fun' they'd had at his place. At first, he hadn't objected. He'd had fun too and wouldn't mind a repeat but then he remembered how tired he was of being a mere blip on women's radars.

"Damien?" one of the waitress' called his name as he was organizing stock in the back room.

"Back here, Lucy."

She appeared in the doorway with her coat on and purse over one shoulder. "I'm heading out."

"OK." He walked her out and watched as she got in her car and drove off with a wave. With Lucy gone, he didn't think there was anyone left except for Maria.

He rushed through the rest of his duties and locked up his office before hurrying up to the front room.

Maria was still there, seated at the bar. She had a remote control for one of the TVs in hand and was flipping through the channels.

"Anything good on?"

She looked up with a smile. "Not really." She shut the TV off and handed the control over to Damien.

He put it away with the others and started turning out all the lights. He double checked the front door to be sure it was locked and then turned to Maria. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah." She slipped her purse over her shoulder and stood up.

Damien led the way to the back door and set the alarm before locking up. As he turned, he saw Maria smiling up at him from the three steps down to the street.

"What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head. "I can't believe we're leaving together again."

He raised his eyebrows as he stepped down before her. "Second thoughts?"

"Not at all." She seemed to mean it so Damien took her at her word.

With a grin, he reached for her hand and she let him take hold of it. They walked together down the alley to where he'd parked his truck. He helped her in and then walked around to the driver's side. Once in, he started the engine but didn't leave right away.

"So, did you decide where you want to go?"

She looked over and bit her lip, color staining her cheeks. His heart thumped hard against his ribs while he prayed it meant what he thought it meant. Then he ordered himself to calm the hell down.

"I did decide."

Damien chuckled and turned, laying his arm on the back of the bench seat. "Are you going to share?"

Her smile widened and she leaned closer to him. "I want to go home with you."

No matter that he'd been half-expecting it, it still caught him by surprise. "Are you sure?"

She blinked, as surprised by his question as he was. She straightened and looked away from him. Flustered, he reached for her hand before she could withdraw altogether.

"I'm sorry." He was going to spend all night apologizing if he wasn't careful. "I didn't mean that the way it came out."

She glanced at him and nodded. "Well, OK. I am sure though. If you are."

Damien smiled at the way she tacked that last on, as if afraid he'd deny her right away. He had to admire her bravery in admitting that she wanted to go with him. Sober. It was a refreshing change.

"All right. My place it is." With that, he faced forward and put the truck in drive.

They spoke little on the drive to his building. He could sense her nervousness and when they pulled up to a red light, he reached over and took hold of her hand. She looked over at the contact.

"It's OK if you're nervous."

She let out a laugh. "Easy for you to say. I bet you never get nervous around women."

"I wouldn't say never." He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and kept his eyes on the road as the light turned green. "You made me nervous last week when I thought you were going to go home with those two idiots."

Maria groaned and lifted her free hand to cover her eyes. "God. I was so stupid. And drunk. People never make sound decisions when they're drunk."

Damien chuckled and refrained from mentioning that one of her drunk decisions hadn't been all that bad.

"I'd just wanted to forget about... something."

Ah. There it is. "A guy."

She nodded. "Yes. A guy. That's why I'd decided to go into The Sin Bin that night. I knew Rick would never go in there and so that made me want to."

"His name is Rick?"

"Yes." She paused and glanced at him. "Is this weird?"

"What? Talking about exes?" He shrugged, still watching the road. "I suppose. But if you want, I can do the same when you're done venting about this Rick guy."

She laughed and shook her head. "That's sweet. In a weird sort of way. But thanks."

"No problem. So what happened with this guy that made you venture into my bar?"

"Ugh. He's an uptight, stuck-up jackass who decided I wasn't good enough to be his girlfriend and told me so at work."

Damien's eyes widened and he glanced at Maria to see the disgusted look on her face. "What?"

"Yeah. He was a gem."

"You're well rid of him."

"You're telling me." Maria shook her head. "Whatever. I don't want to talk about him anymore."

"Done."

They fell silent. Damien's mind was spinning though. And here he'd been starting to think that Maria might like him. No. It was a rebound thing. Stifling a sigh, he let go of her hand under the pretense of turning his signal on.

In a few more minutes, he was rolling into his parking garage. They chatted about the hockey game and the weather as they rode the elevator up to his floor. There was no kissing, none of the urgency they'd felt the week before.

As they walked into his apartment, Damien wondered what she expected of him now that they were here. She was sober and her behavior didn't suggest another madcap night of sex was on the way. Still, she was smiling and laughing at things he said as he locked the door behind them.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

She smiled as she kicked her shoes off and dropped her purse on a chair. "You want to get me drunk again?"

He laughed. "I didn't mean a drink of alcohol. I have pop, juice, water, whatever you want."

"I'm good right now, thanks." As she spoke, she wandered around his apartment and looked at things that she maybe hadn't noticed before.

He watched her stop in front of his shelf of pictures and went into the kitchen to get a drink for himself. He poured a glass of iced tea and looked up when she exclaimed over something.




The Sin Bin Ch. 02



"What?"

"You were adorable!" She pointed at a picture of him from his first year of pee-wee hockey.

He grinned and walked over to stand beside her, drink in hand.

She looked up. "How old were you?"

"Twelve?" He bent to have a closer look. "Yeah, that's about right."

"You played hockey for a long time." She looked at each year's hockey pictures as he grew from pee-wee to midget and then junior.

"Most of my life." He took a sip of his drink and waited for her to get to the NHL pictures.

"Oh wow. You were actually in the pros?" She looked up in amazement. "That's incredible."

He nodded, his gaze landing on his rookie picture, so proud in the jersey he wore. "It really was."

"You played for the Leafs, and the Islanders?"

"I did." Right up until that playoff series that was my first and last. He downed the last of his iced tea, suddenly wishing it was whiskey.

"That's amazing, Damien. You must have been so proud."

"I was." He turned and walked away. He could only stand to stare down his memories for short stretches. He sat down on the couch, aware that Maria was watching him.

She turned back to the pictures for a moment before walking over to join him. She took her jacket off and dropped it on the chair with her purse before sitting down beside him.

"What position did you play?"

"I was a defenseman. Most of the time, on the second line." He glanced up to see if she understood and she nodded.

"Why did you stop playing?"

He scrubbed a hand over his face, not keen on the idea of hashing out his hockey history, but he didn't want to be rude. "I was injured in my fourth year."

"Oh." Maria's eyes widened and her eyes swept over him from head-to-toe, as if she could spot what had happened.

Smiling, he took her hand in his and rubbed his fingers between hers as he spoke. "I was with the Islanders and it was the first time they'd been in the playoffs for years. It was my first time in the playoffs."

"You must have been so excited." She shook her head. "That probably doesn't even come close to describing it."

"Yeah. I was excited, amped, nervous and so many other things." He shrugged. "In the end, I adjusted to the hype and just played my game."

"That's good."

He nodded and swallowed. "Then in the sixth game of the first round, I collided with a player from the other team. His knee hit mine and I went down, bending my leg under me."

Maria winced and squeezed his hand. He appreciated the gesture, even as his leg started throbbing at the memory.

"At first, when I went off, the adrenaline was still pumping and I thought I'd ice it, and get back on the ice before the end of the game."

"Did you?"

He shook his head. "No. I had a torn ACL and fractures in my tibia and fibula."

"Oh my God. That must have been painful."

"It was." Damien rested his head back against the couch. "I was in and out of surgeries for months. I thought I'd be able to return in the fall for training camp but the first day I skated in practice, someone hit me and I went down again. This time, my leg broke in two places and I tore my other ACL."

"My God." Maria squeezed his hand again.

He went on to describe how the doctors and physical therapists worked with him throughout the following year but in the end, it was determined that he'd never play competitive hockey again.

"Oh, Damien. You must have been crushed."

He gave her a wry smile. "To say the least."

"What did you do?"

"I had some money from the few years I did play. I went home to my parents' place in Kingston and stayed there for a while until I figured out what to do with the rest of my life."

"What inspired you to open a bar?"

He smiled, glad to change subjects. "I came to Toronto to stay with Lucas for a visit a few years ago. He lived downtown near The Sin Bin and worked in one of the financial centers. He hated it and we'd drink in this dive of a bar called Archie's every night and bitch about our lives."

"Sounds fun."

"It wasn't but it was all I could manage back then." Damien looked down at their joined hands. "Then one day Archie overheard us bitching and moaning and said we needed to shake things up. He offered to sell us the bar. We laughed it off but a few days later, I realized I couldn't stop thinking about it."

"So you bought it."

"I did. And turned it into The Sin Bin." He smiled at the memory of that first wild year. He'd left the bar pretty much the same as it had been in Archie's day. He'd painted, added the pool tables and bought new chairs and stools. Other than that, and the sign out front, it was the same place he and Lucas had spent hours in, drowning their sorrows.

"That's wonderful, Damien."

He arched a brow in her direction. "So says the woman who came in as an act of rebellion against her uptight ex-boyfriend."

She laughed and swatted his chest. "I also told you that night what I thought of your bar. It's a wonderful, friendly place and just because it doesn't have some white-washed decor, doesn't mean you shouldn't be proud of it."

"I am proud of it." And he was. It had been hard, those first couple years and more than once, he thought he'd made the biggest mistake of his life. He'd spent a lot of nights drinking himself into a stupor in his office and waking up with receipts stuck to his face. Over time, he'd realized he'd made the right choice and Archie had been right. If he hadn't shaken things up back then, he might have drunk himself into an early grave. The Sin Bin had saved him.

"Tell me what you do at that hotel. Are you a chamber maid?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed. He found he enjoyed the sound of her laugh very much.

"No. I'm the managing concierge."

"Impressive."

"I suppose."

"Why do you say that?"

"I never wanted a career in hotel management." She sighed and settled on the couch next to him, resting her head on the back but facing him. "I used to work at the Ontario Art Gallery with Stephanie. We used to talk all the time about opening our own gallery and hosting grand events for new artists and established ones."

"What happened?"

Another sigh. "The recession a few years ago hit the gallery hard. People stopped spending money on things like that and I was let go. Last hired, first fired, and all that garbage."

"That sucks." Business had dropped during that same period for the bar. Damien had persevered and put off his plans to renovate the bar until a better time.

"It did. Luckily, I had some money saved, that I'd intended to invest with Stephanie in our gallery, and I had some time to find something new. I started at the hotel part-time and figured I'd do that for as long as it took me to find something else."

"Part-time turned into full-time."

"Yeah." Maria nodded. "Before I knew it, I was taking night classes in business and hotel management and then I was being promoted."

"That's a good thing though."

"I suppose. I shouldn't be picky. A lot of people still haven't found full-time work again after what happened."

"That is true."

"I wanted more out of life. I get so tired of the hotel guests sometimes."

Damien smiled. "I can only imagine."

"And it doesn't help that Rick is a part-owner in the hotel."

Damien's eyes widened. "He is?"

"Rick Watford."

"Watford. As in..."

"Watford Hotels." Maria gave him a weak smile.

"That explains the uptight, stuck-up, jackass thing."

She laughed. "Yes. He is definitely one of those guys who thinks having money and a special name makes you better than everyone else."

"How did you end up dating then?"

"Oh, he makes a habit of 'getting to know' the new employees."

"Whoa. He hit on you at work?"

"Yeah. I found out not too long ago that he does that with all the new girls. Me, he didn't get to until I was new at managing, but still, he got around to me."

"All class, that guy."

"You have no idea."

A comfortable silence fell between them. Damien realized that he enjoyed talking to Maria. She seemed kind and genuinely friendly and it hadn't been awful telling her about his past. Of course, he'd left out everything about the women he'd slept with and never heard from again. He didn't want to take the chance of having her confess to doing the same thing, but only after she got a bit more 'fun' out of him.

All of a sudden, he felt her hand sliding up his arm. He glanced down to see her running her fingers over the pointed end of his tattoo, where it peeked from under his shirtsleeve. She wasn't looking at him and he took the opportunity to study her.

Her hair gleamed in the dim light from the kitchen and he took note of the dark arch of her eyelashes against her cheeks. She wore very little make-up, which he liked. He already knew she had a smoking-hot body. At the thought, he felt his pulse jump and his blood started pumping to a very specific region in his body.

At the same moment, she pushed his sleeve up, smoothing her palm over more of the tattoo. "When did you get this done?"

"After my hockey career ended." He wondered if she noticed how his voice had deepened. "I got drunk one night."

She flicked him a glance and smiled as she continued to play her fingers over his skin. "Can I see it?"

He stared at her, not comprehending what she was asking for a moment. What kind of idiot doesn't realize when a woman is asking to see him take his shirt off? He leaned forward and whipped the shirt off over his head. He stayed upright so she could trace the lines of black ink over his shoulder and across his left shoulder blade.

"It's very good."

"I thought so."

In truth, he'd been relieved to not wake up to a naked mermaid riding a dragon or some other monstrosity. Instead, even in his drunken stupor, he'd chosen a classic tribal pattern and asked to have it wrap over his left shoulder. He'd played left-handed so it had somehow seemed poetic at the time, repurposing his left side to hold something new.

Maria leaned closer as she took in the swirling lines over his shoulder. He felt her breath against his bare skin and tensed. She moved back so she faced him.

"It's sexy."

He stared at her lips as they formed the words. He didn't think anything in the world was sexier than hearing her say that.

"Show me your tattoos."

She blinked. "I don't have any."

He narrowed his eyes. "Prove it."

Her face flushed at his demand but she stood up and pulled her white blouse from her pants with one hand and unwrapped the scarf from her neck with the other. Damien sat back and watched her disrobe.

She tugged at each button, keeping her eyes on his face as she did. She left her shirt on, hanging open, teasing him with glimpses of her lacy white bra, while she undid the button on her pants. She turned and bent, and she had to know what she was doing to him. He felt his blood pool in his groin and was hard in seconds as she took her pants off.

At last, she turned, facing him, and grasped the ends of her open blouse. For a second, she didn't move and Damien wondered if she'd lost her nerve. Then she shrugged out of the shirt and let it fall to the floor. She stood before him in her matching bra and panties and Damien lost any semblance of control.

He reached for her, his hands closing on her waist and hauling her onto his lap. She let out a breathless laugh that turned to a moan as he dragged his open mouth up the column of her neck. He reached up, tugging at the straps of her bra as he kissed his way back down her neck and across her chest. He pulled her bra down until her full breasts were released into his hands. Leaning back, he cupped them and rubbed his thumb over the taut peaks.

"Damien..."

His name was a breathy plea but he continued to take his time. He pressed the pads of his thumbs over and around her nipples again and again while her breathing started to come faster. Then he leaned down and wrapped his lips around one puckered nipple. She gasped and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, holding him there. He sucked and nibbled while she arched in his arms. Switching sides, he did the same to the other breast and back again, until Maria was moaning.

She shifted in his lap, the hot center of her coming into perfect alignment with the hard ridge of his arousal. He groaned and lifted his head to look at her face. She met his gaze with a look hazy with desire. He grinned and pulled her head close for a proper kiss as he slipped his other hand down and inside her panties. He cupped her bottom and fell hard for the luscious, firm shape of it. No denying it. She had a perfect ass.

"Sit back for a second, sweetheart." He wasn't sure where the endearment had come from but Maria didn't notice, or didn't care. She eased herself away from him, breathing hard, and watched with fascination as he undid the button-fly of his jeans. Blinking, she stood up.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

She grinned and hooked her thumbs in the sides of her panties. He swallowed hard as she bent and slid them down her legs. After that, he made quick work of undoing his pants and jerking them down over his own hips. She came back to him, sinking onto his lap before he got his jeans all the way off and he didn't give a shit about his jeans anymore.

She was all heat and sex as she rubbed herself against him and he pushed his head back on the couch with a groan. His hands came down on her hips and he tried to still her movements, afraid he'd lose it. He didn't want to humiliate himself. But she wouldn't heed his hands and kept moving on him, riding him without taking him inside of her.

No more.

He grasped her waist and lifted her. She gasped, her eyes locking onto his face when she felt the head of him rubbing against her. Then he let her sink onto him, taking him in and letting them both feel every second of their joining.

"Oh God, Damien."

'Oh God' was right. Damien had nothing but prayers left to get him through the next several minutes. If he couldn't slow this down, he would embarrass himself.

It seemed Maria was all of a sudden content to let him take the lead. Damien tightened his hold on her waist and lifted his hips to meet hers. Her eyelids fluttered closed and her head tilted back. Damien raked his eyes over her, simultaneously relieved and amazed that she was here with him again, naked with him, and that he was moving within her, again. It was glorious and she was so sexy as she moved on him.

He relaxed his hold as he felt her start to move on her own. She rocked her hips, her body arching away. He bent his head and kissed her throat, licking and sucking her skin until she shuddered and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He felt her breasts rubbing against his chest and lifted one hand to tease a pert nipple, while still bracing her as she rode him.

All at once, her pace grew frantic. She rubbed and rocked herself on him, moaning in his ear. Her fingernails scraped across his shoulders and he reveled in the stinging sensation. She was losing control and he sat back to watch it happen. In seconds, she dug her fingers into his skin and cried out, her whole body going rigid over his.

While she rocked her orgasm, he moved faster within her. He didn't need to wait anymore. Control and all thought fled as he burned with her. She moaned and lowered her head to press a kiss to his face and then his lips, and he was gone. With a groan, he came, pulling down on her while thrusting up as hard as he could.

In the aftermath, Damien sank back on the couch, cradling Maria as she curled against his chest. As their breathing returned to normal, Damien became aware of her fingers tracing the lines of his tattoo again. He huffed out a laugh and she lifted her head to smile into his eyes.

"This may not be the best time to tell you this," she began and he lifted his eyebrows. Her smile turned impish, a dimple appearing at the corner of her mouth that sent a frisson of renewed lust through him. "I have to work in the morning."

"How early?"

"Ten, but I'll need to get home by eight to get ready and catch the train."

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "You tell me this now, woman?"

She giggled and pressed her face to his neck. He didn't mind at all the way she was nestled against him, still wrapped all around him. "I didn't want to spoil the mood."

"It's past midnight. I have to get up in less than six hours to be able to drive you home in time."

"Yeah."

With a groan, he rose, holding her close. She gasped and clung to him, arms and legs wrapped around him. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to bed. There's no way I'm sleeping on the couch. My alarm clock is in the bedroom anyway."

"Thank you, Damien." She said it so sweet and coupled it with a few kisses to his cheek and chin. He almost forgave her.

In the bedroom, he put her down in bed and at last they separated so he could sit up and set his alarm. Then he crawled under the covers with her and grumbled about women making his life difficult. He fell asleep with the sound of her soft laughter in his ears.

****

Maria made it to work on time the following morning, no thanks to Damien. He'd woken to his alarm grumpy and moody and the only way she'd managed to cheer him up was with a repeat of the night before. Even so, he grumbled on the drive back to her place. In the end, he'd kissed her before she'd jumped out of the truck and she'd given him her number.

"Ask me out on a real date, Damien Walker."

"My God, you're bossy, Maria Riordan."

She'd laughed and left him with a smile on his face as she walked to her building. He called her later that night and asked her out, just as she'd demanded. While on the phone with him, Stephanie followed her around the apartment until Maria tossed a pillow at her and shut her bedroom door.

After she got off the phone, she took a breath and went out to the living room to face the music.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd gone back to see him?" Stephanie demanded almost before Maria appeared.

"You were busy that night with Lucas." Maria set the phone down and plopped onto the couch beside her friend. "And I didn't know I was going to see him until I left work that day."

"But you didn't tell me that that's where you spent last night!"

Maria frowned. "You're starting to get all shrill, Steph."

"Don't dodge the issue. You went home with him again, didn't you?"

"Yes. I did. OK? What's so wrong with that?" Stephanie's haranguing was starting to get on Maria's nerves. She'd been the one talking Maria off the ledge the last time. Why the change in attitude now?

"What do you even know about him?"

Maria had learned quite a bit about him the night before and now, she liked him even more. Without the haze of her drunkenness and the ensuing embarrassment, she could see how attractive and fun he really was. He'd be a catch for any woman. It was mystifying how he was even single.

"Is he even single?" Stephanie asked.

Maria scowled, not liking that Stephanie had the same thought. "Yes."

"Are you sure? You and I both saw how many women were in the bar that night."

"And how many went home with him?"

Stephanie sighed. "You don't know if he takes a different woman home every night."

"He doesn't. Honestly, Stephanie, I get the feeling that he works all the time and doesn't have time to even sleep around."

"What makes you so special?"

Maria sat back and stared at her friend. "Excuse me?"

Stephanie realized what she'd said and her expression turned contrite. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"You think I'm not good enough to catch a guy like him?"

"No. I meant that a guy like him doesn't look twice at girls like us."

"Girls like us?" Maria did not like where this conversation was going.

"Yeah. The dressed-up kind. The kind not likely to prowl in bars like The Sin Bin."




The Sin Bin Ch. 02



Maria thought Stephanie might have a point but Damien didn't strike her as the kind of guy to even have a 'type'. He was courteous and polite with everyone she'd seen him come in contact with. The only times he'd been less than polite were with her, so far as she could tell. And that hadn't even been his fault.

"Look, I'm just looking out for you. I don't want you to get hurt. I mean, Rick broke up with you less than three weeks ago."

"You think Damien is a rebound?" Maria considered it as Stephanie nodded. "I don't see him that way. I mean, at first, I was drunk and looking to erase Rick altogether but now... I kind of like Damien."

Even as she said it, she felt her cheeks warm. 'Kind of like' didn't even begin to cover it. He was sexy and funny and made her feel tiny, like she'd told him that first night. She wasn't small or delicate at five foot seven feet tall and being with someone like Damien was a new experience. Rick and many of her past boyfriends had been lean and almost the same size as her. Damien was a presence unto himself.

Maria realized Stephanie was regarding her with a curious look. "Hey, I'm not warning you off of Lucas, am I?"

Stephanie's jaw dropped. "I haven't even kissed Lucas, let alone spent two nights with him."

"Jealous?"

Stephanie shook her head but relented a second later and admitted that she was very attracted to Lucas. "I think he's taking it slow with me. I think he thinks I'm reserved or uptight, or something."

"Ah. You might have to make the first move then." Maria was glad to have the focus off of her for a change.

"I can't make the first move!" Stephanie sounded downright scandalized at the prospect.

"I'm not suggesting you give him a blow job at the start of your next date, Steph." Maria laughed at her friend's expression. "But start by touching him, taking his hand or something. Maybe then he won't think you're being frigid."

Stephanie pursed her lips as she considered. "I could manage that, I suppose."

Maria wondered -- not for the first time -- if her friend was a teensy bit frigid. She loved Stephanie and they'd been best friends since high school but sometimes, Stephanie did come across as a little uptight.

She reached out and patted her friend's leg. "Don't worry. Just be yourself. Obviously he likes you or he wouldn't keep calling and asking you out, right?"

"Right."

They dropped the subject of men and moved on to work and other topics. Maria couldn't get Damien out of her mind. She wondered, after her conversation with Stephanie, if Damien thought the opposite of her. She certainly hadn't been frigid or uptight with him so far. She wasn't, in any case, but she also didn't want him to think she was only interested in him for sex.

Now that he'd asked her out on a real date, she had a chance to convince him that she liked him, all of him.

****

Damien picked her up in a few days for their first real date. She let him up to her apartment and showed him the cozy but stylish apartment she shared with Stephanie.

"This is a great place." Damien stood in her living room and looked around.

Maria stared at him, almost not believing her eyes. He'd traded his typical jeans and t-shirt for a pair of dark pants and a dark wine-colored button-up shirt. He wasn't wearing a tie but had on a loose linen jacket that he filled out like nobodies business. Maria wondered if he'd notice her starting at him all night.

"Maria?"

She blinked and met his gaze. "What?"

Chuckling, he stepped closer to her. "I asked if that was a patio out there."

She looked where he pointed and nodded. "Yeah, and from there, we have sole access to the rooftop patio."

His eyes widened. "That's amazing. This place must cost a fortune."

She smiled and shrugged. "It's worth it. Between the two of us, we can easily afford it. Even when our work situations changed a few years back, we vowed to do everything we could to stay here."

"And you did."

"We did."

Damien grinned at her. "Well, it is a very nice place. Hopefully we can spend some time here instead of my place. From time-to-time."

Maria flushed as she considered the way Damien would crowd her in her small bedroom. She liked the images that sprang to mind.

"Or do you and Stephanie have rules about this place and boyfriends?"

She let out a nervous laugh, hoping her every thought wasn't plain on her face. "No hard and fast rules. We're just considerate and try not to invade each other's space."

"Sounds good." He held a hand towards her. "Shall we?"

She nodded. "Just one second."

She hurried down the hall to her room and grabbed her purse and shoes. She took one more look at herself in the mirror. He hadn't told her where he was taking her so she'd had a hard time trying to figure out what to wear. She'd settled on a cute navy skirt she'd picked up a couple weeks ago that hit her just above the knees, and a bright, violet-colored wrap shirt. She chose comfortable shoes with a low heel and grabbed a snug navy cardigan from her closet. The late April weather had turned warm in the past week and she loved it as much as the next person. Spring in Ontario was often the best season. Low humidity and no more snow made for some very pleasant days.

She hurried back out to the front hall where Damien was waiting. "OK, now I'm ready."

They walked out and Damien took her hand as they went down to the street. She looked around for his truck but couldn't see it.

"Where did you park?"

"Right here." He gestured and walked towards a cherry red sports car parked at the curb.

Maria's jaw dropped. "What is that?"

He turned to her with a grin, opening the passenger door for her. "This is my BMW I135. Do you like it?"

"Like it? I think I'm in love." Maria sighed as she slid into the smooth leather seat.

Damien closed her door and hurried around to his side.

"What possessed you to buy this?" She gave him a narrow look. "I hope you didn't think this would impress me."

He laughed as he buckled in and started the engine. "No. I've had this car for years. I don't drive it much. The truck is more practical for day-to-day in this city."

Maria couldn't argue with that logic. "This must have been one of your first purchases when you had the money."

"Yeah. Car and kick-ass entertainment system."

As Maria rolled her eyes, he put the car in gear and they were off.

"So where are we going?"

"You can't just wait and see?"

"No. I must know all."

He chuckled and reached for her hand. She liked touching him and couldn't wait to touch more of him later. But she shouldn't get ahead of herself. If they were going to give proper dating a chance, she couldn't keep jumping him every moment they were alone.

"All right, if you insist. I'm taking you to the game."

"The game?" She was confused and then the light went on. "Oh, the hockey game? Are they in town tonight?"

"Game seven of the series." He nodded and squeezed her hand.

"How on earth did you get tickets?"

He grinned. "I called in a favor. I know a few of the guys in the Leafs organization and got us into one of the suites."

"You're kidding! That's fantastic. I haven't been to a game in ages."

"So you're OK with the game?"

"Of course. Who in their right mind wouldn't be?" A playoff game? A game seven? Maria was having a hard time not calling her brother to rub it in. A few pictures from the suite would have to suffice.

They chatted as he drove through the city to the arena. The place was packed but Damien drove right through to the VIP parkade and flashed an ID card of some kind.

"My, my, my." Maria smiled as they rolled down and through the parkade. "You do know how to impress a girl, Mr. Walker."

He chuckled and lifted her hand to his mouth for a kiss. They parked and Damien kept her close to his side as they made their way to the interior of the arena. Again, he flashed the ID card and they were shown into a VIP section that Maria didn't even know existed. Important-looking people milled about in suits and she spotted more than one reporter.

"Did you really call in only a single favor for this?" She leaned close to ask the question, feeling very uncomfortable.

Damien took his hand from hers and wrapped an arm around her waist instead. "Well, every once in a while, they like to trot me out as an alumnus for PR purposes."

"Oh God. Are we going to be on TV?"

Damien laughed at her expression. "Me, not you. And actually, I don't know that I'll be on screen tonight."

"Do you do this sort of thing often?"

He shrugged. "I've done it a few times in the past. I stopped doing it since it always seemed to remind me of what I lost."

Maria felt a rush of sympathy and pressed a hand to his chest. He glanced down and gave her a half-hearted smile.

"You didn't have to do all this for me, Damien. We can go somewhere else if you'd rather not be here."

He shook his head. "No. I want us to have a memorable first date."

"Take me to McDonald's instead. No one's done that on a first date."

He laughed and bent his head to kiss her.

Someone noticed them then and called Damien's name.

The next hour was taken up with numerous introductions and conversations about how Damien spent his time now, without hockey. Maria stuck close to his side and took comfort in the fact that he didn't try to exclude her at all. He kept his arm around her waist or held her hand the whole time he conversed with whoever came up to him.

A reporter spoke to Damien for a few minutes at one point, recorder held towards Damien's face. Maria watched the exchange with avid interest, wondering if he'd had to deal with this throughout his short-lived career. She knew the superstars of the league -- the likes of Oborotenski and Carson -- always seemed to have microphones and cameras shoved up their noses. She was a little sad to admit that she'd never have known who Damien was if he hadn't told her. She couldn't imagine asking him why he'd never been in the headlines. That would be up there with asking how he'd felt when his leg wrecked his career.

After a little while, Maria noticed that the crowd had dissipated and the reporter ended his conversation with Damien. Damien looked down at her.

"You ready to watch some hockey?"

She nodded and followed as he led her through the section and through a polished wooden door into one of the numerous private suites. There were a few people in the room, but this crowd was much less intimidating than the crowd outside the suite.

Damien introduced her to the others and she smiled and shook hands and knew she wouldn't remember any of their names if they ever crossed paths again. She was terrible with these sorts of things. No matter that she'd told Damien she was all for opening a gallery with Stephanie, she couldn't organize her pantry, let alone a gallery or galas or parties of any kind. She never knew how to make small talk and hated trying to make a good impression, which invariably led to making a lousy one.

She was outgoing and had no problems making friends. But business was different. Friendliness got you trampled on and a lack of polish got you looks down turned-up noses. Maria had been foolish to think anyone saw her as anything other than a small-town girl faking her way through the big city.

No wonder Rick called me dowdy and unsophisticated. Turns out, he'd been right.

Maria fell silent as Damien chatted up a man she thought he'd introduced as one of the scouting managers. She let her gaze wander, smiling a bit when she saw the fantastic view beyond the suite. There were some seats out in front of the suite and she headed that way, giving Damien a smile when he looked in her direction.

None of the people in the suite sat out front and Maria wondered why. She told herself it was probably because they were all too busy networking but didn't think that was fair. Another sign of her lack of sophistication, no doubt.

With a sigh, she took a seat and watched the pre-puck drop festivities. The atmosphere of the arena was electric. She couldn't sit there in a funk and not feel it. She could feel the hum and anticipation of the fans filling the building. This could be the last game of the year for the Leafs, or it could be the next game on the way to the Cup.

"Hey."

Maria looked up at Damien's voice and managed a smile as he came to sit beside her. "These seats are spectacular."

"Yes, they really are." He slung his arm over the back of her seat and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I'm glad you like them."

She nodded and they rose a second later as the national anthems began. In a few minutes, the puck hit the ice and the game was on.

Maria's funk faded altogether as the game got underway. She couldn't help herself. Live hockey got inside you and got your blood pumping even if you weren't a fan of either team. The players moved so fast and the sounds of skates scraping on the ice was unlike anything else.

The first period ended so fast, it seemed. There was still no score and the players filed off the ice in lines.

Maria turned to Damien when he touched her arm. "Are you hungry? Or can I get you something to drink?"

She shook her head. "I'm all right for now."

"Really? Not even a root beer?"

She smiled at his playful tone. "OK, you convinced me."

"Sarsaparilla it is." He kissed her and stood up to get her drink.

Maria glanced back at the suite, and all the people within. Damien moved through them with ease, chatting with a couple dressed to the nines. Not a single person besides Damien had come down to watch the game from the seats. She could see the TV screens inside the suite but thought it was such a waste of great seats to stand in there and watch what you could from your couch at home.

Shrugging, she faced forward again as the intermission antics carried on. Damien returned with her drink and sat down beside her.

"Are you still impressed with our first date?"

Maria smiled. "Yes. You've wowed the pants off me."

"But you're wearing a skirt."

She rolled her eyes. He chuckled and put his arm around her shoulders again, a gesture she didn't mind at all. She still had doubts about fitting into this part of his life but she took comfort in the fact that he wasn't truly in this anymore.

"We can eat here, if you like." Damien rubbed her arm. "Or we can hit a restaurant after the game."

"I'm not hungry, but thanks."

"Let me know what you decide."

She smiled and nodded.

The lights dimmed in another few minutes and the players hit the ice again. Maria was swept up in the excitement of the second period along with the rest of the crowd. This period, some of the suite guests even joined her and Damien in the rows of seats out front. When the Leafs scored the first goal of the night, the crowd went wild. The entire building almost seemed to shake with excitement. The first goal on the road to victory.

Maria stood and cheered with the rest of them. She'd never cared about hockey one way or another and couldn't have said she cheered for Toronto or Carolina or any of them. But how could you not get excited during a game seven?

She did decide to have something to eat during the second intermission. Damien came down to her with a small plate of appetizers that had been laid out in the suite. They chatted and laughed as Damien tried to feed her a jalapeno popper.

Before she knew it, the game was coming to an end. The final period was intense. Maria was on the edge of her seat as the Leafs and Hurricanes went back and forth. To her unschooled eye, it seemed that they were a close match and neither team gave an inch. Then the Leafs scored again and the crowd could not be silenced. Everyone was on their feet through the final seconds. Then it was over and Maria watched with a wide grin as the team celebrated on the ice.

As the post-game hoopla carried on, Damien touched Maria's arm and leaned close. The noise of the crowd was overpowering so he had to speak right into her ear.

"Do you want to go?"

She nodded and gave him her hand as they walked up and through the suite. She waited as he shook some hands and clapped some shoulders. Someone handed Damien a card and he tucked it in a pocket before coming back to her side.

"Sorry about all that."

"It's OK." She slipped her hand into his as they exited the suite. "I know how much fun it is to be around you but they don't get to see you all that often."

He grinned and dropped a kiss on her head. She noticed that he was somewhat more relaxed than when they'd first come in here. She can't imagine this had been an easy decision to come her and she appreciated it all the more for the effort on his part. As they walked through the arena to the parkade, she squeezed his hand and leaned against his side.

In the car, Damien turned to her as he turned the key in the ignition. "Are you hungry?"

"Famished," she admitted. During the exciting end of the game, she'd forgotten about her appetite but now her stomach was rumbling.

"What do you feel like?"

She swept him with a look and a playful smile that made him laugh. "I don't know. I'm good with anything really, except for Chinese."

"No Chinese. Got it." He backed out of their space and headed for the exit. "I think I know the perfect place."

They drove to an area not far from where he lived and he parked behind a little restaurant called La Vida Alegre. The Joyful Life.

"What is this place?"

"It's a Cuban restaurant. The owners are my neighbors." Damien took her hand as they walked inside. "You'll like them."

"I'm sure I will."

She did like the owners, an elderly couple full of life. They hugged Damien and welcomed Maria with warm handshakes. The menu was traditional Cuban fare, with some other, more modern additions. After they ordered, Damien leaned closer to Maria. They were seated in a U-shaped booth and Maria liked being so close to him.

"What did I tell you?"

She smiled and nodded. "They're wonderful."

"And the food is too. You'll love it."

"I'm sure I will."

He gave her a searching look. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, not wanting to confess all her shortcomings so early in their relationship. It was the first date, for heaven's sake.

He ran his knuckles down her cheek and captured her chin in one hand, drawing her close for a kiss. Maria sighed, and parted her lips, enjoying the feel of Damien's mouth, and the way he cupped the back of her head, her hair twisted around his fingers.

"Oh, you young people, always with the kissing in public." One of the owners, Eduardo, clucked his tongue as he returned with their starter dish.

With a laugh, Maria and Damien moved apart and dug into the beginning of their meal. An hour later, Maria was stuffed and laughing at a joke Eduardo's wife, Helena told. When the older woman left them, Damien turned to Maria.

"Are you ready to go?"

She nodded and took his hand when he offered it to help her up.

"My place?"

She hesitated a moment before nodding again. If he caught her momentary pause, he didn't mention it. After saying goodnight to Eduardo and Helena, they drove the short distance to his place and went up to his apartment, not saying much.

Damien locked up as she walked down the hall. She went into his main bathroom, across the hall from his bedroom. In the bathroom, she washed her hands and studied herself in the mirror.

Here she was again, in his place, alone and replete from an amazing evening and an outstanding first date. He'd succeeded in impressing her and making her feel even more inadequate in the process. She was certain that hadn't been his intention. From what she knew of him, he wasn't that kind of guy. Still, she couldn't help how she felt.

Stephanie had pointed out what a short time she'd been broken up with Rick. Though, if she was being honest, her time with Rick hadn't been a real relationship. It had been a few dates, interspersed with deeply unsatisfying sex, and awkward daytime exchanges. So why was it messing with her head so much?




The Sin Bin Ch. 03



Damien could feel the moment when Maria fell asleep on him. He looked down and saw the way her head tilted down and her lips parted. He smiled as he listened to her deep breathing and stayed still for a while.

Once show was over, he turned the TV off and stood up. Reaching down, he scooped Maria into his arms and carried her down the hall to his room. He was breathing hard as he set her down on his bed and realized how out of shape he was. He'd have to start making use of the extensive gym in his building soon.

Maria snuggled down into the covers and stayed asleep. Damien smiled as he undressed and got into bed beside her. He wondered if he should try to strip her outfit off but thought that might end up disturbing her. He liked watching her sleep and even though he wouldn't mind undressing her for more than a comfortable night, he let her be.

In the morning, he drove her home and he couldn't help but notice how quiet she was. She'd complained about her appearance when she woke and he had a hard time convincing her she looked fine, if somewhat rumpled. He didn't think that was what was bothering her. Even during their date the night before, she'd seemed less her outgoing self and a bit more withdrawn. He wondered if he'd said or done something to put her off.

In the end, he left it alone and drove her home. She kissed him good-bye and he said he'd call her. Then he went back home to get a workout in and shower before he had to go to work. He called Maria when he got to his office but she didn't pick up. He shook it off and got to work.

She was on his mind all evening and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Either he'd done something or something else had happened that he'd missed. As he wiped down tables, he wondered if that rich ex-boyfriend of hers had bothered her again.

Then the door banged open and he looked up to see Maria and Stephanie walking in. Relief dropped through him and he grinned, heading to her side right away.

"Hey, you." He bent and kissed her as he put an arm around her waist.

He didn't notice the hoots and hollers from his employees but when he pulled back, Maria's face was pink.

"Uh, hi." She gave him a sweet smile that made him want to drag her to his office and keep her there for hours.

"Hello, Damien."

"Hi, Stephanie." Damien dragged his eyes from Maria to greet her friend.

"You're not very busy tonight." Stephanie's eyes roamed over the bar's interior.

"No. It's a rare night without any games." Damien let Maria go and waved a hand towards the empty bar stools. "Go have a seat and I'll let Lucas know you're here."

Stephanie smiled and headed for the bar. Damien didn't need to get Lucas. His buddy appeared from the back and zeroed in on the blond right away.

Turning back to Maria, Damien smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm good. Has it been slow all night?"

"Yeah. It's fine though. I was going to let Lucas close up tonight so I could maybe take you out for a late meal or something."

Maria's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Making dates with me and not even telling me. I should be offended."

"Are you?"

She considered, crossing her arms over her chest. Damien took notice of what she was wearing then, those sexy dark jeans and a lacy long-sleeved top that showed off her cleavage. He swallowed hard and dragged his gaze back up to her face.

"I'm sure I can come up with some way for you to make it up to me."

He grinned and bent to steal another kiss. "I look forward to it."

They walked to the bar and Damien got her a drink. The four of them stood together laughing for a few minutes before one of the waitresses got Damien's attention. He walked down to the end of the bar to talk to her. As he came back to his friends, he heard Lucas talking about him.

Lucas turned to Maria with a grin. "I want to thank you, Maria."

She tipped her head to one side. "Why?"

"Damien used to be such a grumpy asshole."

They all laughed and Damien shook his head.

"But then he met you and seems to have forgotten about being a grumpy asshole." Lucas winked and laughed when Damien cuffed him on the shoulder. "So, thanks for making all our lives easier."

Maria blushed but laughed along with them. Damien didn't mind Lucas' teasing. It was true, Maria had made him happy these past few weeks. He was pretty sure she wasn't going to blow him off without a word now, since she seemed to be making a habit of coming to his bar.

The four of them spent another hour laughing and conversing until they had to lock up. Damien was going to leave Lucas behind to close but the bar was dead so he made an executive decision and they all left together. They met at La Vida Alegre for a late meal and even Eduardo and Helena sat with them for a bit.

As Damien drove Maria home, he couldn't recall a time when he'd had so much fun. Maria had seemed to be back to her old self at dinner, all smiles and laughter. Now that they were alone in his truck, she'd fallen silent again.

He reached out to take her hand. "Are you all right, Maria?"

She glanced over at him. "Sure. Why?"

"You just seem quiet. Did I keep you up too late last night?"

She laughed and shook her head. "No. I'm so sorry I fell asleep on you. That must have been super attractive."

"I thought it was cute."

When she groaned, he brought her hand to his lips.

Damien changed the subject. "So do you think Lucas finally talked Stephanie into going home with him?"

Maria sighed. "I hope so. She could use a night away from our place."

"Why do you say that?"

"I love her, don't get me wrong. It just seems like every time I go out, including with you, she's always waiting at home to grill me."

"Like a parent." Damien could see how that would get frustrating.

"And she likes Lucas. I don't know why she'd be nervous about being alone with him."

"Not everyone has your outgoing personality."

Maria glanced at him. "Yeah. That's very true."

Damien squeezed her fingers. "That's a good thing. I couldn't handle another Maria in the world."

She smiled. "You're sweet."

"Damn. I was going for rip-your-pants-off-sexy."

She laughed and Damien grinned. That was what he'd been aiming for. He loved the sound of her laugh. He loved her smile and the way she flicked her hair when something really amused her. And he was really starting to crave the sight of that sexy dimple of hers.

He gazed out the windshield, ordering himself to watch the road. They'd be back to her place soon and then he could readdress the thought that maybe he was starting to love a lot more about her.

****

Maria unlocked her apartment door and let Damien in before locking up again. He kicked his shoes off and walked into the living room.

"Do you want something to drink?" She walked into the kitchen as she asked.

"I'm good right now, thanks." He appeared in the doorway.

Maria headed to the fridge and opened it. She stared at the contents, wondering if she felt like anything this late. She was full from their late meal at La Vida Alegre and couldn't imagine trying to fit something else in there. Closing the door, she turned from the fridge and right into Damien's chest. He'd snuck up behind her and she laughed when he put his hands on her shoulders to steady her.

He moved his hands down to circle her waist and bent his face closer to hers. "I'm glad you came to the bar tonight."

She smiled up at him. So was she. She'd been nervous, since she'd embarrassed herself yet again at his place by sleeping in her clothes and waking up looking like something someone had shoved to the back of the closet. It was Stephanie who'd convinced her to go, since Stephanie hadn't wanted to venture to the bar to see Lucas without back-up. It had taken a couple hours, but she'd relaxed around Damien again and now, she felt the heat growing between them.

"Have I shown you my bedroom?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her and shook his head.

"Come with me." She took his hand and led him down the hall. She might not be a society guru but she was happy to share something else with Damien, something far more fun in her opinion.

In her bedroom, she told him to get naked. He obliged, stripping out of his clothes with a quickness that made her giggle. Her laughter died when Damien stalked towards her.

"Turn around."

She hadn't been expecting that and hesitated, leading to Damien's narrowed gaze. With a sharp inhalation, Maria spun around, showing him her back. He lifted her hair and brushed it forward over her shoulder. She glanced back, curious and saw him looking down.

"Are you staring at my butt?"

Damien let out a rough sound and she gasped when she felt his big hands squeeze her bottom. "I love your ass."

Maria let out a soft laugh and leaned into his hold. She quite enjoyed the way he felt her up. All of a sudden, his hand was skimming up her neck, through her hair, and grasping her chin. He turned her face to one side and her eyes widened as he bent his head to kiss her.

This was no tentative, searching kiss. He held her tight to his chest and plunged his tongue into her mouth. She felt his hand snake around her waist and felt his fingers plucking the button of her jeans loose. He made quick work of her zipper and instead of pushing her jeans off, as she'd expected, he slipped his hand down, inside her panties.

She broke off the kiss at the first touch of his fingers on her damp core. He growled at her, actually growled, and brought their lips back together. Maria didn't know what to do or how he expected her to stay on her feet, with his thick, strong fingers playing her like a fine instrument. She made noises in her throat as he kissed her, licking her lips and stroking her tongue, all while his fingers stroked her between her thighs.

How he could wind her up like this, she might never know. She didn't care. She didn't care about anything but the way he made her climb higher and higher. He let her break the kiss again and she let out a shuddering moan when he flicked his fingers over that most sensitive spot. He let her breathe but made her burn as he clamped his lips to her neck, sucking and laving her skin until she was a trembling bag of overstimulated nerves.

"Damien..." The name came out of her as a hoarse groan and he didn't acknowledge it. Maria couldn't even be sure she'd spoken it out loud.

She couldn't be sure of her own name at this point. Damien was undoing her, drawing forth such wild sensations that she never wanted him to stop. Arching back against him, she drove one hand through his hair and held his face to her neck, loving the way his day-old stubble rasped over her skin. Her other hand settled on his wrist, and she started to shake when she felt his muscles flexing as he worked his fingers in and out of her.

In the next second, her orgasm slammed into her and she cried out, her body tightening like a bow string drawn to fire an arrow. Damien raised his lips to her ear and his hot breath sent a frisson of sensation right through her. She wailed as another wave of pleasure wracked her body.

"That's it. So good, Maria. You're so sexy, you don't even know it."

At first, she wasn't aware he was speaking. His hot breath washed over her flushed skin and made her tremble all over. She rode his hand, undulating her hips without realizing it and he worked her over until she squeezed his wrist and begged him with broken phrases to stop.

He withdrew his hand and grasped the sides of her pants and panties, dragging them down her legs together. Maria looked down and stepped with extra concentration out of the clothing, afraid she'd keel over. Her knees were shaking, for crying out loud.

As Damien straightened, he took hold of her shirt and pulled it up over her head. Still facing away from him, Maria brushed her hair out of her face and smiled to feel him tugging the clasp of her bra loose. At last, they were both naked and Damien hauled her back to his front. Maria pressed closer when she felt his erection brush over her naked ass.

For a long minute, Damien held her waist as she flexed her toes, raising and lowering herself in a sensual rub against his rigid length.

"Jesus, God in heaven." Damien's voice was rough and he sounded as out of breath as she was.

The moment passed and Damien was pushing her down onto her bed. She twisted as she went down and saw the intent look on his face as he covered her body with his. Maria swallowed hard and wondered if she could handle this intensity more than once a week. Then he hooked her right leg over his arm and drove himself into her without any preamble.

She grabbed his shoulders as she felt him slam deep in one thrust. She was so ready, so hot and primed for him that it was nothing but a smooth glide to the hilt. He pulled back and did it again.

Maria tried to breathe and watched his face as he moved. His eyes were fixed on where their bodies were joined and she felt a pulse of lust go through her at the look on his face. It was the most erotic moment she could ever recall having, the way he stared, as if captivated by the sight before him. Then his eyes flicked to hers and narrowed.

"Damien..."

She reached for his shoulders. She wanted him close, wanted those eyes staring right into hers. He held her leg close but lowered himself to lick her lips, and the new angle hit her just right. She moaned into his mouth, her arms closing around his shoulders to hold him there, to keep him moving in just that way, and oh, God, she was going to come again.

"Do it, Maria." He knew. He knew exactly what was happening inside her, knew what his deep thrusts were doing to her. "Come for me. Fucking do it."

So she did. Twisting her mouth away, she sucked in a breath and let go, his name falling from her lips like a prayer. Not 'Oh God, oh God,' anymore. "Damien... Damien!"

Somewhere in the midst of her cries, he climaxed as well, tensing above her and pumping his hips hard and fast as he rode the crest.

Somehow, they came back from that wild edge and disengaged to get more comfortable in her bed. Sweaty, sated and tangled from head to toe, they fell asleep.

Hours later, Maria woke up in Damien's arms and stared at his sleeping face for several minutes. What a crazy and unexpected path her life had taken in the past couple of years. Best of all, she had this man in her bed, snoring on her pillow as if he hadn't driven her to the heights of pleasure earlier. She loved the softness in his face and how it was a perfect contrast to what she'd seen in his eyes as he made love to her.

She hoped she didn't screw things up because she was pretty sure she'd already fallen hard for him.

****

For the next few weeks, Damien and Maria fell into a sort of routine. He'd take her out on the nights when she didn't have to work the following day. Each date was more fun and made her like him more and more. On nights when she worked through the dinner hour, she'd walk to The Sin Bin and go home with him. As things progressed between them, they spent no more than a night or two away from each other.

Maria learned that Damien was a very good cook and she balanced that with making her usual rich, sweet treats for him on occasion. He loved her chocolate chip cookies and complained that she was negating all his hard work in the gym.

"So don't eat them," she'd scold.

To which he'd respond by shoving more in his mouth.

In between a lot of shared laughter, they spent time watching the Stanley Cup playoffs. Damien didn't take them to another game but he did say if she wanted to go, to let him know.

"I can always make a call," he said as they watched a game between New Jersey and Philadelphia one night.

"No, I don't need to go another playoff game." In truth, she didn't want to go through that awkward VIP experience again. She didn't want to put herself in a position of letting Damien see how unsuited she was to socializing and networking with that class of people.

"I can get you into regular season games next year too, if you want."

Maria sat up and looked at him. They'd been lounging on the couch since the start of the game, both still wearing their work attire. A few bowls and plates of snack food were scattered on the table before them and Maria set her glass of water down.

"Regular season? That's months away."

Damien nodded, his expression serious all of a sudden. "That's right."

Maria studied his face, wondering if she should believe what she was hearing. "Do you mean, you'll still be around in the fall to take me to games?"

He smiled and nodded. "If you want me to be around, I will."

Maria stared and took a deep breath. She hadn't felt this giddy since the first night she'd gone home with him. "Are you asking me to go steady, Mr. Walker?"

He laughed and drew her down so he could kiss her. And kiss her he did, making all her extremities tingle. "Yes, I want you to be my steady girlfriend."

Feeling so turned on, Maria almost missed what he said. Then she kissed him back and moved to straddle his hips. For a long, drugged minute, neither of them spoke about going steady or fall hockey games.

"I'll take that as a yes," he murmured when they came up for air.

Maria laughed until he captured her mouth with his again.

****

Two weeks later, the Stanley Cup playoffs were almost over and Toronto had long been out of it. Maria didn't care on this particular evening as she left the hotel and headed towards The Sin Bin. It had been a long day and she was in a bit of a daze.

Rick had chosen that day to tell her that their hotel would be hosting a special Watford Hotels anniversary party. Executives from the company and employees from dozens of the hotels in the area would be attending. As a manager in the hosting hotel, she would be required to attend. It was to be a black tie affair and it was on Saturday. Two days from now.

It was just like that jackass, Rick, to spring this on her at the last minute. He had to have known about the event for months. The events coordinator, Katherine, had helped Maria out with some of the finer details after Rick had dropped the bomb on Maria. Katherine told her she'd been planning the event since January.

January! Maria shook her head in disgust as she walked. She scowled and shoved her hands in her pockets. Her pace increased until she was all but stalking through the city streets towards the bar. People moved out of her way and gave her some curious looks but she didn't care.

The worst part was that Rick thought she would be attending alone. He assumed that she was still single and pathetic after he'd cut her loose, as he'd put it.

"You're permitted an escort, of course." He'd sneered as he spoken to her midway through her shift. "I don't imagine you'll need to worry about that, though, am I right?"

She'd been so surprised by the whole conversation that she hadn't said anything about it. Now, as she got closer to the bar, and Damien, she wondered how she would broach the subject with her boyfriend. At least that thought brought a smile to her lips. Until she realized she'd have to take Damien and risk having him see her tripping herself up all night.

With an inward groan, she walked on, her thoughts moving on to other issues, like what she could wear and how she'd manage not to spit in Rick's face the next day.

At the bar, there was a large crowd but several empty stools at the bar. She slid onto one with a sigh. She didn't see Damien but Jake, the part-time bartender, came over with a smile when he spotted her.

"Hey, Maria. What's shakin'?"

She smiled at him. He was a bit immature but was a nice guy, even though Damien complained about how much Jake talked while working. "I'm good, Jake. How're you?"

"Just living the dream, let me tell you." He wiped the bar in front of her. "You're here to see the big man?"




The Sin Bin Ch. 03



She nodded.

"He's in the back counting stock but I'll let him know you're here. Can I get you something to drink in the meantime?"

"Yeah. Crown and ginger, please." It had definitely been a Crown Royal disaster of a day.

Jake poured her drink and disappeared down the hall to get Damien.

Maria turned her attention to the TV over the bar and sipped her drink. She took her time and didn't slam the drink back, no matter how much she wanted to. Damien walked out a few minutes later and his eyebrows shot up when he saw what she was drinking.

"Uh-oh." He came around the bar and gave her a much desired hug. "Bad day?"

"You have no idea."

He dropped a kiss on her mouth and sat beside her. "Tell me about it."

Maria hesitated. If she told him, she'd have to ask him to the event. But she couldn't tell him why her day sucked without mentioning the event. Drawing in a deep breath, she told him the whole story.

He let out a low whistle when she finished. "That guy is a piece of work."

Maria nodded. He was a piece of something all right. Something that rhymed with pit. She swallowed the last of her drink and set the glass down with a decisive clink. "I have half a mind to not even go to this thing. I'll call in sick for the next two days and then not go to the event. No one would even notice."

"No." Damien rubbed her shoulder. "We'll go to this thing and you'll show him you're better than he is."

Maria lifted her eyebrows and smiled. "He wouldn't notice. He's positive no one is better than him."

"Well, we'll wow everyone else then. Didn't you say several of the hotel executives and managers would be there?"

She nodded, feeling a knot of apprehension settle in her stomach at the mere thought. All those business types. She'd be expected to chat them up, talk about the things she was doing for her Watford Hotel and what she thought about theirs. She started to feel nauseous.

"Maria, are you OK?"

"I can't do it, Damien."

"Sure you can."

His blind faith in her made it even worse. She'd fooled him over the past few weeks by keeping their dates low-key and opting for movies rather than more playoff games or anything even close to that. She couldn't tell him that.

"I... uh, I don't even have anything to wear."

Damien gave her a wry look. "I've seen your closet, sweetheart. You have more than enough to choose from. And even if you didn't, Stephanie probably does."

He had her there. She was a bit of a clothes-hound. She might not be able to network like the pros but she could at least dress like one. More than one black-tie level dress was hanging in her closet.

A thought occurred to her. "Do you even have a tux?"

He nodded. "It's been a few years since I've broken it out but it should be all right. Tuxedos don't really go out of style, do they?"

"Just as long as it's not some powder blue, ruffled thing, a la Dumb and Dumber, I think it'll be fine."

Damien laughed and leaned close for another kiss. "Do you feel any better?"

She sighed and rubbed her head. "A bit. It was a long day even without Rick being his usual charming self. I had a terrible run-in with a difficult guest."

"Let me get you another drink and you can tell me all about it."

She watched him go, feeling her heart swell. A few weeks back, she'd admitted how she was falling for him. Hard. And now, she knew for sure. There was no turning back.

Damien listened to her tale about the hotel guest but after that, he was busy for the rest of the night. Later, she waited while he closed up and drove her home. Stephanie was home but asleep already so they were quiet as they went down the hall to Maria's bedroom.

Looking through her closet, Damien helped Maria pick something to wear to the event. She smothered her laughter with a hand as he held each option up to himself and struck a pose.

How was this man single when I met him? She wondered, not for the first time. How did every woman he cross paths with not want to hug him, kiss him and do all sorts of X-rated things to him?

"In all seriousness," Damien reached for one more dress. "I think this one is the best."

He was holding a deep burgundy-colored dress out towards her. She took it from him and nodded as she looked it over. It was floor-length and flared below the hips to a wide skirt. The bodice was a snug, wrapped pattern that she'd always liked because it hid any number of body flaws when she wore it. It had wide straps and a sweetheart neckline that did wonders for her cleavage.

"I don't have any good jewelry to wear with it." Maria held the dress up to herself to test the size and look of it. Her weight had gone up and down over the past couple years since she'd bought the dress but she thought she could squeeze into it for Saturday.

"I wouldn't worry about that." Damien nodded as he studied her holding the dress. "And I know you have about eight hundred pairs of shoes that would go with that."

She laughed and swatted him with one hand as she hung the dress on a hook on the front of her closet door. "I don't have eight hundred pairs of shoes."

"Fine. Seven ninety-nine."

She shoved him and he laughed. They shushed each other and Damien drew Maria close for a kiss. One kiss turned to another and they tumbled to her bed a few minutes later.

Damien yanked her pants off and touched her where she ached for him. She bit her lip to keep from making too much noise and he seemed determined to make her lose control. She tugged at his shirt and the buttons of his jeans and somehow, they managed to get each other naked.

Nudging her legs apart, Damien moved over her, capturing her lips in a searing kiss that she felt down to her toes. As he sank into her, all the stress of her day dissolved. She didn't know if that had been his intention or not, but either way, he succeeded.

A few minutes later, their movements reached a frenzied peak and Maria covered her mouth with one hand to stifle her cry of ecstasy. Damien buried his face in her neck as he came with a groan. After recovering, they arrange themselves into a comfortable heap so they could sleep.

Maria fell asleep to murmured words against her hair that she couldn't make out. She dreamt that he was telling her he loved her.

****

Damien was pleased with the way his tuxedo fit as he got dressed on Saturday evening. It had been a year and a half since he'd donned it for his cousin's wedding and he was impressed that it still fit. He rubbed his chin and nodded at the smooth shave. He'd had his hair cut that day as well and he smoothed a hand over it. He looked good.

He turned from the mirror and grabbed his shoes from the closet. They were shiny and a little snug as he slipped them on but nothing he couldn't handle. He picked up his wallet and keys from his dresser, and the small box he'd acquired earlier in the day, and headed out of the apartment.

As he drove to pick up Maria, he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in anticipation. He couldn't wait to see her and see how she filled out that dress. He knew she'd look stunning and he was excited at the prospect of taking her out for a proper night on the town like this.

Well, maybe not a night on the town but he didn't know how late this event would go. If they got away early enough, he had several ideas for how they could finish the night.

He arrived at Maria's a little before seven and hurried up to her apartment. Stephanie answered the door and grinned when she saw him.

"You look amazing, Damien."

He chuckled. "Yeah? I clean up nice, do I?"

She laughed and nodded. "You sure do. I feel like I should break out the camera to take a picture of you two, like it's prom night."

"No pictures!" Maria's voice came from out of sight.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Fine. No pictures. She's just about ready. Did you want something to drink while you wait?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

"Come in and sit down." She led the way to the living room.

As he passed the hallway to the bedrooms, Damien could hear Maria moving around in her room.

"She's super nervous about tonight," Stephanie said as they sat on opposite ends of the couch.

Damien nodded. "She told me."

"Don't let her drink too much. She drinks when she's nervous and then doesn't realize how much she's drinking."

"I'll keep her safe."

Stephanie nodded, as if giving her approval to take her best friend out. Damien couldn't help but smile.

They chatted a few minutes longer until Maria announced she was ready.

Damien rose and turned as Maria walked into the living room, holding a black silk shawl in one hand and a little black sparkly purse in the other. He was struck silent by her appearance. She'd wound her hair up into some elegant twist and the dress fit her like it had been painted on.

"My God, Maria." He put a hand on his chest and took a deep breath. "You look beautiful."

She blushed and gave him a shy smile as he walked towards her. "You look pretty good yourself, Damien."

He took her hands in his and kissed each one. "No. I'm a bum compared to you." He leaned close and kissed her red lips, not even caring it the lipstick rubbed off on his mouth. "You're a goddess."

The flash of a camera went off beside them and they turned to see Stephanie giving them an impish grin, camera in hand. "You'll want to commemorate this night, trust me. It'll be ages before you both get this dressed up again." With that, she snapped another picture.

Damien didn't mind at all. He straightened as he recalled the little box he had and reached into his coat pocket. "Hold on. Take another picture in a minute."

Maria's eyes fell to his hands and the box he held. "What's that?"

He smiled and handed it to her. "Something for you."

She took it and looked up into his eyes. "Damien, you didn't have to get me anything."

"I know. I wanted to. Open it."

She did, her face still a beautiful pink. She gasped when she saw the delicate diamond and ruby necklace inside the satin-lined box. "Damien! This is gorgeous."

"You said you didn't have anything to wear with the dress, so I picked this up for you today."

"This is too much."

"No, it's not." He took it from the box and wiggled a finger at her, indicating she turn around. She did after a momentary hesitation. He lifted the necklace over her head and clasped it at the nape of her neck. "Now, let me see."

She turned back around, one finger running along the length of the necklace. "Does it look OK with the dress?"

"It's perfect." The necklace rested along her collarbone and the colors were a perfect fit for the dress.

"Thank you so much, Damien." She lifted on her toes to kiss him again.

A sound came from Stephanie and they turned to see her covering her mouth with one hand, her eyes bright. "You both look beautiful," she gushed, clearly holding back tears.

Maria laughed and walked over to hug her friend. "Keep it together, Steph."

Stephanie hugged her back. "Go have fun. Forget about everyone else and just be yourself, Maria."

Maria nodded and let her friend go. Damien took her hand and they walked out of the apartment. As they drove off, Damien reached for her hand.

"Are you still nervous?"

"Yes." She gave him a smile. "But I'll be fine. I'll smile and talk about the weather and it'll be fine."

He chuckled. "You can talk about more than that. Like Stephanie said, just be yourself."

Maria didn't say anything in response. Damien glanced at her but she was staring out her window. He could sense her nerves but decided he'd let her be for now. If she wanted his help later tonight, he'd give it.

They rolled up in front of the hotel and Damien handed his keys off to the valet after helping Maria out of the car. He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and pressed her fingers close. She looked up at him, not smiling.

"Are you sure you're OK? You could still plead sick."

She did smile at that and shook her head. "No. We're here now. Let's get this over with."

Damien didn't quite understand her apprehension but he supposed this was a different sort of environment from her usual daily work at the same hotel. They walked inside and he looked around, taking in the interior.

Watford Hotels were known across Canada as the most stylish places to stay, without being too over the top. They offered rooms that offered basic amenities, as well as rooms that could host royalty. Damien had stayed at a few in his days with the Leafs and Islanders and had always liked them.

"Which room is the party in?" he asked as they walked through the lobby.

There were other party guests loitering in the lobby and in the lounge off to one side. Someone called Maria's name and they turned together to see a man and woman coming towards them.

"James." Maria smiled and relaxed when she saw who it was. "Nice to see you."

"And you as well. You look stunning." James shook her hand and gave her a warm smile. He reached for the older woman at his side and drew her close. "You remember my wife, Allie."

"Yes, of course." Maria shook the woman's hand.

"Nice to see you again, Maria."

"You too, Allie. You look wonderful." Maria touched Damien's arm. "This is my boyfriend, Damien Walker. Damien, James is the hotel manager."

"Pleased to meet you, Damien." James shook Damien's hand. "Maria has mentioned you quite a few times."

Damien grinned and glanced down at Maria. "I hope she's kept some of my secrets."

They laughed and turned as a group to head towards the big ballroom off the back end of the lobby. Inside, James and Allie stepped away to talk to a few other guests and Damien patted Maria's hand.

"So you like James?"

She nodded. "Oh yeah. James is great. He's the best boss I've ever had and Allie is a really sweet lady."

"They seem nice. At least they're not all pricks like Rick, right?"

Maria laughed and nodded. They faced the ballroom together, taking in the decor. There were at least a hundred people already in the room with more filing in behind them.

"How many are supposed to be attending this thing?"

Maria pursed her lips as she thought about it. "I think Katherine told me about three hundred, all together."

"Wow. Quite the gathering."

She nodded, looking nervous again.

"Is there a seating plan?"

"I have no idea."

Damien decided maybe the bar should be the first thing on the agenda. He steered them in that direction and left Maria standing nearby while he went to get them both a drink. There was a bit of a line-up and he had to wait a few minutes before getting to the bar.

"Two glasses of red wine, please."

"Coming right up, sir."

He looked around for Maria as he waited for the bartender to uncork a new bottle. He spotted a man standing next to Maria and the look on her face told him exactly who that was. With his mouth in a thin line, Damien took the glasses of wine with a rushed 'thank you' and hurried back to Maria's side.

"Here you go, sweetheart." He handed her one glass and bent to kiss her once, blocking her from the man next to her.

"Thank you," she murmured and gave him a grateful look that he understood. "Damien, allow me to introduce you to Richard Watford III."

The Third? It took all Damien had to not roll his eyes. "Pleased to meet you, Richard." He extended his hand to Rick. The prissy asshole actually looked it over for a second before clasping it in a brief, limp handshake.

"Rick, this is Damien Walker, my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" He scoffed, looking to Maria and ignoring Damien. "You never told me you were seeing someone."

Damien put his hand around Maria's waist and felt her tense at the man's words.

"It wasn't really any of your business, Rick." She tapped a fingernail against her wine glass. "Anyway, you know I'm not one for discussing personal things while at work."

Rick smirked at her before turning to Damien. "What do you do for a living, Damien?" His eyes swept in Damien's appearance and Damien wanted to punch the little weasel's smirk right off his face.

Maria answered before Damien could. "Damien owns a popular club in the Financial District."

Blinking in surprise, Damien glanced at her and wondered where that had come from. The Sin Bin was hardly a club and skirted the Financial District by several blocks.

"A club?" Rick was surprised and looked at Damien. "How quaint. I'm sure Maria has told you all about me."

Damien gave him a knowing smile. "She certainly has."

Rick narrowed his eyes at him and Damien kept smiling. "Well, then you know that this hotel is one of mine. One of several, actually."

Damien sighed. He hated dealing with guys like this. "Of course."

Someone else approached then, greeting Rick. Maria took a sip of her wine and Damien bent to speak into her ear.

"A club?"

She shrugged. "I didn't want him asking a bunch of questions or making stupid comments."

"I don't mind questions, Maria." He studied her expression and worry crept into his thoughts. Had she been nervous this whole time about tonight because of him? Because of what he did for a living?

Rick introduced Maria to the man who'd approached them. He was one of the members of the board and a distant cousin of Rick's. Maria introduced him and then fell silent again while the conversation flowed around her.

A few more people joined their little group and with so many standing around, Damien was able to guide Maria away with no one noticing. He tried to push his doubts from his mind and looked around at the tables that were starting to fill up.

"Let's find our table, shall we?"

She nodded but wouldn't look at him. Damien frowned but looked around until he spotted a seating chart near one of the entrances to the ballroom.

"Here we are." He pointed to the list. "Table eight."

"I think that's over there," Maria spoke up at last and gestured towards the stage that held the band.

They were sitting with James and Allie, who were already seated with another couple at the table. Maria relaxed enough to introduce Damien to Katherine, the events manager, and her husband, Ted. 

"I arranged us all at one table together so we wouldn't have to endure boring shop talk all night elsewhere," Katherine said with a smile.

Maria saluted her with her wine glass and then downed the remainder. Damien watched her set the glass down and touched her arm. "Can I get you another?"

"Please. And keep them coming."

He didn't know how well he'd keep his promise to Stephanie but maybe he could ask the bartender to water down Maria's glasses. With a sigh, he moved off to get her another drink. Back at the table, Maria looked a little more relaxed, without Rick or any other executives in sight.

"Damien, Maria was just telling us about the game you took her to," James said. "I'm jealous."

Damien smiled as he sat down and handed Maria her glass.

"You should be, James." Maria took the glass with a smile. "The seats were incredible and it was an amazing game."

"It was." James nodded. "My brother has season tickets and we go to a lot of regular season games too."

"That's lucky."

Allie leaned her elbows on the table. "Maria says you used to play in the NHL. Is that true?"

Damien didn't usually like to talk about his time in the pros but he found he didn't mind so much anymore. Not since he'd told Maria his whole sorry tale. "I did. I was actually drafted by the Leafs in the fourth round in '05."

"That's fantastic," Allie said.

"I think I remember you now." Ted pointed with a look of concentration. "Weren't you nominated for the Lady Byng award one year?"

"Yeah. Lost out to Datya that year."

"What's the Lady Byng award?" Maria asked.

"It's the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy," James answered. "It's given to the player with most sportsmanlike conduct throughout the year."

"And a high standard of playing," Ted added. "You were this close to winning, if I recall."




The Sin Bin Ch. 03



Damien smiled. "Hardly. But it was really great to be nominated. It was only my second year."

"That's right." Ted nodded. "I do remember you."

Maria laughed. "How could you ever forget a player like Damien?"

Damien chuckled and put an arm around her shoulders. "You didn't know who I was when we first met."

She waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "That's because I don't follow hockey. I'll never forget you now." She leaned close for a kiss.

He obliged but he sensed she was still covering her nerves. Their table filled up when another couple sat down with them and Maria introduced Damien once again.

The whole ballroom seemed to fill up in the next few minutes and someone stepped onto the stage to quiet the crowd.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen."

Oh Christ. It was Rick. Damien exchanged a look with Maria before they turned in their seats to look at the stage.

"I want to welcome everyone to my hotel for a very special evening of celebration." He held a glass of champagne in one hand. "This is Watford Hotels' fiftieth anniversary."

A round of applause and he held up his hand to quiet everyone again in a minute. "I want to thank everyone for coming tonight to join us in celebrating our accomplishments. I know my family is very proud of how far we've come over the years. I would like to propose a toast to my grandfather, Richard Watford the First. It was his vision and initiative that started everything."

More applause and Damien saw an older man stand up at a table near the opposite end of the stage. He turned and waved a hand at the crowd as everyone raised their glasses to him.

"I hope you all enjoy yourselves tonight. Dinner will be served in a few minutes and there will be music and dancing later. Thank you again."

There was another smattering of applause as he stepped down and Damien turned back to the table in time to see James shake his head.

"Not a word of thanks to his own bloody staff for all the work they did to get this party going."

Maria grimaced. "You were expecting something more?"

"He could have at least acknowledged Katherine's work in planning this whole thing."

"I don't mind." Katherine waved a hand. "I'm used to it."

"You did do a fantastic job, Kate." Allie leaned over and patted the woman's arm. "This place looks wonderful."

"To Katherine!" Ted held his drink aloft and everyone at their table toasted the events manager.

She blushed and thanked them as Ted leaned over to buss her cheek.

As promised, servers started appearing around the tables with the first course. The second course and main dishes followed with prompt service. Maria fell back into a quiet mood though Damien noticed she at least wasn't guzzling her wine.

As dessert was being cleared a while later, James straightened his tie and looked across to Maria. "Maria, you and I should do the rounds before the party gets too crazy."

Maria managed a weak smile but Damien thought she looked sick at the prospect. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No," she said in a flat tone, almost before he'd stopped asking.

He sat back, surprised at her tone.

She reached out as if to touch him and shook her head. "It's fine. I'll be fine."

James came around and offered her his elbow. Maria took his arm and they moved away to start speaking to guests at other tables.

Damien watched as they walked and saw the way she tensed around each group of people. He didn't know what he'd done wrong tonight but he didn't like the way she was acting. If she didn't like the fact that he was a bar owner and a former hockey player, she should have bloody well said something before letting things get this far.

Did she think he couldn't handle evenings like this? Was she afraid he'd break a glass on a table and brandish it at someone in a fit of rage?

With a sigh, he turned and picked up his glass of wine. She'd be back eventually when she was done networking with people she wasn't ashamed of.

****

Maria couldn't take much more of this. She felt so nervous, she was afraid she'd turn away and trip on her own feet. James seemed to sense her unease and kept her hand on his arm to brace her.

"We've had very high numbers of reservations this spring so far," James was saying to Martin Masterson, manager of the Watford hotel in Halifax. "I expect they'll stay up through the summer. At least, I hope they will."

"I'm sure they will," Martin replied. "You have the benefit of some popular tourist attractions only a stones throw from your doorstep."

"And I have a stellar team. They always keep every guest satisfied. Isn't that right, Maria?"

Maria looked over and nodded with a smile. She'd figured out after the last table that it was better if she didn't speak at all, unless it was a simple 'yes' or 'no'.

Their conversation with Martin turned to more neutral topics like the weather and the waning Stanley Cup playoffs.

"Maria here was lucky enough to get to a game while the Leafs were still in it."

Martin smiled at her. "Lucky indeed. Tickets were hard to come by."

She nodded. "That's putting it mildly. I believe they all sold out in minutes." There, she'd said two complete sentences without fainting.

"Must have been a good time."

"It was."

"Maria's date tonight is a Leafs alum. Damien Walker."

"Ah, you had the inside track." Martin lifted his glass. "That's the way to go."

Maria nodded with a weak smile, reminded that she'd all but abandoned Damien back at their table. She wondered how he was doing and if he was bored out of his mind yet. Someone else approached them and she extracted her hand from James' arm.

"I'm going to go back and see how Damien and the others are doing."

James nodded and lowered his voice when he spoke. "Tell Allie to come rescue me in fifteen minutes."

Maria smiled. "Sure thing."

She wove her way through the crowd and spotted Damien standing near their table, chatting with a man and woman she knew from the board of directors. He looked at ease, cracking a joke and making the other two laugh. She froze, reminded yet again of how she didn't have his casual demeanor with people like these.

I need a drink. She turned from him and aimed herself for the bar instead. She didn't make it five feet before Rick intercepted her.

"Hello, Maria."

"Rick."

He leered at her, his eyes dragging over her entire appearance. Crossing her arms over her chest, Maria shot him a dirty look. What had she ever seen in him?

"Where's your boyfriend?"

"He's talking to Roy Marshall and Jane Carver."

Rick's eyes widened and he turned in a slow circle until he spotted them. "I'm impressed. He's got better social skills than I would have thought."

Maria scowled. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's with you."

"So?"

Rick took a sip of his drink, his gaze mocking. She wanted to punch him or knee him in the balls or something.

"We both know this kind of event isn't your thing."

It was the truth but for whatever reason, Maria still felt stung by his observation. "For your information, James and I were just speaking with Martin Masterson."

"That old blowhard?" Rick scoffed. "A monkey could hold a conversation with him."

God, she was never going to win. She needed to get the hell away from him. "Whatever, Rick. I have to go."

"Yeah, have another drink. That should help."

Maria bristled. She'd had enough of him. Keeping her voice low, she took a step towards him, gesturing with one hand at his drink. "It seems to help you make an even bigger ass of yourself. And not that it's any of your business, but I was headed for the ladies, not the bar. So you can take a flying leap off the CN Tower for all I care."

He seemed taken aback by her outburst. She didn't spare him another look as she spun on her heel and stalked towards the ladies room, a drink the last thing on her mind now. She took her time in there, letting her blood pressure come down. Katherine came in and chatted with her for a few minutes and by then, Maria felt like she could face the crowd again.

She walked out and almost ran into Damien. "Damien. Hi."

"Hi, yourself." He smiled at her but she could see it didn't reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry I ditched you for so long."

"It's fine. Where's James?"

Maria glanced around and shrugged. "I'm not sure. I was headed back to our table while he was talking to a couple other managers."

"I saw you chatting with Rick."

She felt heat creep up her face and hated it. "We weren't exactly chatting."

"No?"

She shook her head. "No."

Damien looked like he wanted to ask her more about it but didn't. Maria was grateful. She didn't want to rehash what they'd said to each other.

While they stood there, staring at each other in silence, the band struck up a new song, a slower one.

Damien let out a breath and smiled. "Would you like to dance?"

Maria was so surprised by his offer that she laughed. "Dance? You told me once that you wouldn't dance with me."

"That was then. Would you like to now?"

Maria gazed around the room. There were so many people there still, big, important people and she didn't think she could manage it without tripping them both up. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Damien stiffened, his smile disappearing. "Why?"

"I just don't. Can we go back to our table, please?"

"Our table with the people you don't mind showing me off to."

Maria gaped. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on, Maria. You've been acting strange all night. Don't tell me it's because you were nervous to see Rick."

"It wasn't the only reason-"

"You didn't want to bring me tonight, did you?"

"Damien, of course I did. Who else would I bring?" She didn't know where this was coming from but he was blowing everything way out of proportion.

"I don't know. Some club owner you'd be proud of escorting you around all these snooty hoteliers."

"What? Damien, no, that's not-"

"Please don't treat me like an idiot, Maria."

Maria felt like crying. She looked around, praying no one was overhearing this conversation. Damien followed her glance and made a noise in his throat. He took hold of her arm and led her out into the hotel lobby. There were other guests around but they moved off to a quiet alcove that wasn't noticeable from the main lobby or the ballroom.

"Why did you ever ask me to this thing?" Damien dropped his hold on her arm and turned so they were face-to-face.

Maria was tired of feeling like the victim. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked up at him. "I didn't ask you. You just assumed you'd attend with me."

He drew back as if she'd shoved him. "You really didn't want me to come with you?"

"I didn't say that. You're twisting everything around, Damien."

"Then what's going on. Tell me, because so far tonight, you've been lying about my bar, playing up my short-lived hockey career and ordering me to stay like a dog while you go off chatting up the stuffed shirts in there."

Maria's jaw dropped. Is that what he thought she'd been doing? "Damien, I-"

"I mean, a club owner? What's so much better about that then owning a sports bar?" He was frowning now and his tone was clipped. "Did you come in to The Sin Bin that night to drink away your sorrows and then not know how to tell me to get lost?"

Maria tried to interject but Damien was too upset. She felt tears threatening again and sucked in a deep breath to hold them back. She couldn't lose it at her own hotel in front of colleagues and executives on top of everything else.

"What are we doing here, Maria?"

"I..." She started but her voice caught. She paused and shook her head. "Damian, I'm sorry." It was feeble but she was at a total loss. She'd ruined everything and now Damien was furious with her.

"You're sorry for what? Bringing me tonight?"

She shook her head again and tried to think of something to say to make this better.

"Or sorry for ever going home with me that night?"

She still couldn't speak. Damien didn't take her silence well. His expression darkened.

"I can't believe this. All this time you've thought I'm nothing but a sleazy bar owner with no class, haven't you?"

"No! I never did."

"Don't lie to me, Maria."

She wasn't lying but she couldn't make her brain work to get her point across and Damien was getting angrier and angrier.

He made a chopping motion with one hand. "Just forget it. I'll leave and you can go back in there and impress everyone without having to worry about your pity-case boyfriend."

"Damien, please-"

"Enough, Maria. Just... enough. OK?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You can take a cab home tonight. I'm sure there'll be dozens outside."

Without another word, he walked away from her. Maria watched him go, her heart in her throat. Her mind was reeling. She had no idea what had just happened. She didn't know how long she stood there, staring at the front entrance but Allie found her in a little while.

"Maria, there you are." She came over and took Maria's arm. "James wants to get a picture of everyone together for his office."

"Oh, all right." Maria went with her in a daze.

"Where's Damien?"

I think he just dumped me and I might never see him again. She swallowed hard and blinked a few times, keeping her emotions at bay. Clearing her throat, she met Allie's curious gaze. "He had an emergency come up and he had to go."

"Oh dear, I hope it was nothing too serious."

Maria shook her head. "Something at his bar, I think."

"OK. James and I can drive you home if you like."

"Yes, thank you. I'd appreciate that."

Allie nodded and led her over to where James stood with Ted and Katherine. They grouped together and asked another guest to snap their picture. Maria managed a smile and somehow concealed her inner turmoil for the rest of the night.

She was still in shock over what happened when Rick approached her yet again.

"Where's your boyfriend?"

"He had an emergency and had to go." She'd given the response a half a dozen times already.

"Too bad. I was going to ask if he wanted a job in our lounge."

Maria narrowed her eyes at him. "Why? He owns a bar."

"Oh please, Maria. No way would a real business owner waste his time with you. I'm sure he works in a bar but there's no way he's the owner."

Something inside Maria snapped at his words. She couldn't take any more of his condescending attitude and the way he looked down at everyone, including the man she loved. As the realization dawned on her, she felt her worries lift and she gave Rick a fierce smile.

What did she care what he thought of her? What did she care what any of these people thought of her? She was a smart, kind and accomplished individual. She didn't need the approval of anyone but herself and all this time, she hadn't known that. Now that she did, she felt free.

"Richard. You are a useless flap of skin and I don't have time for someone like you in my life."

He was speechless, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, and Maria felt even better. Maybe she shouldn't be mouthing off like this to a man who was essentially her boss but she didn't care.

"If you'll excuse me, there are still some guests I should speak to. You might want to shut your damn mouth and keep it that way or else someone might realize what a dumbass you are."

She turned to walk away but paused and threw him another glance over her shoulder. "And don't come near me again tonight or I'll break something. Understand?"

She didn't wait to see if he did. She walked away and headed for a group of investors she recognized from her earlier rounds with James. She reintroduced herself and smiled and spoke with them without any stammering or tripping.

For the rest of the night, she spoke with people, her friends and executives alike. She did encounter Rick again but ignored him altogether when she stopped by his family's table to thank his father for the wonderful party. She was pretty sure Richard Watford II didn't know who she was but he was all class and shook her hand when she offered it.

James and Allie found her later in the evening chatting up Jane Carver near the bar. Jane was a brilliant woman and Maria discovered she had a wicked sense of humor. Maria wished they could have spent more time together that night.

"Are you ready to go, Maria?" Allie asked as they approached her.

"Sure, if you are. I won't keep you here all night." She turned back to Jane and shook her hand. "Thank you for the chat, Jane."

"Same to you, Maria. Here's my card. Call me if you'd like to explore some options beyond the concierge desk."

Maria hadn't been expecting that but she nodded and thanked her again as she took the card. They said goodnight and Maria went with James and Allie to the front entrance. As they stood on the sidewalk, waiting for the valet to bring their car around, Maria wrapped her shawl around her shoulders. There was a chill in the air, or maybe it was just that she knew what she had to do now and the fresh nerves made her shiver.

The car rolled up and James and the valet held the doors open for Allie and Maria. Once inside, James asked for directions to Maria's place.

"Actually, could you take me to Damien's bar?" She didn't know why she knew he'd be there but she had a feeling.

"Sure. Where is that?"

She gave him directions and sat back, twisting her fingers together on her lap as she considered what she'd say to make it up to Damien. That was, if he'd even talk to her. She might have screwed up so bad that he wouldn't even do that.

James pulled up in front of The Sin Bin a few minutes later. "Do you want us to wait? It looks closed."

Maria shook her head. "It's fine, James. If the door's locked." She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her door. "Thank you for the lift. I'll see you on Monday."

"Good night, Maria," the married couple chorused as she clambered out of the car and hurried across the sidewalk to the bar.

She tested the door and let out a sigh of relief as it opened. She turned to wave at James and Allie before going in, letting the heavy wooden door drop closed with a thud. There were no customers in the bar, which wasn't a surprise since it was closing in five minutes. But Maria's heart skipped a beat when she saw Damien sitting at the bar, nursing a bottle of beer. His tie was hanging loose around his neck and his shirt was unbuttoned at the top.

"We're closed," he said without looking over. His eyes were on the TV over the bar, showing the sports highlights from the day.

"Maybe you can make an exception."

He spun around on his stool, his face registering momentary surprise before he frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Maria walked across the bar towards him. "I needed to see you and explain myself."

He shrugged. "There's no need to explain. I understand exactly what happened."

Maria tried to take hold of his hand but he stood up and brushed past her. She watched him, her heart pounding, as he crossed the bar to lock the front doors. "You don't understand. I messed up, Damien, but it isn't what you think."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Maria. I'm tired and I've got to close up." He made to walk past her again to the back rooms but paused and scowled in her direction. "How did you get here?"

"James and Allie dropped me off."

"Are they still here?"

She shook her head. Damien let out a noisy sigh and rubbed his forehead. "I'll call you a cab."

"No, Damien. Please, you have to let me explain."

"Why? So you can tell me again how you were using me to get your rocks off and thumb your nose at Rick?"

"No!" Maria took a step towards him, her outburst silencing him. "That's not it at all. I got drunk that first night because I was upset that Rick had dumped me but that's all. I went home with you because I was attracted to you and I kept seeing you because I liked you."