Sins of the Past by Keyonna Davis Page A

for the man, her panties still dampened when Cole walked into the room. You’re with Jacob so get over it. You aren’t like your mom. She had been telling herself that over and over but it didn’t seem to be sinking in. Maybe the town had been right about her all along. Maybe she was just a late bloomer and she really was going to turn out just like her mother.
    “Where’s Jacob? How come you aren’t with him?” Lorna looked over her shoulder and quickly looked away when she saw how close the move put her mouth to his. Her mouth watered at the thought of tasting his lips.
    Cole chuckled as if he knew what his nearness was doing to her before moving away. “He had a doctor’s appointment today. I got bored so I figured I would come down and see your shop, then take you to lunch.”
    “I’m actually done here for the day.” She looked down at the sweaty clothes that clung to her. “I need to go shower and change first though.”
    “Do you want me to follow you home, or should I just meet you somewhere?”
    “I actually have a change of clothes here. Uncle John had a small shower installed in the back a few years before he died, so if you don’t mind waiting in the heat for a few minutes, I can run and get changed and we can walk from here.”
    Cole nodded and after Lorna replaced her tools, she headed to the back. As she peeled her sticky clothes off, she was aware that there was only a thin door separating her naked body from Cole’s view. She was turned on and conflicted at the same time by the thought. Jacob was someone that for the first time, she saw herself spending the rest of her life with. Then Cole came along and not only did she find herself attracted to the man, she couldn’t picture her life without him or Jacob in it. She wanted them both.
    Lorna growled and turned the shower on. Even though it was hot outside, she set the temperature of the water as hot as she could stand it, needing the heat to soothe her tense muscles and take away a little of her stress. She knew where the tension came from. Deep down, she was scared she was turning into her mother. The bad thing about the situation was that she thought she was worse than her mother. As much as her mom had cheated and slept around, Lorna didn’t think the woman had ever been with two guys at the same time. At least not that she knew of.
    That’s what Lorna wanted, though. She couldn’t stop picturing her, Jacob, and Cole. The three of them writhing in bed naked together. Despite the heat, a shiver went up her spine at the thought playing over and over in her head. “Snap out of it,” she told herself. “The difference between you and mom is that you can control yourself. You can resist.”
    Giving herself a mental pep talk, she repeated the words to herself over and over again as she finished her shower. Once dressed, she marched out of the small shower area with new determination. She would only think of Cole as a friend and nothing more. She had Jacob, and that was more than enough for her.
    “You ready to go?” she asked Cole. The man nodded and grinned at her before throwing his arm over her shoulder and leading her out the door. The short walk to the diner was spent with her playing tour guide. Lorna pointed out the various stores and explained who several people were that they spotted out on the streets.
    By the time they got to the diner Lorna’s spirits had lifted. She congratulated herself on placing Cole firmly in the friend category, but her good mood vanished at the sudden silence when they entered.
    Cole leaned over and whispered out of the side of his mouth. “You certainly know how to get attention when you walk into a room.”
    Lorna snorted. “This is nothing. You should have seen what happened that last time I stepped inside the church.” When he arched an eyebrow and stared at her, she continued. “Let’s just say that I’m no longer allowed to set foot on any holy ground in this town.”
    Cole threw his head