Page 2 of Tempted By Sin

But seeing my mom was important. I would do anything for her, even brave the freezing temperatures.

The parking lot is almost empty as I trudge toward my car, my arms wrapped tightly around my chest to create some warmth. When I arrived after work, the lot was jam-packed with cars, forcing me to park at the very back in one of the last free spaces. While it is annoying having to walk so far to the front doors, I am grateful for the moments of silence it gave me before having to face Dr. Barney. But now I’m just cold, tired, and ready to get home.

When my car comes into my line of sight, a cold shiver races down my spine, stopping me in my tracks. The shiver isn’t caused by the wind and snowflakes lashing across my skin. No, that kind of shiver is caused by unwanted eyes watching from the shadows. Stalking, even. The kind of stare that makes a person’s entire body freeze with fear.

My heart hammers harshly against my rib cage as my eyes slowly scan the parking lot. The area is mostly dark besides the few street lamps illuminating the large space. There are plenty of dark areas for someone to hide in, waiting for me to get close enough so they can snatch me up and steal me away without anyone noticing.

The thought sends another chill racing down my spine.

Without so much as thinking through my next movements, I take off running toward my car, not caring if the person watching me follows too. All I need to do is get to the safety of my car and lock the doors, shutting them out completely. It’s not much of a plan, nor is it a smart one, but it’s the only option I have. There is not a chance I’m going to risk staying out here with whoever is lurking around.

Blood rushes in my ears as I race toward my little black 2009 Nissan. The headlights flash at me as I use the key fob to unlock the car. My fingers shake as I yank the door handle harshly and slide into the comfort of the front seat. Within seconds, the locks slip into place, and silence settles over me.

Adrenaline coursing through my veins has my heart beating erratically. Scanning the parking lot, I don’t see any signs of movement. I frown, wondering if I had made up the feeling of someone watching me. But that doesn’t make sense because the shiver I felt down my spine has never failed me in dangerous or uncertain situations.

Just when I think I’m going crazy, ready to convince myself I dreamt up the entire scenario, my eye catches someone standing under the dim streetlamp across the parking lot. I squint in an attempt to get a better look at whoever it is I’m seeing. The outline appears to be that of a man, but he’s unmoving, his body as rigid as a statue. From where I’m sitting in my car, his face is covered by something, concealing his features. A mask, maybe?

“What the hell?” I murmur, unable to believe what I’m seeing. My heart races so fast I fear it might burst through my chest and land on my lap.

It’s when the man tilts his head to the side, his body facing my direction, that I realize this maniswatchingmeand not just an innocent person waiting for someone to come out of the hospital.

Oh,shit.

My fingers fumble the car keys in my hand, shaking so badly that my whole body begins to vibrate. With some effort, I slide the key in and twist, roaring the cold engine to life. I don’t bother waiting for the car to warm up before my foot presses down on the gas pedal, lurching my car forward.

I try not to look at the person watching me from across the lot, but curiosity gets the better of me. As I’m about to turn out of the exit lane and onto the main road, I catch sight of the mask covering his face, my blood running cold. The base of the mask is black with dark red crosses over the eyes and what appears to be stitching over the mouth, set into a wide, menacing grin.

Even as I speed out of the parking lot, my tires screeching as I go, I still feel his eyes piercing through my skin, my soul. Exhaling a shaky breath, I glance in the rearview mirror to see he’sstillwatching me.

CHAPTERTWO

Paetyn

My heart ratehasn’t slowed down since the incident in the parking lot. Even as I drive further away, leaving the man standing under the streetlamp in my rearview, my heart continues to pound painfully against my rib cage, pulsating in my ears.

Who was that man? And why did it feel as though his eyes were piercing through my soul from behind that mask?

The car rolls to a stop in the driveway, and for the first time in twenty minutes, I exhale sharply. My lungs burn from holding onto a breath I hadn’t managed to release, and I gasp for fresh air to fill my lungs. I close my eyes and drop my hands from the steering wheel. Images of the masked man flash in my mind, sending a cold shiver racing across my skin and down my spine.

Forget about it, Pae, I tell myself. Dwelling on the details of the incident isn’t going to change the fact that it happened. All I can do is be thankful that the man didn’t get close to me and that I’m home safe.

Now that my breathing has calmed down slightly, I grab my handbag and get out of the car. The night air is crisp against the exposed skin of my cheeks. However, I’m grateful for the chill because they were on fire the moment I got in the car and sped away.

As I approach the front door, the flickering lights from within the window indicate Liam is home. It’s odd because I’m usually home before him considering he spends a lot of late nights in the office as of late.

When I enter the house, I make sure to lock the door behind me as quickly as I can. The thought of that man somehow tracking me down and coming up from behind me only to snatch me away before I can alert Liam is not something I want to risk.

“Liam, I’m home,” I call out, my voice echoing across the foyer.

“In here,” he responds from the living room to my right. “I’m just watching TV.”

I kick off my shoes beside Liam’s haphazardly discarded leather loafers and walk over to the doorway to the living room. The house Liam bought before we got together has too many rooms for me to count, let alone clean in one day. When he invited me over after our first date, I was shocked to learn the house had three living areas, six bedrooms, and eight bathrooms. The kitchen was larger than the apartment I was living in at the time, and it even had a media room with recliners, a bar, and a popcorn and candy station. It was as if I had just walked into a movie theater and not a room in a normal house.

The home is beautiful, to say the least. It’s far beyond anything I ever saw myself living in, especially in a city like New York. But it’s far too big for two people. A house of this size would make sense for a large family, but Liam and I are nowhere near having kids right now. He does, however, enjoy showing off such an extravagant house to his friends and campaign sponsors whenever they’re invited over for dinner. Liam loves being the center of attention, and I must admit, he does shine under the spotlight. He was born for it.

Liam is sitting on the leather couch with his arm lying across the back of it and his ankle resting on his knee. When he notices my presence by the doorway, his gray eyes pull away from whatever is playing on the television to meet mine. He smiles, although it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. It wouldn’t be the first time.

“You’re home early,” I comment as I walk across the room toward him. When I reach him, I bend down to plant a kiss on his chaste lips. The stale scent of women’s perfume clings to the collar of his shirt. It’s faint but noticeable. It’s a scent I have grown used to smelling whenever my fiancé returns home most evenings.

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