Forbidden Love

by Phillips, Laura

  “When I was right there?” Madison guessed.

  “Yeah... It’s none of my business though,” Kacey quickly added.

  “Well, like I said, we were both just in a bit of a rut and ended up together. It’s nothing serious enough for me to be jealous over.”

  Madison glanced over at Kacey to see her reaction and even in the moonlight, she could see Kacey’s lips tugging into the slightest smile, like she was trying to suppress it.

  So maybe I’m not reading into this after all...

  Madison had thought they’d had fun on the dance floor, but she hadn’t seen Kacey for the rest of the night, and now she knew why. She was the bride’s daughter so, of course, she wanted to keep everything running smoothly. Madison had wanted to introduce herself, and at the very least find out her name and who she was, but that had happened naturally when Kacey had been talking to Ashley at the bar.

  Their eyes had met before Madison had even joined Ashley and Kacey on the other side of the bar, but Madison didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t flirt with her. This woman knew she was Ashley’s girlfriend. It was just a ridiculous situation that Madison couldn’t believe she’d put herself in.

  Kacey was probably too young for her. She looked like she was in her mid-twenties, and the closer that Madison got to turning forty, the more she worried about having a midlife crisis. She’d seen some of her colleagues do crazy things when they reached that age, almost like they were rebelling against the fact that they were getting older.

  Madison didn’t want to be another victim to that mentality, but she couldn’t help feeling drawn to Kacey. She had since she’d appeared at her side on the dance floor, but Madison knew that all the alcohol she drank today probably had something to do with this. She’d made a conscious decision not to overdo it, but it had been a long day and a glass of champagne here and a glass of white wine there had all added up. She was past the point of tipsy, and if she wasn’t careful, Madison knew she might do something she’d regret in the morning.

  “Ashley could be a bit more respectful though,” Kacey said. “I didn’t think she’d do something like that.”

  “Flirt with other women?”

  “Yeah...”

  “She’s probably going to leave with that woman too.”

  “That doesn’t bother you?” Kacey asked as she stopped walking and turned to face her.

  Madison met her eyes. She didn’t know how to save this awkward situation. If she said that she didn’t care, what did that say about her own self-worth and how she thought about herself? If she said that it did bother her, then she was letting Kacey know that she had feelings for Ashley which she definitely didn’t.

  “Have you ever made a mistake and on more than one occasion you had the chance to stop it? But it just kept going, one little thing here, one bad decision there...”

  Kacey nodded. “Of course.”

  “Well that’s what happened with Ashley. I knew we shouldn’t have started dating, but we did... Then I knew I should have ended it, but I didn’t. This wedding was coming up... And well... Here we are. At least Ashley feels the same way,” Madison said with a soft laugh. “I won’t be breaking her heart or anything when I tell her that we should call it off, but I still feel guilty...” Madison’s voice trailed away as she realized what she’d just said.

  “Why do you feel guilty?” Kacey asked. “She’s the one flirting with other women. You have no reason to feel bad.”

  Madison sighed, darting her eyes away from Kacey’s to look out across the ocean as another wave broke in the distance. It was now or never.

  “I’m feeling guilty, because I’ve been thinking about doing this all night,” Madison said softly as she lightly cupped Kacey’s cheek and leaned in, brushing her lips across Kacey’s in what she’d intended to be a brief kiss. She didn’t know if Kacey would pull away or be put off, but Kacey’s lips parted against hers, deepening the kiss as her hands moved to Madison’s waist, pulling her closer.

  Madison’s body tingled as their bodies pressed together, her other hand resting on Kacey’s shoulder, sliding down her bare arm until Kacey’s hand found hers, interlacing their fingers as Kacey’s tongue searched out her own. Kacey tasted of champagne, and her perfume surrounded her as Kacey kissed her back.

  Madison wondered if she was dreaming. She couldn’t remember the last time something like this had happened, where she saw a woman she was attracted to and actually did something about it. The fact that they had sand between their toes, the sounds of the ocean behind them, and the music from the reception in the background led Madison to believe that she’d wake up from this fantasy at any moment.

  Madison sighed when Kacey’s tongue grazed her own, and she smiled against her lips as she pulled away, brushing a few strands of her hair away from her face. This was very real.

  The look on Kacey’s face almost melted Madison. Kacey’s hands were still on Madison’s waist, and Madison wouldn’t be surprised if that was the only thing keeping her upright. Kacey’s cheeks were flushed, and Madison knew her kiss had taken her by surprise.

  Neither of them said a word, but Madison knew Kacey had enjoyed that just as much as she had. Her breathing was shallow, and her eyes were full of desire as they flickered down to Madison’s lips, her hands falling away from Madison’s hips.

  “So, you don’t think I should feel guilty about wanting to do that?” Madison asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

  I can’t believe I just did that. She’s at least ten if not fifteen years younger than me...

  “I uh...,” Kacey started, her fingertips lightly running across her lips. “I’m not sure what to think,” she said, finally meeting Madison’s gaze.

  “Should I not have...?”

  “No. I mean, yes. I-”

  Madison couldn’t keep herself from laughing. “Sorry, I’m not laughing at you... You’re just... Incredibly cute,” Madison said, hoping that she hadn’t offended her.

  “Thanks, I think... And I might have been thinking about kissing you too,” Kacey confessed. “For the record...”

  “Really?”

  Kacey reached up to brush a piece of Madison’s hair away from her eyes, and Madison swallowed at the intimate touch as her hand fell.

  “Yes,” Kacey said with a seductive smile. “You must have known that though, otherwise you wouldn’t have been so sure of yourself.”

  “I don’t know about that...”

  Madison felt her heart beat a little faster in her chest. When did she lose control of this situation?

  “That smile you gave me on the dance floor,” Kacey said with a smirk. “I saw the way you looked at me...”

  “Okay,” Madison said, lifting her hands in mock defeat. “But I’m sure it wasn’t an accident that you ended up in front of me for that conga line.”

  Kacey opened her mouth but quickly shut it again. “I won’t lie. Yes... I did get in front of you...with a certain intention... But I wanted to talk to you after that...”

  “And here we are,” Madison said. “Talking... Unless you’re tired of talking to me. We can go back inside if you want.” Madison couldn’t quite read her expression.

  “I wouldn’t say that I’m tired of talking to you,” Kacey said, her eyes flickering down to Madison’s lips again. “I just think there’s better things we could be doing.”

  Madison was about to reply with some smart comment, but Kacey’s lips were already on hers, soft and without the cautiousness of their first kiss. Madison slid her arm around her, pulling her in, while Kacey’s hands were more daring this time too. One rested on her neck, sliding into her hair as Madison deepened the kiss, while her other hand started on her hip, gradually moving upwards before resting her palm in the middle of her bare shoulder blades.

  Madison moaned softly as their tongues found each other in a slow, sensual dance that left Madison weak at the knees.

  She was ready to go home thinking that tonight was one of the best wed
dings she’d been to despite the charade she was playing with Ashley, but then this happened, and Madison didn’t know what she’d do when she woke up tomorrow.

  This could either be the start of something very interesting or a huge mistake, and Madison had no idea which one it was going to be.

  Chapter 7

  Kacey fell into the stream of people leaving the lecture hall, feeling like a pickpocket trying to blend in with the crowd after they’d gotten what they were looking for. She couldn’t bump into Madison on campus. That would be a complete disaster after what happened Saturday night on the beach.

  When they returned to the reception, and Ashley was nowhere to be found, Madison asked her for her number. Kacey was still in a daze at that point, between the flirting and the kissing... And now Madison Malone’s number was in her phone.

  They’d shared a cab back into Tampa, and it had been on the tip of Kacey’s tongue, but she just couldn’t say it. How would she even have phrased it?

  So... I probably should have mentioned this before when you were asking me about my family’s restaurant, but I’m actually still a student, and I’m in your Social Psychology class.

  There was just no good way to say it.

  Madison, I had a great time tonight, but I just thought you should know... I’m one of your students.

  Kacey shook her head as she pushed those thoughts away. She needed to be alert. If she saw Madison on campus, she promised herself to turn and walk in the opposite direction.

  When they’d pulled up outside Kacey’s apartment building, Madison had kissed her goodnight, and Kacey had no reason to think that they wouldn’t go on a date or see each other again. If Kacey even mentioned that she was a student, it might be enough of a turn off to end things before they even started, never mind the fact that Kacey was actually her student.

  Kacey hated lying. It was something she rarely did, but this was an exceptional situation. The woman she’d been crushing on since she first set foot on this campus had kissed her. What was she supposed to do? Tell her the truth and never see her again?

  But what if this keeps going... and we... We sleep together...

  Would I get Madison in trouble?

  Kacey made a mental note to try and find the college’s guidelines online or in her very full college email inbox. There had to be something written down somewhere explaining what was and wasn’t allowed to happen between students and teachers.

  They were two consenting adults. Kacey found it hard to believe that it would be an issue, but then she thought about the paper she just turned in and the finals she’d have before she graduated. Madison would be correcting those, and if her opinion was in any way influenced by whatever was going on between them...

  Shit...

  Chapter 8

  Madison hadn’t seen Ashley since the wedding Saturday night, and she knew she always worked on a Monday night, so she stopped by The Beach House on her way home from college. She knew Elizabeth Jennings wouldn’t be there. She was going on her honeymoon, but Madison didn’t know what she’d do if she ever ran into her, not that Madison knew her. She’d just kissed her daughter...

  What if she’s younger than I think she is? Ten years isn’t great, but if Kacey was only in her early twenties...

  “Are you stalking me?” Ashley asked as she thanked the waitress for letting her know that she had a visitor.

  “No. Definitely not. Look, we need to talk.”

  “I know. I’m finished up in a few minutes. Why don’t you grab a drink over at the bar, and I’ll join you?”

  “Okay.”

  Madison weaved her way through the rustic wooden tables, almost everyone taken, until she reached the bar that was in a smaller room, tucked in the back, away from the main dining area. There were a few tables, but only one of them was occupied with a group of women sharing a bottle of wine. Madison got comfortable on one of the bar stools, leaving her bag on one of the hooks beside her leg.

  Madison had started coming here since she met Ashley a few years ago, and she’d always thought that they’d done a good job with the decor. The place had a very beachy feel, but it somehow wasn’t overdone either. There were ropes and fish netting dotted around the restaurant and bar area, and signs throughout like the one hanging behind the bar:

  The beach fixes everything.

  Madison ordered herself a glass of white wine, and Ashley showed up just as she paid the bartender, pulling out a stool and sitting down beside her.

  “So,” Ashley said with a smile as she gave the bartender a nod, and he returned with a bottle of beer a few seconds later. “Saturday night was successful.”

  “Yeah, about that... I’m officially dumping you.”

  “What? But it worked! I was right. I got more attention that night than I have in months, and it was at a straight wedding, not a gay bar.”

  “Maybe it was just the change of scenery,” Madison said, taking a sip of her wine. “I don’t care what the reason was, because it’s not happening again. The next time we got out together, we’re friends and that’s it.”

  “Madison... It worked for you too, or did I read into whatever happened with Kacey?”

  “I had to make up a story about how we weren’t really serious to explain why I didn’t care about you dancing with all those women... I like her, Ash, and I hate that I had to lie to her.”

  “Really? I mean, Kacey’s great, but I would’ve thought she was too young for you,” Ashley said as she took another drink.

  “Do you know how old she is?” Madison asked, reaching for her wine glass, not really sure if she wanted to know the answer.

  Ashley smirked, doing her best not to laugh at her. “I believe you said very recently that you didn’t have to worry about being a cougar...”

  “No, Ashley. Don’t tell me she’s... Twenty-three?” she asked with a wince.

  “Close.”

  “Just tell me.”

  “I’m nearly certain that she’s twenty-five.”

  Madison closed her eyes and took another drink. She’d been thinking about sending Kacey a message all day, but she said she’d leave it until at least tonight and maybe even later in the week. She didn’t want to look desperate, and now she was wondering if she needed to forget about her altogether.

  This can’t be happening...

  This was the first time in a very long time that she’d felt like she’d had a connection with someone. She knew they’d only just met, but it was nice to have that chemistry, that attraction right away. It was easy with Kacey, and Madison knew she could be deluding herself. They’d both been drinking. There was every chance that if they went on a date this week, they’d struggle to find something in common to talk about, but Madison preferred to stay positive, that is until she’d gotten this new piece of information.

  “Twenty-five?” Madison managed to ask.

  Ashley nodded. “Yeah. I started working here when she was planning her twenty-first birthday party. Well, Elizabeth was. I’m not sure how crazy about the idea Kacey was, but Elizabeth wanted to have a night with their extended family and friends here. I’ve been working here a little over four years so...”

  “She’s twenty-five,” Madison said, running the tip of her finger along the rim of her glass. “Right.”

  “Nothing wrong with being a cougar,” Ashley offered.

  “Would you date someone fourteen, almost fifteen years younger than you?”

  Ashley thought about it for a few seconds. “In theory... No. But I could see myself making an exception for someone special.”

  Madison shook her head. “Maybe I’m not supposed to meet someone.”

  “Did you get her number, or do you want me to get it for you?”

  “I have it... I don’t know if I should use it though.”

  “Because she’s twenty-five? Madison just go for it. You really shouldn’t be single.”

  “Neither should you. How did your night go? I didn’t see you leave.”

  “It
went very well, if you must know...”

  “What’s her name?” Madison asked, not wanting to talk about Kacey anymore.

  “Sam.”

  “And are you going to see her again?”

  “I think so... Yeah. I have her number, and I’m off this weekend.”

  “Does she think you have a girlfriend?” Madison asked.

  “No... I said you were just my plus one for the wedding.”

  “Wait, what? You told her... Never mind,” Madison said, knocking back what was left in her wine glass.

  “Are you mad at me?”

  “No,” Madison said as she stood up and slung her handbag over her shoulder. “I have an early start tomorrow, so I should get going.”

  “Okay... I’ll call you.”

  “Night,” Madison called over her shoulder. She couldn’t believe Ashley came up with this elaborate story only to toss it to the side when it came time to use it, and she’d been the one left looking like a fool.

  Madison was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t see the door on her left opening, the edge of the solid pine door hitting her just above her left eye, and she staggered to the right, only staying upright because there was a table for her to stumble into. Madison slammed her eyes shut as she lifted her hand to her forehead, gingerly touching the spot where she thought the pain was coming from.

  “Oh my God!”

  Madison recognized the voice even in her dazed state.

  “I’m so sorry,” Kacey breathed, her hands on Madison’s forearms, easing her into one of the seats beside the table she’d toppled in to.

  “It’s okay,” Madison said, easing her eyes open as she tried to blink away the pain. Blood... Madison pressed her fingertips back to the cut, but she couldn’t keep it there. It hurt too much.

  Kacey fished a tissue out of her pocket, and very carefully pressed it to her forehead, just above her left eyebrow. “Are you dizzy?” she asked softly.