by JB Duvane
The only problem is …
If I hate him so much, why can’t I stop thinking about him?
As I’m crawling out a window, making my escape from him …
Why am I so sad?
And why do I want so badly to feel his arms around me and his lips on mine?
Evan and Zoe both know there are rules about falling in love.
Unfortunately, their hearts don’t want to play by the rules.
Forbidden Love is a romantic suspense novella of 27k words, and includes an extended epilogue that was not previously published.
It is intended for adults and includes some dark scenes that may not be suitable for all readers.
Forbidden Games is the first book in any of the series to include crossover characters. The following characters (shown with their original books) make appearances in Forbidden Games:
Kyle Dexter from The Daddy Games (Games 1)
Brandon Lewis from Twisted Love (Twisted 1)
Max Devereaux from Dirty Daughter
An Unnamed Bellini from the She’s Mine series
Continue reading for a four-chapter excerpt from Twisted Love
Bonus Chapter of Twisted Love
Chapter One
Damon
I never thought I’d be back here. Ever.
Everything looked exactly the same as when I left ten years ago. Well, almost everything. The same brick hallway, the same foyer where I’d wait for the bell to ring, the long hallway that led into the gym. That prison where I’d spent so much time running penalty laps for lack of participation and teamwork. Lots of great memories.
The people, on the other hand, were different now. I didn’t recognize any of them and they certainly wouldn’t recognize me. Not much new there.
In high school I wasn't one of the popular crowd but that never bothered me. I had a very small, tight-knit group of friends, and that was it. I’d always preferred to be a loner and never did well around crowds, so as far as I was concerned, the fewer people around me the better.
That part of me changed a bit once I got older. Being the head of a multi-billion-dollar company tends to bring people out of their shells, for better or worse. Although I don’t know if anyone would consider making a speech in front of an elite crowd at a gala fundraiser as being the life of the party. Especially since, in the end, when the speeches were made and the tasks were delegated, I always found myself in the same place. Alone. Not that it bothered me in the least. I always preferred my own company over others who had nothing to say but said plenty anyway.
I made my way through the loud crowd of chattering voices and forced laughs. Most appeared to be couples; graduates of the class of ’07’ who had dragged their spouses along in order to have some company, and to show their former classmates that they had actually made something of themselves over the last ten years. There were also some outliers on the edge of the chatty groups; solo people who simply stood in place and used the glass in their hand to keep them company.
My eyes scanned the room, trying to place a face or even a laugh. There were some incredibly hot women scattered around and I wondered if they were some of my classmates that had bloomed into curvy babes, or if they were trophy wives here with their husbands. I didn't want any of them to think I was staring, though. None of them were really my type. I was really just trying to see if I could put a name to any of their faces.
No use.
Perhaps that was for the best. I wanted to keep a low profile while I was here. No one knew a thing about my financial situation or the tech start up that had made me my billions, and I planned to keep it that way. When I’d moved out of town after high school, I didn’t tell a single one of my old friends where I was going or what my plans were. I’d wanted a fresh slate and that’s what I got. I made absolutely sure my two worlds were kept as separate as was humanly possible.
"Damon.”
A hand flashed above the crowd. I squeezed through, already knowing whose voice it was.
Kent had been one of my closest friends throughout my junior and senior year. One of my only friends, really. I’d been hoping he would show up and I gave him a big bear hug with a slap on the back. “It’s good to see you, man. How long have you been here?”
“We just walked in. We’re waiting at that table over there until they open up the gym.”
“We?” I asked. “You’re not still with—“
“Yep. Jessica and I have been married since the summer after we all graduated. Two kids and a house with a pool and everything.”
“Wow, sounds sickeningly domestic,” I said with a laugh. I was only partly joking, though. I had to admit it did sound nice in a way. I’d been wanting to settle down a bit for a while. I’d grown tired of the faceless stream of women parading through my bedroom night after night. I didn’t necessarily want a house and kids, but something a little more stable. Something real.
Kent swung his arm over my shoulder and led me to their group. Jessica, a gorgeous blonde with a small ass and big tits, smiled at both of us when we reached the table. As much as I tried not to be too obvious, a hot body was always one of the first things I noticed in a woman.
There was another couple at the table too. I figured they must have been in their circle of friends from back in the day because they didn’t look even remotely familiar to me. Like in high school, the cliques were always impossible to get away from.
“It's really good to see you, Damon. Surprised you showed up,” Kent said as he gave me a slap on the back. He introduced me to the rest of the group, but before long, my eyes were darting around the room again.
"You look lost, Damon," Jessica said.
"I am lost. Who are all these people? You’re the first ones here that I’ve recognized, or that seem to have recognized me.“
"I have no idea," Kent said.
"Lots of faces. I feel like I should know the names of some,” I said. “But then again . . .”
“But then again, you never said a goddamned word to ninety-nine percent of our graduating class. I was a hell of a lot more outgoing than you were and I barely know any of these people.” Kent scanned the room again while pushing his hand through his hair. “They better have beer here. That's all I'm worried about."
"They have to have a bar in there,” Jessica said.
Kent grinned at me and gave me an elbow in the side. "Might have to go back and steal some from my parents’ house if they don’t. Like in the good old days, huh? Getting our hands on some alcohol was always an adventure. Now it’s just a walk to the bar. I have to admit it’s lost a little of its charm.”
“I don’t know about that,” I laughed. I still had my sights on the crowd, searching the faces and trying to find the one person that might make coming to this reunion the right decision. I’d gone back and forth over whether or not I’d attend the thing since the invitation came in the mail to my parents’ house over a month ago. When I made it out, part of me wanted to never set foot back in this town or see any of these people again, but another part of me was curious. I wanted to know if she would be here.
Kent told me about his job and their kids and the life he’d made for himself since graduating. But luckily he didn’t go on and on about himself. He seemed to want to know more about me too. We used to be good friends. If I had time, I’d really like to meet up with Kent and Jessica after all of this was over. It would be nice to catch up and spend time with someone other than yes men and investors. I’d have to avoid certain questions but it would be worth it.
Jessica gave me a knowing smile. ”Hey, see anyone you remember yet? Now’s your chance to go for what you missed out on in high school."
"Right,” I said begrudgingly. I hated that she or anyone knew about my childhood crush. Although calling it a childhood crush wasn’t even true. I was a man now and there were times when I still couldn’t get those beautiful eyes of hers out of my mind.
“Don’t tell me you’re single, Damon,” she said, knowing I was uncomfor
table but seeming to enjoy tormenting me. “It doesn’t look like you brought anyone with you.”
I shifted from one foot to the other, the old feelings of wanting to duck out of the room just to get away from any kind of questions flooding over me. “No, there’s no one special. What about that drink?” I asked, looking around the room again. “Think they have anything set up out here?”
“Look at him,” Jessica joked with an elbow to Kent’s side. “He’s trying to change the subject.”
I laughed and looked around the room some more, hoping they would get off the subject. But it didn’t look like they were going to give up that easy.
"See her out there?" Kent asked. “Your old crush, what was her name again?” He and Jessica were clearly enjoying torturing me.
"Oh come on you guys, you know I was too cool for crushes,” I said.
"Yeah, you were a real rebel, Damon … a loner.” Kent joked. “I’ll tell ya, though. I don't think you’ll have any problems picking someone up now, even an old crush. You really cleaned yourself up.”
I gave Kent an exaggerated glare. I wasn’t thrilled with the direction this conversation had taken, or the fact that I had become the butt of their jokes, but what could I expect? I’d been in love with Amber since the third grade and they both knew it. The day she hung upside down on the jungle gym and I saw her panties in all their glory was the day she won my pervy little heart. And she never had a clue.
Every day during recess I would hang around in the general vicinity of her and her friends just to catch another glimpse. Even at that age I knew what I was doing was a little messed up. But seeing something I wasn’t supposed to, there was no bigger thrill.
That’s definitely something that hasn’t changed.
That early experience turned into a longing that filled me and had me completely obsessed by the time I was twelve. I would follow Amber around the halls in between classes, always careful to hang back far enough to not be seen. And some days I would walk a block behind her all the way to her home, then stand across the street and watch her bedroom window until the sun went down and the lights in the entire house went out.
Just the memory of how obsessed I’d been with her made my face grow hot, especially with Kent giving me shit over her. And he never even knew the extent of my obsession. I never told a soul. But the jokes and looks from Kent and Jessica were right on the money, and I knew it. No matter how hard I’d worked over the last ten years, no matter how much sweat I’d put into the business to put me on the Fortune 500 list before I turned thirty, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Amber.
I’d tried to convince myself early on, after she was accepted at a college in another state, that my feelings for her would fade. That they were silly fantasies about a childish crush and I didn’t have time for any of that. But the night of the graduation party changed everything. That kiss in the dim light of the bowling alley parking lot was seared onto my brain, and as much as I hated to admit it, into my heart. I eventually had to acknowledge that it had been way more than a silly crush all along.
The only thing I could think to do at this point was avoid Kent’s goofy looks and change the conversation. So I tried to be polite with Jessica’s friends at the table—girls whose names sounded vaguely familiar but faces I still couldn’t place. I fell into an inane conversation about the weather in a city I pretended to live in, but barely anything that was said registered with me. My mind was elsewhere.
"Hey, Jessie!” a high-pitched voice screamed halfway across the crowded room.
I looked up at two women who were walking toward Jessica, one with her head turned to speak with someone. The one facing forward was Christie Jorgensen, former prom queen, who was dressed like she was trying to resurrect her title. She had on a floor-length gown that was covered in silver sequins, much too extravagant for this type of event.
My heart leapt into my throat when the woman walking with Christie turned around to face our table. It was her, Amber Vaughn, and she immediately took my breath away. She didn’t look like she’d aged a day since the last time I saw her. My knees grew weak at the memory of my hands wrapped around her waist and my lips on hers.
Her long, dark hair still looked slightly tousled, like it had back then. Throughout high school, she always looked like she’d just woken up from a nap, or had two hands gripping her hair while a cock slammed into her from behind. At least that’s what I’d always pictured, anyway.
And here I was again, imagining one of my hands pulling her head back while the other gripped her round ass and my cock slid between her shaved pussy lips. With every step she took closer to the table, I pictured myself slamming into her, her ass jiggling and the deep moans that escaped from her throat in between her screams of my name.
By the time Amber reached the table I had pulled the knot on my tie a good two inches looser and unbuttoned my collar just so I could breathe. I was glad that the table shielded my thickening cock for now, but I had to make sure things didn’t get out of hand. Not yet, at least. Not until I was alone with her.
Christie and Jessica had no problem catching up on their lives since graduation. The second they started talking, a non-stop barrage of squeals and exaggerated laughs assaulted my ears. But apart from saying hello to Jessica and Kent, Amber didn’t say a word. Her deep, blue eyes seemed to be avoiding mine, but after a minute of darting around the table, they finally rested on me.
“Damon,” she said in that deep voice of hers that always melted into me like warm butter. “You look incredible. How are you?"
I was starting to wonder how bad I’d looked in high school if everyone kept saying how great I looked now.
I wasn’t positive, but it seemed like she’d come alone. There was no ring on her finger, which was apparently de rigueur for the other women of her age, at least at this reunion. I wondered if she was still living in the town we grew up in or if she’d moved on to someplace a little more sophisticated.
I’d promised myself that I would stop thinking about business during this week off. Everyone at work told me I needed to take a vacation and relax or else I might burn out. It was pointed out by my office assistant that I hadn’t taken a vacation in over six years. She was wrong. She’d only been with me for six years. I hadn’t ever taken a vacation.
But the possibility of seeing Amber again … that was enough to convince me. So I blocked the time out of my calendar and booked a hotel, all the while wondering if she would be here. Wondering what it would be like to look into those incredible eyes of hers one more time.
The moment they met mine I knew I’d made the right decision. And this time I wasn’t going to let Amber Vaughn get away.
Chapter Two
Amber
What the hell am I doing back here?
I never thought I’d come back to this idiotic place. When I left for college, I couldn’t pack my bags fast enough, and every time I came back to town for the holidays, I barely left my parents’ house. I just couldn’t bear the thought of running into any of these people again. Especially one person in particular. And yet here I was, wading through a crowd of fake smiles and fake conversations. At least that’s the way it felt.
I wasn’t interested in hearing any of the big stories these people were doling out. I didn’t particularly want to get to know what any of them were doing. And I especially didn’t want any of these people to know a thing about my life now. Nothing real anyway.
But somehow Christie managed to talk me into keeping her company at this stupid reunion. I wondered if anyone would recognize me. I had a whole life worked out in my head that I’d created to throw them off the track if anyone started asking questions. Not that I had anything to hide; I just had no interest in being the old Amber Vaughn anymore. But maybe the problem was, I didn’t really want to be the new Amber either.
I’d been a total bookworm back in high school. I probably would still qualify as one since I usually averaged about two or three books a week. I hadn�
�t changed much in the looks category since high school, though. The main difference being that I cared a lot more about what I wore now. In high school, even though I had a pretty face and a nice body, I tended to hide it underneath plain clothes with no makeup. I was always scared of boys back then and tried not to attract too much attention.
But romance was still a scary prospect for me. In the years since I’d left school I’d been involved with a few guys, but just one serious relationship. Of course, because it was such a huge fear of mine, he cheated on me and I was humiliated. I swore off men after that and I certainly wasn’t planning on finding anyone at a silly high school reunion.
But my mind kept wandering to Damon. I had to admit I’d wondered on more than one occasion what became of him. When Christie begged me to come with her, he was the only person I thought it would be nice to see, even though that thought also terrified me.
Getting involved with a man was the last thing I wanted or needed at this point in my life, though. I had a decent job, plenty of hobbies, and for once in my life, I felt satisfied. The one thing that was missing was passion and excitement, but I did a good job of convincing myself that I didn’t really need it. I got enough from the books I read with their tall, dark, and handsome men whisking women off to a secluded castle in the countryside. Especially if the woman’s dress was somehow ripped off of her in the process. As far as I was concerned, that was all I needed to keep me company.
Christie peered around at the crowd. It was still astounding to me that I’d wound up best friends with the prom queen. No one in the entire school could believe it was true. Actually, none of them knew who I was, so whenever Christie would mention my name, the common response was ‘Amber who?’ It never bothered me, though. I mostly hung out with Christie in her parents’ basement, watching horror movies and listening to her dad’s old records. When we were at school it was like we existed in different dimensions.