The Trouble With Love: An Age Gap Romance (The Forbidden Love Series Book 1)

by Kat T. Masen

  Liesel grabs us some drinks, passing a red cup over to me that smells like punch. Tilting her head, she motions for us to join a group we know dancing in a small circle. With the cup still in my hand, I drink it in one go, willing the punch to settle and make this night more memorable.

  We dance to the music, raising our hands in the air as we sway our hips to the beat of the music. It’s just a bunch of us girls until Cash, a guy from my economics class, comes over.

  “Hey, Miels,” he greets, the sentiment not lost on me. Austin alternated between calling me that and Millie, depending on his mood.

  “Hey, Cash.”

  “I’m surprised you came.”

  “A persuasive roommate.” I laugh, poking Liesel in the arm. “So, what, no date? Or am I cramping your style?”

  “You, gorgeous, could never cramp my style.” Cash winks, a devious smirk playing on his lips.

  Liesel motions something I can’t seem to work out. Ignoring her sign language, which makes no sense whatsoever, Cash pulls me to the dance floor.

  We dance for a while, laughing when the music turns upbeat and closing in on each other when the tunes slow. Somewhere in the middle of our dance, Liesel purposely dances beside me and whispers in my ear, “Selfie this shit and post it in your story.”

  I ignore her until Cash grabs my phone and puts his arm around me, posting it to his story and tagging me. I laugh, not caring anymore who sees. What does anything matter? Austin no longer speaks to me, probably busy with Winter, or was it Summer? I can’t even remember her name. As for Will, he’s most likely between someone else’s legs right now. The thought itself burns like acid, and when my friend, Katelyn, walks past with two red cups, I grab one from her, quickly apologize, then down it in one go.

  The second drink makes everything much better. I repost Cash’s story, sending it to my own. We dance for a bit longer until he suggests we go somewhere quieter. I make some excuse about Liesel needing me, knowing that Cash’s not-so-subtle butt grabs on the dance floor means he wants to take it further.

  I want to have fun, and despite my earlier rant, I’m not ready to jump into bed with someone else.

  The night begins to wear heavy with talks of the party shutting down soon. In a fit of giggles, Liesel and I hold onto each other to battle the cold as we walk back to our dorm room. At the beginning of the walk, our alcohol-fueled bodies were barely able to walk straight. But there’s something to said about the cold—it sobers you up pretty quickly. It must have been all the teeth chattering or the constant talking to distract ourselves from the awful chill.

  Inside the foyer of our building, we stumble and laugh until Liesel holds me back, calling my name to catch my attention.

  I divert my eyes to our dorm room where Will is pacing in front of our door, dressed in a tux with an angry glare as his eyes feast upon me.

  “Mr. Nothing?” Liesel whispers. “Millie, he’s hot. But super angry.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I need a word with you,” he barks.

  “I’m going to Jen’s room.” Liesel lets go of my arm, her gaze still fixated on Will. “Text me when you’re ready.”

  Unsure of what to say or do, I manage to move closer and motion for him to get out of my way so I can open the door, all while trying to ignore how handsome he looks in his tuxedo.

  “What could you possibly have to say to me?” I question abruptly.

  I cross my arms beneath my chest as he closes the door behind him. Leaning on the door, he folds his arms just like me, but his gaze never shifts. The angered expression only appears to intensify when his eyes drop to the floor, then slowly drags them back up my body.

  “So, Cash, is it? Is this the college guy you’re fucking?” he asks, though it comes across as more of a threat. “Oh, wait a minute, dating according to what you tell your mother?”

  Shocked by his jealous accusation, I refuse to break his stare. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I had to answer to you. I’m not sure why you felt compelled to drive over here to weigh in on my personal life since, apparently, you have a date waiting for you. Let me guess, she wanted to stay the night, but you just couldn’t let her ruin your streak of one-night stands?”

  “Joy was my date for an event in which I couldn’t exactly attend single.”

  “Joy?” I repeat, mocking. “Now isn’t that a festive name?”

  “Sounds to me like you’re jealous.”

  “Being jealous would mean that I actually care, which I don’t. I don’t care who you fuck. You’re the single almost billionaire, and all the women are dying to get their hands on you.”

  “And you’re the college girl all the men want to taste.”

  Taken back by his comment, I pause, breaking his stare. He still hasn’t given me a reason why he’s here, yet I stand in front of him absolutely speechless. Nothing makes sense, nothing at all.

  Slowly, he moves closer to me, my heart rate picking up with every step he takes. I try my best to ignore my body betraying me and my chest on the verge of exploding, but his scent, it’s like a drug, and the closer he is to me, the more I struggle to compose myself.

  “I lied to your father, told him an emergency came up with a friend. I may have jeopardized a business deal because I almost yelled at a potential client. I went over and over in my head why I even care some college kid is touching you or the fact that he’s made his profile look like the two of you are together.”

  “Cash is just a friend…” I mumble, defending myself.

  Will purses his lips, his body only inches away from mine. “And I don’t understand why I want to tear apart any man who touches you in the slightest.”

  I beg my eyes not to look up at him, falling victim to his penetrating stare.

  “I guess it’s why I don’t understand when I’m told you have some new woman latched onto your arm, I feel the very same.”

  His hands grip my face, his lips crashing onto mine. Letting out a moan, I drag him through the living room toward my room, throwing him onto my bed. Without a thought, I straddle him before he slides my dress above my hips and moves his fingers between us. I throw my head back, rubbing myself against him, ignoring everything else but the sound of his pants coming off.

  Will doesn’t hesitate entering me whole. My body follows, riding him fast, unapologetic with my need to come right here, right now. I don’t care if I’m labeled selfish. His body is an addiction I can’t seem to stop, no matter how fucked-up this all is.

  He begs me again to ride it out together, and moments later, we moan in harmony, allowing our bodies to succumb to the intense orgasm we both experienced.

  Our shallow breaths echo inside the room as he pulls my neck down, our foreheads touching while he still remains inside me.

  “You didn’t call,” I state, rather than ask.

  “Neither did you.”

  “I don’t know what any of this means.”

  He kisses my lips, pushing deep. Undoubtedly, he’s hard again. “What do you want it to mean?”

  “I don’t know,” I falter, out of breath. “My parents can never find out. It will end badly if they do.”

  He stops his movements, tracing his fingers along my lips. “Then we keep us a secret. No one has to know but us.”

  “A forbidden affair…” I whisper.

  With a devious smirk, he moves his hand beneath my dress and into my bra. His fingers tweak my nipple, causing me to gasp. “Our dirty little secret. No one has to know, but I do have one request.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s only me,” he mouths softly. “Only I can touch you like this.”

  I groan at his touch, his request to be exclusive not even a second thought. Unless, of course, he still wants to be with other women.

  “But what about you?”

  He pauses, his eyes tracing the tip of his finger as it glides down my body. With a steady gait, his tongue runs across his bottom lip seductively.

  “Trus
t me, baby,” he confesses with a lowered voice. “There’s no one else I want to be inside of beside you.”

  And with the truth unveiled, I gaze at the man who has consumed me whole.

  We’re about to start something dangerous, something which can jeopardize everything we have.

  Or maybe it’s too late. The second I walked into his office, the tell-tale signs were there.

  I just chose to ignore it.

  And ignorance can only get you so far in life.

  Twenty-One

  Will

  My fingers run through her soft hair as she lays against my chest.

  There’s nothing but silence inside the room, the sound of two lovers tangled in this intricate web we have find ourselves in.

  Tonight was risky. I know very well that Lex was pissed when I had to leave, especially because I’d been in a mood all night since the phone call inside the limo. On several occasions, he tried to talk professionally, but my head wasn’t in it. Nope, my head had decided to take some fucked-up ride in which every possible scenario taunted me.

  Charlie knew something weighed heavily on my mind, quick to pull me aside and ask if everything was okay. She’s always worried about me, just like my mother. What could I possibly say to her? Her daughter is a mindfuck, and there’s no rhyme or reason to why I’m chasing someone so young when surrounding me, I can pretty much have any woman I want.

  Nothing makes fucking sense.

  When it comes to Lex, though, business always comes first, yet arguably, he’s broken that rule several times.

  “I have to go,” I murmur, focusing on her lips.

  Dropping her gaze, she breaks eye contact with a heavy sigh. Tilting her chin, I raise her lips to meet mine and place a gentle kiss unlike the frenzied kisses we found ourselves in only moments ago.

  “Yeah, of course,” she mumbles, still with a lowered gaze. “You need to sort everything out.”

  “I was thinking…” I stand up, buckling my pants and placing my shirt back on. “Next Saturday night. Come to my place. I’ll cook dinner, and we can Netflix and chill.”

  She shakes her head, laughter consuming her. If only she understands just how beautiful she is—so raw, so innocent, so fucking perfect. “I didn’t know you can cook dinner, too. All these secret talents of yours.”

  “I’m a masterpiece, according to my father.”

  “Your father can also burp the alphabet,” she points out in jest.

  I chuckle softly. “That he can.”

  We both reminisce about the time my dad did this incredibly stupid thing at a birthday party, embarrassing my mom as usual. The more we speak, the more it begins to sink in just how familiar it all is. How easily we just lose ourselves in memories because we have so many together.

  “What time are you thinking?’ she asks, toying with the ends of her hair. “I’d have to head back late.”

  “I was thinking you could sleep over.” I wait for her reaction, praying that she wants to stay over and can read into what I’m saying without me having to spell it out.

  Amelia sits quietly, not showing any emotion unlike any other woman I know. If I counted the last ten women I slept with, the same ones I had to push out the door, they would’ve jumped for joy at the possibility of staying over.

  Instead, the reaction is less than enthused, only confusing me even more. Pulling the sheets toward her chest, her long hair falls over her shoulder, a picture-perfect showcase of all her beauty.

  “You don’t have to do that if you don’t want to,” she says stubbornly.

  “Do what?”

  “Invite me to stay over.”

  “Well, I want to.” I continue to button my shirt, a smirk playing on my lips. “Besides, you’ve slept in my bed already and from memory, we’ve slept beside each other when we went camping. Granted, you told horror stories which scared everyone in the tent except me.”

  Amelia breaks out into laughter again. “Andy couldn’t sleep for weeks. Ava would hide in Mom and Dad’s bed. Their fear of clowns still reigns to this day.”

  “You were quite something as a kid.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.” She throws her pillow, goading a reaction from me. “Fine, I’ll accept your invitation.”

  I lean in to kiss her, wishing I didn’t have to leave but know I have no choice. “No need to pack any sleepwear, I expect you naked the entire time.”

  With a wide grin across her face, she stands on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I couldn’t think of anything more perfect.”

  The week drags on despite my exit on Saturday night. Lex said nothing more, only asking me briefly if I sorted out the issue. I assured him it was all taken care of and threw myself into business mode to close the deal, spending additional time to make sure we didn’t lose this client.

  I barely sleep, working all hours of the day. In between all the madness of work, I need a new assistant. Human Resources has narrowed it down to three women, and all I need to do is interview them. Like I have the fucking time. But I also know it’s in my best interest, given I don’t need someone who would rather suck dick than do the job they are paid to do.

  And with Amelia in the picture, the last thing I need is a distraction in the office.

  Yet all of my efforts during the week enable me to completely shut off on Saturday night. I want complete attention on Amelia with plans to devour every inch of her body. Although it has been a tough week, her random text messages keep me going, not to mention the dirty texting we often find ourselves in. I’m this close to abandoning everything to drive up to New Haven again but can’t afford to jeopardize all the hard work I’ve been doing because my dick can’t control itself.

  Inside my apartment, the air is toasty from the fireplace roaring in the living room. Outside, the temperatures drop drastically with weather forecasts predicting a snowstorm this weekend.

  Amelia sits on the bar stool with her hands resting on the countertop and a glass of red wine in front of her. Wearing a low-cut blouse and leather skirt, her crossed legs expose her thighs, making me want to run my tongue down her delicate skin.

  Ignoring my hard dick beneath my pants, I continue to stir the sauce the way my nonna taught me, careful not to ruin my perfectly planned meal.

  “How very Italian of you,” she comments, with a knowing grin. “Who taught you how to cook?”

  “My nonna,” I tell her fondly. “Only when my mom wasn’t arguing with her in the kitchen. I remember she told me when I was young, my Italian blood needed to pass on for generations. She would have a heart attack if I didn’t procreate and give her Italian grandchildren.”

  “So, do you…” She clears her throat, then drinks some wine before continuing, “… date Italian women?”

  I taste the sauce before leaning over and kissing her lips. “Once, in college, but I prefer the all-American emerald-green-eyed type.”

  “You’re just saying that because I’m here, and besides, I’m quarter Cuban. What would your nonna say about that?”

  “Probably disown me. Luckily, she’s living it up in Boca. Can’t judge me from her bingo table.”

  Amelia grins as I serve her food. We walk toward the table and begin to eat, talking about anything and everything. Despite our difference in age, we have plenty in common, our conversation never falling stale.

  My eyes fall upon her every movement from watching her dig the fork into the pasta to swirling it around in a circular motion before bringing the fork to her pink lips. A drop of sauce falls upon her bottom lip, and slowly, her tongue rolls over the exact spot, causing my dick to almost combust on the spot.

  Two more bites into her meal and I can’t hold back any longer, pulling her off her seat and demand she lay on the table while I spread her legs and fuck her sweet pussy.

  Watching her body convulse around me, I follow suit and collapse onto her with our breaths equally as strangled.

  “That was…” She chokes, unable to finish her sente
nce.

  “Not enough,” I warn her. “Eat your dinner because you’re going to need the stamina.”

  With an amused expression, she tries to hide the playing smirk but fails miserably.

  “What happened to Netflix and chill?”

  “Just chill,” I tell her sternly. “Now eat.”

  In the morning, my arms wrap around hers as we both lay quietly. Despite spending the night tangled between the sheets because I’m greedy and wanted to taste every inch of her, we both fell into a blissful sleep. I can’t recall the last time I slept so well, missing the warmth of a body beside me since I’ve lived a solitary life for a while now.

  My greed continues to consume me, entering her while she sleeps and waking her up to her body completely under my spell. Her arousal is wet, making beautiful sounds as we both finish blissfully once again.

  Steadying our breaths, she rests her head against my chest.

  “Will, I don’t know what you want from me.”

  I continue to run my fingers up and down her arm. “Do I need to show you again? Perhaps back door to give you a break.”

  She smiles in my embrace. “You’re an ass.”

  “I’d like to be in your ass sometime soon.”

  My phone begins to ring. I lean over, kissing her shoulder as I lift the screen and see Lex’s name. Amelia’s expression falls as I answer the phone with her still beside me.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “We need a game plan for Murphy. I’m heading to your place now.”

  I pull myself up, almost as if a splash of cold water has been thrown all over me.

  “You’re heading to my place?”

  Amelia pulls the sheet over her, eyes wide with fear. The veins in her neck begin to pop out while she jumps out of bed, naked.

  “Yeah, see you in five.”

  I hit “end” on the call, placing my phone on the nightstand.

  “Don’t panic,” I tell her.

  “He just said see you in five.” Amelia stumbles for the bathroom, kicking the door frame in the process while she shouts a string of profanities. Returning seconds later, her dress is on though her hair is a wild mess. She exits the room, returning with all her belongings in hand, including her boots.