Happy Birthday, beautiful! Hope my brother has something good planned for you.
I smiled, seeing the text from Noah Craven. Even though they met as adults, Shane and Josh had become close over the years. It surprised me how much they had in common besides their looks. I made a mental note to text him later. Nothing was interrupting me now.
The hotel was a contemporary building with brown brick and a swooping, wave-like white canopy over the entrance. As the automatic doors opened, I pulled my phone out and sent a quick text.
I’m in the lobby.
I slipped my cell back into my pocket, then wiped the sweat from my palms. At the front desk, a clean-shaven young man in his early twenties with thick, wavy, chin-length blond hair stared at a computer screen. His appearance was more of a surfer dude, with his hair and a shadow of fuzz on his cheek than the crisp black suit and purple tie he was wearing portrayed.
“Good morning, miss, how can I help you?” he asked with a friendly smile. The name tag on his lapel said Frankie.
I opened my mouth, ready to speak, when I realized I wasn’t sure what to say. My nerves were beginning to get the best of me, making me look like a flustered mess with me wringing my hands together. What am I doing here? I took a deep breath before I started to speak.
“I’m umm, I don’t think I’m checking in,” I said, trying to peek at his computer screen, then looking down the long counter before I finally looked back at him. “He’s already checked in, I just need a room key.”
“No problem,” he said. “What’s the name of your party?”
I gave him my name and replayed everything I just told him. Even as the words spilled out of my mouth, I realized how dirty they sounded. I was here, at a hotel, to get a room key for a room where a man was waiting for me. I wondered how many other people did this at such a nice hotel and looked around to see if anyone else looked as nervous as I felt.
What was taking so long? What is he typing into the computer?
The only thing standing between me and that room was Frankie, and the seconds were feeling like minutes as I stood there. Eventually Frankie pulled a small envelope out of a container in front of him, wrote a number on it, and slipped the plastic room card into it.
“You’re in room 217. Follow the pathway past the convention room and you’ll see the elevators at the end of the hall. The restaurant is open until 11pm if you get hungry.” He put his hand out for me to shake. “My name is Frankie if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” I said as I took the key and started down the hall.
The back of the elevator had a wide mirror over the upper half of the wall. I pressed the button and waited for the doors to close before I turned to the mirror and tried to tame my hair. I pulled my hair into a tight bun, hoping there was enough time for my hair to smooth out a little and not look so wild. Then I ran the tips of my middle fingers gently under my eyeliner to clean it up a little before reaching into my purse to put on lipstick.
As the elevator announced my floor, I took one quick last look at myself in my favorite black leggings, a tank top, and oversized grey t-shirt, and shrugged.
“That’ll have to do,” I said to my reflection.
The elevator opened to a balcony that opened up to the five-story atrium adjacent to the lobby. I looked out at the way I had come from the front desk when my phone buzzed again.
Where are you? Are you flirting with Frankie? You are, aren’t you? Cougar. The door is open.
Laughing, I double-checked the room number before slipping the envelope and my cell back into my purse. The room was halfway down the hall and had the hinged security lock propping the door open. I pushed the door open and slid the lock out of the way so the door would close. The steam from the open bathroom door greeted me, bringing me briefly back in time.
He was standing less than ten feet away from me, in front of the bed. I was paralyzed by the sight of him. The water dripping down his body was mesmerizing. I followed the drips cascading down his body to the towel he had wrapped around his waist. He cleared his throat, and my eyes shot up and met his as my cheeks grew hot.
“Eyes up here, missy,” he said as he used two fingers to point to his green eyes. “You really are a cougar, you know.”
“Stop it. We’re the same age.”
“Not anymore,” Shane said with a laugh as he walked over to me. “Happy birthday, Rosalie.”
His hand softly caressed my cheek before sliding into my hair as his lips gently touched mine. With his other hand on the small of my back, he pulled me closer to him as his kiss grew more demanding. I put my arms around his shoulders, partly to feel his bare skin, but also to support myself. It didn’t matter how many years we had been together, he still made my knees weak.
Shane took my hand and kissed my palm as his eyes were locked onto mine. His eyes had a bit of playfulness, in them and I knew it wasn’t from his teasing that I was now older than him. I narrowed my eyes at him but couldn’t keep myself from smiling.
“What is it?” I asked.
“You were nervous coming here,” he said, sliding my hoodie off my shoulders, then tossing it onto a nearby chair. “I can tell.” He lifted my hand, then turned it over and kissed the top of it.
I laughed. “You know my palms get sweaty. I was thinking about meeting a man in a hotel—”
“You were working!” He laughed and stepped away from me. “I was here waiting for you, I got into the shower for you too because I know how much you like that. And you were busy imagining something for your book.” He shook his head with mock distain.
The corners of my mouth were pulled up into a smile. I was happy. I was really happy, but as Shane teased me and acted like absolutely nothing was wrong, I realized I couldn’t push aside my conversation with Denny. I looked at my shoes while I thought about what to say to Shane.
“Hey,” he said softly, stepping back over to me and lifting my chin with his finger. “What just happened? Did I say something wrong?” His eyes searched mine. “Talk to me, Rosalie.”
I sat on the edge of the bed and shook my head. “It’s stupid,” I said. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but Denny brought it up this morning and I realized how much you going away by yourself bothered me.”
Shane sat beside me and wrapped his arms around me.
“We talked about this,” he said. “I thought you were okay with it. I was only gone for a couple of days, and—”
“It doesn’t matter how long or short it was,” I said, interrupting him, “We always travel together. It’s always been the three of us, our little family, and…” I took a deep breath as I tried to get the nerve up to tell him how I was feeling. I had no doubt that he loved me, and always had. I felt stupid feeling how I did when he went away without us, but we promised we would always be honest with each other.
I sighed as I looked into his eyes, which were waiting so patiently for me to explain. “And I felt insecure when you said you were going without us.” I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “I know we talked about it. I know it shouldn’t be a big deal, but that’s how I felt. It’s nothing that you did, and I know that after all this time I have no reason to feel this way, but I can’t understand why you didn’t want us there with you.”
The corners of his mouth slowly lifted into a smile, but his eyes had a little sadness to them. He kissed my forehead, then took both my hands in his as his eyes locked with mine again.
“I’m sorry my going alone made you feel that way. I wanted nothing more than for you and Denny to be there with me,” he said. “You have no idea how much I missed both of you.” He paused and looked down at our hands before continuing.
“I love our trips together, just the three of us; our little family like you said. But I needed to do this trip on my own because it was the only way I could surprise you.” He got up and walked over to his black duffel bag. He dug into it, pushing his clothing aside, and pulled out a box wrapped with glossy red paper and a lacy white bow. “Th
is is why you and Denny couldn’t come.”
He placed the box in my hands, and I lifted it, feeling its heft, wondering what was inside.
“It’s from me and Denny. It was his idea, but he doesn’t know I got it because I didn’t want him to spoil the surprise. I was going to show it to him later, and then have him give it to you tonight.”
“Well then I can’t open it,” I said as I handed it back to him.
“No, but I think it’ll help if you know what’s inside. Josh got me in touch with an old friend of his who does glass sculptures. I know how much you love blown glass, and Denny suggested we get you a lotus because of your tattoo.”
Without thinking, I reached around to my lower back where I had a small pink lotus tattooed years ago. It was to remind me that no matter what, I could rise above whatever shit I had gone through in my life. My mother and stepfather briefly swept through my mind, but I pushed them away. It had been years since I last heard from her, and it was better that way. I was better that way. I said what I needed to say in our last conversation just before I broke up with David. I had my peace and happiness, and I honestly hoped one day she would find hers.
“You got me a lotus?” I asked, reaching out for the box again, but not opening it. Since it was Denny’s idea, I wanted my first time seeing it to be with him.
“It’s modeled after the one in your tattoo. I didn’t want to trust it being shipped, so I decided to fly out and pick it up.”
Everything made sense. I wanted to kick myself for spoiling the surprise, but I was glad I got my answer. Shane sat beside me, and I breathed in his freshly-showered scent.
“I asked you to meet me here because I wanted to do something a little different. I know it’s not the same hotel, but I was hoping to capture some of the past. Those days with you, when we were younger, meant so much to me. I’m the man I am today because of you.”
“Thank you,” I whispered as I held the box out to him. “You didn’t have to go through so much trouble.”
“I know I didn’t have to, I wanted to. I’ll do anything as long as it puts a smile on your face.”
He placed the box on the desk, next to a container of Duncan Hines chocolate frosting. I giggled, remembering back a couple of years to when I made cupcakes for Denny’s birthday, and Shane used the rest of the frosting on me.
“You didn’t take a shower because of me,” I said as my eyes swept over his body. He was still only wearing a towel around his waist.
“You’re doing it again,” Shane said with a grin. “Eyes up here.”
He turned away from me as he walked to the other side of the bed, then glanced at me with a sexy smile before lying down on his side, facing me.
How did I ever get so lucky?
“And I did shower just for you,” he said. “I waited until you texted me that you were here. I thought you would walk in on me. I know how much you like that.”
My face burned as I climbed into the bed with him. He held his arms out to me and I slipped into them, fitting perfectly against him. He tilted his head down to me as I looked up and our mouths parted, tongues touching, as we kissed.
“I love that I can still make you blush,” he whispered as his lips moved down my neck. “I know you saw what else I bought.” He lifted my shirt and kissed my stomach. “We’re meeting Noah for dinner tonight, but I wanted dessert first,” he said as he slipped my pants down my hips.
He looked up at me with a playful glint in his eye and I started laughing. “I’m sorry, but that was just bad,” I said.
Shane smiled, holding back his laughter as he climbed back next to me. “You love it,” he said.
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“Yes, maybe. I definitely love you though,” I said.
“You’ve always had my heart, Rosalie.”
As he leaned towards me, I lifted myself towards him as we kissed again. His hand ran down my arm and then his fingers curled around mine. His body pushed against mine, pressing my back against the bed before he kissed just under my ear.
“Maybe one day you’ll put this in a book,” he said.
I giggled thinking about how many times Shane had already inspired my books. I couldn’t write them without the love and happiness he brought me. I couldn’t imagine my characters having their happily ever afters if we didn’t have our own. Ours was my favorite story of all.
The End
Thank you for reading Forbidden! I hope you enjoyed it.
Get to know Shane’s brother, Noah Craven, better in CRAVE.
One night. No strings attached.
Those were my words to live by. I didn’t believe in relationships, I believed in sex. Passionate sex, mind blowing sex, the type of sex my married friends wished they still had. I had a new woman every night and my life was perfect… Or so I thought until I met her.
As soon as she entered the annual advertising gala with her glasses and curves, I knew she was mine. One taste of her sweet, innocent lips and I wanted more, I needed more. But she left before I could even even get her name.
I searched for her, a first for Noah Craven, but just when I gave up I discovered who she is—my best friend’s daughter. She’s off limits. It doesn’t matter that the thought of her makes me think about candlelit dinners and strolls through the park, we can’t be.
I can have anyone I want, except her. Why do I crave her so badly?
Click here for CRAVE
About Tease
“I don’t trust myself to NOT fall for you.”
Jagger Myka spent our childhood bullying and teasing me. When he moved away five years ago I thought I’d never have to see him again. But I’m not that lucky. Not only is he back in my life, but he’s staying at my house. And as luck would have it, he’s insanely hot.
Now despite how much I hate him, I can't get him out of my mind. Jagger is back to his old teasing, but this time it’s different. And as much as I hate to admit it, I like it.
I’m falling in love with the one guy I swore I would always hate, but that love comes with a price. Jagger has a secret, and whether he wants it to happen or not, it will break my heart.
Chapter One
Sierra
“Sierra,” Mom called from the backyard. “Sierra, I need your help. Bring me a towel!”
“I’ll be right there!” I yelled from inside the house.
I slipped my feet into my flip-flops and stepped out onto the deck. My mother was standing in the middle of the garden with small pots of flowers lined up waiting to be planted. Her curly dark red hair was covered with a large floppy hat, her hands were covered with soil, and her khaki shorts were soaked.
“What happened?” I asked as I handed her the towel.
“Promise you won’t laugh,” she said. “I was on the phone with Phil and it slipped from my shoulder. I tried to catch it, but ended up tripping over the watering can.”
I shook my head. “I can’t laugh, Mom. I just realized where I got the klutz gene from.”
“I’m surprised it took you so long to figure that out. You are my mini me, you know. Or have you not realized that yet?”
She grinned at me as she wiped her hands.
Phil Milton was my mother’s boyfriend. They had been living together for a couple of years. Every few months, Phil went back to Tucson where he grew up to visit a close friend of his and some other people he kept in touch with.
“How’s Phil doing?” I asked as I pushed my own dark red hair behind my ear. “Is he staying his usual two weeks?
“He’s good. No, he’s coming home tomorrow night.”
“That’s early. Did something happen?”
“Sort of. He ran into Melanie and she got upset when he told her we were getting married. I don’t know all the details, but he decided to cut the trip short and come home instead of staying. Anyway, while he was out there he asked Jagger to be his best man, so he’ll be staying with us this summer.”
My stomach sank. I tried to keep my
face straight, but my mother still saw how unhappy I was.
“I know you don’t like him, but he is only going to be here a short time. You know Phil thinks of him like the son he never had,” Mom said.
“I know. I’m just kicking myself for not realizing sooner that he’d be my wedding partner.”
“Give him a chance. You’re both eighteen now. I’m sure you’ve both changed a lot.”
“You’ve said it yourself, people don’t change. I know him. He’s the same jerk now that he was the last time I saw him. I’m still upset you made me go to that party.”
“When was that? Five years ago? You were children then.”
“That just means he's had all those years to perfect how awful he is. I can’t believe I have to spend time with him. It’s been five wonderful years since I last saw him. And it was five years before that when I met him for the first time. I guess just like bad luck runs for seven years, Jagger shows up to torment me every five.”
“Just try to be nice to him. He’s flying in for the wedding, but I don't think he’s staying for too long,” Mom said as she looked at the ground.
“Tell him to be nice. He’s the one who was always making fun of me.”
“You know what they say about boys who do that.”
“Yes, Mom, that means he liked me. Right, he liked me so much he decided to make my childhood a living hell.”
I hated Jagger Myka. I've hated him since the first time I met him when I was eight. We went to school together for five years and every chance he got, he teased and tormented me. Nothing was going to change my mind about him. Absolutely nothing.
Fall
Ten Years Ago
The tan brick building of my new school loomed against the sky as my mom’s car pulled up in front. I looked down at my plaid uniform and pulled at the skirt, wishing it was a little longer and hoping no one could tell it was secondhand.
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