A Love So Wrong
By: Katerina Winters
“A Love So Wrong”
Text copyright © 2020 by Katerina Winters
All rights reserved
Cover Design by J. Herb
ISBN: 978-1-7332955-2-9
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author, addressed “Attention: Permission Requested,” at the website below.
www.katerinawinters.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, organizations, actual events or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademark status of products referred to in this book and acknowledges that trademarks have been used without permission. This book is intended for mature, adult audiences only. This book is intended for those over the age of 18.
This edition is an Amazon Kindle only Publication. If this is hosted anywhere it is fraud.
A Note from the author:
I hope you enjoy “A Love So Wrong,” I had a blast thinking outside the box and writing this forbidden romance. Growing up watching movies like Blue Lagoon and reading way too much V.C Andrews, I kind of low-key love pseudo-sibling romance. This contemporary romance contains no cliffhangers, no cheating, and a definite Happily Ever After. However, it should go without saying that this book will contain some steamy and dark elements (voyeurism and such) and you should be at the ripe old age of 18 years old before reading. Also keep an eye out for a favorite character from my Mafia romance series. Please enjoy the fruits of my dark, albeit smutty, mind.
Yours truly,
Katerina Winters
Table of Contents
A Note from the author:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Thank you,
My other books:
Chapter 1
Bracing his feet at the edge of the dock, Gideon crossed his arms and stared out at the skiff in the middle of the pond. With no engine, the boat floated quietly on the water's placid surface. The only sign of life on the algae-covered body of water was the bare leg hanging over the boat's edge. Too far from the house to be seen and unnoticed by his target, Gideon let his eyes trace undeterred up the length of the honey-brown leg. With one barefoot nearly grazing the water's dark surface and the other propped up on one of the boat's benches, Gideon would bet money that the girl was asleep.
Sweeping through the trees, the wind created a gentle, fluttering chorus of leaves. Gideon closed his eyes at the cool feeling against his hot, grimy skin. Today had been hard, the muscles in his shoulders ached from loading and unloading heavy cases, and his stomach grumbled, reminding him why he had come out here in the first place. Pulling up his jeans a bit, Gideon crouched and hit the switch on the winch at the edge of the dock. With a mechanical whir, the winch did its job and slowly pulled the skiff in. Coming into view, the boat pulled forward, and Gideon watched with steady breaths as more of the girl was revealed. With her head pillowed on her shoulder-length brown curls and turned to the side, there was a book laying open across the NASA space-camp logo on her t-shirt, all signs that confirmed his suspicion as he examined her sleeping figure.
The boat stopped a few inches out from the dock as the winch pulled in the last of the line. Shutting the machine off, Gideon stared at the girl a few seconds longer, letting this rare unobserved moment linger before he slipped the mask of familial indifference back into place.
Standing up, he placed one boot on the boat's stern. "Jade, wake up,” he called softly at first. “It's time to attend your womanly duties," he added with a grin.
Brown, softly arched eyebrows knitted together as she stirred awake. Turning her head with slow, tired grace, she squinted from the sharp afternoon sun. Hazel eyes so clear and striking, glittered in the light as they met his, a perfect complement to her name. Gideon couldn't stop the immediate thought that sprung to mind, toying with and tempting his imagination, of her laying in his bed, turning to give him the same sleepy smile.
Ignoring his goading comment, Jade wordlessly slid her book from her chest and dog-eared the page. Standing up with a skilled balance on the shifting boat, her jean shorts rode up higher on her thighs as she bit her full bottom-lip in concentration and reached out her hand to the dock's metal handle, but Gideon beat her to it. Grabbing her by the forearm, he hauled her out of the boat with ease, enjoying the brief look of shock on her face at the sudden action.
Steadying herself on the wooden dock, she gave him a serene little smile before looking towards the house. "Is dad back too?"
Nodding, Gideon led the way back up the dock towards the house. "Yeah, he got in when I did, just a few minutes ago."
Reaching the back door of the house, he held it open and let her walk in ahead of him. Walking through the den, a space decorated in football paraphernalia, a big-screen TV, and two worn but comfy couches, they headed through the laundry room hallway and past Gideon's room, turning into the galley-style kitchen.
Standing at the kitchen counter, taking a foil cover off what looked to be a large pan of green-bean casserole, was Sandra Lattimore. With her greying blond hair pulled up into her usual ponytail, she turned to give Gideon a warm smile. "Go and get washed up, dear," she instructed before turning to Jade, who was already washing her hands at the sink. "And Jade darling, can you make a quick pitcher of tea? You know how Henry loves it when you make it."
Obediently, Jade started moving to the pantry cabinet as she quickly tied up her long curls into a matching ponytail. "Yes, momma."
Unable to resist taking a glance, Gideon watched as Sandra's smile widened at the title. Like a bright ray of sunlight warming the earth, Sandra savored the title of mother coming from her favorite hand-picked child as if this was the first time she heard it and not the millionth.
Controlling the urge to shake his head, Gideon stepped back through the laundry room and into the bathroom on the right. Sometimes, he wondered if Jade was even conscious of her constant need to please Sandra Lattimore, or was it now second nature.
After a few minutes of gathering hot pans and covered dishes, the round oak dining table was covered with enough food to put a Sunday night dinner at a Baptist church to shame. There were rolls, mashed potatoes, green-beans, a huge pot of roast beef, cornbread, black-eyed peas, and even a chocolate pie, all of which made Gideon's stomach growl with desperate need. Sitting down, Gideon waited as Jade and Sandra served each plate their portions before passing one to him and one to Henry, who was pulling out a chair to sit at his right.
With his hair still damp from his shower, Henry, a large formidable-looking man, gave his family a warm, genial smile as he held each hand out to his side in a silent request. Just as they did practically every night since the moment Gideon and Jade arrived at the Lattimores’ house, they both held out their hands, linking them t
ogether as one family, and respectfully bowed their heads as Henry led them in a short grace.
Opening his hands, Gideon focused on Jade's hand sliding from his left hand as his father's slid from his right.
"So, how did that haul go today?" Henry asked just before he took a huge bite of roast beef.
Swallowing his own bite of food, Gideon nodded as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "It went fine. Thought I wasn't going to make it back in time, though,” he confessed, annoyance coloring his tone. “They added three more pallets of beer to the order at three-o-clock, knowing damn well I leave at five."
"Gideon!" Sandra's hushed reprimand whispered across the table as she gave him a reproachful little shake of her head at his language.
With practiced ease, Gideon gave her a large smile. A smile he had used plenty on girls around the university, knowing the effect his broad smile and dimpled cheeks had.
Working just as intended, Sandra shook her head with a relenting smile.
"Shameless," he heard the delicate whisper from his left.
Grabbing another roll from the covered bowl, Gideon tore off a hunk of it with his teeth as he leveled his gaze on Jade. "What was that?" he asked between bites, purposely baiting her. "Did you say something?"
Lifting her chin, she didn't turn to look at him, forcing him to view only the profile of her freckled cheeks. Looking to Henry instead, Jade gave him a beaming smile that only stoked the fires of annoyance within Gideon higher.
"Would you like some more pot roast?" she asked, gesturing to the massive crockpot sitting on the kitchen counter. "I hope you like it. I made it a bit spicier for you this time," her voice dripping with bootlicking flattery.
As usual, Henry basked in his daughter's attention and shook his head. "No, no, I have got plenty, sweetheart. And it's all absolutely amazing." He cast an appreciative look over to his wife, who smiled gratefully in return, though Gideon wasn't sure why. They all knew it was Jade who did most of the work as Sandra probably sat on a barstool and cheerfully dictated instructions while knitting or something.
Not at all ready to let their battle end, Gideon took another huge spoonful of his food and swallowed. "Fishing for compliments, huh?"
He could see her stiffen out of the corner of his eye, and he smiled inwardly at the easy victory.
Whipping around to face him, a few brown curling tendrils of her hair glided around her face and stopped as she set those cat-like eyes on him with seething intensity. Reaching for his plate, she grabbed the edge of the china and began to pull it away from him as she smiled evilly. "Well, since you don’t find it good, there's no reason you would want to continue, right?"
Henry chuckled, but Gideon ignored him. Grabbing her slender wrist, Gideon stopped his absconding plate. "If you even think about it, I will make you regret it," he threatened, though everyone at the table knew the words were empty.
"Then maybe you will hush and just eat your food from here on out," she said, picking up a roll and attempting to shove it in his mouth.
Plucking the roll swiftly out of her hand, he gave her a look of surprise. "Why, you sassy little…"
"Gideon," the familiar tone of reproach stopped his words immediately. Looking over to Sandra, Gideon paused. She gave both of them a quieting glare before settling back onto him. "Don't fight with your sister."
Chapter 2
Like a cold draft rushing into a warm room, the mirth within him died. Sister, he wanted to laugh. Oh, how he hated and loved that title. Not one person at this table was related by blood to anybody. But here they were, all the family each other had. Schooling his features, Gideon buried the annoyance deep and looked at Jade, who was giving him an openly wary look as he gave her large predatory smile.
Patting her on the back with two, too strong thumps, he cocked his head to the side and gave her a mockingly contrite expression. "I'm sorry lil' sis."
With a small huff of air, she narrowed her hazel eyes at him with wintery accusation before activating her most powerful weapon in her arsenal—silence. A silence directed only at him.
A silence she knew provoked him more than words ever could.
Silence, she was an expert in.
Conversation flowed around him as he ate. Henry talked of getting his big-rig worked on before pulling his next haul from the meatpacking plant in Holter, which neighbored their town and taking it all the way to Houston. It was a conversation Gideon should have been listening to, especially considering he would be running the same haul for Henry at the end of next week, but Gideon couldn't bring himself to focus on the man's words. With each passing second, he could feel Jade erect the silent wall between them brick-by-brick.
Damn it! He needed to tear it down before she settled too comfortably behind that wall of aloof silence. If they weren't eating, he could do it too. He would poke and prod her sensitive flanks until a smile broke free through her resolve and ticklish laughter escaped her lips. Or he would pester her until she had no choice but to respond. But here and now, he could do nothing but wait and stew at her silent treatment. Something that was happening a lot more frequently as of lately, he noticed irritably.
Taking the last bite of his mashed potatoes, he glanced up at the calendar hanging off the peach-colored wall in the dining room. In a few days, it would be Jade's seventeenth birthday. Maybe that was it, he reasoned, maybe it was all a part of hormones or something or just the normal emotions of a teenage girl, maybe that was why it felt like every other week she would find something or another to be mad at Gideon about and sink into those silent depths of hers that she had been a master of since the moment they first met. Although he mentally hedged, as he snuck a considering glance at the girl to his left, that reasoning felt a little insufficient. Quiet and thoughtful, anybody who met her couldn't describe her as someone consumed by their emotions. Comparing her to the average teenage girl would be highly negligible. There was a maturity about the reserved young woman whose far-off, silent dreaminess separated her from the rest of the world and other people. So, what in the fuck was it that was creating this constant rift between them?
"Oh, that's right dear," in the middle of catching Henry up with the latest gossip at her quilting committee, Sandra's eyes lit up, and she turned from her husband, catching Jade's attention. "I almost forgot to tell you, I signed us both up for a competition next month. It will be on the second Saturday of the month, and the theme is American Dreams," Sandra announced with breathless excitement.
Quilting, sewing, and all other categories of crafting was Sandra's one true love, right after Henry, of course. Calling it an obsession would be an understatement, Gideon thought dryly. An obsession she all but forced on Jade from the moment they both stepped into their house. Being all too eager to please their mother, Jade picked up the inane hobby just like she picked up everything else she touched—with perfect precision. Winning contest after contest, Sandra shamelessly flaunted her daughter in front of their competition. The infuriating part was that Jade always went along with it. Not once did she ever tell her no. No, she did not want to go to a musty old community center on a Saturday and sit around a bunch of old ladies talking about quilts and the good ol’ days when she could be at home or hanging out with her friends. Nope, Jade just went along with it, eager to please and ever determined to show the Lattimores that they didn’t make a mistake in choosing them.
Glancing at the calendar again, Gideon rolled through the mental dates in his mind before pulling his phone from his jean pocket. With a few swipes, he found the information he needed before looking up to Sandra, who was still talking about the starburst pattern she wanted to make on the quilt.
Holding his phone face out, he looked from Sandra back to Jade. "You have a ‘Young Engineers of Tomorrow’ meet that day," he reminded them.
If he wasn't looking so closely, Gideon would have missed the faint tensing in Jade's shoulders.
"Oh, but you can go to those meets any time, sweetheart," their mother began in her most
wheedling tone, a high pitch sound she used to get her way on everything. "But we must go to this competition because Monica Cornish will—"
Gideon couldn't take it. "No," he said, trying to be polite, but even he could hear the hard steel coating the word. Feeling Jade stiffen like a board next to him, he softened his tone as he gave Sandra a firm look. "There are only four more meets, and they all link up. If she misses even one of them, she is taken out of consideration for the scholarship."
Though it wasn't a huge scholarship, only about five thousand dollars’ worth, Gideon would be damned before he’d watch her blow it on a goddamn quilting show that had no cash prize.
Like a seasoned actress, Sandra's large grayish-blue eyes began to shine with the telltale sign of oncoming tears.
The sudden hand on his thigh stilled him from all other movements and, more importantly, sound. Looking down at his thigh, he watched as Jade's slender fingers sank into his jeans with a death grip in warning. Reaching out to their mother with her other hand, Jade placed it over the woman's hand and gave her an understanding expression.
"Please don't cry," she begged, and Gideon could feel his bones turn to stone as anger flared through him at her capitulating words. "I don't have to go to that meet, I can just go with you to-"
A Love So Wrong: A Forbidden Romance Page 1