Forbidden Attraction: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by K. C. Crowne

  “Yeah, so? I write about the things I do, to try to encourage others to get out there and live life,” she said. “And yes, I like books too, don’t get me wrong, but I typically prefer books that can teach me something.”

  “And you call me uptight,” I teased.

  She shrugged. “I don’t judge others for what they like. I just have trouble sitting still for too long,” she said. “And honestly, I’m just happy to be alive, so I cherish every moment of every day. Is that so bad?”

  “Sounds like someone who’s come close to death before,” I said, my smile fading. Suddenly, this conversation had taken a very serious turn.

  “Not really,” she said, averting her gaze. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yeah, I’ve been ready all morning,” I said. I didn’t believe her answer to my question but decided to let it drop. After all, we weren’t supposed to be very serious. It was none of my business.

  “Ah, a morning person. I should have known.”

  She walked toward me, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She got close enough that I could count the freckles on her nose and cheeks. It took me by surprise, and part of me was hopeful for a kiss. Instead, she poked me playfully in the chest.

  “I hope you’re in as good as shape as you look,” she said. “Because we’re going to be walking a bunch.”

  I chuckled. “I think I can handle it.”

  She cocked her eyebrow and gave me a once over as if to appraise my fitness levels. She smiled then, obviously liking what she saw. “Yeah, I think so too. Come on then,” she said. “Let’s stop wasting daylight and get out of here.”

  I wanted to say something about how she was the reason we were getting a late start, but I decided to drop it.

  Besides, I found myself distracted by her ass as she led me out the door, her hips swishing as if she was intentionally trying to taunt me. If she was hoping to turn me on, it was working. There was a tightness in my jeans already, and we were only just beginning.

  It was going to be a long day.

  Hope

  “I thought you wanted to avoid tourists,” Colin said as we started on the trek toward the Sacre-Couer.

  “Avoiding tourists in Paris would be an impossible feat,” I said. “I just don’t like to do anything too touristy. I’m more of an off-the-beaten-path type of girl, but there are exceptions to this, of course.”

  “And apparently scaling thousands of stairs is the exception, got it.”

  “Trust me, this trek is worth it,” she said. There was a sparkle in her eye. “Besides, it’s listed as one of the best places to kiss in Paris, and since I’m writing about romance, I figured I’d test that theory.”

  He raised his eyebrows but didn’t say a word. I was flirting with him, yes, even though I knew I shouldn’t be. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in feeling what his lips would be like again mine.

  The more time I spent with Colin, the harder it was to resist him. Not that he’d made any moves on me to begin with. He was such a gentleman, something that only made me want him more. Had he thrown himself at me from the beginning, I probably would have run for the hills. But no, he was respecting my wishes; something I hadn’t experience with too many guys up to that point.

  He was right about the tourists being a bit annoying. There were so many of them, all making the same trek. Most of them not prepared to take the hundreds of steps to the top, and stopping along the way, forcing us to stop often too.

  Colin, as expected, had no problems with the stairs. He wasn’t even breaking a sweat. I considered myself to be in pretty good shape, but even I was breathing heavier than normal and had to keep wiping the sweat from my brow.

  “You make this look easy,” I said.

  “What?” he asked, further proving my point that this was easy for him. So easy, he had no idea what I was talking about.

  “This,” I said, motioning toward the steps.

  “Oh, you mean the steps?” he said. He shrugged. “What can I say? I do my best to stay in shape. Fitness is important to me.”

  “I can see that,” I said. Of course, I didn’t mean just his ability to walk up the massive number of steps, but also his body. It was obvious from his strong, thick arms and tight ass that he spent a lot of time at the gym. For a busy doctor, I wasn’t sure how he found the time, but he obviously did.

  It made me feel a little weak in comparison. Then again, most of my workouts weren’t at the gym. I preferred walking outside and exploring over running on a treadmill. I had to take care of myself, of course. Being diabetic meant that I needed to watch what I ate and to not gain too much weight. I also had to be very mindful about the amount of sugar and carbs I ingested as they would make my sugar sky-rocket. I indulged every now and then but couldn’t afford to make a habit of it.

  We ascended the first set of stairs, then the next. We were inching closer and closer to the top. At one point, we were in a square filled with more artists and little shops and cafes; one of my favorite parts of Paris. It was everything you imagined when you thought of the city. Some parts of the city felt like any other, but then you’d find a little enclave like that, and you knew there was nowhere else in the world that felt exactly like that.

  It felt so romantic, and I yearned to take Colin’s hand. It just felt like the type of place where lovers would hold hands and walk around together. Had I been with a boyfriend, I most certainly would have enjoyed that. But I was afraid to touch Colin because I knew what effect it would have on me. I’d had a crazy-hot sex dream about him the night before and I didn’t need the warmth of his hand in mine to bring back any memories. I was getting hot all over just thinking about it.

  Finally, all of our hard work paid off, and we reached the top. Not only was the cathedral sitting up top, waiting for us, but the best view of Paris was before us as well. We could see everything the city had to offer from standing up there. It truly felt like we were at the top of world.

  Both Colin and I stopped and just stared out at the beautiful, historic city. The cool air felt nice against my skin. After walking for so long, it was a relief to finally be at the top, to have the view before us. Colin’s gaze drank everything in, and there was a hint of a smile on his face. I could tell he was enjoying it as much as I was. It was hard to look out at the city when such a gorgeous man was standing beside me, so I split my time between admiring the view of Paris and admiring the man beside me.

  “So, this is one of the best places to kiss in Paris?” he asked. “Not surprising at all.”

  “Yeah,” I said, choking up just a bit. It had been my dream, when I was dating Jeremy, to climb to the top and enjoy a kiss with the man I loved. I was a little surprised to find that there was still a romantic inside of me after everything had gone to shit so spectacularly. I’d pitched this article because it had always been a dream of mine to bring someone I loved to Paris and to experience all the romance the city had to offer. I’d wanted to sneak kisses at the top of the city, hold hands as we walked around the beautiful streets, and admire the architecture.

  Colin must have sensed that something was wrong. In that moment, something changed between us. He took my hand in his, causing my breath to catch in my throat. His large, strong hand perfectly encapsulated mine. He turned to me, and before I knew what was happening, he pulled me toward him, his mouth pressing against mine.

  My insides turned to mush, and I was so surprised, I just stood there, savoring the feeling of his lips against mine. It took me a second to realize what was happening, and that I wanted it. I’d wanted it more than anything.

  With my free hand, I grabbed ahold of Colin’s head, pulling him into me even more. My fingers stroked the back of his neck, playing with his hair as I opened my mouth to him. His tongue gently entered my mouth, twisting and twirling with mine. My heart was beating so hard and fast, and my head was spinning, but I didn’t want it to end. I knew it was probably a bad idea to be doing it, but I didn’t care.

  We
were in Paris, in one of the most romantic cities in the world, and I wanted to enjoy a perfect moment. I wanted him. I’d deal with all the heartbreak of leaving him behind when the time came.

  He seemed to feel the same way as I did. He released my hand so he could hold my face, stroking my cheek as we continued to make out like two horny teenagers.

  When he pulled away, I leaned closer, kissing him again, relaxing into his arms. Even after our lips were apart, he held me like that for a few minutes. The two of us were now overlooking Paris, his arms wrapped around me. It was everything I could have ever dreamt of and more.

  “What was that about?” I asked, once my voice came back to me.

  “I’m just trying to make sure you get a good romantic experience for your article,” he said, his eyes sparkling, telling me there was more to it than that. “And to test out if this is really one of the best places to kiss in Paris. It’s for science, you see.”

  Playfully, I tapped his chest as I removed myself from his arms. That was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do, or at least it felt that way. I wanted nothing more than to stay there forever.

  “So what else is on your list of best places to kiss?” he asked, smirking.

  “Why? Are you wanting to visit them all?”

  “Maybe. Could make for a good article, don’t you think?”

  He had a point, but was he saying he wanted to actually kiss me in all of those places? My cheeks flushed pink, and I had a momentary shyness. It didn’t happen often, but I wasn’t used to being the object of someone’s affection and desires, especially someone I hardly knew. Jeremy and I were so casual, we hardly even flirted. But Colin seemed to relish in the flirting and teasing. I loved it, but it left me a little awkward and unsure of how to respond at times.

  As much as I wanted to continue on the path, to see where it went, I knew better. Plus, my stomach was growling, and I knew my blood sugar would start to drop if I wasn’t careful. I needed to eat, and soon, if I didn’t want to get all weird. Low blood sugar often made me appear drunk. I’d act strange, sometimes make no sense when speaking, and I’d black out, forgetting everything I’d done. I’d walk around like a zombie if I didn’t slip into a coma.

  All the walking and exercising meant it was even more imperative to eat soon. I didn’t want to be weird around Colin, nor did I want to talk about my illness. To me, it was just another part of my life, something I was used to. But outsiders often saw it as a reason to pity me, and I didn’t want that from him.

  So instead, I made it all about continuing our faux romance.

  “Hey, so remember those cute little cafes on our way up here?” I asked. “Maybe we should grab a late lunch/early dinner at one of them. I think that would be a nice experience to write about.”

  “Sure,” he said. “I could eat.”

  And just like that, our romantic moment on top of Paris was over. We headed back toward the way we came, and I had the urge to take his hand again. I glanced over at him and smiled, and just decided to go for it. I reached out, took his hand in mine and waited for him to pull away.

  He didn’t. He gave me a sideways glance and a small, crooked smile, but he kept his hand firmly in mine, lacing our fingers together.

  “I figured if we’re going to be doing the faux romance thing,” I said, nibbling my lip, “We might as well go all out.”

  He was, after all, the one who kissed me, using that same excuse. His smile grew wider.

  “I agree. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it right.”

  He gave my hand a firm squeeze, and together, we walked back down to the cafes surrounded by artists. The entire experience was strange, I hardly knew Colin, but it was nice. Almost perfect, in fact.

  Much nicer than if I’d been there with Jeremy, I admitted to myself as we picked out a place to eat.

  Ooo000ooo

  Sparks were flying throughout our meal. The kiss was still lingering on my lips, and even though we were on opposite sides of the table, I kept leaning forward, hoping he might kiss me again. But there was just too much space between us, and once our food came, it became too awkward to lean closer to him.

  He did, however, hold onto my hand from across the table for a while, which made my insides flutter like crazy.

  I found myself wanting to know more and more about him, but every time I asked him a question, he gave me a fairly vague answer. He was polite, always kind, but he wasn’t an open book. I wasn’t sure if that was because of the casual nature of our relationship or just how he was.

  I tried not to take it personally.

  He seemed interested in me, however, and I tried not to give too much of myself away either. I didn’t want to take things too far, to get too attached. We never talked about where we lived, or what we had going on back home. Or at least he didn’t. So I tried to follow suit, and to live in the moment; to focus on what we had going on in Paris.

  We talked about our favorite things; books, movies, television shows, and the like. But nothing too deep, nothing too personal. But the more I learned about Colin, the more I wanted to know. And the more I tried to get to know him, the more he seemed to pull back from me. So I tried to keep things fairly relaxed, hoping he might open up to me in time.

  Not like we had much time. A few more days, at most, I thought to myself. The realization that all of it would come to an end hit me hard as we finished our meal.

  I wanted to spend as much time with this amazing man as possible.

  “So what should we do now?” Colin asked me as the waiter took our plates.

  My body was tired from a long day of walking and exploring. I wanted to rest, to shower and get cleaned up, but I didn’t want our date to end either.

  “Maybe we should go back to the hotel for a bit?” I said. “Just relax for awhile, then maybe meet back up for dinner and drinks?”

  “That sounds nice,” he said.

  When the bill came, we shared a look. Colin reached for it, of course, but I pulled out my card as well. I handed it to him. He started to protest, but I held my hand up to stop him.

  “Remember our agreement,” I said. “Let me pay for myself sometime.”

  It seemed to pain him to nod and take my card from me, but he did it. He also slipped is in. “But I’m paying for myself.”

  “Fine by me,” I said with a smile. “For now.”

  We left the cafe, and from the moment we stepped outside onto the street, he was holding my hand again. I was on cloud nine, and the entire trip back to the hotel was a blur, filled with lots of smiling back and forth and yearning for more kisses.

  When we got back to the hotel lobby, we were once against standing outside the elevator. It didn’t take a mind reader to know what he was thinking. The outline of an erection in his jeans told me all I needed to know, and after the kiss earlier, it was tempting to make a move.

  Colin hadn’t pressed the button for his floor yet. Neither had I.

  He rubbed his chin, seemed to be thinking about something, but not saying it out loud. I was both hopeful and afraid he’d make a move. Hopeful because I wanted him, yes, but afraid because I wanted him so badly that it scared the ever-living shit out of me.

  “So, dinner and drinks later?” he asked.

  “Yes, if you’re up for it?”

  “Of course I am,” he said.

  Colin and I reached for the elevator buttons at the same time, our hands touching. Even though we’d been holding hands most of the evening already, it still sent an electric shock through me to feel his skin against mine.

  And we were also close. So very close. Too close.

  Without thinking, I stood on my tip-toes and went in for a kiss. Our lips were about to touch when the elevator doors opened up and an older woman stepped out, nearly running into us and giving us a scathing look.

  “Get a room,” she muttered.

  Colin and I started to laugh at the same time. Oh, the irony. We had a room alright; two of them in fact. That was the prob
lem.

  I stepped inside the elevator first, and Colin followed me. Neither of us said much until the doors opened on the second floor, his stop.

  “Well, I’ll see you later then,” he said.

  “Yes, just a few hours from now.”

  He stepped from the elevator, then turned to me with a smile.

  “Good,” he said as the doors closed. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Ah, yes, me too, I thought to myself.

  Me too.

  Ooo000ooo

  I’d needed a cooling off period before dinner with Colin. Things were going so well, and I was falling so fast, my head was spinning out of control. I took a cold shower, and even that didn’t quench the warmth inside of me.

  My phone rang just as I got out of the shower. Anna, of course. I hesitated to answer, only because I knew she’d tell me to go for it. Easy for her to say, it wasn’t her heart at risk here. It was mine.

  I would never ignore my best friend however, so I answered right before it went to voicemail.

  “Sorry, just getting out of the shower,” I said.

  I hadn’t had time to put on clothes, so I strolled out of the bathroom naked.

  “Oh, I was hoping you were still with Doctor Hottiepants,” Anna said.

  I rolled my eyes. “No, we parted ways about an hour ago,” I said. Biting my lip, I added, “But we’re meeting back up again soon for dinner and drinks.”

  I spoke the last half of the sentence in a softer, muted tone, almost like I hoped Anna wouldn’t hear me. But she had. She squealed in excitement and started singing, “Hope is gonna get some tonight!”

  “Stop it,” I said, my cheeks red. Still, I couldn’t help but giggle along with her. “It’s not like that.”

  “It’s not?” she asked, sounding disappointed.

  “No, I told you. Neither one of us wants anything serious,” I said.

  “Who said anything about it being serious?”

  “You’re the worst,” I teased.