Forbidden Attraction: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by K. C. Crowne

  So instead, I let it be. I wiped at my eyes and pulled myself from the bed, moving to the bathroom.

  “Hope,” Colin said, jumping from the bed and following me.

  I closed the bathroom door and said, “It’s okay. I’m fine. I just need to use the bathroom.”

  All of that was a lie, of course. I wasn’t fine. I knew it. I’d let myself get too close, to fall for him even though I knew I shouldn’t. With only a few days left together and I had a tough decision to make. Either I keep going, enjoying the time we did have together while risking even more attachment, or I cut all ties right then and there. The very idea of cutting things off caused more tears to well up in my eyes and a sharp pain in my chest.

  “Hope? You alright in there?” Colin asked through the door.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” I said.

  Pull yourself together, Hope. You knew what you were getting into from the very beginning. I wiped my eyes and stood up tall, staring at myself in the mirror.

  I was a fairly successful, strong woman. Even Colin had said that he had no doubt I’d survive whatever life threw at me. I could do it. A little heartbreak never killed anyone, and calling it off now wouldn’t make it hurt any less. If anything, I’d be depressed and regret not living in the moment, enjoying what we had while we had it.

  Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the bathroom feeling slightly better. Colin was sitting at the desk, his laptop open. Either he hadn’t heard me come out, or he was doing something important because he didn’t look up from the screen.

  As I got closer to him, I noticed the frown on his face. He was clearly not happy about whatever he was reading. Out of instinct, I walked over and put my hand on his shoulders, offering him my quiet support. He seemed surprised, and took my hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss. His eyes looked darker than usual.

  “What is it? Is everything okay?” I asked him.

  “No, not really,” he said. “There’s an emergency back home, I have to fly out first thing tomorrow.”

  My heart sank. I couldn’t believe my ears, or maybe I didn’t want to. My knees wobbled, and I grabbed onto the back of his chair to steady myself.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, hoping I’d heard him wrong.

  Colin turned in the chair, facing me. He wrapped his arms around me, burying his face into my chest without saying another word. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I stood there awkwardly, wishing he’d say something.

  When he pulled away, he cleared his throat. “I have to fly out tomorrow, Hope. I’m leaving early.”

  After all the inner turmoil, after I’d finally convinced myself that a few extra days would be better than ending things early, and he tells me he’s leaving early? Of course, I wanted to believe that he really did have some urgent matter calling him back home, but inside, I feared I’d pushed him away by becoming emotional.

  “Are you sure?” I asked. My head was spinning, and I couldn’t think of anything else to say. “Whatever it is, can’t it wait a few more days?”

  “I’m afraid not,” he said. There was true sorrow in his eyes when he said those words. I wanted to believe him, wanted to think he didn’t want to leave me, but it was hard to know for sure. He stood up from the chair and wrapped his arms around me again, pulling my face into his chest. With my face hidden, I let the tears fall, and tried my best to cry quietly against him, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

  “We still have tonight,” he whispered in my ear.

  That was true. We had one more night together. It should have been enough considering we hardly knew each other, but even a week together wouldn’t have been enough. I wasn’t even sure a month or a year would be enough. I felt so alive when I was with him, so cared for and special. He made me laugh like no one else had. The sex was amazing, on a whole other level. There was a spark there that I hadn’t felt with Jeremy.

  That I hadn’t felt with anyone before.

  And we only had one more night together.

  My heart broke into a million pieces, and while I knew I was a strong woman, in that moment, it was hard to imagine ever putting things back together again. Still, I somehow managed to pull myself together and wipe away the tears again. Putting on a happy face, I said, “One more night together? I guess we should make the most of it, huh?”

  “Yes, I think so too,” he said. “What would you like to do?”

  The list of things we could do was endless. There was so much more I’d wanted to do with Colin, but our time was up. I’d been cheated out of a few more days, so I needed to decide what we would do with the time we had left.

  My insides ached for him still. I yearned for him, and since it was already pretty late, I knew what I wanted the most.

  “I want you, Colin. I want you to fuck me like there’s no tomorrow, because in our case, there won’t be.”

  It sounded melodramatic even to me, but Colin’s seemed to appreciate it. He hardened against me in an instant, and his lips met mine. He kissed me more roughly than before, pushing me backward toward the bed. His hands explored every inch of my body as he pulled the robe off me, letting it fall to the floor.

  I stripped his robe off him too, allowing my hands to feel him.

  I had to make it count.

  I dropped down to my knees in front of him, taking as much of him into my mouth as possible. His eyes rolled back into his head.

  “Jesus,” he muttered under his breath.

  I grabbed onto his ass, pulling him into me, determined to take as much of him as I could.

  He was salty, already dripping pre-cum from the tip of his cock, and I licked every bit of it, savoring it, knowing it was the last I’d ever get to taste of home. When I wasn’t sucking him, I was licking every inch of his member, swirling my tongue in circles around the head of him, moving up and down the sides, and watching him as I pleasured him.

  The look on his face was indescribable. He looked down at me like I was a goddess; the most beautiful woman he’d laid eyes on. When I hit a sensitive spot with my tongue, his jaw clenched up and his eyes fluttered open and shut, and it was sexy to stare up at him like that with his cock between my lips.

  “Enough,” he said, pulling on my shoulders until I was standing. “It’s your turn.”

  I sat down on the bed behind me, and this time, he dropped to his knees in front of me. With one hand, he spread my thighs, and without hesitating, buried himself between them.

  I wasn’t expecting him to get to work so quickly, his tongue circling my clit. I wrapped my legs around his shoulders, giving him easier access. He lapped at my pussy, eating me as if I was the most delicious dessert he’d ever had the luxury of tasting. My hands were tangled in his hair, and I found myself pressing him into him as a warmth moved through me.

  I knew what Colin wanted from me; he wanted me to come for him. He didn’t have to pull his mouth away from my pussy for me to know it. He ate me out with such intensity, it was obvious what his goal was. And it was working too. Just knowing that a man enjoyed going down on me was hot.

  “Yes, yes,” I moaned, throwing my head back. My back arched upward, pushing my pelvis even closer to him. My legs began shaking, and there was no stopping it. “God, yes, you’re so good at this.”

  The warmth from before turned into a full-on fire, as my pussy spasmed with pleasure. It was like an explosion inside of me. One minute, I was fine and the next I was screaming out his name, quivering and bucking wildly as I experienced one of the best orgasms of my life.

  Colin knew exactly how to prolong the experience too. He never stopped, keeping his rhythm and holding my hips in place, even as I fought against his grip. It wasn’t intentional. It felt so good, but yet, I couldn’t hold still. Not on my own. Not until the last wave of pleasure washed over me, then finally, I could relax. My head fell forward, and I took Colin’s face in my hands, lifting it up so I could see him. His face was soaked, yet he smiled up at me, clearly pleased with his performance. Not nearly as pleased as I was
, though. My legs were still shaking like an earthquake.

  “Get on all fours,” he growled.

  I did as I was told, and Colin stepped up behind me. He rubbed his bare cock against my opening, teasing me with the tip of him. I wanted to feel him without a condom so badly; the idea of him filling me with seed excited me. But I wasn’t on the pill anymore, and I wasn’t willing to take the chance.

  He rubbed the head of his cock against my clit, and I pushed backward involuntarily. We were playing with fire, and we both knew it. But I couldn’t bring myself to make the request.

  Thankfully, Colin was in his right mind. Stepping away for only a second, he grabbed his wallet. I heard the cracking of the condom wrapper, and then felt him against my opening once more, ready to penetrate me.

  Grabbing ahold of my shoulders, he lifted me upward just a bit, and slammed into me. My pussy wasn’t fully prepared for him, and I cried out in pleasure. It felt so good to be stretched open like that. I loved knowing that he was filling me up, stretching me wider than I’d ever been stretched before.

  I loved knowing how tight I must feel for him.

  He continued fucking me hard, harder than he’d fucked me before. He held onto my ass, pounding his cock deep into me. His nails dug into my flesh as he lowered himself down just enough to kiss along my back as he fucked me from behind.

  Gripping my hair, he yanked me upward even more so that his breath was hot against my neck. He kissed and nibbled my neck as he growled into my ear, “You’re mine, Hope. All mine.”

  Hearing him claim me like that caused my entire body to tighten up. All I wanted was to be his, to truly be his. Not just for one night, but for good. He let go of my hair, and my head fell forward. My knees and arms were shaking, I almost couldn’t take another moment of this. It was almost too much.

  Almost.

  The fire inside of me grew hotter and hotter, and I prepared myself for yet another orgasm. Colin’s breathing was growing ragged, and I wanted him to come with me.

  “Come inside me,” I begged, knowing that we had the condom to protect us from any unwanted pregnancies. “Please, Colin. Come inside me now.”

  My begging was desperate, my voice ragged. His movements became more erratic as he thrust deeper and deeper into my tight pussy.

  “I’m going to come, Colin. Come with me, please!” I screamed out before my body began convulsing in pleasure. My pussy spasmed around his cock, clenching him tightly, and that’s when he lost it.

  He let out an animalistic growl and shuddered against me, burying himself balls deep inside me one last time. He remained frozen against me, and his cock throbbed inside of me. I felt the pulsating as he came, and then I felt a warmth.

  I thought I was paranoid, but it almost felt like he’d come inside of me. I convinced myself I was imagining it, until Colin slipped out of me.

  “Fuck,” he said, and it wasn’t a sound of pleasure.

  “What is it?” I asked, flipping around onto my butt. That’s when I saw the reason for his cursing.

  The condom was ripped almost completely off. The head of his cock glistened with come and my juices, free from the rubber. My heart raced as it hit me.

  Neither one of us said anything for a few minutes, as Colin removed what remained of the shredded condom. All I could think about was that I wasn’t on the pill.

  I was on the verge of hyperventilating when Colin came back to the bed, curling up with me. He didn’t seem as concerned as I was for some reason, and it took a moment for me to figure out why.

  “You’re on the pill, right?”

  “No,” I said softly.

  “IUD?”

  “No,” I said again.

  “Another form of birth control?”

  I let out a ragged breath and closed my eyes. “No. I’m not on any form of birth control at the moment. I hadn’t needed it.”

  A panicked look crossed his face, but he managed to calm himself.

  “Right. Okay. The good news is, there are options out there,” he said. “We can get you some Plan B.”

  “Yes, I said, feeling relieved at the suggestion. “That’s right. It’s still an option. I can pick it up tomorrow.”

  Colin got really quiet for a moment, and then said, “I’m sorry I won’t be here to help you, but if you need any help getting it--”

  “I’m fine,” I said. “Totally fine.”

  That was a lie, sure, but the reason for not being fine had little to do with getting the Plan B and everything to do with the fact that Colin was flying out the next morning. He was leaving me, and since I had no other date to explore Paris with, I wasn’t sure what I’d do for the next few days.

  The idea of spending time in Paris without Colin hurt too damn much. I decided, in that moment, that I’d look into changing my flight too. I was done, I had enough material to figure something out. Not like I’d be getting any more romantic dates in the next few days anyway, I told myself. Might as well cut my losses and go home.

  Colin held me close, and I don’t think either one of us slept much that night. The morning would come too soon for us, and everything we had would be over.

  I just couldn’t stand to sleep the precious few hours away.

  Colin

  This is why I never take a vacation, I thought to myself as I re-read the e-mail from my medical office. They couldn’t seem to function without me. I didn’t want to shorten my trip, especially since things had been going so well with Hope, but it was urgent that I see a patient, they said. So urgent, I needed to fly back right away.

  I loved what I did, and I knew that not many people could do what I did. I knew that in this case, the woman’s issue was something only I could handle. She needed an expert, and there were few doctors who specialized in such risky pregnancies.

  Hope was sitting on the bed as I packed for my flight. I was leaving bright and early - my flight was to depart at seven in the morning. Hope was bleary eyed and clearly exhausted. Neither one of us had slept much. I’d get some sleep on the plane, if I was lucky. It was an eleven-hour flight, after all. Not much else to do.

  She hadn’t said much that morning, and neither had I. I wasn’t sure what I could say. Leaving her was going to be hard, as much as I hated to admit it. I’d had a lot of fun with her; more fun that I could ever remember having in my life. She made me feel things I didn’t think were possible, and she made me want to get out there and live more.

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she spoke. “I’ve decided I’m going to go home early too,” she said, not meeting my gaze. “The earliest flight I could get was for tomorrow morning, but I think my work here in Paris is done.”

  “Are you sure you have enough material for your article?”

  “I think so,” she said, shrugging. “And if not, there’s not much I can do alone.”

  I had a feeling it had more to do with her not wanting to be alone after the last few days, and I couldn’t really blame her. What we shared had been special, to say the least. For her to have to start over, to find someone new to go on these adventures with had to be daunting. I only hoped I provided enough inspiration for her to get the job done.

  “I understand,” I said, sighing deeply. I tossed the last of my items in my suitcase, zipped it up and sat down beside her on the bed. I had to get moving if I wanted to make sure I made my flight, but I couldn’t bring myself to hurry out the door.

  We needed a proper goodbye at least.

  “Thank you for everything though,” she said, finally looking at me. “It was really nice.”

  There was a dreamy look in her eyes, and I knew exactly how she felt. Thinking back over the time we’d shared, it did feel like a dream. An amazing dream. One I didn’t want to wake up from.

  But life called.

  “I’m sorry I have to leave early, it’s just that work needs me.”

  “I get it, you’re a doctor. You save lives. That’s more important than anything you could be doing here.”

/>   I wanted to argue, to tell her that wasn’t true. She was important to me already, but I let it go. It was hard to deny that what I did was important. I did save lives. In this case, I was heading back to save multiple lives. As in a woman and her triplets.

  I had half a mind to reach out to a fellow doctor in my office, one that was a close friend of mine, and ask him to cover the emergency. But Michael didn’t have my level of experience with multiples beyond twins, and my conscience couldn’t let me do that.

  This patient needed me. It sounded cocky, but it was true. I was the only one who could help her, and I had to get home.

  “You should probably get going then,” Hope said, looking away.

  I saw the tears in her eyes, and it was hard to ignore them. My heart ached. This beautiful, lively woman was going to shed tears over me. I wasn’t sure I deserved it, but of course, she didn’t know me. Not really. She saw the relaxed me, not the one who was constantly working at all hours of the day and night. The one who often got snippy and grumpy due to sheer exhaustion. No, she didn’t know me, not really. Only the man I wished I could be.

  I turned her face to look at me, and tears stained her cheeks. I wiped them away with my fingers before leaning in to kiss her. It was a soft, sweet kiss. She sniffled and pulled away, standing up from the bed. Grabbing her purse, she spoke really fast, “I guess I should be going, huh? Don’t want to hold you up.”

  “Hope,” I said, speaking almost too softly.

  She continued babbling. I stood and walked over to her, stopping her with another kiss; this one with more intensity and fire to it. If I’d had more time, I would have taken her back to bed and made love to her one last time. God knew, my body wanted that. But there was no time, and she was right. I needed to get moving or I’d miss my flight.