Forbidden Attraction: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by K. C. Crowne

  “My bed and breakfast ain’t raking in the dough either,” I said. “But there’s no way I’m closing. You can count on that.”

  “I didn’t think either of you would, but us local businesswomen have to stick together,” Felicity said.

  “Damn straight,” I said. Piper nodded in agreement.

  “Speaking of sticking together, what’s your beef with the new guy in town?” Felicity asked, a coy smile playing on her lips. “I saw the two of you bickering earlier.”

  Piper raised an eyebrow. “You? Bickering with someone? I can hardly believe it,” she said with a sarcastic chuckle.

  “Hush,” I said, laughing along with her. “He’s just an asshole. He took up two parking spots in your lot when there’s hardly enough parking as it is.”

  “I mean, the spots are kinda small,” Piper quipped.

  There wasn’t really any room for a truck his size to park in the lot. Most of the men who drove pickup trucks walked to the diner or parked down the street. But this new guy probably didn’t know that just yet. He probably lived further out of town too, since hardly anyone saw him.

  “Still, he was an ass about it,” I said, shrugging. “I needed to get in here to meet with Felicity and didn’t want to be late.”

  “Even though I was late,” Felicity laughed.

  “I didn’t know that at the time,” I said, chuckling. “But yeah, point taken.”

  “Are you agreeing that maybe you were a bit too hasty?” Felicity asked.

  “Not at all,” I said. “I don’t know the guy. Hell, no one really does.”

  “Sadie said he killed someone,” Piper said, almost too casually.

  I cocked my eyebrows and looked at Felicity. Owning a diner meant she usually knew the town gossip, especially since Sadie was often found in one of her booths. She was an older woman, long since retired and widowed. No family, no hobbies except putting her nose in everyone’s business. Most of the time her rumors had a grain of truth, even if they were grossly exaggerated.

  “You hanging out with a murderer, Felicity?” I asked.

  “We’re not hanging out,” she laughed, rolling her eyes. “He’s doing some work for me, building some cabinets. That’s all.”

  “Good. You better keep your distance,” I said. “Even if he’s not a killer, he’s still a dick.”

  Felicity chuckled. “I don’t think you have to worry about me. He had eyes for you, Leah.”

  “No way,” I argued.

  “I mean, he is pretty handsome. You could do worse,” Felicity added. “And it has been a whole year since—”

  I covered my ears and made a sound, playfully blocking out Felicity’s words. I knew she would bring Jason up eventually. Jason was my ex; we’d been together for about two years before I found him in bed with another woman. I hadn’t had the desire to date since we’d split up.

  “Fine, ignore me all you want,” Felicity said once I uncovered my ears. “But let’s face it, the handsome new stranger was totally checking you out, and you could do worse, you know.”

  “Worse than a potential murderer? Jeez, thanks, Felicity,” I teased.

  She shook her head and looked at Piper, “Is she always this stubborn?”

  “Oh yeah,” Piper said. “And you haven’t even seen the worst of it yet.”

  The two of them laughed, and I couldn’t help it - I giggled a bit too. I mean, they were right. I was hard-headed, but there was a reason for that. It was easier that way. Besides, I didn’t have a lot of time to date with keeping the hotel in tip-top shape. Maybe one day, I told myself. One day when I’d find a man who wasn’t a complete piece of shit.

  Allison, the young waitress Felicity had called in the cover the front of the restaurant, called out, “Felicity, they need you in the back.”

  “Alright, back to work,” Felicity said with a groan. She was still smiling though, and we all knew she loved her job. She got up from the booth and headed for the back.

  My mind wandered back to the handsome stranger.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Piper said cheerfully.

  “Oh, I was just thinking about—” I couldn’t think of a proper lie, so my cheeks flushed and I stared down at my hands.

  “That handsome, mysterious new guy in town?” Piper giggled.

  “No,” I stammered. I could tell my best friend didn’t believe me. “Fine, yes, he’s kind of attractive. A little scruffier than I like ‘em, but—”

  “Well, he’s a true mountain man. What do you expect?”

  It was hard to imagine the new guy as a true mountain man because he wasn’t from around here, but Piper was right. Wherever he was from must have been similar. He just had that vibe about him and his physique surely fit the bill. He was nearly six-and-a-half feet tall and his broad chest was a wall of solid muscle that tapered down to a slim waist before continuing on to deliciously thick thighs. His dark blonde hair and scruffy beard were what I called “practiced shaggy” and his keen blue eyes took in everything around him with a hint of suspicion.

  “Did Sadie mention where he’s from?” I asked. “I’m just curious.”

  Piper shrugged. “No, but I can ask.” She gave me a coy smile. “Or maybe you should ask him yourself.”

  “No, that’s not necessary,” I grumbled, my cheeks burning bright red.

  What was it about him that drove me wild? There were plenty attractive men in Liberty. Okay, maybe not plenty, but there were a few. Local men too. Men whose families had known mine and who I could trust. I didn’t know the first thing about this guy - I didn’t even know his name. I could ask Felicity or Piper, but I resisted. I didn’t want them thinking I was interested in him.

  Was it his shaggy, dark blonde hair and baby blue eyes? Oh, those eyes… I thought about the way he looked at me when we were outside. It had been hard to stay composed, but I managed. I’d meant it when I said he was scruffier than I usually liked them. He needed to shave. The beard made him look homeless. Even if he kept it, he needed to clean it up a bit, allow me to see his face - not that I needed to see more of him, I told myself. Because he was a dick.

  “You’re still thinking about him, aren’t ya?” Piper giggled.

  “Just thinking about what an ass he is,” I lied. Truth be told, I’d already forgiven him for that little bit. Not that I’d admit it to myself, and especially not to anyone else.

  After being cheated on, you learned to put your guard up - to not trust just any good-looking man who came your way. I didn’t know the first thing about this man, and from the looks of it, he wanted it to stay that way. He had his secrets, and secrets rarely made good bed partners.

  I looked at my watch and made up an excuse about needing to get back to work. I was the boss and didn’t have to get back to the hotel at any specific time - especially since I’d allocated an hour for the meeting and it was much easier and shorter than I’d expected. Still, Piper didn’t know that.

  “I’ll see you later, sweetie,” she said giving me a firm hug. “Stay out of trouble.”

  The last part was a joke. I always stayed out of trouble, because I did everything by the book. While Piper had the sweet, innocent girl act down, out of all of us, I was the most straight-edged of the bunch. Rarely went out. Didn’t really party much, besides the occasional charity event. Didn’t drink much. I threw myself into my work and my causes, trying to make my baby sister proud of me.

  And, of course, my parents too. But they were proud of me no matter what I did, since I took over the family business. My dad had run the place for decades, but he had no clue what he was doing and nearly ran the place into the ground. They left it to me and my brother, Grant, to clean up the mess. I was doing all I could, and mostly succeeding. At least we were getting by.

  Most of the time.

  Chapter 4

  Kellen

  I had no idea what her name was. We’d barely said two words to one another, yet here she was, pressed against the side of my truck with my mouth pressed agai
nst hers. Her breasts fit perfectly into my hands, and I squeezed them gently as she fumbled for my belt.

  “Yes, yes, I need you,” she whimpered, her petite body writhing against me. “Fuck me, Kellen.”

  The fighting earlier about my truck taking up two spots was long gone. It had turned into something more passionate and led us against the side of my truck, with her skirt raised up.

  I lifted her into my arms until her lower half was aligned with me. Her legs wrapped around my waist and smashed my body into hers.

  It was Heaven, pure and utter Heaven. I groaned as I filled her, as her tiny body held onto mine for dear life.

  “What’s that noise?” I asked, stopping mid-thrust.

  An obnoxious beeping sound pulled me from my sleep, followed by a message from the pilot.

  “We’re approaching our destination and should be landing within the next half hour. We ask that you remain seated with your seatbelts fastened, tray tables secured, and your seat in an upright position.”

  I glanced at the elderly woman beside me, who was giving me a weird look.

  “Sorry, weird dream,” I muttered, sitting upright. I wasn’t sure if my moans had been loud enough for anyone to hear or not; hopefully I hadn’t muttered anything too graphic. There was a tightness in my jeans, making it uncomfortable to sit in the cramped airplane seat. I adjusted as best I could as the older woman stared me down.

  She leaned over, her hand against my arm. “Whoever she is, she’s a lucky girl,” the woman whispered to me. She winked and turned to stare out the window, leaving me to my thoughts.

  What a weird fucking dream, I thought. I didn’t even know the woman’s name, had only seen her the one time, and I was fantasizing about having sex with her. I mean, she was a hottie, don’t get me wrong. She was gorgeous. No wonder my brain concocted such an elaborate and realistic dream about her.

  I pushed the dream from my mind and focused on getting off that plane as soon as possible. I hated everything about flying - from the security theater to being crammed into a big, metal tube like sardines. Being a big man, I made sure to book a first-class seat - I needed the extra leg room. Being 6’5”, however, meant that even in first class, there was very little room for my long legs. At least I wasn’t rubbing elbows with the woman beside me, which I often did in regular seats. I wasn’t just tall, but also broad.

  As soon as the plane was on the ground, I hurried through the airport. I’d packed only a carry-on, so I made my way out of the airport and into the first cab I could find.

  “Where to?” the driver asked.

  I gave him the details for the hospital. No time to stop at a hotel or Alice’s home; I wanted to get to her first thing. Since she was obviously in labor, there were no voicemails or messages from her. Not like she had anyone else there to update me.

  The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever, but once I was there, I hurried inside and made my way to the labor and delivery floor. I had no idea which room Alice was in, or if she was even out of delivery yet. I had no news and no idea where to go. So I started with the nurse’s station.

  “I’m here for Alice Jenson,” I said.

  The nurse typed Alice’s name into a computer, and she frowned.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  The nurse looked at me with a serious expression. “Are you the patient’s husband, I presume?”

  I knew that hospitals couldn’t give patient details unless you were family, so I lied. “Yes, I am,” I said. “Is everything alright?”

  “Just give me a second,” the nurse said, standing from the desk. “Her doctor can speak with you.”

  My heart raced. This didn’t sound good at all. I calmed my nerves by reminding myself that I knew absolutely nothing about labor and delivery. Maybe this was normal. Maybe she was still in labor, and the doctor would get me prepped to join her. I’d witnessed childbirth before, but only a few times as an EMT. It was never someone I knew, and I could stand back and take a medical approach to it.

  This was different.

  This was personal.

  An Asian woman in scrubs walked toward me after speaking to the nurse. She was dressed for surgery.

  “Hello, I’m Dr. Lee,” the woman said, giving me a pleasant smile as she shook my hand. “And you’re Ms. Jenson’s husband? Boyfriend?”

  “Yes,” I said rather bluntly. I hated lying, but I was the only family Alice had, and I needed to know what was going on. I didn’t bother to differentiate between boyfriend or husband; it didn’t matter. “I just want to know how she’s doing.”

  “Well, she’s out of the operating room now,” Dr. Lee said. “The baby is doing fine, but we’ve run into a few problems regarding Ms. Jenson. She was rushed in for a C-section. Her blood pressure was rising rapidly. She’s being transferred to the ICU, but once she’s stable, we can let you visit her.”

  I heard everything the doctor was saying, but it felt like a nightmare. It didn’t feel real. I knew Alice had some issues with her blood pressure, but I thought the doctors had it taken care of.

  “Would you like to see the baby?” Dr. Lee said. “She’s healthy and doing great.”

  I’d never been around babies before, at least not outside of my job. And I’d never held a newborn. The few times we’d delivered babies as EMTs, someone else always took control of the situation. They always held the child.

  “Mr. Jenson?” Dr. Lee probed.

  “Uh, sorry,” I said, shaking my head to clear it. “My name isn’t Jenson. It’s Mayberry. Kellen Mayberry.”

  “I apologize,” Dr. Lee said. “I shouldn’t have assumed. But would you like to see your daughter?”

  My daughter. Now that was an odd phrase to hear. Even though the child wasn’t mine, and it still felt odd to hear those words.

  “Sure,” I said, knowing that if I wanted to play the part of Alice’s partner, I needed to go with the flow. Truthfully, I would have rather met the baby with Alice present - mainly so I wouldn’t have to worry about dropping her or doing something wrong - but since that couldn’t happen, I decided to go with it.

  Besides, there’d be nurses there, others who could help me. And who said I had to hold her? I could just look at her through the glass.

  I followed Dr. Lee, who handed me off to another nurse. This nurse was a bubbly blonde who wouldn’t stop yapping. She seemed to love her job working with babies.

  “Your little girl is so darn cute,” the nurse said. “She’s just the tiniest little thing. And she already has so much hair. She looks like you, you know.”

  “She does?” I stammered. It wasn’t possible for the child to look like me, and I assumed it was something the nurses said to all the new fathers.

  “Of course,” the nurse said. “You can tell she’s yours!”

  Yeah, okay, sure, I thought. I stifled a laugh as the nurse led me into the nursery. There was no glass separating me from the babies, and right away, panic set in.

  “Here she is,” the nurse said. “Isn’t she just the cutest?”

  The baby was tiny, much smaller than I expected. Though looking around, she seemed to be about average. The doctor had said she was healthy. She was asleep and looked so peaceful. Her hair was dark, just like Henry’s, and thick already.

  Until that moment, I never knew you could love someone so quickly. My heart swelled and tears stung at my eyes.

  “She’s beautiful,” I said.

  “Would you like to hold her?” the nurse asked.

  “Oh no, she’s sleeping. I couldn’t—”

  But the universe seemed to have it out for me. As soon as I spoke those words, the little girl’s eyes opened, and she let out a pitiful whimper.

  “Seems like she wants her daddy to me,” the nurse said, scooping the baby into her arms.

  Before I could protest further, she placed the tiny infant in my arms. Thankfully she was there to help me, because I had no idea what I was doing or how to hold my arms, but she guided me until the baby w
as nestled into my massive arms. She looked so tiny and fragile against me.

  “Isn’t that precious,” the nurse said. “She stopped crying right away. She knows who you are.”

  The baby no longer whimpered or fussed. She stared up at me with her eyes only opened the tiniest amount. Her face was wrinkled as if she was deep in thought, trying to figure out who the hell I was and why I was holding her.

  “Do you have a name picked out for her?” the nurse asked.

  “Matilda,” I said quietly. I knew the name Alice and Henry had chosen for their child; they’d talked about it often. She was named after both of their mother’s, both of whom had passed away before getting to meet their beautiful granddaughter. “Matilda Jane.”

  “What a beautiful name,” the nurse cooed.

  Matilda laid in my arms, calmer than I expected. I didn’t dare move a muscle, afraid I might drop her or break her. The nurse noticed my stiffness.

  “It’s natural to be nervous as a new dad,” she said sweetly. “But trust me, you’re not going to break her. You’ll get the hang of it.”

  I doubted that. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to being around something so small. Not that I’d have to.

  “Do you know when I’ll be able to see Alice?” I asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the baby in my arms.

  “Uh, let me check,” she said, moving toward the door.

  I panicked. “No! Don’t leave,” I whispered. “I mean, here, help me put her back down.”

  The nurse chuckled and came over, taking Matilda from my arms and placing her back in her bed. Another nurse was walking around, checking on all the babies. She was safe and in good hands. As hard as it was to leave her, I followed the nurse out of the room and down the hall to the nurse’s station.

  “Do we have an update on Alice Jenson yet?” the nurse asked another woman.

  They talked, and I listened. I found out that Alice was set up in her room and would be able to see her baby now. She would also be able to see me.