Forbidden Attraction (Forbidden Trilogy) (12 page)

“You’re right. Again I’m so sorry. If your friendship is the only thing you’re offering, I’ll take it. I know I fucked up, but I won’t give up on the idea of us. First I’ll regain your trust and maybe then you will see the possibility of something more for us.”

I’m about to discourage him from the false hope, but he’s called to the stage. Apparently he had signed up to sing while I was on stage. Chris Daughtry’s
It’s Not Over
blares from the speakers as he takes the mic. How fitting. Too bad he doesn’t realize it really is over. It took some time for the hurt to cease, but I’m ready to move on. I’m no longer bitter about seeing him with Heather or any woman for that matter.

His apology is what I needed to find closure to our relationship. The hurtful part was his indifference to how he was making me feel. Now that he has acknowledged his wrongdoing, I know we can move forward from this. He’s going to have to come to the same realization that I did—what we had is over. I hope I can help him as a friend come to these terms.

I applaud when he finishes the song and give him a sad smile. I don’t want to encourage his logic for that song choice. He knows music grounds me and how much I love it. He was attempting to reach me through the lyrics. I don’t acknowledge his attempt though. Instead, I introduce him to Bailey and the rest of the group that I met tonight. He gets us a round of beers and we all laugh and clown around as the other group members perform their set. The background video to the lyrics is hilarious—a donkey walking on chained legs and fish fertilizing eggs. The video definitely doesn’t match the songs, but it is a hell of fun. After everyone takes a turn, Bailey pays and we get ready to leave. Liam and I leave on a positive note that we would keep in touch and that he would see me in class. Bailey drops me off and tells me she’s going home to get in her own bed.

“Thanks for coming with me today to find a place and for a fun night.”

“It was fun. I had a great time,” I say.

“Yeah, we’ll have to do it again sometime.”

I agree. She is a hoot. She didn’t meet her future man, but she still turned plenty of heads tonight. “Absolutely.”

I get ready for bed and wonder if I should call Grayson tomorrow. He does owe me an explanation since he claims he’s not back with Vanessa. Why the hell did he ignore my text? I close my eyes and snuggle under my covers. I think I already have my answer to whether I plan to call him or not.

I HAD PLANNED to sleep in since I didn’t get in until three, but the blaring ring of my cell phone awakens me. It’s my mother so I answer it.

“Hello, Mom.”

“Well, hello to you too, dear. Why does it sound like you are still in the bed?”

“Because I am. It’s the weekend,” I groan.

“Late night?” she asks.

I wonder why the small talk, but I oblige. “Yeah, a friend and I went to a karaoke bar last night.”

“I’m glad you’re getting out and having some fun.” I can read between the lines. She is glad I’m not sitting at home pining over Liam. I had to listen to an hour of ‘I told you so’ when I finally called and told her about the breakup. She thought the idea was ludicrous that I would follow him to college in the first place. She only acquiesced somewhat when I told her the university had a good MBA program.

“Yeah. So what’s going on?” My mom and I talk frequently, but she never calls me this early. Even with the two-hour time difference, it’s still early.

“I just signed up for a nursing conference for February and it’s in Los Angles,” she says. “I will be there for three days so I can visit with you.”

“Mom that’s great. Just let me know the dates.” The conference is months away, during next semester. I’ll see her before then at Thanksgiving break and again in December over the Christmas break. I haven’t been home to visit my mom in almost a year so I look forward to the holidays. It’s especially tough that I didn’t get a chance to go home with Jordan, but I’m on a tight budget.

“I will, honey. I won’t hold you; I just wanted to let you know the news. You take care and I’ll call you soon with the details.”

I know her news was just an excuse to check how I was coping with the breakup. She could have told me about the conference over the holidays. I’m glad I could put her mind at ease. “Okay, Mom. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I’m so proud to see how much my mother has achieved. I was thirteen when my mother and father divorced. She had no real job skills at that time. She became a housekeeper for Jordan’s family while she took basic college courses. She brought me to work with her one weekend when the Daniels were supposed to be out of town. They came home early and found me in the kitchen waiting for my mom to finish cleaning. Instead of being upset, they introduced me to their daughter and encouraged my mother to bring me with her on a regular basis. Jordan and I hit it off immediately. The Daniels could see the bond we’d formed and before long, I was being enrolled in the same private school as Jordan.

After the sudden departure of their regular cook, my mother took on that role as well. We began to spend more hours at the Daniels than at home. Mr. Daniels eventually insisted that we move into the pool house rather than the continuous commute. After a while, my mother was accepted into the nursing program, but still managed to balance her work schedule. The Daniels were very supportive of my mother’s continued education. When she graduated and became an ICU nurse, they were as proud as I was. She obtained total financial independence without relying on a child support check from my father. He’d left us to pursue his photography dream and to travel the world. Although she isn’t wealthy like the Daniels who own several hotel chains, she is firmly rooted in middle class and is able to help me pay for college. She has achieved a lot and is a prime example why you shouldn’t depend on someone else for your livelihood. That’s why she was so against me following Liam. She didn’t want history to repeat itself. After learning that Jordan would be with me, it eased some of her concern.

I TWIST MY hair around my knuckles, trying to figure out what I should say when I call Grayson. I want to play it cool, not giving any indication that I hate he has me so twisted in knots or that Vanessa living with him pisses me off. I don’t want to care.

I stop procrastinating and quickly dial his number before I lose the nerve. It only rings twice before he picks up.

“Hello.”

God, that delicious rasp of his is so sexy. “Hey,” I say, giving him a chance to take the lead. After all, he is the one who wanted to talk.

“Is your roommate still out of town?”

“Yes, but how did you know that?” I didn’t tell him Jordan would be gone.

“I overheard you and Bailey talking yesterday.” There’s a short pause before he continues. “Can I come over? I want to talk with you in person.”

It’s against my better judgment, but I can admit that I want to see him. “Sure. Give me an hour.”

We end the call and I rush through the house like a mad woman trying to figure out what I’m going to wear. I take a quick shower and brush my teeth after finally deciding on just a tank top and cheer shorts. It’s my lounge around the house clothes. I don’t want to appear to be trying too hard. He has his work cut out to get back in my good graces. The doorbell rings and I question my sanity. Butterflies coil in my stomach at being alone with him again. I open the door and he takes his time eying my attire. A smirk crosses his gorgeous lips and I struggle to remember that I’m upset with him.

“Nice shorts,” he says as he pushes the door closed. His eyes don’t leave mine as he walks forward. My back is now against the island in the kitchen and his hard body has me trapped against him.

“You wanted to talk, so talk,” I say with more bravado than I feel. I hope the slight tremble in my knees doesn’t give me away. He backs off reluctantly and heads to the sofa.

“I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your text the other night. I was questioning if I wanted to get involved with you since our situation is so delicate. I wasn’t sure I should get involved with someone who would be reckless and possibly out us.” He lets out a deep breath. “I want to give our arrangement a chance. You’re on my mind constantly and now that I’ve had a taste of you ... literally, I want more.” His eyes darken with lust and I can clearly see the path his thoughts have taken.

I can see his point and he had a right to be concerned. What if my drunken recklessness had exposed us? Still he has more explaining to do. “What about Vanessa? As long as we are seeing each other, I won’t share you.”

“I didn’t run back to Vanessa if that is what you think. She’s a friend and needed a place to stay.”

“Are you kidding me? She just bought a million dollar condo. She didn’t need a place to stay. I’m quite sure she could have afforded a hotel room until she closed on her place.”

“I agree, but she wanted to stay with me and I let her only because she’s a friend. I’m hardly there anyway; I have another home outside the city limits. I stay at the penthouse when I have classes to teach since it’s closer to the university.”

“So there’s nothing going on between you and Vanessa? She is your ex and I would have to be naive to not think the temptation isn’t there—especially since she came to the door wearing a T-shirt and panties.”

“It’s complicated. I can see how it may look, but I promise I’m not sleeping with her. She sleeps in the guest bedroom. I don’t share my bed, remember?” He sees my scowl and revises his statement for clarification. “I’m not having sex with her. If it will make you feel any better, I’ll stay at my other home while she’s at the penthouse. Besides, I’ll be with you every weekend at our place.” He smiles.

I’m reluctant, but I want to give this arrangement a chance too. “So when do we start this arrangement?” I have my doubts, but I’ll let this play out for now.

“Oh, thank God,” he admonishes. A smile creeps upon his beautiful lips. He breathes a sigh of relief as he grabs my hand. “Let’s plan for this Friday. I’ll send a driver to pick you up.”

“Okay.” I don’t know what else to say. I hope I made the right decision. I hope that I’m not setting myself up for more heartache.

Without warning, Grayson pulls me into a kiss so passionate I feel like the ground is falling away under my feet. He releases my lips with a final peck to my cheek before heading out the door. I think my heart is in trouble. It’s hard to say no to him—to stay upset with him. I crave his touch and his approving smile. I’m afraid that he’ll sneak past my defenses and make me fall for him.