Forbidden Attraction (Forbidden Trilogy) (3 page)

THE REST OF the week passes with me just going through the motions. The pain has yet to subside. Liam was a major part of my life. Without him, I feel like a piece of me is missing. We initially bonded over the fact that his parents were divorced like mine. His mother treats me like the daughter she’s never had for God’s sake. Now I’m going to lose that relationship too. I want to call Ms. Shelley, but it would be wrong to expect her to choose sides. No, a clean break is the only way. This saddens me even more. I can’t fathom calling my own mother right now. She has instilled in me from a young age that love is volatile. She was never a fan of me giving myself wholeheartedly to Liam. “I told you so” is not what I want to hear right now.

I had planned on staying home tonight and watching reality TV. The pseudo drama gives me a temporary escape into someone else’s life and away from mine. Jordan has another idea though and has convinced me to join her for dinner at an Italian restaurant downtown. She knows Italian is my favorite and it’s her way of cheering me up. After getting dressed in an olive green sheath dress and black peep toe heels, we head to the restaurant in her white Mercedes SLK350. It’s a sleek, sporty, two-seat roadster convertible. I love my used Toyota Camry, but I can’t say that I don’t drool every time I get a chance to drive her car. It was a high school graduation present from her parents.

“I have heard so much about the Palm Restaurant and have been dying to try their food.”

“I hope it’s not super expensive,” I murmur. “And before you say it, I want to pay my own way.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Shiv. I wouldn’t invite you to some expensive place and then expect you to pay. It’s not that expensive anyway.” She frowns at my stubbornness. “Please just let this be my treat.”

I concede only because I know she is trying to make feel better about the whole Liam fiasco. For the rest of the ride we sing along with the various tunes streaming from her Sirius XM satellite radio.

Once we arrive at the restaurant, Jordan pulls up to valet and checks her makeup before getting out. The restaurant itself is romantic and cozy. So this is what life has been reduced to for me—a romantic night out with my best friend. I feel pretty pathetic, but Jordan doesn’t care. She always has my best interest in mind and tonight is operation “Forget Liam.” The hostess finds our reservation and escorts us to our seat on the second floor next to a balcony that overlooks the entire restaurant below. As we sit, I take in the soft lighting and the murals of famous politicians, celebrities, sports, and media figures.

“This place is beautiful. The faces don’t mesh with the decor though.”

“The portraits are called caricatures. It’s a tradition that stemmed from the phrase ‘sing for your meal’ where an artist would pay for his meal by drawing a portrait on the wall,” Jordan explains. “As the restaurant branched off to other locations they carried on the tradition.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“I looked up this restaurant on the Internet when I heard everyone talking about how fantastic it is.” She smiles at the fact that she did her research.

The waiter introduces himself as Manuel and asks to take our order. We order the lobster bisque as an appetizer with pinot grigio, but need more time to decide on our main course since we have been chatting instead of looking at the menu.

He smiles at us warmly while pouring wine into our glasses before leaving to put in our order. As my eyes follow him, they land on a familiar face a few tables down and I freeze. It’s Liam and he is on a date with the blonde from class along with his teammate Jason and his date.
There goes that plan.

Jordan follows my gaze and gasps. “Oh no ... do you want to leave?”

“Hell no. He is not going to run me off just because he is here on a double date.”

“I’m so sorry. What are the odds he would be here?”

“Don’t worry about it. You did say there has been a lot of buzz about this place. Let’s just enjoy our night.”

“What are you going to order?” she asks while studying me.

“I think I’ll have the veal martini. What about you?” I force myself not to look at Liam, but the thread of my control is unraveling. I take a sip of my wine to calm my nerves.

“I’ll get the chicken Parmesan and let you have a taste in exchange for a taste of yours,” she offers. She knows that is what I usually get when ordering Italian, but I want to try something different.

We place our orders once the waiter comes back and I allow myself one more look at the jerk. He is smiling intimately at his date and stroking her arm. I don’t think he is sorry at all for cheating on me. Their familiarity is sickening because it suggests maybe this is not a new relationship—he has strayed more than the one time he has admitted to. I want to claw both of their eyes out. I dig my nails into my palms underneath the table to distract myself from the pain of thinking about it. The physical pain breaks me out of my reverie.

He has already moved on and I need to do the same. Jordan and I make small talk about her classes, attempting not to discuss anything Liam related, but she knows I am hurting right now. My mulish tendency is preventing me from getting up and fleeing as far as I can from this restaurant. I will not let him win. I excuse myself to use the restroom before our food comes to pull myself together. Jordan nods in understanding. I’m thankful the location of the restrooms is in the opposite direction of Liam’s table so I don’t have to pass him. I’m about to come out of my stall when two female voices stop me from opening the door.

“Heather, you have hit the jackpot with Liam, he is sexy as hell and the starting quarterback,” the first girl says dreamily.

“Not to mention he fucks like a stallion,” Heather adds. “He said his ex-girlfriend was only into missionary so he tries to make up for lost time by fucking me every way, but loose. Oh and Melissa, his oral skills are pure magic. I am getting worked up just thinking about it.”

“You lucky bitch. I am going to see what his friend has to offer tonight and I’ll let you know if he comes up to bat.”

I feel the bile trying to rise into my throat as silent tears stream down my face. How dare he?

We waited until our freshman year of college before I gave Liam my virginity. He was patient with me and told he would wait until I was ready. When I finally gave him my gift, he never tried to be adventurous with me sexually. I never suggested anything else due to my lack of experience and because I just figured he wasn’t into anything else. I thought we had a healthy sex life. This girl makes it seem as though I am sexually inept. Shit maybe I am. Maybe this is why he left me. This realization makes the tears fall harder and I can no longer keep the bile down. I turn and vomit profusely into the toilet behind me.

“Eww, someone had too much to drink,” the first girl, now known as Melissa, says. “Let’s get the hell out of here before the barfing causes me to lose my appetite.”Heather and Melissa leave the restroom without knowing the identity of the person barfing and the subject of their discussion is one in the same. I come out the stall to rinse my mouth out and wipe my face, but I look like crap. I’ve lost my appetite. Liam is apathetic over our demise and laughing at my ineptness. Who is this person? Has he done this all along? Dejectedly, I head back to our table. Jordan notices immediately the change in my demeanor.

“What’s wrong?

“Not now, okay? Let’s just get our food to go after all,” I respond, defeated. “I am going to wait in the car. Tell them something came up and we need to leave.”“Okay,” she says sadly as she hands me her ticket for the valet.

I stand and my chair scrapes the floor. Liam looks up and his eyes lock with mine. I try to put on a blank mask, but he knows me too well. Sadness reflects in his eyes and it makes me angry because I don’t want his pity. When he stands to come toward me, I shake my head before rushing out the door. On the ride home, I tell Jordan about the girls’ conversation I overhead. She pounds her fist against the steering wheel and threatens to turn the car around to beat the shit out of Liam. I convince her to leave it alone because I don’t want him to know I overheard how he feels about our sexual experience. When we get home, I don’t even bother eating. I head straight to bed and cry until I eventually fall asleep.

IT’S MORNING I am even more depressed. I have tried to take my mind off Liam, but that feat is proving to be impossible since I keep seeing him all over campus with the blonde from class and then again on a date last night. My suspicion has grown exponentially that she is the reason for our breakup—she is whom he slept with two weeks ago.

There is a light knock on my door before Jordan appears in the doorway.

"I have our morning java,” she says while holding two cups of caramel macchiato.

"Thanks. I can use the caffeine boost." I reach for my iPhone and see it’s already noon. I guess after crying until four in the morning, I needed to sleep in.

"Are you okay? I hate to see you like this." The look on Jordan's face tells me she heard me crying last night, but decided to give me some space.

"I will be. What time is this get-together?" I ask with more enthusiasm than I actually feel. Jordan sees through my facade, but lets it go.

"I told Bailey we would be there by three o’clock so go shower and I’ll pick out something to wear."

I quirk my eyebrows at her. I attempt to resist since I know she tends to show more skin than I do, but she’s not having it. I give up and head into the bathroom to get ready.

When I come out, Jordan has laid out a black bikini with red flames on it.

"This is one of my new swimsuits, but I think your killer curves will do it better justice."

"Where is the rest of the material?" I groan.

"Just try it on."

After putting on the bikini, I’m immediately self-conscious about my body. Jordan is tall with model proportions so she looks great in everything. I, on the other hand, am five feet four with D-cup breasts and a generous backside. This swimsuit leaves little to the imagination.

"Jordan, I look ridiculous."

"Nonsense. Your boobs are luscious and your heart-shaped ass will make all the guys drool."

"You are insufferable," I say as I put denim shorts and a tank top over my swimsuit.
I'll just keep my clothes on over the minuscule material
.

We grab a quick lunch before heading over to Bailey’s. I was starving after skipping dinner last night. Jordan insisted we needed to eat before we drink anything. When we arrive at Bailey's, I’m blown away by the monstrosity she calls a house. It is more like a mansion. The gates open automatically as though we were expected at that moment. I let my eyes wander around the beautiful grounds as we drive up to the “house.” Bailey appears in the doorway and escorts us in.

"Come on girls let me get you caught up. The rest of the gang is already here and lounging around the pool."

Before I can inquire about her meaning of getting caught up, she pulls out three shot glasses. She then pours tequila in the glasses and says we’re each going to make a toast and take a shot.
A toast with tequila, hmm ... I'll play along.

"Here is to friendship," Bailey says.

"To new beginnings," Jordan adds.

"To getting over assholes," I offer. Bailey and Jordan both laugh.

We drink three shots each before heading to the pool. Once we’re outside, I spot a sexy hunk with his back to me. His back muscles are so sculpted and delectable. Add that to his masculine broad shoulders and powerful calves, he is a picture of perfection before he even turns around. He is wearing a baseball cap and board shorts that hang dangerously low.
Yum. It’s nice to see my hormones did not die with my relationship.

"Ah, checking out my brother," Bailey says, pulling me out of my reverie. "Grayson, come meet my new friend Siobhan.”

Holy shit, I am assaulted by his gorgeousness. I allow my gaze to travel the length of him before coming to a halt on his face. Recognition in his eyes reflects back at me: Professor Michaels. He gives me a sexy smirk before uttering, "Hello. Nice to meet you Siobhan.”

Is he fucking kidding me? That’s it? He is choosing to pretend he doesn't know me; it cuts me to the core. Why the hell should I care? Okay, so it seems alcohol consumption allows the profanities to run more freely in my thoughts.

Everything comes into focus after my perusal of the professor, and I now see a brunette has arrived and is hanging on his arm. Realization dawns on me. He is pretending for her.

"Nice to meet you too," I reply. "My friends call me Shiv."
I can pretend with the best of them.

Bailey continues to introduce him to Jordan, but I can't take my eyes off him. His abs and V-shaped groin are even sexier than I imagined. The front view is even more tantalizing than the back. A light dusting of hair trails south from his navel and disappears into his waistband.

"Nice to meet you both. I’m Vanessa," the brunette chimes in possessively.

I take a minute to study her. I have to admit she’s gorgeous. She’s Jordan's height, about five foot nine, but slightly curvier. Her white bikini showcases her great tan while her belly ring twinkles in the sunlight. I see her eyeing me as well, probably trying to decide if I am a threat.
Yeah right!