Page 19 of Forbidden

Holly was still deeply sleepingwhen I woke up the next morning. Slowly, I detached myself from her arms and eased out of bed. I stood still for a good minute, making sure Holly wouldn’t wake up before I made my way down the stairs. I was still in my jeans, which were simple enough to button on my way to the front door, and I didn’t give a good goddamn about wearing a shirt.

I was a man on a mission, and I wanted to be back before Holly woke up. I’d made this decision while Holly had been sleeping last night. I couldn’t stand the sad look in her eyes. Couldn’t stand the darkness lingering in her expression. She used to be so full of life, and her fucking parents had snuffed it out.

Something had to give.

I strode out of the house barefoot. With it only being five thirty in the morning, it was still dark outside, but I didn’t care about social norms. Her parents had thrown social norms out the window when they tossed their daughter out on her ass for daring to love a man older than her.

I rang the doorbell obnoxiously until it swung open, Holly’s father glaring up at me. And fuck, if I were a peacock, I would’ve fluffed my feathers because the jackass was a few inches shorter than me and more rounded, whereas I was tall, packed with muscle, and clearly intimidated him a little, judging by that nervous look he let flash in his eyes for a moment.

Wasn’t so brave when he didn’t have his daughter forcing me to bite my tongue for her sake.

“It’s not even six in the fucking morning yet,” he snapped at me, somehow managing to force his bravado. If I weren’t so pissed with him, I’d have been impressed. “Get off my porch.”

I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my jeans so I wouldn’t punch him in the nose. As upset as Holly was, I knew she wouldn’t appreciate that, no matter how much I really wanted to fucking break it. I might have been a business owner and making high six-figures a year, but I was still a man who wanted to protect his woman and make everyone who hurt her pay.

“We need to talk,” I told him.

He scoffed. “About what? You fucking my daughter?” I clenched my jaw, my teeth audibly grinding together at the crass way he spoke about her. “No, thank you.”

“Your daughter and I, as you so crassly put it,” I growled, “are not justfucking. I love your daughter, Mr. Keller, and I only want the absolute best for her. And you know what she wants? To have her parents. She was so worried about disappointing you and your wife that she left me during Christmas break. She ignored all of my phone calls and my text messages because she thought her family and her future were more important than me.”

Fuck, that shit still cut deep. Still fucking hurt. I knew it would for a while, but at the same time, I couldn’t blame her. She was young. She was still trying to figure life out. And she’d already lost so much—friends, a boyfriend. I would never fault her for wanting to keep what security she had.

“Signing those adoption papers made Holly your daughter for life,” I reminded him when he remained silent. “Not just until she turned eighteen. You raised her. Loved her. You and your wife are all that sweet woman has known. She is fuckingshatteredbecause of what you did to her. What you’restilldoing. Don’t ruin your relationship with her.”

“Sheruined everything—not me,” he sneered, but I couldn’t see the awareness dawning in his eyes. Andthatwas what I needed—him to be aware of more than just his own hurt and anger. I needed him to be aware of what he was doing to my woman. His daughter.

“Did she? Because all I see is a young woman who fell head over heels for a man much older than her. I couldn’t resist her any more than she could resist me. Holly is the best damn thing to have ever happened to me, and I love her more than anything else in this fucking world. Which is why I’m standing here at five-thirty in the morning, hoping what I say will make you change your mind. Because Holly? She’s hurting. And it’s fucking killing me. She doesn’t deserve what you’re doing to her.”

He clenched his jaw, looking away from me. We stood in silence for a few moments before he heaved a tired sigh, suddenly looking much older than he really was. “I’ll, um… We can do dinner,” he finally uttered. “Is dinner okay?”

“Dinner is fine,” I told him. “We’ll meet you at six at the Italian restaurant downtown.” I was taking that decision out of his hands. He wouldn’t corner her or make her feel threatened. I wouldn’t let him.

We were playing this shit bymyrules now.

He frowned. “We can eat here?—”

I immediately shook my head. “No. I’m not putting Holly in a situation where she feels cornered, understand? You failed at your job of protecting her because you couldn’t protect her from your own volatile emotions or your wife, who’s too afraid to go against anything you say for fear of losing her precious lifestyle.” He physically flinched at my words. “So now, I’m doing it. Six o’clock, Mr. Keller. If you’re late, I’ll take it to mean that you don’t give a fuck after all.”

With that, I spun on my heel and crossed the grass separating our homes.

13

Holly

“Idon’t want to do this,” I told Jenson, my leg bouncing as he drove his truck out of the neighborhood, his hand resting on my bare thigh. He told me to dress nicely, that we were going to dinner at a more expensive restaurant tonight. So, I’d put on a simple black dress that had come in the mail earlier today from all the clothes Jenson had me order, and I’d taken the time to curl my hair and do my makeup.

But as soon as I got in the truck and the doors were locked—which meant I couldn’t easily escape—he broke the news that my parents would be joining us. I really wished I hadn’t dressed up at all. In fact, I’d rather be at home where I was safe and my father’s harsh words and my mother’s forced indifference couldn’t touch me.

“Doll, I won’t let them say anything to you,” he promised me. I had to bite back a scoff. “I’ll go to war for you. Over you. You know that.” I drew in a deep breath because I did. He had proven numerous times that he would take care of me in whatever way he needed to. “But I can’t stand to see you so damn miserable, doll.”

“I thought you said it was their loss,” I whispered, my voice cracking under the weight of my fear. My stress.

He grabbed my hand, linking our fingers together. He gave my fingers a gentle squeeze. “Itistheir loss, Holly. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to save you from the hurt.”

I turned my head to look at him. Why was he so damn good to me? What in the hell had I done to even deserve it? Nothing, that I could recall. In fact, I’d gutted him mere months ago when I chose my family and my future over him.

“I can’t ever repay you for everything you’re doing for me.”

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