Page 19 of Forbidden Desires

He shrugs. “I think it’s good you’re home.”

I can always count on Elliot to tell it how it is. I know I’m not the same kid I was when I grew up here. That kid had no idea about the reality of life and thought his family was perfect. During my senior year of high school, my father shattered those misconceptions. Seventeen years later, I'm still coping with the repercussions. With a fucking scandal, it rocked us all,especially Emerson, who had no idea who her father really was. And as much as I’ve had years to process his adultery and the consequences we all had to deal with because of it, having it thrust back in my face the week I took over while I was trying to adjust to moving back here and taking over this place, hasn’t been easy.

“Bad timing that Prescott took over his father’s media company the same week I took over the hotel.”

I see the concern in Elliot’s eyes. We were all buddies once, brothers, but Prescott changed that. And now that he has the power of the media behind him, who knows how he will use it. “Have you been able to find out anything else? Who gave them the insider information to help them write the article?”

I look over my shoulder to make sure we’re still alone. “I don’t know. We both know Prescott was there that night; he knows what we do, and even though we’re not on the best of terms, I didn’t think he would be so willing to drag my family’s name through the mud. It wouldn’t take much for one of us to retaliate, and his family’s perfect reputation would be in tatters as well.”

He nods, agreeing with me. “He might own the company now, but he wasn’t the one behind this.” He leans in closer. “Someone else has it in for you or maybe the hotel?” he says quietly.

A young guy stops in front of us with a friendly smile. “Caldwell!” He looks at me like I should know who he is.

I raise an unimpressed brow that he’s approached me when I was clearly in the middle of something. “No, Brody.” I shoot a perplexed look at Elliot.

Confusion clouds his face. “Sorry, I mixed you up with someone else I went to school with. I thought he was working here.” He keeps walking, looking embarrassed.

“What the fuck was that?” I grumble.

“You’ve been away too long, people don’t recognize you.” Elliot laughs.

I shrug it off. I have more pressing matters to concern myself with. Some random guy mistaking me for someone else is the least of my worries.

“Better let you get back to it. You up for a beer with the other guys tonight? Ma’s looking after Lacy and Kara.”

I consider his offer, knowing he doesn’t get many nights out, being a single dad. But I know when I’m done here tonight, all I’m going to want is to sleep. The days are never-ending. “Not tonight.”

“I get it. But don’t forget who your buddies are. Work will be here tomorrow,” he says before leaving me to it. And I know he’s right, but honestly, it’s easier to work until all hours than to deal with this town and all the memories it holds.

On my way back to my office, I decide to pay our newest staff member a visit to see how she’s settling in. Not because I feel like I need to but because I can’t stay away.

I tap at her door, and she glances up at me. “Hi,” she says awkwardly. “I was just about to head out for some lunch in the sunshine.”

I let myself in and close her door behind me. “I won’t keep you long then. How has the morning been?” I lean against her door, thinking it best to keep my distance.

“I’ve called our two couples for this weekend to go over the final arrangements for their weddings. Everything is sorted. Your sister’s system is incredible. It’s kind of like being in a production, except the wedding is the show.” She beams back at me, and I can tell she’s pleased with herself and over her mood with me this morning.

“Looks like you’re doing just fine. I guess show business prepared you for this job after all.”

She cringes, biting her teeth into her lip. “On that note, can we maybe keep that little bit of information between the two of us? I came to Deception Bay for a change. I was desperate to get out of the limelight my parents’ names thrust me into from a really young age, and I know what comes with people knowing who I am.”

I can’t imagine why someone with her talent would want to quit and come and work in our hotel for a shitty wage. I still don’t understand why she’s really here. “Why?”

“Expectations, people want you to be something amazing. A superstar. I just want to be a regular girl. Back home I was called the lucky one because every single person in show business just assumed I got parts and was so successful at a young age because of who my parents were. I was judged constantly, and it was tiring trying to prove my worth. And the whole time I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. I was doing it all for my father. I think his heart was in the right place, but he was a little controlling.”

Being trapped in the expectations of your family is something I can understand. Hearing her father is controlling gets my hackles up. She’s a young womanwho should be able to choose her own path. She doesn’t need some asshole controlling her. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Thank you.” She offers me a smile, and it’s the sweetest smile I think I’ve ever seen. She’s pretty as a peach. And I already know it’s going to be impossible to stay away from her, knowing she’s working just up the hall from me, but I have to. There’s too much at stake. And not only that, but I can’t be just likehim, screwing my staff because I have no control.

“You need to keep a secret for me as well. No one around here can know about New York.”

A slow blush rises on her cheeks, coloring them in a soft pink, and I know she’s right back there with me. Her sweet lips calling my name as I give her orgasm after orgasm. “I thought that was a given since you didn’t even want to talk about it.”

I sigh heavily, knowing I have to tell her about the contract. “I can’t. There is a strict policy about management dating staff. It was imposed by my father as one of the stipulations in me taking over the hotel. If anyone found out we had gotten cozy, even before you started here, I stand to lose a whole lot.”

Her eyes go wide. She looks me over, and I would kill to know what she’s thinking with the sassy look she has on her face. I just told her we can’t ever have what we did again. So why do I feel like her lips are silently tempting to break the rules? She slowly zips across her lips as if to say her lips are sealed.

“Good girl,” I say and regret it as soon as I do. The look in her eyes is full of desire. She likes me calling her a good girl and bossing her around, it gets her all hot and bothered. But fuck, we can’t go there now, andI need to get my dirty thoughts for her under control. “I will let you get to lunch,” I say, leaving her to it.

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