Page 32 of Forbidden Desires

His icy mask is cracking, revealing the burden of pain he's been carrying. I want to wrap my arms around him and take away his pain like he did for me. Instead, I find his hand andour fingers intertwine as we sit in silence, both lost deep in our thoughts. “It hurt Em more than me,” he says after some time, his words thick with pain. “I knew our dad was a lying, cheating bastard, but she didn’t, and it destroyed her image of her perfect father.”

I watch him, seeing the storm that brews inside when he thinks about his father. He hates him, that much is obvious. “That’s so sad. Why would anyone do that to you?”

“The same reason they’re doing it to you now. Scandal, the chance to sell a story; this town thrives on it. And the Prescotts, they’re rubbing their hands together, knowing this shit will sell.”

I’m close enough to him that I can feel his disgust for them, his body tense when he says that name. His blame falls to the paper, but someone had to give them the story. He said so himself that his father’s story was true. And mine is as well. “Someone close to you had to leak that story and mine. Only my closest friends here even know.”

Running his fingers through his hair, he thinks it over. “That we know of. Someone could have been to see your show and put two and two together. It’s a long shot, but it’s plausible.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter now anyway. It’s out, and I’m going to have to pull up my big girl panties and live with it.”

Brody continues to hold me close, his presence offering a small comfort. The sweet caring guy I met is still in there, he just hides it under his practiced boss façade. I wish he could show it more often, because this guy is amazing. We sit in silence, listening to the birds chirping their happy songs in the park around us. Some kids play in the fountain, running through it, enjoying the last weekend of summer. I wish I could feel as good as them, being young and free, without a care in the world. That is how I should be. But I never had a childhood like that. There was never time to just have fun. I might only be twenty-three, but I feel like I havebeen working my entire life. I would never want that kind of life for my kids.

I wonder what my parents are doing right now. My mother is probably off at their country club with her girlfriends and my father in his study perfecting his production. I miss them, but if going back home means I must be who I was before, I don’t ever want to go back.

A happy couple wanders past us holding hands, reminding me we’re not alone. “Aren’t you worried someone might see us sitting here and misconstrue the situation?” I ask him, pulling away.

“I didn’t think about it. I was more worried about making sure you were okay.”

“Thank you for caring.” I stand, knowing I can’t waste any more of his time. He’s a busy man, and my silly problems aren’t for him to worry about.

“You’re still coming to work this afternoon?” he asks, unsure.

I glance at him, wondering what he thinks of me. “I’m not running away from my responsibilities because someone did this to me. But I am going to work out who did it and let them know how shitty it was.”

His face hardens, and I see the worry in his eyes. “Be careful, Gisele, we don’t know what we’re up against.”

Here we go again, him getting all overprotective of me. I raise a sassy brow. “Is there a threat I should be worried about? Or are you just carrying on with your normal bullshit?”

“I’m not sure,” he admits, his face deathly serious.

My eyes go wide. There is or he wouldn’t even be questioning it. “Brody, what the hell is going on?” I ask, suddenly feeling uneasy. I look over my shoulder to see if anyone’s watching us, but there’s no one who stands out. Suddenly I feel creeped out like there is.

He stands up, taking my hand. “I’m only telling you this because I don’t want you to get yourself hurt trying to fight battles you don’t understand, but there is something more going on with the hotel. At the reading of my father’s will, the lawyer pulled Emerson and me aside. He wanted us to be careful, keep an eye out for any trouble. He said the week before our father’s passing, he came in and changed details of his will. He was worried there was someone after him.”

Goosebumps run down my spine. “And you think there was?”

He nods. “This stays between us. I don’t want it getting out and staff or customers worrying. There has been no sign of a threat other than these articles, nothing even to worry about, but I just feel like it’s best to be cautious.”

“I would never tell a soul.” And I wouldn’t. But now I’m worried for him. It also explains his overly cautious attitude toward safety. He must be constantly looking over his shoulder, waiting for the threat to show. His father’s enemies might now be his.

Chapter 15

Brody

The wedding ceremony went off without a hitch, just like Gisele said it would. She stood in the back observing the service. I was in my office andshould have been working, but instead, I couldn’t help watching her from my window. Her expression while she gazed upon the happy couple was like a little girl seeing the end of a Disney movie for the first time. She was in awe of them. I already knew from our conversation this morning that she’s a hopeless romantic hoping to find her fairy-tale ending. But witnessing her reaction, I could see just how important all of that is to her. She’s not the type who could just mess around with a guy for fun; she wants a relationship and all the lovey-dovey stuff that goes with it.

We’re total opposites. Maybe it’s her age, she hasn’t had enough time to be disheartened by reality yet. When she’s older she will realize the best you can hope for is exactly what we had that night in New York, a bit of fun with a sexy stranger. The ideal would be that you would never see them again, but from the second I laid eyes on her, I knew that wasn’t what I wanted. I have never been so drawn to another person. She has been a constant distraction from my work since she arrived, with my mind drifting off to memories of how perfect she was laid out before me. My dick is hard right now remembering. One night wasn’t enough. I’m just not sure what to do about it yet.

Taking a seat back at my desk I try to refocus my attention on the spreadsheet staring back at me. The same one that has been on my screen for the last two hours. Usually, numbers are my forte, but today, they might as well be written in another language because they make little sense to me. I keep seeing the disappointment on her face when I said some people just aren’t made for long-term relationships. It was asif she was a little kid and I had just taken away her scrumptious ice cream just before she could try it.

I’ve made it very clear nothing can happen between us, but it’s not because that’s what I want. If it were up to me, I’d have her here in my office with me now, looking up at me with those big blue eyes as I tell her exactly what I want her to do next.

Her heartbreak when she saw that article made me want to knock down Hamilton Prescott’s door and demand answers. But I already know what he would say. The same thing he did last time an article was printed that affected this business. He can’t reveal his sources. He’s a coward who hides behind that paper because he doesn’t have the guts to face me like a man. But what I don’t understand is why he would print this story about Gisele. It makes The Alexander look favorable. As bad as it was for her, it will bring us new business, and that’s the last thing Prescott normally wants. It's clear that the leak came from someone in this building, but I can’t work out who. Emerson is usually our spokesperson, but she was horrified when I discussed this with her and she found out it had been leaked to the media.

A soft knock echoes at my door, and I glance up to find Gisele. “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Alexander. I know you’re busy, but I’m not sure what to do. We have a situation.”

She appears unusually pale, her normally vibrant demeanor replaced by an air of distress. “What’s wrong?” I stand, ready to tackle whatever problem has appeared, noting the subtle quiver in her hands.

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