Page 39 of Twice as Forbidden

“Hey,youcoolwithgrilling some steaks for dinner tonight? I’m having some of the boys over. Want to introduce them to Georgia,” Noah says, poking his head into my home office.

I look up from the reports Wayne sent over, my grip tightening around the pen.

“Sure thing,” I say through gritted teeth—the mention of Georgia and his friends in the same breath leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Thankfully, Noah leaves without another word, either oblivious or choosing to ignore it.

Typically, I’d be honored if my son asked me to participate, and I’ve never minded when he’s had his friends over. They’re a bunch of fucks, but he’s happy, and that’s all I cared about. It’s also my way of controlling the situation. Underage drinking is not something I approve of, but if they’re going to do it, I’d rather it be under my roof. No one is allowed to drive once they enter the house, and there’s no need to hover, as I have cameras installed throughout the backyard and the house.

When that bullshit went down with Noah’s cunt ex, I debated showing him the footage to prove my innocence. It would’ve saved us a lot of headaches and fights, but it also would have exposed my distrust and I knew my son. He would have taken it as an invasion of his privacy, and the outcome would have been the same. If she ever came back trying to make claims, however, I had the arsenal at my disposal. With my name front and center of a multi-billion-dollar company, sexual assault allegations were the last thing I needed.

I clear my mind of memories and focus on the report. My intuition tells me this has one man’s name written all over it. But it’s been years, and he knows better than to fuck with me. I scrub my hands down my face and glance at the time. It’s well past six. The sounds of rowdy boys echo from the back patio, and I abandon my work, heading outside.

“Cannonball!” Dalton yells as he runs and jumps, pulling his knees to his chest. A wave explodes upward, splashing onto the deck. I search the crowd, spotting Georgia sunbathing on a lawn chair. My dick pulsates against my slacks at the sight of her in her white bikini, my mind flashing back to the night she came to me in the pool. I want to walk over there, push the tiny triangles of her top to the side, and suck on her perfect tits.

Her gaze locks onto mine in a silent claim that I feel deep within my core. Even behind the sunglasses, Iknowwhat’s there—lust, temptation, a challenge. A slow, teasing smile tugs at her lips. She lifts her knees, the movement lazy, deliberate, swaying her legs open and closed—a silent invitation, daring me to take what we both know I want. She may think she’s cute, but she will pay for teasing me.

“Dad, you get those steaks?” Noah breaks my concentration, and I rip my eyes away from my forbidden fruit.

“Yep. Had Jefferson grab some from the butcher. He’s gonna do the grilling. I thought I’d hang out for a bit and catch up.”More like I handed it off to our personal chef so I can make sure none of your fuckhead friends make a pass at my girl.

My girl.

A jolt of arousal shoots straight to cock. I’m a fucking bastard. If Noah finds out, it’ll snap the last thread that’s holding our fragile relationship together. Then again, he’s tasted her. He should understand the severity of having her.

I wipe the thought of them together out of my mind and head toward the pool house to change. When I return, Georgia is treading water, talking with Tad. I would throw the kid out of my house and threaten his life for speaking to my girl, but he came out last year about his sexual preference and isn’t a threat.

“Tad, good to see you. How’s college treating you?” I initiate conversation, using it as an excuse to get closer to Georgia.

“Great, Mr. Blake. Yale’s a lot tougher than I imagined, but I’m still holding strong.” One thing about his friends? They may be fuck-ups, drunks, womanizers, but they’re all smart as fuck.

“Ahhh, Yale. Your father must be proud.” I glance at Noah. He could have gone anywhere. He was the smartest of them all. He had numerous opportunities ready for him. And just to spite me, he sacrificed his future for a fucking state school.

“They didn’t have as good of drugs at Yale, Dad.”

I narrow my eyes at Noah. “Watch it.”

“Mr. Blake, where’d you go to school?”

Thank fuck my dick is underwater because now I’m sporting an erection at Georgia’s purr. My gaze drifts to her, keeping my expression lax. “Harvard. For my undergrad and masters.”

“Wow. Impressive,” she praises.

“Not as impressive asmydad.” A body cannonballs into the pool, creating an explosion of water. When Vince pops up, it takes everything in me to resist the urge to punch him square in the face. “Ain’t that right, Mr. Blake?”

What exactly are the charges for assault? I’d take it for the satisfaction of busting Burt’s son in the nose.

Burt Hallstead.

A friendship that soured. A name I refuse to acknowledge. That entire family tests the limits of my patience, a constant thorn in my side. I’ve done my best to erase them, to pretend they don’t exist. But it’s damn near impossible since his son wormed his way into Noah’s life during their first year of high school, ensuring no matter how deep I try to bury the past, it always finds a way back. And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Just like his father, he reeks of deception and greed.

“Anyone want to clarify that?”

I glance at Georgia. “Vince’s father and I attended Harvard. We were top of our class, but he edged me out for valedictorian—his GPA was half a point higher than mine.”

“Half a point is half a point, right, Mr. Blake?” Vince chuckles, smugness oozing from his tone.

I force a tight smile. “That it is.”

---