Page 32 of Twice as Forbidden

“No. My turn. What did your dad do to make you hate him so much?” A shadow looms over him before he grips his shot and slings it back. “Wow, we’re making really good progress with this game.”

Noah laughs. “Yeah, maybe let’s stick to simple shit, like what’s your favorite color.”

“Black.”

He nods. “Makes sense since that’s all you wear.”

“My turn. Favorite food?”

“Duh, you already know this. Tacos. Okay, this is lame. Drink just because we suck.” We both laugh into our shots and take down another round. “Kinda sucks we weren’t like this when we were dating.”

“How so?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Friends. Feels like we started in the bedroom and never left.”

“My GPA says I left plenty—”

“You know what I mean. We dated, but we never had this. This calm, peaceful part. We were always fucking or fighting.”

I watch him carefully, taking in this unfamiliar vulnerability, the raw honesty in his expression as I acknowledge what we were, what we weren’t, and what he wishes we could have been.

And I agree.

“That would’ve been nice,” I admit, my voice softer than I expected. Then, with a small smirk, I add, “I mean, the fucking after the fighting was nice, too.”

His lips curl into a smile, and I can’t help but mirror it. “I think the tequila is starting to kick in. Maybe it’s time we stop.”

“Do you regret us? I know I was a dick, but… the good times…?”

I hate the sadness in his voice—the worry that what we had was never real. “Not a single moment.”

A partial smile returns. A bell rings throughout the house, notifying us the front door has been disabled. “Looks like the party’s over,” he says as Jackson and the mystery blonde enter the kitchen. Jealousy rages through me, and I can’t help but stare at how close she stands next to him. They seem cozy. Too cozy. He took me to a level of ecstasy I’ve never experienced, only to move on to the next best thing.

“What do we have here?” Jackson asks, his eyes roaming from Noah to me before fixating on the bottle of tequila.

“Happy hour. Wanna join?”

Jackson’s jaw tightens. “I thought we discussed this.”

“Oh, we did? Sorry. I must’ve missed it.” Noah looks my way and winks. I can’t help but giggle. Shit, that tequila works fast.

“You two are done.”

Just like that, my good mood sours, twisting into something harsh and angry.How dare he?He bringsherhere, parades her in front of me, then has the audacity to treat me like a child, like he has that kind of power over me?

Resentment surges through me.

I push up from my chair and stride toward Noah, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him toward me. He stumbles, caught off guard, his eyes wide with surprise. Before I can second-guess it, I press my lips to his. He freezes, tensing against me. I know I’ll regret this later. But right now, I don’t care.

I pull back enough to meet his stunned gaze, my voice dripping with defiance. “Let’s leave the grown-ups alone and go up to your room.”

Noah’s eyes sparkle with glee. “Yeah. Fuck yeah.” I don’t bother to look at Jackson as I snatch Noah’s hand and drag him up the stairs. As soon as we get to his room, I push him inside. He grabs the back of my neck, crushing his lips to mine in a kiss not meant to happen. He lifts me and drops me on top of his bed, his body covering mine. “Fuck, George,” he growls, kissing down my neck. Warning sirens blare in my mind, screaming this is a bad fucking idea. Hurt or not, this is going to confuse Noah. I try to ignore them, but when he slides his hand inside my skirt and slips between my legs, images from last night rush through my mind.

“Stop, Noah. I can’t.”

“What? Why?” He continues leaving kiss after kiss down my neck. He tugs at my shirt, wrapping his mouth around my covered nipple. “Missed this, babe.” His finger slides into my sex, but his hands don’t feel right. It’s nothim. My heart pounds. I can’t breathe.

“Noah, please. We shouldn’t be doing this. Stop.” He pauses, releasing my nipple, then raises his head, taking in the seriousness in my gaze. “I’m sorry. I thought—we can’t.”

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