Forbidden Curves (Steamy Taboo Romance) (6 page)

"What
the fuck just happened?" I hissed.

Zach put his
hands up defensively. "Hey relax! Okay, my dad's pretty pissed, but we can
still stay here."

"I
thought he was working on a business deal!"

"He is.
He and Donny, that other guy, are ironing out the details at the country club
right now."

We walked
back up into the house, as if he were done with our conversation. I wanted to
grab him and turn him around, but all I could do was follow his hasty retreat
into the kitchen.

"He
fucking saw me stealing his wine—shirtless," I said accusingly. This
was probably the absolute worst way I could have met Zach's family. Suddenly,
our little romantic retreat looked like it would turn into the most awkward
weekend from Hell. "You should have let him know we were coming."

"Jesus
fucking Christ," Zach said, his voice suddenly whiny with annoyance.
"We can still stay here at the house. It's not the end of the world.
You're freaking out about nothing."

"Zach,
this isn't the way I wanted to meet your family!"

Zach groaned
and headed back up the stairs. I followed angrily.

"What
are you doing
?!
Don't ignore me!"

Zach slammed
the door like an angry child as I raged outside.

"
Give
me my phone
," I practically screamed at him through the door.
"I'm calling Alyssa to come get me."

After a few
infuriating seconds he finally opened the door and handed me my phone. I
wheeled around and headed back downstairs. I hated how disappointed I was, but
I couldn't help it. This stupid weekend was a total letdown, after everything
we'd planned.

I sat down
on one of the deck chairs outside and called Alyssa, my best friend and college
roommate. As soon as she heard my voice, she knew something was wrong.

"Is
everything okay?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"I can
tell you later, right now just come and get me."

I poked
around on Facebook as I waited for her, wasting time in a frustrated stupor. I
wanted to leave immediately. At least in a couple of hours I'd be on my way
back home.

After a few
minutes I put my phone away. My thoughts kept wandering back to those few
seconds I had stood there dumbly with Laird. It was scandalous just thinking
about it, but I was so angry with Zach that I didn't care. It was insane the
way my body still reacted when I thought about that big, powerful man standing
there with lust in his eyes. It made wetness pool between my thighs and my
breath catch in my chest.

Of course,
it was wrong thinking about him. And he was Zach's dad, which made thinking
about him all the more pointless.

God, if only
Alyssa could get here faster.

Hurry up
, I texted her before walking
aimlessly back out onto the deck.

Laird

That body of
hers! I couldn't get it out of my mind, even as Donny jabbered on at the
clubhouse about his firm's equity, and how their corporate culture would integrate
seamlessly with my company’s mission and values. Or whatever.

It was all
so tiring and tedious, the way Donny was trying to promote himself to me,
shamelessly attempting to get a little slice of my wealth by selling the
company he had spent the last twenty years of his pathetic life building from
scratch.

Thankfully,
the incident with the topless girl stealing a bottle of wine from my cellar had
gone unspoken about, as if Donny had never even seen it. What the hell was
wrong with him? He was so nervous and wound-up about selling his company that
he didn't have a single word to say about that pretty face with those big,
ice-blue eyes and pouty red lips, or her body with its heavy tits, curvaceous
thighs, and that bouncy little ass--everything about her so plump and
voluptuous and perfect.

It made my
balls ache just thinking about it. Didn't Donny have balls?

And goddamn
that little fucker Zach! The one I had unfortunately spawned with Rita, my
latest ex, the last in a long string of failed relationships. My two other sons
and my daughter had grown up to be successful and hard-working, good, proud
Americans who had built up their own fortunes. Hell, even my stepson Ash had
built his own house.

But
not Zach.
No, I had no clue what went on inside that boy’s idle mind. What the hell would
possess him to be so lazy, or so obsessed with music? That anyone, let alone
someone related to me, could enjoy even three minutes of the sort of pointless
noise he listened to was at once perplexing and infuriating. At least he was
out of the house and I didn't have to ever hear it again. Could that gorgeous
girl back at the house really be his girlfriend
?!
The
one he was always complaining about? He was always whining that she was fat,
and that she didn't fit in with his obnoxious hippy friends, and so on and so
forth. For once in my life I was jealous of the spoiled brat.

He hadn't
told me just how drop-dead sexy she was! I could still feel the electricity
that had crackled between us as she had so boldly exposed her naked body to my
hungry eyes.

She needed a
good hard spanking for stealing that
bottle, that
was
for damn sure.
Then a good fucking.
My cock was rock
hard thinking about cumming inside of her tight little pussy, my cock buried
deep between those gorgeous, milk-white thighs.

How the hell
could I feel lust like this? I was usually so cool, so self-possessed. Jesus
Christ, the thought of her was driving me insane. I had to get back to the
house,
I had to have that girl.

I cut Donny
off mid-sentence as he was rambling on about the same crap. "Seventy
million. I can pay you seventy million."

I watched as
his eyes widened with surprise. It was twenty million more than what we'd
agreed upon as a preliminary figure, and about thirty million more than what
all the internet experts and pundits claimed his company was worth.

"So
it's settled, then?" I could tell he was struggling to keep his voice
even.

"It's
settled. I'll make millions off your firm, and you can go retire on some golf
course." I reached across the table to shake his hand, and he grasped it
limply, looking totally stunned.

Of course, I
was acting like a total prick. But right now, dealing with the usual
money-grubbing bullshit was just too tiresome. I needed him out of my hair so I
could think about her.

Why the hell
was Zach always complaining about his hot girlfriend? It was infuriating that I
could have raised him to be such a sniveling, whiny ass. If he were more of a
man, someone who was more comfortable with his own tastes and desires, he'd
have no problem walking around with that luscious little minx on his arm.

I certainly
wouldn't have a problem with her, that’s for goddamn sure. And if she was
patient enough to suffer Zach's constant infantile whining, then I knew she was
a good woman, unlike Zach's mom and all the other crazies and gold-diggers whom
I seemed to attract with my fortune.

I paid my
tab at the clubhouse bar and left, driving impatiently with my foot heavy on
the gas pedal. I wanted to get home as soon as possible so I could see her
again.

Hailey

I rolled
over on the pool chair and groaned, trying to ignore the awful noise emanating
from upstairs. Whenever Zach was troubled or upset, he would queue up a video
of a Phish show on YouTube, and watch ecstatically as the band jammed aimlessly
while the audience--always the same bunch of baby-faced, yuppie white people—threw
around beach balls and danced. I usually didn't mind how pathetic he was, but I
always wished he would find some better music to listen to.

I tried
covering my ears, but it was no use.

I groaned.
Maybe I could just meet Alyssa in town instead.

After a
moment of hesitation, I grabbed the keys to one of the black Chevy
Tahoes
in the garage and drove into town. I could meet
Alyssa at a coffee shop or something, and Zach could deal with the car later.
Negotiating with Zach when he was deep in his 5-year-old-whiny-little-shit
state was just too much.

As soon as I
got to the coffee shop, retrieved my drink and sat down, my phone buzzed with a
message from Zach.

My dad's
pissed. About the wine and the car. Try to get back ASAP.

‘Fat chance,’
I thought. Alyssa was arriving in twenty minutes, and no way in hell was I
going back to the house. When I didn't reply immediately he sent me another
message.

This is so
like you. You're possibly the most stubborn, defiant, bratty person I've ever
dated.

Reading that
made my blood boil. All I wanted was for Alyssa to get here as fast as
possible, then I wouldn't have to deal with Zach, or anyone related to him in
any way, ever again.

My phone
buzzed again. Alyssa was only one block away.

‘Adios,’ I
thought, getting up. This stupid little chapter in my life was over.

Laird

Where the
hell was she
?!
As soon as I arrived home, Zach came
bounding down the stairs, babbling that his girlfriend had left and taken one
of my cars.

"Turn
that music off," I groaned. Of course she had left. With that awful hippy
noise blaring at a thousand decibels anybody would have left. You could hear
the audience hooting at nothing in particular as the band played. Zach shut the
music off and I had a quiet moment to think.

I'd probably
never see her again.

Of course,
with my money and connections, I could track her down wherever she was.

But even if
I did, she might be too freaked out by what had happened in the wine cellar to
ever
want
to see me.

It was
hopeless. And I had just spent 20 million dollars off the cuff so I could get
Donny to shut up, so I could get home earlier.

And now she
was gone.

"Well?"
Zach asked, interrupting my train of thought.

"Well
what?"

"Aren't
you pissed that she took your car?"

"I'll
find her," I grumbled, grabbing my car keys and heading out the door.

Hailey

I walked out
into the parking lot, and squeaked with surprise when I saw the figure
approaching me. It was Laird. He had just gotten out of a sleek, silver Audi
and was walking along the sidewalk towards the coffee shop.

My heart
raced. Was he angry about the car? Was he going to call the cops? Even if all
I'd done was drive it to the coffee shop, I knew I could probably be charged
with grand theft auto, or something like that. Where was Alyssa? I had to
leave, now.

"Hailey!"
I heard Alyssa’s voice call out. I whirled around to see that she had parked
her beat-up Toyota into the parking spot directly on my left. I moved quickly to
her vehicle and flung open the door.

"Wait!"
I heard Laird yell. He was running towards me.

My heart
raced with panic.

My eyes
flicked from Laird, coming closer and closer, and then to Alyssa who was
sitting in the driver's seat with an expectant look on her face, ready to take
off at any second.

I could be
in a lot of trouble if I stayed. Actually, I might be in a lot of trouble
either way.

My mind was
screaming at me to leave, but I forced myself to stay. I should talk to Laird,
like a grown-up, instead of running away.

He arrived a
few seconds later, panting to catch his breath, his eyes flashing. "In my
car," he ordered.

I hesitated
before finally opening the door and following Laird back to his car.

"I'll
be right back," I told Alyssa. My heart was pounding as I sat down in the
leather seat next to him. He got in next to me, and I felt electricity race
through my body. He smelled like expensive cologne, peppermint and something
else, something sexy and overwhelming. I was so nervous I was practically
shaking.

"You're
Hailey, right?" he asked, extending a hand.

"Yes,"
I gulped, accepting it. His handshake was firm, gripping me tight.

"Laird
Buchanan. Sorry to snap at you back there. I thought you were going to drive
straight back to New Jersey after that fight you had with my son."

I let my
eyes run over him. He was tall, around 6' 3", and his muscular body filled
out his clothes so well they looked as if they had been tailored just for him.
Was this really Zach's dad? He looked so clean-cut and athletic.

"Mr.
Buchanan, I'm so sorry--" I began, but he cut me off.

"You're
in a lot of trouble. But I think we can make a deal. I won't press charges or
anything crazy like that."

I paused.
What was he going to suggest? Whatever it was, it couldn't be that bad. "Uh,
what sort of deal?"

"Just
come to dinner with Zach and I. You can bring your friend along as well. My
company just acquired another holding and I'd like to celebrate tonight."

He reached
across and touched my knee. The way he touched me was cool, but friendly. "Please.
I'd really like to have a quiet celebration with some young people, instead of
the usual bacchanal with a crowd of perverted businessmen."

"Of
course," I blurted, my heart suddenly slamming into the wall of my chest
even harder. "I'd love to."

What was it?
Why did I feel so turned on? I knew he was just inviting all of us to dinner,
but by the way he was acting, the way he had found me and chased me down, it
felt like I was being pursued.

And his
touch, however gentle and innocuous, made me feel like I had been claimed.

Get a grip,
Hailey,
I
told myself. I knew I was just imagining things, but the way he looked at me, the
way his eyes blazed into mine, gave me rippling sheets of chills.

"Good,"
he said, smiling. His eyes lit up. "I'll meet you back at the beach
house."

I got out of
the car, and to my surprise, Laird followed. His hand found the small of my
back, settling there gently as he guided me back to Alyssa's car.

That
touch
.

You're
mine
,
he seemed to
be saying
.

"I'll
see you in a little while," he said, his hand circling my waist and
starting to pull me closer to him for a hair-raising instant before he let go
and left.

"What
was that all about?" Alyssa asked, looking up from her phone as I settled
back into the car. Tinny top-forty music was playing on her radio. I
blushed,
suddenly embarrassed by the way he had claimed me
in public.

"Uh, that's
Zach's dad. He wants to take us all out to dinner."

"Hailey!
I drove all the way out here because you said it was an emergency, and that you
were breaking up with Zach. Now we're all going out to dinner? What's going
on?"

"Nothing's
going on! His company just went through a big merger, and he wants to take us all
out to dinner. I have to go; it would be super rude not to."

"What
do you mean,
super rude
?!
You said you never
wanted to see Zach again! Who cares if his dad wants to take us out to dinner?
Let's get out of here."

She fired up
the engine and shifted into reverse.

"Alyssa!"
I screamed, "stop!"

"Fine,"
she grumbled, killing the engine and looking at me sourly. "You can go.
You owe me for making me drive out here."

I watched
her drive away, wishing she had stayed, suddenly feeling even worse and more
mixed-up about the whole situation. I climbed back into the big Chevy I had
driven to the coffee shop, and made my way slowly back to the house, wondering
how the night would unfold.

****

Zach was
quiet and well mannered the entire dinner, as if he was making an effort to be
on his best behavior. Things were so awkward I couldn't stand it. Even worse
was the tension between
me and Laird
. Every time our
eyes met, it felt like something powerful was happening in the air between us.

Was it all
just in my head?

I had never
felt anything like it, and feeling the strange attraction between me and this
tall, handsome stranger and myself, while my boyfriend was sitting right there
next to us, was almost too much for me to process.

After all,
why would someone like Laird, who'd had several gorgeous wives and whom Zach
made sound like a famous ladies' man, want someone like me? I felt lucky just
dating his son, and Zach, despite whatever charms he may have, was admittedly
kind of a slob.

"How do
you like your food?" Laird asked. I had barely touched my chicken.

"It's
fine," I said, forcing a smile. The tension in the air was simply too much
for me to take. "Could you excuse me for a second?"

"Of
course," Laird said graciously, and Zach stood up so I could slide out of
the booth.

I
practically ran to the bathroom. I braced myself against the counter and took a
good long look in the mirror as my
heartrate
began to
return to normal.

Get a grip,
Hailey.
Things
aren't going to work out between you and Zach, but you knew that all along. An
extremely
attractive older man saw you practically naked a few hours ago and it seemed
like he liked it. That's not crazy or out of the ordinary.

Boys like
how you look naked. You like how you look naked. But boys don't want to date
you, and that's just how it is. You'll have to learn to live with it. Just
because a man saw you naked a few hours ago doesn't mean he suddenly wants to
be with you. It doesn't matter how much you want him, how turned on you are,
how much chemistry you feel. He's older, and he's way out of your league.
Actually, he's so out of your league
he literally dates models. He's not going
to want to be with you.

So get a
grip, go back to dinner, sit down, be polite, and try not to make a fool of
yourself.

"Okay,"
I said out loud to my image peering back at me from the mirror. Today had been
crazy, but I finally felt grounded again. "Let's go."

I closed my
eyes and took a deep breath. It always hurt inside when I crushed my own dreams
the way I did, but I had been doing it for such a long time now, it felt like
second nature. The only other alternative was being out of control, giving in
to my feelings and being disappointed, and I could only do that so many times
before it felt like I was going to die from grief. It was better to stay
guarded, the way I had learned to do over the years.

I took
another deep breath, centering myself. I heard the bathroom door open as
another diner hurriedly entered the bathroom.

I yelped as
I saw the reflection of the person who just entered. It was Laird who had
walked in.

"What
are you doing in here
?!
" I asked his image in the
mirror. Laird didn't answer. Instead, he walked up behind me and gripped my
waist savagely in his hands.

I moaned,
beside myself with lust as his crotch pressed hard against my ass.

"What
are you doing
?!
" I breathed. Of course, I liked
it.
 

Laird's
hands ran deliciously over my body, tracing my curves until they settled on my
breasts. His face buried itself in the hair around my neck, and I felt his
stubble scratching the nape of my neck as his lips tasted my skin and he
breathed me in.

I should
have done something--pushed him away, said no.
 
But I had already given in. I was caged
against the counter by his big arms, and I pressed my ass backwards against
him, my heart racing when I felt his hot throb press against mine.

An icy sheet
of tingles cascaded over my body as I felt his hard cock pressing into me, the
thin layers of our clothes doing nothing to stop the heat emanating from his raging
sex, throbbing with desire for me.

"I
can't," I protested, and a second later, his hand flew down, giving my
buttock a hard spank.

"I
can't wait any longer to fuck you," Laird growled. His hands gripped my
ass powerfully, kneading my flesh as he groaned with lust. He spanked me again,
and I whimpered at the sensation. Laird was going to take me right then and
there!
 

I felt my
dress being pushed up over my backside, and a second later Laird pushed aside
my panties, exposing my bare sex. I gasped and struggled, alarmed at how
quickly it was happening. Laird held me still, and I felt the head of his cock
sliding against my bare petals as I squirmed in his grip.

The
sensation made me melt. I started to moan like an animal, my little gasps
begging him to fuck me.

"What
do you want me to do to you?" he growled.

"Fuck
me," I whimpered.

"Tell
me how," he demanded. I let out an impatient moan in response. I wanted to
thrust my hips backwards and impale myself on his massive shaft, but his strong
hands were gripping my ass hard, holding me still.

"Tell
me how," he persisted. He grabbed a fistful of my hair with one hand and
wrenched my head sideways.

"I want
you to put your big cock inside me, and fuck me hard until I cum."

Laird
spanked me again as he continued to press me up against the bathroom
countertop. I quivered in anticipation. Then he slid himself in to me.

I gasped as
I finally felt him, my whole body groaning at
the
pleasure as his thick cock lodged itself in my slickness, stretching me out and
making warm pleasure bloom throughout my body.

He thrust
into me slowly at first, grunting with satisfaction. Then he buried himself forcefully
deep inside, making our hips rock together as his delirious hands ravaged my
body, loving my breasts, my neck, my hips, my thighs, my hair, my lips.