Ryan stops to answer. “We’re going to have our baby, and then I’m going to marry the woman of my dreams.”
He looks at me and winks and we continue the short distance to the entrance. The usher opens the door for us and we disappear inside. I glance around the room. It’s filled with everyone of importance to the movie and their guests. I notice some familiar faces from AGR and PGR, and then spot our friends. Ryan arranged for some of them to be here. The rest will meet us at the after party to celebrate.
“Oh my God, Ryan. I can’t believe this is real,” I whisper, awestruck.
Ryan turns to me and squeezes my hand. “None of this would mean anything without you.”
We hold hands and walk in to the premier of his movie, and the beginning of our dream come true. The lights dim, and a new chapter begins.
Dear reader… I hope you loved FOREVER NEVER, and I have a little bonus for you. For all of my dedicated fans, I’ve included a free copy of FORBIDDEN, my bestselling novel. Turn to the next page to enjoy FORBIDDEN. Thank you for being so amazing and making my life as an author possible!
-Jessica Marx
FORBIDDEN
A Stepbrother Romance
Copyright Jessica Marx 2015
Published by Ashwood Publishing
This book is a work of fiction. All the characters in this book are fictitious and any similarity to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidence.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Ashley
Chapter 1
I hate this scene. Crowds aren’t my thing—I think I’m tainted from the years I spent tending bar through college. I’ve been working as a server since high school and bartending since I turned eighteen. Fortunately, that means I can spot a player from a mile away. They may all look different on the outside, but the way they carry themselves and look at women is all the same. And right now, one of them is looking at me.
I stare right back. I have no time for games—that’s not my thing, either. I have no interest in a one-night stand or some guy who will make me feel like a queen until he makes me do the walk of shame. I’ve been down that road before and don’t care to visit it ever again.
He starts walking toward me through the crowd. The music is pulsing right through me and my skin is damp from the combination of body heat and humidity on this warm summer night. His body is defined and muscular and I can see the shape of his chiseled abs through his fitted, collared top.
And he knows it.
He has sandy brown, surfer-style hair in a perfect mess over his tan skin and hazel eyes. I catch sight of a tattoo on his forearm and follow it up into his shirt sleeve, wondering where it will lead. As he approaches I shake my yearning and catch my breath, bringing myself back to reality. I know the truth. He may be gorgeous, but he’s just a player like the rest of them.
This notion is solidified as he draws nearer and I see the way he struts—his dick leading the way, taking him in the direction of what he believes will be his conquest for the evening.
He gets dangerously close. It’s loud in here, but not loud enough to justify him speaking right into my ear. I keep my drink straw in my mouth and fidget with it, not knowing what else to do.
“You have gorgeous legs. I can’t wait to have them wrapped around my neck later.”
I choke on my drink. Is this guy kidding? His breath in my ear makes me feel a little weak in the knees, as much as I wish it didn’t.
“You don’t waste any time, huh? Obviously, you’re looking for a different kind of girl. The only one touching my legs tonight will be my boyfriend.”
Mentioning a boyfriend throws most guys off their game. But he just stands there, smirking. Who does this guy think he is?
“I’m not looking for a different kind of girl. I just don’t believe in games. You’re hot, I’m hot, and together we can have an amazing night, so why not just cut to the chase?”
I see my friend Rachel making her way back from the bathroom and I’m relieved. She is the perfect wing-woman. We’ve been friends since grade school and she’s like a sister to me. She has a gorgeous face and the body to match, but she’s also a no-nonsense kind of girl with a dry sense of humor. She’s just what I need to take this guy down a peg.
That’s what I want to do, right?
I don’t know why, but this cocky asshole is actually turning me on. Something about him is getting to me. I’ve always fallen for the wrong guys, especially the ones who ooze the bad-boy thing, but I’m happy now with Michael and our mundane routine. He’s different than any other man I’ve met, and I keep telling myself that’s a good thing.
Rachel is back and questioning if I’m okay with her eyes. Mr. Smooth extends his hand. I notice it’s just as tanned and strong as the rest of him. He must work with his hands. I start imagining my breasts cupped inside of them while he whispers all the dirty things he’s going to do to me into my ear.
Damn him. This isn’t fair.
“I’m Jayson. Your friend caught my eye from across the room.”
“Rachel,” she says in that clipped sort of way she does when she wants someone to get lost. “And I know Ashley isn’t interested. She has a boyfriend. So thanks, but no thanks.”
“So I heard. I don’t see him around, though. If Ashley was my girlfriend, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight—especially in a place like this,” Jayson answers.
Hearing my name roll off his tongue makes me weak in the knees. I don’t know why, but I feel the need to justify Michael’s whereabouts—as I had been doing more and more often lately.
“He has a presentation in the morning, so he couldn’t stay out,” I say with much more conviction than I actually feel. Where the fuck was he, anyway? He used to find a way to spend time with me no matter what. These days, it’s all late nights at work and no time for fun.
Still, I don’t have to explain myself to this guy. Some over-sexed jerk isn’t going to make me question the first healthy relationship I’ve ever had.
“Guess you’re the loyal type,” Jayson says, giving me another once-over and a knowing grin. “Damn. I hope your boyfriend knows how lucky he is.”
I can feel the weight of his stare pressing down on me, like he can undress me with the sheer power of his gaze, leaving me naked and on display.
“I’ll be sure to let him know,” I say and take another sip of my drink. I can’t believe how aroused I am by this guy. I shake my head. Total player, through and through.
I try to be a little cocky myself and reach out my hand. “Good luck tonight,” I say, hoping he’ll note the sarcasm in my tone, and smile as he holds my hand a little to
o long. The bulge in his jeans is unmistakable. My face flushes and a current of heat surges between my legs. If he spends one more minute here I might not be able to keep it together or sound like the cocky bitch I’m trying to be right now.
We hold hands for a few seconds longer before Rachel breaks it up.
“Great meeting you, Jayson. We’re gonna go enjoy the rest of the night. Without you,” Rachel says in her super-bitch tone. He turns and walks away, giving me one more look. I’m melting. The moisture on my skin has spread all over and I now notice how damp I am in all the right places. I give myself just a few more seconds to fantasize about him and then notice Rachel is talking to me and I have no idea what she’s been saying.
We finish our drinks and I find myself searching the bar for another look at Jayson. I know he’s an asshole who by now has undoubtedly latched on to another girl, but the few minutes I spent in his presence were electric. I wanted to rip his clothes off and tell him to fuck off all at the same time. I’ve never felt something so strong with a man, and I can’t help but start to fantasize about him again.
The feeling is fleeting, though, as I notice him way across the bar talking to a gorgeous blonde. She can’t keep her hands off him and he doesn’t seem to mind. By the look of things, he forgot about me the moment he walked away. Typical.
Rachel and I make our way through the crowd and toward the door. I take one more glance over to where I had spotted Jayson and see he’s on the receiving end of the bar slut version of a lap dance. Good thing I have Michael, or I might have been stupid enough to fall for this guy. Rachel sees me looking and rolls her eyes.
“Are you seriously looking at that douchebag? You’re way too good for a guy like that,” she reminds me.
We leave the bar and I decide I’m going to stop by Michael’s. I’m feeling a little worked up and wouldn’t mind a late-night booty call. I send him a text that I’m stopping by as Rachel and I say goodnight and get into separate cabs.
JAYSON
Chapter 2
I’ve seen her type a thousand times. Tight, fit body and legs for days. She wanted guys to look at her but I can tell by her stance she isn’t looking for a hook-up. That doesn’t mean I won’t try.
I’ve never had a problem meeting women, or more importantly, screwing them. Sometimes they can’t resist long enough to even make it back to my place. Those are the easy ones. The one I have my eye on now, though—she looks like a challenge.
I love long hair and have a thing for brunettes. She has perfect dark curls hanging over her breasts, forcing me to notice how heavy and round they are. I see her glance over and notice me looking at her, but I don’t stop staring. I like having the upper hand and I know how to make a woman squirm before I even get her to the bedroom.
She’s holding her straw in her mouth and her lips look so tasty wrapped around it. I bet they’d feel like heaven around my cock.
She holds my gaze and I work my eyes up her long legs to the bottom of her skirt. It would be so easy to tear her panties off and fuck her right there. I’m pretty sure that’s what short skirts are made for.
I start walking over, feeling my pants get a little tighter as I imagine her legs wrapped around me while I tease her with the tip of my cock, making her beg for it like they all eventually do. I can tell she’s going to play hard to get, but I see her sizing me up and by the look in her eye, I know she thinks I’m hot.
And why wouldn’t she?
I decide to cut to the chase. I make sure to breathe a little heavy against her neck as I speak softly into her ear. “You have gorgeous legs. I can’t wait to have them wrapped around my neck later.”
The look on her face is priceless, which is what I was going for. I see her fumble with the straw she’s holding in her mouth and I laugh to myself, knowing I’ve taken her off guard. So far, so good.
She doesn’t tell me to fuck off, which is another good sign. She mentions her boyfriend, but I’m not sure if that’s true or just a way to try and brush me off. Doesn’t matter—I’ve had plenty of taken women. She won’t be the first, or the last.
I catch her looking at someone and glance over to see if it’s the boyfriend she mentioned. It’s much worse than that—it’s her friend, who has a look on her face like she’s ready for war. Everything about her screams “cock-blocker.” I can tell by her walk and the determined line of her jaw that she’s ready to protect her friend from the evil player.
But like you may have guessed by now, I’m always up for a challenge.
After a few comebacks and brush offs, I can tell I’m not going to get anywhere. Her body is an open book. The way her cheeks flush red when I look at her. The way her legs part ever so slightly. She’s definitely into me, and I’m dying for a taste, but tonight’s not my night. Cock-block McGee is dead-set on pulling her out of my reach.
I make sure to look her in her eyes when I say goodnight and I feel the heat pass between us when our hands touch. The way she trembles tells me I could make her cum effortlessly, and I would love to do it to her over and over. I wanna see her go crazy. My mouth gets dry just imagining the little glint of madness in her eyes when I push her past the brink of coherent thought. But that’s all a fantasy, ‘cause she’s letting her friend shoo me away now.
Her loss.
I walk away, knowing I’ll go home with someone else tonight, which is enough to satisfy me for the time being. Still, part of me knows that it would be different with her—that if I could find a way to get her into my bed, I might finally be satisfied.
That’s the part of me that still throbs long after I’ve got my dick wet and found my release—the part of me that demands more, more, more. The part of me that demands I find her again.
Next time, I won’t give up so easy.
ASHLEY
Chapter 3
It takes me a little while to wake Michael up and arouse him, but never let it be said that I don’t know how to rise to a challenge. I’m already hot and wet and dying for my boyfriend’s touch, but when I close my eyes and start to kiss him, all I can picture is Jayson’s face.
I reach down and feel Michael’s hard cock throbbing. He’s ready for me. I know it. So why the hell am I still thinking about the guy from the bar, who means nothing at all to me?
I slide off my panties and climb on top of Michael as he languidly caresses me in his half-asleep state. When I straddle his hips and ease down onto his manhood, he moans and tilts his head back like he’s in heaven.
That’s what I should want. A guy who appreciates me. Who treats me like a goddess and worships at my feet.
But when I close my eyes again, I still can’t help but picture Jayson. Why can’t I get him out of my mind? He’s just like every other player that thought they could take me home.
And yet there’s just something about him I can’t shake. Not that any of that matters—we’re just two ships that passed in the night. I’ll never see him again.
And I have a boyfriend. Who I’m riding. So why can’t I focus on him?
It’s not like there’s a shortage of things for me to focus on. Like the familiar sensation of his cock inside me, or the way he moans softly and sleepily as we reach climax together. It doesn’t take long. I was ready when I left the bar and I know how to work him. I have my hands on his shoulders and again found myself wishing they were the tanned, broad shoulders I had seen earlier, wondering again where that arm tattoo would lead me.
My body shudders and Michael spasms, smiling and kissing me before turning over and drifting back to sleep. I get up and go to the bathroom to wash off my makeup and get ready for bed.
I use Michael’s toothbrush to brush my teeth. I don’t have anything of my own here, so I have to make due. I throw on one of his t-shirts and climb into bed and toss and turn trying to fall asleep—I keep picturing Jayson in my mind. Then I remember the way he’d looked at that blonde I left him with and I’m disgusted, but oddly, I’m also jealous.
At some point, I finally
doze off next to Michael who I’m not even sure realizes I’m actually here.
I’m exhausted as I walk mindlessly around Michael’s small kitchen, brewing a pot of coffee. I hear Michael brushing his teeth and smile as I think about him. We may have only been together for a few months, but I’m enjoying the routine.
I always thought being with a “normal” guy would get boring after a while, but even with our mundane habits and the lack of excitement, I believe everything is going great. I give Michael a smile as he walks into the kitchen and turn to grab his cup of coffee. As I hand it to him, I ask “Are you ready for your big presentation?”
Stepbrother Forever: A Stepbrother Romance Page 17
