Forbidden: a Contemporary Romance Anthology

by J. L. Beck

  Without a word, Gabe stepped forward and pulled me into a kiss; my congratulations muffled by the light pressure of his lips. Unlike last time, this kiss was slower, more intimate as if he was trying to sear my mouth into memory. Memorize every crevice. The moment was perfect until I heard an intentional throat clearing.

  “Guess our plans are canceled.” Amelia’s teasing tone broke our lust-enhanced haze.

  I pulled my head back, but maintained focus on Gabe. “Sorry, Amelia. Raincheck?”

  “Sure.” She chuckled. “I’ll, uh … I’ll just leave for a few hours.”

  “I owe you one,” Gabe said, still eyeing me, holding me. “But tonight, I needed to be with my girl.”

  My girl? Oh, how those two words played havoc with my emotions.

  As soon as the door closed, I asked, “How did you know where I live?”

  “Small school.” He shrugged. “I have my ways.”

  “Okay then, second question: why aren’t you out with your teammates?”

  “Mmm, celebrating wasn’t right without you. I slipped away the first chance I got.” His hold tightened around my waist. “I needed to be with you.”

  “I wanted to be there.”

  “I know. But here is much better.” I yelped when he swept me into his arms and started down the hall. “Which room?”

  I pointed to the first door on the right, and the next thing I knew, he flopped me on the bed and whipped off his shirt. My mouth dried at the sight of his perfectly ripped abs. Soaking up the masterpiece, I followed the trace of hair that disappeared beneath his shorts and licked my lips. Fuck, how did I get so lucky?

  “Are you sure you’d rather be with me than the team?” I teased, propping myself up on my elbows, and enjoying my personal male review.

  “You’re the only one I want to be with.” Gabe removed his shorts, and it became real clear just how he planned on monumentalizing his achievement. He crawled into bed and straddled me. “You have way too many clothes on.”

  “I’m only wearing a dress.”

  “Like I said, too much.” His mouth joined mine as his fingers grabbed the hem of the dress. I lifted my hips so he could work the material past my curves and over my head. His fingertips grazed my sensitized skin and landed on the back of my bra. As he unhooked the clip, the small, tender kisses he planted along the nape of my neck sent chills down my spine.

  “As soon as we won, I wanted to be with you.” He slid my bra off and groaned. “What are you doing to me, Madison?”

  The question was rhetorical, so I didn’t answer. Instead, I ran my palms along the contours of his chest and swept across every hard ridge shaping his abs. This guy was smokin’ hot, but my connection to him seemed driven by more than lust. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but there was something between us.

  His fingertips traced the outline of my jaw then lifted my chin to his. My heart pounded in my chest as his dark, sultry gaze met mine. The want behind his stare captivated me, and I couldn’t move.

  In the next moment, his lips crashed upon mine with an all-consuming determination. I felt as if this kiss was his last desperate attempt to stay alive. But I gave just as much effort back because right then, he was my lifeline.

  When he broke for air, he shifted and sucked along my neck, inching lower with each kiss. He slid his hand to my breast and squeezed. He worked his mouth to my puckered nipple and bit gently down. I almost came as a sharp shudder raced through.

  “You drive me fucking crazy.” Gabe didn’t wait for my response. His mouth brushed across my abdomen, and each small peck continued downward until his face hovered above my clit.

  Oh my God, I didn’t think I could wait another second. I needed relief.

  “Gabe, I need you.”

  “Patience, Ms. Young.” He teased as he hooked the strings of my underwear around his fingers and tugged them down. He backed away and inhaled a sharp breath; his stare landing on my most intimate parts.

  “Jesus, I have to taste you.” His mouth reached my core, and a whimper may have escaped as his tongue pushed inside then ran along the slit from my sex to my clit. “Damn, you taste good.”

  His words vibrated against my skin and caused me to buck from the pleasure searing through my veins. My fingers weaved through his still damp hair and pulled him closer to me.

  “Greedy tonight?” He chuckled.

  “No talking. Back to work,” I said through a moan.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He flicked his tongue and then worked in circles, lapping, sucking as two fingers pressed inside. His free hand palmed my breast then squeezed my nipple. The sensations were everywhere. Almost too much and I knew I wouldn’t last much longer.

  His fingers wiggled inside me right as his tongue pressed hard on my clit. That was the final drive to push me over. I cried out his name and writhed underneath him as pulses of pleasure ripped through me.

  He raised up on his elbows, a slow half-smile forming on his glistening lips. Sexy, too damn sexy. His tongue traced along his lips, and his eyes flitted closed as if he was savoring every drop. Another shudder coursed through my body.

  “You like that?” His deep sexy voice crawled over my skin.

  My incoherent mumble brought a chuckle. I ran my hands along the curvature of my body, over my breast and tweaked my nipple. His stormy blue eyes turned a dark gray.

  “I need you inside me,” I panted. My legs spread further apart, and the heat passing through his eyes alighted me, He never broke eye contact as he positioned his tip at my entrance.

  “Madison, I—”

  My moan as Gabe pushed inside echoed in the room and drowned out his words. He buried his cock to the hilt and stilled. The emotions swirling through my veins as he held my gaze overwhelmed me This guy. This beautiful guy who I wasn’t supposed to fall for burrowed his way into my heart. A single tear escaped and ran down my cheek, and I didn’t bother blinking it away. With a soft stroke, he wiped away the wetness, then brushed his lips upon mine as he moved his hips in a slow back and forth motion.

  I’d never felt so wanted, so connected with anyone in my life.

  “More. I need more.” I wrapped my legs around his waist and dug my fingernails into his back. He obliged and increased his pace, our slapping bodies and heavy breathing the only sounds between us. He wove our fingers together and pressed my knuckles into the mattress, his tempo matching the beat of my heart—rapid and rhythmic.

  I never wanted this to end. It was pure nirvana.

  Our mouths collided, and with a few more thrusts, we both found our release. He collapsed beside me, panting, then wrapped his arm around my waist. Relaxed, I drew small circles on his forearm with my fingertips. Complete bliss.

  He planted a small kiss on my shoulder and squeezed my waist tighter. He mumbled a half-pleasurable sound, and I felt myself drifting to sleep.

  A jostling sound of the locks filtered through the door. Gabe raised his head, but I waved him off.

  “That’s just Amelie returning…” My words trailed off as her and another person’s voice grew louder. Gabe’s panicked expression mirrored mine as we both recognized the voice.

  “Nooo,” I whispered.

  7

  “No, Brett,” Amelia’s yell pushed through our haze. “Your sister is busy.”

  “Lord, Amelia,” my brother’s voice sounded. “Anyone ever tell you you’re incredibly loud?”

  Gabe rolled off me, and I scrambled for the covers.

  “Did you lock the door?” I hissed.

  Before Gabe could answer, the door opened and my brother stood looking at us with his mouth hanging open.

  Brett’s eyes went right to Gabe. “What the fuck, man?”

  “Ever hear of knocking?” I yelled.

  He finally looked at me, his eyes flashing. “Maybe next time you want to screw one of your students, you should try locking the door. Put your clothes on and get out into the living room. Now.” He turned and walked back out to the living room, mumbling to hi
mself, “There are some things you just can’t unsee.”

  Amelia appeared in the doorway. “I tried to warn you.”

  “Fuck!” I looked back at Gabe who hadn’t moved or said a word. “You going to react or anything?”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Brett is going to kill me.”

  “You? What about when he tells my parents? I’m so dead.”

  “Guys.” Amelia crossed her arms over her chest. “Honestly, what did you think was going to happen? Someone was bound to find out eventually. Relationships can’t exist in hiding.” She turned on her heel and went to join my brother.

  Gabe’s eyes met mine, and I realized I didn’t even know if this was a relationship. I knew guys like him. I didn’t know what he wanted from me.

  And now I could be ruined.

  I pulled on my clothes in silence, but Gabe didn’t move.

  “Are you coming?” I asked.

  That spurred him to action. He stood and pulled on his shorts, a grim frown marring his face. As I walked to the door, his hand shot out to pull me back against his warm chest.

  It rose as he breathed in deeply, and he rested his chin on my shoulder. I closed my eyes as he placed a small kiss on my neck.

  His words vibrated against my skin. “Addy,” he hummed. “Whatever the fuck he says, he can’t tell us what to do. I—”

  I spun around and cut off his words with a kiss. He didn’t know the damage my brother could do. I wrapped my arms around him and leaned my head against his chest, feeling the slight thumping of his heart.

  Brett yelled from the living room. “Get the fuck out here!”

  I released a sigh and stepped away from Gabe to open the door. He followed me out.

  Brett was sitting on the couch with his arms resting on his knees. Amelia crossed from the kitchen to the living room and set a mug of coffee on the table in front of him. He glanced up at her with a weak smile that turned to a grimace when he noticed me standing there.

  “There they are. The two biggest idiots on campus.”

  Gabe planted his feet and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

  I scowled as I sunk into the couch beside my brother and stole his coffee. It burned my lips, but tasted good going down.

  Maybe that was what relationships were like. They tasted delicious in the moment, but left you aching and hurt.

  I drank it anyway. At this rate, there was no sleep happening tonight and I needed the caffeine.

  “I wasn’t going to drink that or anything,” Brett grumbled.

  “My apartment. My coffee. You can’t just come in whenever the fuck you want. And you don’t get to be mad at me and Gabe. We’re adults. Why are you even here?”

  “Some of the guys were teasing me.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I needed to see if it was true.”

  Gabe straightened up. “Teasing you?”

  Brett practically growled. Growled! At Gabe. Like they were fucking animals. “Yeah, teasing. Because they have eyes and you haven’t exactly been discreet. If you were going to turn someone into the joke of the team, did it have to be my fucking sister?”

  “Addy isn’t a joke,” Gabe snapped.

  “Her name is Madison. Addy is a family nickname. She isn’t ‘Addy’ to you. She shouldn’t be anything to you.”

  “Watch it, Brett.” Gabe pushed away from the wall and moved to stand in front of my brother.

  Brett narrowed his eyes, but turned away from Gabe to look at me. “And you. Do you realize how sleazy this is? He’s your fucking student.”

  “Language.”

  He snorted. “Yeah, because you never cuss.”

  “My apartment, my rules. You don’t get to come in here and tell me what the fuck to do and you definitely don’t get to use my word to do it.”

  “’Fuck’ isn’t your word, sis.” That finally got a laugh.

  “Haven’t we already gone over this? My apartment…”

  “Your rules,” he finished.

  “Now you’re getting it.” I bumped my shoulder against his. “So, stop being mad and don’t call me sleazy.”

  He groaned. “You’re my sister, Addy, and I love you, but what you’re doing is wrong. You could lose everything. I’m sorry, but I can’t support that.”

  Brett stood to face the man for the last four years he’d called his best friend, his brother. They stood face to face, almost like strangers. “Gabe isn’t the one you throw everything away for. Even if you weren’t teacher and student, I’d want better for you. I know how this story ends. You won’t be able to help falling in love and, this guy, he’ll rip you to pieces.”

  Brett didn’t see it coming. Gabe’s fist caught him just below the eye, knocking him off balance. As if in slow motion, he fell backwards onto the couch, stunned.

  Anger simmered through me, ready to explode, but I held back. I didn’t blame Gabe. I’d have punched Brett too, but his words struck a nerve, and that pissed me off more than anything.

  I got to my feet and looked down at my brother. “Ever thought you don’t get to decide what’s best for me?”

  Brett refused to look at me again as he collected himself. I didn’t offer him ice for his face, I wanted him gone. He turned on Gabe one final time. “My fucking sister, dude? I can’t deal with this.” He pushed himself to his feet and walked towards the front door with heavy steps.

  Before leaving, he paused and hung his head, forcing out the words as though they hurt to say. “You two will stop this. There is too much on the line for both of you. If you don’t, I’m telling Mom and Dad.”

  “Way to play the maturity card!” He didn’t even look back when I yelled after him. When he was finally gone, he took all the air in the room with him. I hunched over, feeling like I’d been punched as well.

  Who did he think he was? Brett had always been overprotective of me, even with the age difference. He used to threaten to beat up my boyfriends when he was just a little squirt.

  It had always seemed sweet. Until now.

  “I’m … ah …” Amelia shifted nervously. “Just gonna go.” She escaped to her bedroom.

  Gabe and I were left with no words between us. Just a few minutes ago, I’d been so content in his arms, and now I could barely stand to look at him. All I could picture was my mother’s face, my father’s disgust. They’d tell the dean, thinking they were teaching me a lesson.

  Or they’d hold it over my head as a form of control.

  I’d broken free of their control years ago. They’d regained a foothold when I came back, but I would not let them close further around me.

  Do not fucking cry, Madison, I told myself as I wrapped my arms around my torso.

  A long breath released with a hiss from Gabe, and I looked up at him. His face was a mask of confusion and worry.

  I knew what needed to be done. I was a big girl. It was time to act like it and stop letting my libido dictate my actions.

  “We can’t do this,” I whispered.

  “Brett will cool off.” It was the first thing he’d said since my brother left. “I shouldn’t have punched him.”

  I smiled slightly, despite the utter brokenness of the moment. “That was actually the only part of that conversation I enjoyed. But I know my brother. His threat is very real.” I squeezed my eyes shut so I wouldn’t see his face as I said the words that would cut this invisible cord between us. “We knew this wouldn’t last. You aren’t the relationship kind, and I’m in a much different place in my life. We’ve had our fun.”

  “Fun.” He grunted. “Fucking fun. That’s all? Fine.” He ran a hand through his tousled hair as he stalked towards me. Grabbing my arm, he pulled me to my feet, and I instinctively molded against his chest. His mouth claimed mine roughly. His tongue swept past my lips and his teeth bit down on my lower lip.

  When he pulled away, my legs felt weak. He released me and grabbed his phone off the table.

  “Goodbye, professor.” His formality slapped me in the face
. His feet took him quickly to the door, and he didn’t look back.

  The door slammed shut behind him, and my legs gave out. I collapsed back on the couch and ran a fingertip across my lips. Maybe he was right. That kiss wasn’t fun. It was … something else.

  A sob erupted from my chest, and I pressed my face into the cushion, a grown woman crying over a man she never should have wanted.

  8

  Monday morning, I downed three cups of coffee before working up the nerve to go to my first class of the day. Gabe would be there, staring at me with that piercing gaze of his.

  Most of my students seemed more engaged since our lesson on sex. College students had one-track minds. Yet, I’d slept with one.

  I tried my hardest to act normal. It didn’t work. Even Amelia had given up on me talking to her. I ran my hands down my brown pencil skirt as I sat in my office, remembering the last time Gabe was in there.

  My door was open, but every time someone looked in, I scowled and they disappeared. The clock on my wall told me it was time, so I grabbed my mug and briefcase and walked toward the lecture hall. Most of my students were already seated and my eyes betrayed me by scanning the faces for that familiar grin.

  He wasn’t there. I checked the time on my phone and shut the door.

  As I switched on the projector to reveal my notes, a wave of dizziness crashed over me. I stumbled and gripped the table, closing my eyes for a moment.

  “You know what?” I switched off the projector. “No class today. I need to go.” I rushed from the room, feeling the bewildered eyes of my students on my back.

  I felt a presence behind me as I made my way to my office. Once inside it, I turned to find Brock, one of my students, watching me.

  “It’s not office hours, Brock. What do you want?” Probably not the nicest way to speak to a student, a Rugby team member no less, but I was beyond caring.