Forbidden Lyrics

by Jodie Larson

  Cupping her cheek, I bring her eyes to mine. “Pax won’t say anything. He swears.”

  Even in the muted light, her bright eyes shine with appreciation and affection. “Tatum and Quinn know too.”

  “I kind of figured Tatum did since she kept throwing me looks over her shoulder. But Quinn could be bad. She’s terrible at keeping secrets and in case you hadn’t noticed, she’s not exactly quiet.”

  Lizzie starts walking again, tugging at my hand to follow. “But she’s my friend and I trust her. She’d never betray me.”

  “So, basically, everyone knows except for Kade and Myles.”

  “Yep,” she says, letting the “P” pop at the end.

  This could turn out bad in so many ways. The idea of keeping secrets from my friends sends a sick jolt to my stomach. But I’m not doing this for them. I’m doing it for the green-eyed beauty next to me.

  She unlocks the door and proceeds to turn on all the lights. I follow her, turning them off as I trail behind.

  “What are you doing?” She yawns again and opens her bedroom door. I place a hand over hers before she turns the light on.

  “Keeping you safe.”

  We strip out of our clothes. I keep my boxers on while Lizzie wears the most modest thing I’ve ever seen her in at night: a T-shirt that’s two sizes too big for her and a pair of plaid pajama bottoms.

  Crawling under the covers, I pull her into my chest and curl into her body. She snuggles into my hold and sighs before letting her even breaths lull her into a deep, contented sleep.

  “I’m here for you, Lizzie. I’ll always be here for you.” I kiss her shoulder and close my eyes, focusing on my breathing until visions of the future I want, dance through my subconscious.

  Waking up in Brecken’s arms is how every morning should start. Leaving him still sleeping, however, is not what I enjoy. It took every ounce of effort I had yesterday morning to not call in sick and spend the day wrapped up in him. Thank God for Mother Nature and Aunt Flo.

  But the weekend means no work, which also means spending every available minute with Brecken.

  However, I have to get through my mother’s torture first.

  “Lizzie, how are things?” She acts like she doesn’t talk to me every day.

  “Fine,” I say with a shrug. “Same old.” Needing to turn her focus away, I twirl the coffee mug in my hand and smile. “How’s the reception planning coming?”

  Mom groans. Loud. I can’t say I’ve ever seen her have that sort of reaction before. “Your brother is incorrigible.”

  Ugh. My response is sitting right at the edge of my tongue.

  Don’t do it.

  Don’t do it.

  “Duh.”

  Dammit.

  She swings an icy warning my way. “Don’t start. I know your brother can be difficult, but he’s trying, so I’m keeping positive.”

  “How’s that working out?” I mutter under my breath. Luckily she was too busy clanging her spoon around inside her coffee mug to hear.

  Mom looks up and furrows her brow. “Something’s different about you.”

  I pause with my cup suspended in mid-air. “What? No, nothing’s different.”

  Her ever-knowing eyes sweep my features, focusing on everything she can.

  “You’re happier.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief. “Well, yeah. It’s nice having everyone around again. It’s been good for my social life to hang out with someone other than Quinn.”

  “And Brecken?”

  The traitorous organ in my chest beats in double time. Can she see the pulsing vein in the side of my neck? Or the rapid rise and fall of my chest?

  “What about Brecken?” Oh God above, please smite her where she sits. And if not, give her a bout of amnesia so she will forget this conversation.

  A slow smile creases her lips, letting her laugh lines show. “He’s been hanging around you a lot. Anything going on there?”

  I cough and sputter as my coffee goes down the wrong tube. Instantly, Mom is pounding on my back and running to get a glass of water.

  After catching my breath, I wipe the tears from my eyes. “Nothing’s going on,” I croak. “We’re just friends.”

  “Tatum and Myles were just friends too. Look how they turned out.” She raises a challenging eyebrow.

  I won’t fall for it. “We’re not them. They had years to develop a relationship. Breck is only in town for a few more weeks. There’s no point.”

  “That sounds like more than just nothing.” Damn her.

  Closing my eyes, I count to ten and sigh. “We can’t be more than friends. He’s not staying and a long-distance relationship will never work.”

  “Kade and Adrienne do it, from what I understand.”

  “Again, different,” I say, tapping my nails against the mug. “They’re established as well. They don’t have to worry about strange women crawling into his bed or men leading her on.”

  Mom laughs, actually laughs, at my statement. “Honey, everyone worries about that. It’s a matter of letting those worries dictate your life that’s the issue. Don’t let fear have a voice. If you want to be with Brecken, just do it. No one is stopping you.”

  I press the heels of my hands into my eyes. “It’s more complicated than that. I’m here, in Missouri, at a job I love. And he’s a rock star, traveling all over the country and living in L.A. It’s not exactly a life that’s easy to fit into.”

  “That’s the fear talking.”

  “Not to mention Myles won’t let it happen.” I look down and choke back the past as it bubbles to the surface.

  “What won’t I let happen?” Myles enters the room and leans against the wall opposite us.

  Mom doesn’t miss a beat. Slowly standing from the chair, she leans into Myles and places a kiss on his cheek.

  “A polka dance with me during the reception.”

  Myles’ eyes practically bug out of his face. “No offense, Mom, but Lizzie’s right. That’s not happening. Absolutely no polka music.”

  I bite my bottom lip, almost to the point of breaking the skin as I try to hold back a laugh. Someone should tell Myles not to give the fear a voice because he looks positively terrified.

  “Is Tatum here?” Mom retakes her seat and pats the spot next to her, indicating where Myles should sit.

  “Right here, Mom.” Tatum breezes through the door and grabs the seat Myles was supposed to take. He thanks her with a kiss to the head before grabbing the chair next to his wife.

  “Ah, good. Now that I have the three of you together, we need to discuss the dress attire for the event.”

  Myles tries to leave, but Tatum grabs his forearm, yanking him back to his seat.

  “We didn’t want anything formal, like tuxes or things like that. More along the lines of nice clothes.”

  “And the bridesmaids?”

  Tatum clears her throat. “Um, no wedding party. Since we’re already married, we figured it’d be just a party. We don’t need all of the glitz of a real wedding.”

  “Since you got married on the Vegas strip in some cheap little chapel, without family around, I’d say you need something.”

  “Mom, you know that’s not true.” Myles rubs his forehead. “You have a wedding picture to prove it. Tay wore a very nice white dress and there wasn’t even one Elvis impersonator there. It was about as formal as we could find.”

  “You still didn’t have your family there.” Hurt colors her voice. This is the real reason behind everything. Myles denied her the one thing she’s always wanted from us. To be there for the major events of our lives.

  Tatum reaches over and places a hand on Mom’s wrist. “Mrs. Donovan…Mom…we’re sorry we didn’t tell you. And I know you’re hurt that you missed out on our big day. We didn’t mean to offend you. We just wanted to do it quickly. Mainly before I decided to run again.” Myles nods his head in agreement. “We appreciate what you’re trying to do, but recreating a wedding isn’t something we’re interested in.
Can we just have a simple gathering of family and friends instead?”

  Mom looks between the two of them, letting her shoulders sink in defeat. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve gone a little overboard with this whole reception idea. This should be your party, not mine.” She pats Tatum’s hand and smiles. “If you want something simple and low-key, you’ve got it. I won’t push my agenda on you anymore.”

  “I do have to say, I like some of your ideas. Maybe we can compromise and come up with a plan to include what everyone wants.” Myles starts to open his mouth, but he’s cut off before a word escapes. “And not having it is not an option.”

  He crosses his arms in front of his chest. Then looks to me with a smirk. “Save all your super wedding plans for Lizzie. Since she’s your daughter, you’ll have to pay for most of it anyway.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “Who in the world would I possibly marry?”

  Tatum and my mom both look at me, then at each other. A knowing smile passes between them. Oh shit. Now they’re going to focus on my love life.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  I check my watch and stretch my arms above my head. “Well, my, look at the time. I gotta get going.”

  “Big plans?” Mom says in her sing-song way.

  Shaking my head, I lean over and kiss her cheek. “Goodbye, Mother. I’ll see you later.”

  Before anyone has the chance to change my mind, I bolt out the front door and drive away.

  Why are there several trucks parked around my house? Better yet, why is there a giant dumpster in my driveway where my car’s supposed to be?

  “What the fuck?” I twirl the keys in my hand as I make my way up the sidewalk.

  Loud banging noises. The buzz of a saw. Multiple guys talking to each other blast through my open front door. In fact, one of the guys passes me with a smile, carrying a chunk of my countertop.

  I twist my head until it can’t turn anymore and watch him place the large piece of Formica into the dumpster.

  The minute I step over the threshold, I wish I’d gone back to my car. Four—no five—guys are taking sledgehammers to my kitchen, eviscerating everything they can. Boxes line my living room, each labeled with different items: pots/pans, dishes, glasses.

  Another crack sounds and the upper cabinets that used to be above my stove come crashing to the floor.

  “What the shit is going on?” I say, loud enough that all eyes swing my way.

  One of the workers takes off his goggles and mask and heads my direction. He didn’t have to remove them for me to know who it was. I’d know those piercing gray eyes anywhere.

  “You’re home early,” Breck says, placing his hands on his waist. His white shirt and jeans are covered in dust and specks of debris, which also litter his hair, creating an almost salt and pepper look to it.

  Slowly, I eye what’s happening in my house. “What are you doing?” I’m beginning to feel like a broken record. “I want an answer.”

  Brecken signals for the guys to continue working while he leads me around the corner. “This was supposed to be a surprise. I thought you’d be busy all day with your mom.”

  It’s hard to focus on his eyes when the pounding on wood is distracting me. “Not an answer to my question.” I tap my foot and mimic his stance.

  He gives me one of those smiles that sets my heart fluttering. “You’re cute when you’re mad.”

  “I’m not mad,” I say. “I’m confused. Now, I’m going to ask this one more time. The next words I want out of your mouth better be the answer. Okay?” He nods. At least he can follow directions…so far. “Why is my kitchen being torn apart?”

  Shoving his hands in his pockets, Breck huffs a breath through his nose. “I know you wanted to do some improvements around the house and that you couldn’t afford them right now. So I took it upon myself to help you with them. Call it a birthday present.”

  Another crack sounds from the kitchen. “My birthday was months ago and you know it.”

  Breck laughs. “Fine, a belated birthday present.”

  It’s taking every ounce of strength I have not to smile. “A brand new kitchen isn’t a present. That’s huge.”

  He shrugs. “I’m making up for past birthdays, too. Come on.” He holds his hand out to me. “Let me show you their ideas.”

  Taking his hand, we walk back into the danger zone and take a good look at the progress they’ve made. Almost everything is gone; only a few lower cabinets remain. Still holding my hand, Brecken leads me over to the garage area, which has been converted to a dining room.

  “Am I ever going to use this space for what it’s intended?” This time, I laugh.

  Brecken pulls me into his side. His chest rumbles as he places a kiss to my temple. “Eventually. This is what I wanted to show you.” He unrolls a tube of paper with what I assume is the sketch of my new kitchen.

  “See, here’s where everything’s gonna go.” He points to several things as I try to make heads or tails of what I’m seeing. It doesn’t look right though. That’s not my kitchen, or at least not how it was laid out.

  “Something’s off with this design. I didn’t have this much space before.”

  Brecken looks over and winks. “The construction guys are coming tomorrow.”

  “Construction?” I widen my eyes for effect. “Isn’t that what’s happening right now?”

  When he shakes his head, pieces of wood fall from his hair. I brush them off his shoulders. “No, today is demo day.”

  “So what are we constructing?” This is way too confusing.

  Leaning over the design again, Brecken runs his fingers along the paper. “See, this will all be open here. Right now, you’ve got that wall separating the living room and the kitchen. We’re going to knock it out and have the two flow seamlessly into each other.”

  I have to admit, an open-concept plan is exactly what I’ve always wanted but could never afford. Not in this area of town and on my limited salary.

  “Breck, this is too much.” Guilt seeps in at his grand gesture. I don’t deserve this. He should be saving his money, not wasting it on something he won’t get to enjoy.

  Taking my hand, Breck closes the space between us. Somehow sawdust smells sexy on him. Hooking a finger under my chin, he forces me to meet his eyes.

  “It’s not too much. It’s technically not enough, but I’m limited on what I can do right now. If this puts a smile on your face, then it’s all worth it.” He leans forward and places a gentle kiss on my lips. I smile, giving him what he wants. “That’s what I needed.”

  “You’re something else, Brecken Lavery.”

  With a wink, he laces our fingers together and tugs. “Don’t I know it.”

  We walk back to the black hole that used to be my kitchen. Everything is down now. Without the cabinets and appliances, the room looks so much bigger than before. I look at the floor and cringe.

  “Please tell me the flooring is leaving.” This linoleum is probably circa 1960 and has dirt stains permanently ground into it.

  “Don’t worry, it is.” He lets go of my hand and holds a finger up. “I just need to let the guys go. I’ll be right back.” Breck walks to the front door, leaving me alone.

  He bought me a new kitchen. More than that. He designed a new kitchen for me. Something pulls at my heart, a feeling I’ve been trying to tamp down every time we’re together. Warmth sails through my chest and I find myself clutching the spot that aches. Not a bad ache, but a good one. An ache that begs for attention rather than denial.

  Okay, enough. You’re not thinking with your head.

  Right.

  I walk over to the wall with a giant red X written on it. Brecken comes back and stands in the doorway, just looking at me. I shift my gaze to him and tilt my head. “What?”

  In a slow, predatory motion, he comes over and looms above me. His six-foot-two frame doesn’t usually seem this dominating, but right now I feel small in his hands. Yet I also feel protected.

  Brecken leans down,
his warm breath hitting my ear. “Wanna get dirty?”

  A lascivious smile creeps onto my lips. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Let me show you.” He crooks a finger and I follow him down the hall, knowing exactly where this will end up.

  “Close your eyes.” That low growl in his voice does things to me as I try to press my thighs together without him noticing. But I follow his command, relying on my other senses to figure out what he’s up to.

  Several drawers open and shut before he’s standing next to me. I want to reach out to him, forget this stupid game and just get him naked.

  “Hold out your hands.”

  Strange request. I comply, turning my palms up. So help me if it’s another present…

  Wait. This isn’t a box.

  I open one eye, then the other, and stare down at my hands. Drawing my brows together, I look up. The little shit is smirking at me.

  “You’ll need to change into these before we get dirty.”

  Ass. He gets me all worked up and then nothing.

  “Manual labor again?”

  Breck nods. “Hey, you agreed.”

  I let out a groan and toss the clothes on the bed. “You don’t play fair.”

  “Never said I did.”

  Well, two can play at this game.

  I take the hem of my shirt and slowly drag it up my torso, exposing my body slowly, painfully, while Brecken stands opposite of me. He shifts his stance as I drag the material over my head, tossing it at his feet. His eyes burn a trail over my skin before focusing on my fingers as they hook into my shorts and slide them down my legs. I’m not sure if I’m torturing him or me at this point. I’m beyond turned on and it shows through the thin lace covering of my bra.

  Once I’m only in my bra and panties, I reach around behind me and fiddle with the clasp. “I should probably change into a sports bra.”

  Brecken’s eyes widen. “God, please, no.” He holds his hands out to stop me. “Just wear that.”

  I quirk a brow. “You like this?”

  He nods slowly with a devilish smile. Now I’m glad I splurged on this bra when I went shopping the other day. Seeing his gray eyes darken with desire is worth the extra money.