Forbidden Touch: A Second Chance Stepbrother Romance

by Rye Hart

  We walked back to our room with Harley walking silently behind us. He took up his post outside the door when I shut the door behind us.

  Libby clasped my arm a second later. “Listen Abi. Unless this guy decides to screw one of us, which I’m pretty damn sure he won’t, we need to get rid of him. And that’s a pity because all that pent up frustration he’s carrying around would make him a perfect fuck buddy,” she whispered, shaking her head in annoyance. “To top that off, he keeps acting like we are in the middle of Iraq or something.”

  “I can’t tell him to leave,” I said. At least he’s sexy to look. I shook that thought out of my head while Libby retreated to the bathroom to shower. I didn’t want either one of them to know that I had a thing for Harley. I was certain the last thing he would be interested in is some average girl anyway. I waited until I heard the shower turn on before slipping into a pair of cotton shorts and a ripped tank top. Tying my hair up into a messy bun, I sat Indian style in the middle of my bed to call my parents.

  My Mom answered the phone cheerfully. “Hello, my darling daughter. How are your adventures in Madrid?”

  “Fine for the most part,” I said. “We haven’t seen much yet because we’ve been trying to adjust to the time change.”

  “I imagine. It is evening there, right?”

  “Right.” I nodded before asking hesitantly, “Is Dad home with you or—”

  “He ran into the office to grab a few files,” she said. “Is there something going on? Is everything all right?”

  I ignored the concern in my Mom’s voice. It was always there. As if me simply living my life were a huge threat in general. “Everything is fine, Mom. Don’t worry about me.”

  “I try not to. Your Dad hired that bodyguard for a reason, you know.”

  “What reason is that?” I asked, irritably. “To annoy the shit out of me the entire time?”

  “Abigail Carter— watch your language.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom, but the guy he hired is just too damn good at his job.” And he’s attractive. That doesn’t help either.

  “I hoped he would be, dear. He retired from Special Forces about five months ago.”

  “Well then, that makes perfect sense,” I said.

  “What does?”

  “He’s just—” I struggled to find the right word. “Vigilant is the only thing I can think of to describe it.”

  “That’s what he is paid to do, Abi.” Voices chattered on the other end of the line. “I have to get going, dear. Would you like your Dad to call later?”

  I thought of Libby’s plan to go out to Madrid tonight. “No, that’s fine. I can call him tomorrow sometime.”

  “All right, sweetie. Be safe. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  I stared down at my phone for a Moment. Special Forces. It all made sense why he was so physically fit, graceful, and confident. He had been trained to be a certain way, and he stuck to it even as a bodyguard.

  Plugging my phone to charge, I stepped out onto the balcony to enjoy the heat while I waited for Libby to finish up. I stepped around the corner of the balcony to reel back in surprise to see Harley sitting on the other side at a small patio table. He looked away from the fading skyline to focus on me. The hazy glow of the evening brought out the silver specs in his green eyes, but there was something so haunting behind his blank expression. He reclined casually back in his chair, stretching out his muscular torso. I couldn’t help but let my eyes run along the front of him, coveting how good he must look under his clothes.

  “What is it?” he asked, his voice deep, soft.

  “Nothing,” I said thickly and took a careful step towards him. “Can I sit with you for a few minutes?”

  Harley arched an eyebrow at me. “That depends on where this conversation is going.”

  “I have no motives. I just wanted to… talk.”

  I winced at how stupid I must have sounded.

  He didn’t respond for a few seconds but finally motioned a hand to the chair across from him. I gladly took a seat in front of him and glanced down, studying the names tattooed on his forearm.

  “My Mom says you were in the Special Forces,” I said, not sure where I wanted to go with the conversation. It was the wine. Fucking alcohol and it’s magical confidence boosters.

  “Yes,” he said, nodding. “I was in the Special Forces for a very long time.”

  “What brought you back?” I asked, curiously. A dark look clouded his face then, and I instantly realized I had hit a painful button. “I’m sorry. I was just curious to hear what brought you back since Special Forces are elite, the top of the top.”

  “Too much death, and I needed to be home for personal reasons,” Harley said, distantly. His eyes flicked down to his forearm briefly. “That’s why I came back.”

  Not knowing what he meant by the second part but I didn’t want to pry more and ask about his personal life – not just yet anyway. “And now you get to escort my bitchy friend and me around,” I said in a desperate attempt of humor to get the dark, intense look off his handsome face. “Aren’t you lucky?”

  To my relief, it worked. The shadow lifted from Harley’s face instantly. The edges of his lips twitched in a ghost of a smile.

  “You said it. Not me,” he responded, wryly.

  An awkward silence stretched between us. Maybe it was just the wine, but damn Harley looked sinful sitting in front of me. My fingers itched to run along the broadness of his chest and shoulders. I would have given just about anything to feel his muscles twitch beneath my fingertips.

  I blinked at the heat searing through me, an entirely different type of heat I never experienced before. This heat was the type that would consume me whole if I wasn’t careful. A soft pulsing started between my thighs, and it suddenly felt so damn hard to breathe.

  “I’m sorry for Libby,” I blurted out then. “She’s a lot to handle, I know. I guess it’s why my Dad didn’t want her coming in the first place, but she means well.”

  “I really don’t care about Libby,” Harley said, shrugging. He didn’t seem to be affected by me being near at all. Maybe I was the only one experiencing anything. Liquor. It had to be the liquor.

  “I’m not being paid to babysit her. If she gets kidnapped, good luck to her.”

  I shrunk back at the curtness of his words. I had a hard time believing that someone trained in the Special Forces would let something like that happen.

  “You’d honestly—”

  “There you are.” Libby appeared around the corner dressed in a very tight, short black romper that revealed the valley of her perky breasts. I instantly felt sloppy seeing how well put together she was. She flicked a gaze between us curiously.

  “I found a nightclub down the street,” she said. “We should go. It’s just a short walk from here.”

  I fiddled with the hemline of my shorts nervously. I hated nightclubs, but I was getting restless staying in our hotel room. We were in Madrid, and I wasn’t going to get another chance to have fun. I glanced over at Harley who didn’t even bother hiding his disapproval of the idea.

  “I don’t think that is a good idea,” he said.

  “Oh, lighten up,” Libby said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed ahold of my elbow to tug me out of the chair. “You aren’t in charge here. You don’t get to tell us what to do. You just get to tag along, like a little lost puppy.”

  Harley stood to catch my eyes as Libby tugged me in the direction of our room. “I don’t recommend this, Abi. It’s not a good idea.”

  Abi. I shivered at the way he said my nickname. This wasn’t going to be good. Not the club… him being in my life for the next month. It had been a few days, and already I found myself undressing him in my mind and wondering just how big he was underneath that shiny silver zipper.

  “It’ll be fine,” I said, panting a little. “I want to go.”

  CHAPTER SIX - HARLEY

  This was going to be a bad fucking idea.

  I could
already feel it in the air while I followed behind a wobbly Libby and Abi to the nightclub. The bass from the nightclub a short walk away from the hotel could be felt in the streets.

  I kept my eyes trained on Abi as she walked unsteadily in a pair of high black heels that Libby had insisted on her wearing. Her legs were bare from the tight black sequin skirt she wore along with a low cut white tank top. She hadn’t bothered unclipping her brunette strands of hair from the bun on top of her head. To say she looked good was an understatement. I’d be fucking myself later that night in the shower or the bed with her in mind, wearing nothing but her heels.

  “This is it,” Libby said, pointing to the corner where a line of people stretched around the building. “Let’s go straight in. Come on, Harley. You’re being slow.”

  I was sorely tempted just to let Libby be captured by the few men I spotted lurking in the alleys while we walked. Neither one of them had even noticed it— particularly Abi who was so damn sheltered and innocent. I had debated on asking Roco from the hotel to go with them, but I couldn’t trust that fucker. Something about him didn’t sit right with me.

  The bouncer didn’t even question it. He opened the door wordlessly for us, and I followed them into the flashing neon lights followed by blaring music that shook the floor. It was hot and crowded as I followed Abigail and Libby to the bar.

  “Three shots,” Libby shouted to the bartender. She handed one to me a minute later with a smirk. “Drink up, Jordan. You need something to relax.”

  She turned back around while Abigail downed her shot. I pushed the full shot glass out of my way.

  “We’re going to dance,” Libby yelled to me then. “I promise not to take her to a dark corner, and take advantage of her.”

  “It’s not you I’m worried about,” I shouted back but sat down on the bar stool to keep an eye on them.

  It was useless trying to convince Libby to leave. If she wanted to stay, Abigail would stay as well out of pure loyalty I suspected. A headache pounded in my temples while I watched Abigail and Libby dance about the floor with each other. Their cheeks were flushed with sweat and alcohol, and I found myself stirred to arousal yet again when Abigail turned to give me a flirty wink. She looked so carefree and innocent that she drew me in along with everyone else.

  She had no clue of her power as a beautiful, pure woman. It was a gift that someone would certainly enjoy. I just hoped like hell it was the right someone.

  I tensed when Abigail stumbled over to where I sat.

  “Hey. Be careful.”

  Her hands grasped my thighs as she tried to steady herself. I tensed at the unexpected contact. She smelled like sugar, and glitter danced across the tops of her breasts. Her gaze was unsteady when she leaned further into me, shimmying her hips a bit provocatively. Fuck she was so hot it hurt.

  “Come dance with me,” she whispered, batting her eyelashes. Some part of me wanted to give in, but I knew better. One dance would lead to another, and another and I’d have her pressed against the wall, making love to her until I heard my name on her lips. She was far too tempting, and I was dangling over the edge of desire.

  I grabbed her wrists to tug them up before she slid her hands up and ran into something thick and hard.

  “No,” I said, firmly. “We should go, Abi. You’ve had way too much to drink.”

  “No.” She slipped out of my hands with a pout on her pretty lips. “I want to dance. If you want me to go, then you’ll just have to catch me.”

  She disappeared back into the crowd before I could respond. I sighed in annoyance and stood up to adjust myself discreetly as possible. Fucking myself later was becoming a must instead of a hopeful wish. I couldn’t keep getting a hard-on every time Abi came around. It was fucked up on a million levels. Something had to give.

  Libby stumbled up to the bar with a breathless laugh, stealing my attention. She moved in next to me and wiped away the sweat on her forehead.

  “You know,” she shouted, signaling for another shot, “the two of you should just sleep together. I can see that you think she’s hot.”

  I rolled my eyes. There was no way in hell I was discussing anything personal with Libby, especially when the little tart was drunk as a skunk.

  “I’m here to protect here,” I yelled back over the music. “You don’t make my job easy when you take her to a club where every guy in here wants to grind up on her.”

  Libby fixed me with a knowing stare. “She’s a big girl, Harley. I know her Dad doesn’t make it seem that way, but Abi is perfectly capable of making good decisions. She’s never gotten into anything. Never.” She hiccupped and covered her mouth as she burst out laughing.

  Abi never getting involved in anything nefarious was part of the fucking problem. She’d have no clue how to handle it when it did happen, which wasn’t going to be on my shift.

  I looked away to find Abigail wrapped up in a pair of arms of a local man grinding up against her eagerly. Jealousy surged through me hard and fast. I took a step toward them when Libby placed a hand on my arm to restrain me.

  “Let her have fun,” she said. “Do you honestly think I’d let Abi get taken advantage of?”

  I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Abigail’s hips as she moved to the beat of the music. Her pretty face was filled with elation, her cheeks pink and smile wide. I glanced back toward Libby. “Not intentionally, I don’t think you would. She’s drunk, Libby. We need to leave this club before something bad happens.”

  “Go get her then,” Libby said. “She’s into you, too.”

  I gritted my teeth. “That’s not what I’m here for. How many times do I have to—”

  A scuffle caught my attention instantly. I turned to find Abigail struggling against the man who was grabbing her face roughly. Panic filled her eyes when she glanced back at me in a wordless plea for help. Her hands thumped uselessly against the man’s chest.

  I shoved people out of the way to grab the man by the collar. He struggled against me in vain before I tossed him away with a scowl.

  “What the fuck, American bastard!” he shouted, scrambling up to his feet.

  “Stay away from her,” I shouted back. “If you touch her again, I’ll cut you from your fucking throat to your cock. Got it, asshole?”

  I wrapped an arm around Abigail’s trembling shoulders to steer her out of the crowd that had gathered to watch. Libby wordlessly followed us into the night with wide eyes and a pale face.

  “That’s what happens,” I snapped at Libby who was trying to keep up with my fast stride. “That is exactly what happens when you let locals get to you.”

  “I-I-I didn’t think something would happen,” Libby said, and she glanced over her shoulder at the nightclub. “It’s respected from what I read online. I didn’t think anything would happen.”

  “That’s your damn problem,” I barked. “You don’t think. You just do whatever the fuck you think is going to lead to good time.” Libby’s eyes widened. “I’m being paid to keep you safe, so I’d appreciate it if you listened to me for once.”

  Abigail leaned against me while I hurried them along back to the hotel. I could feel the fear radiating off her in strong waves. I could barely see straight from the anger rushing through my veins when Roco intercepted us on the way to the hotel elevators.

  “Something happen, sir?” he asked.

  “Yes, and back the fuck up” I snapped. “It’s none of your concern. I have it under control.”

  I guided Abigail into the elevator and turned in time to see Roco’s disgruntled face as the doors closed. Libby chewed on her lip anxiously as she glanced over at Abigail who was still trembling. Before the doors opened, Abigail’s fingers clasped my forearm. The softness of her fingers startled me, but I didn’t pull my arm away like I should’ve. She wanted comfort. Dark red marks spotted her delicate jawline and fury was mine.

  The doors opened to our floor, and I stepped out while Libby fumbled through her small purse for the hotel room key. Hooking a f
inger under Abigail’s quivering chin, I looked at the marks left by the man’s fingers.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, quietly.

  “Yes,” she whispered, but I knew she wasn’t. She trembled and her eyes filled with tears as she stood in front of me.

  “Get some water when you go to your room,” I said. “It’ll help calm your emotions down a bit. You’ve had a lot to drink.”

  “Thank you,” Abigail murmured.

  She leaned into my gasp, and I instantly drew it away when I heard Libby clear her throat awkwardly behind us. I turned, and she waved the key at us.

  “I told you both this was a bad idea,” I said firmly. “No more nightclubs, okay?”

  Abigail’s eyes widened. “You’re lecturing us after what happened?”

  “I tried to tell you this would happen. Neither one of you wanted to listen to me.”

  “What’s wrong with you? Where’s your empathy for what just happened to me?” Abigail said, aghast.

  I didn’t have an answer. Concern had me sounding more like her Dad than a guy who’d want to strip her down and make love to her all night long. Shit. I wasn’t supposed to be either guy. How did I get myself into this crazy mess?

  Abigail moved away from me and grabbed the key from Libby. She didn’t spare me a glance as she stalked into her room with Libby right on her heels.

  I rubbed at my face in exasperation before retreating to my room for the evening.

  “This trip just keeps getting better and better,” I said as exhaustion washed over me in thick waves. At this point, taking care of myself was the farthest thing from my mind as my ass hit the edge of the bed. Sleep. All I wanted was sleep and for time to pass - quickly.

  CHAPTER SEVEN - ABIGAIL

  “Abi, you have to let it go. You can’t hide out in the hotel for the rest of our time here.”

  I shook my head when Libby grabbed ahold of my hand. I couldn’t shake it off no matter how many times Libby told me to let it go. My jaw was still sore from where the man had grabbed me in an effort to kiss me. Bruises lined my skin, leaving me with proof of Harley being right. People were fucked up and dangerous. We weren’t safe.