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Chapter 26
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2025-01-27 00:05:55
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Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 27
AIDANThe days were rushing by much too quickly. I waffled between wanting time to go by faster so I could get to spend time with Clio and trying to slow it down so we wouldn’t get to that inevitable point where we had to part ways.I did everything I could to not think about that day. I guess a part of me thought that somehow, some way, a solution would present itself before the final buzzer. In the meantime, I just had to stay focused on the present. And my current present was a day where Clio was off at one of her surf lessons and Lila had off. We decided to do a daddy/daughter date like when she was younger. That always consisted of a matinee where we filled up on sodas and popcorn and then ice cream afterward.It was nice to have some time with my daughter. She’d filled me in on all the goings on and drama at the law firm she was working at, and I related some similar experiences I’d had over the years in my practice. I knew I couldn’t and shouldn’t try to fix all her hang-ups an
Last Updated : 2025-01-27Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 28
CLIO Something had shifted…and I couldn’t quite figure out what it was or what to do about it.My time with Aidan was different. Whereas there had been a lightness to him and our moments together before, there was a new, deeper level of intensity to him now. The way he made love to me, the way he whispered sweet things in my ear. Hell, even the way he held me now was more intense…like he didn’t want to let go.This kind of scared me—not because I was afraid of him, though. As a matter of fact, I’d never felt as safe as I did with Aidan. No, it scared me because I already knew I didn’t want to let go. The end of the summer was racing towards us, and I had no clue how I was going to handle it. It was one thing to get your heart broken, it was another thing altogether to know that a heartbreak was coming for you. Yet, I felt powerless to stop any of it. I just wanted to soak up every second I could with Aidan, and because of that, I found myself sharing things with him that I hadn’t ex
Last Updated : 2025-01-28Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 29
CLIO The hallway incident had shaken up Clio quite a bit. She avoided me for most of the day, and by the time I got to see her again, Lila was already home.What terrified me was the fact that the one time in that evening that our eyes briefly met, I could see her pulling away. I was losing her, and the realization of that was sending me into a panic. We had to get this straightened out. There were three adults in this situation, and there was no reason that this couldn’t be hashed out in a mature manner…except that I knew deep down that wasn’t the case. This wasn’t one of my clients trying to position themselves into more favorable terms—there was a family, friendship, and love on the line.First things first, I had to make sure Clio and I were on the same page. Then, once that was secure, we could sit down with Lila and explain how we felt about one another. I knew she’d be upset, but I also knew her to be a very pragmatic young woman and that sooner or later she would see that her
Last Updated : 2025-01-28Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 30
AIDANShe shook her head, sniffing. “What is there to talk about? We both knew this had an expiration date. We can try to extend it, but we can’t avoid the inevitable—it will just make it more painful,” she said on a hiccup.I went to her then and pulled her into my arms, alarmed at how quickly her tears soaked the front of my shirt. I hated seeing her in this much pain. “Clio, c’mon. This doesn’t have to be painful, and there doesn’t have to be an expiration date—”She shook her head against me, trying to argue, but I pressed forward, “No, listen to me. Lila is reasonable. She may be upset at first, but given time, I know she’ll come around.”She pushed me away then, anger replacing her tears. “What are you even saying? You know that’s not possible, no matter how easy you make it sound. She’d be devastated and you know it—you say it would be okay now, but can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me you can handle how betrayed she will feel with both of us? Could you handle your
Last Updated : 2025-01-29Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 31
CLIOI didn’t remember how the hell I got to my parents’ house. I was pretty sure driving with tears in my eyes the whole time was dangerous, but I managed to make it back without any incident.My parents were surprised to see me. For one thing, it was late, and for another, I probably looked like quite a sight with my puffy eyes and thousand-yard stare. I’d lost the two people who meant the most to me in one fell swoop. At some point, numbness set in, and I’d never been more grateful for that in my entire life.I would have loved to just go back to school, but I didn’t really have anywhere I could go there. Lila and I had left our dorm room, and we’d planned on sharing an apartment just off campus, but I was guessing that plan was shot to hell now. So, that’s how I ended up holed in my childhood bedroom for the last couple of weeks of summer break, trying desperately to come up with a plan for new lodging and figuring what the hell it was I was doing with my life.My parents kept giv
Last Updated : 2025-01-29Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 32
AIDANWatching Clio drive away from me had easily been one of the hardest things I’d ever gone through in my life. I knew the pain of divorce and failed relationships, and seeing her shut down and get out of dodge without a backward glance? That hurt like hell, and it was a hurt that was not easing over time.After Clio left, I paced the house for hours. It was dark by the time that Lila returned, looking at me stone-faced. I didn’t say anything. What could I say after everything that happened? She locked herself in her room, and I didn’t see her for the rest of the night.I couldn’t count how many times I reached for my phone to call Clio, just to make sure she was all right, but I knew she wouldn’t answer. After I was certain I wouldn’t be hearing from her, I went for a run on the beach, but my tried-and-true method of distracting myself by physical exhaustion was not working…especially when I came upon a couple clutching onto one another on a nearby pier. They were so amorous of on
Last Updated : 2025-01-30Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 33
CLIOIt had actually been kind of nice getting back to campus early while the place was still a ghost town. It let me catch my breath from the whirlwind summer. I’d faced down Michael and discovered that he didn’t have any power over me, nor did anybody else with their snide comments.Now, however, the start of school was quickly approaching, and the closer it got, the more nervous I got. I’d gotten into a routine with my students and with Sydney since I’d been back, but I had no idea how I was going to react when I saw Lila again. I wasn’t completely certain that I wouldn’t just dissolve into a puddle of tears while begging her to forgive me and asking about her dad. What a mess.I remembered that her internship was set to end the previous week, so it was only a matter of time before I saw her again. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get a little nervous every time I went somewhere we used to always hang out at, especially the restaurant. We’d eaten there at least twice a week, and now
Last Updated : 2025-01-30Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 34
CLIOHe can’t find someone else because he’s mine. The intrusive thought reared its ugly head, and once again, I told myself that was nonsense. Before I could go down the mental rabbit hole of all the different scenarios I’d played out in my head of how Aidan and I would end up, the doorbell rang.“That’s probably her,” Sydney said, excited.I looked down at my ratty, paint splattered clothes. “Hopefully, she doesn’t judge harshly.”Sydney waved her hand. “Oh, she won’t care about that. Would you mind getting the door though, my hands are covered in paint,” she asked as she headed for the kitchen to clean up.I wiped my hands on my shorts, leaving paint smears, before walking over to open the front door. Surprise struck me as I saw Lila standing on the doorstep. “Hey,” she said tentatively. “I’m here about a room for rent?” She smiled tentatively at me.“Really? I mean, are you sure?” My fingers clung to the door frame for dear life. I remembered myself and moved aside so she could co
Last Updated : 2025-01-31
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Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 3
Xavier I drop shrimp into sizzling garlic butter, the pan spitting and hissing. The chaos mirrors the storm inside me—anger at Melanie’s selfishness, carefully hidden for Hazel’s sake. I sip my riesling, keeping my calm façade intact.When dinner’s ready, I call Hazel and plate the food. Her familiar footsteps on the stairs are comforting, but when I see her, I freeze. For a moment, it’s Melanie—the same bright red hair, slim shoulders, and lean frame. Hazel has grown so much, and for a fleeting second, I almost imagine my wife is back.I serve the pasta and pour another glass of wine, offering Hazel a smile. She’s so much like Melanie it’s startling. The resemblance is uncanny—her body slim and delicate, yet striking—but her face is softer, her icy blue eyes wide and innocent, free of Melanie’s hardened edge.Hazel devours the meal like she hasn’t eaten in days, and worry twists in my chest. How could Melanie abandon her own child?“What did your mom say before she left?” I ask, alr
Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother BOOK 5: MY FORBIDDEN STEPDADDY
Blurb:What happens when the one person you shouldn't want becomes the only one you crave?Hazel Holland’s life is a mess, and the last thing she wants is to crawl back to her stepfather for help. But Xavier Rochat isn’t just her rock—he’s all broad shoulders, commanding presence, and forbidden temptation. Living under his roof again stirs feelings she knows she shouldn’t have, but she can’t stop thinking about those strong hands and the way his voice makes her knees weak.Xavier has always seen Hazel as the girl he helped raise—but she’s not a little girl anymore. She’s stunning, tempting, and entirely off-limits. Resisting her is a battle he’s losing, especially when she makes it clear she doesn’t want to play by the rules.Their connection is wrong, dangerous, and too hot to resist. But how long can they keep their hands off each other before everything explodes?My forbidden stepdaddy is a raw, forbidden romance full of tension, temptation, and heat that will leave you begging f
Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 67
EpilogueSadie – One Year LaterI gazed down at my baby, my son, in absolute wonder. My heart swelled in my chest with so much love, I thought it would burst. I was exhausted, and my whole body hurt, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was my little boy, that he was healthy and whole.“Are you feeling up to visitors?” the nurse attending to me asked in a soft voice, careful as to not disturb my sleeping baby.I smiled at her and nodded. “I am.”“I’ll let them in, then,” she replied with a grin.Turning, she made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her. I turned my gaze back down to my little boy and couldn’t help the smile that curled my lips.He was so beautiful. Tiny and pink and perfect.I couldn’t wait for his daddy and sister to meet him.At that moment, the door to my room opened back up, and the nurse returned with Cyrus and Megan in tow. Cyrus had been with me during the labor, but had gone out to wait with Megan while the baby was cleaned up so he could bring h
Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 65
CyrusThe silence stretched between us for several long moments, and with each second that passed, I grew more and more nervous that she was going to say no.Her expression flickered between so many emotions so quickly, I couldn’t fully decipher what she was thinking.At length, she slowly said, “Are…are you asking me to marry you because you genuinely love me and want to…or are you just afraid of losing me after everything that happened with Ralph?”“Oh, baby, no,” I assured her with a firm shake of my head. “I love you with my entire being, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to raise Megan together and be a family. I swear to you, this has nothing to do with Ralph.”I held her gaze, praying she believed me. I was ready to do whatever I had to in order to convince her I was being entirely serious.To my complete relief, though, her lips curled into a smile, and she blurted, “Yes! Yes, Cyrus, I’ll marry you!”I surged to my feet, pulling her from her chair. Wr
Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 63
Sadie It was hard to break that bond between a child and parent, and no matter what Ralph did, I think there would always be a part of Megan that wanted that connection with him.“I hope so,” Cyrus told her. “He’s going to try. That’s what’s important.”Megan regarded him a long moment before saying, “I’m glad he’s going to try.”Cyrus smiled softly. “Me, too. I promise you, Megan, I’m going to take care of you and protect you no matter what. Okay?”The corners of her lips curled up at that. “Okay. I love you, Uncle Cyrus.”“I love you, too, Megan,” he replied. Then, he looked up at me. I couldn’t help but smile back at him. My heart swelled, and I fell even more in love with him at that moment. I wanted to explain my feelings to him in more depth, but we needed to talk away from Megan. I didn’t want to confuse her even more as Cyrus and I tried to figure out the stuff between us.“All right, is there anything else you want to talk about?” Cyrus asked, turning back to Megan.She blin
Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 62
SadieA week after Ralph’s arrest, things finally felt as though they were getting back to normal. Ralph was charged with breaking the restraining order. True to his word, Cyrus didn’t press any other charges. Ralph would spend a little time in jail before his trial, and then, it was up to the courts to decide his fate.I didn’t worry about him, though. I focused on Megan and helping her overcome the latest trauma she’d been through. I hated that she’d gone through so much at such a young age. It wasn’t fair. She deserved so much better. I wanted to make it my mission in life to make up for all that she’d suffered. I wanted all this mess with Ralph to fade into distant memories for her. I wanted her to be happy. More than anything else in the world, I wanted her to just be a normal, six-year-old girl.We were out on the terrace one day, coloring, when she looked up at me and asked, “Sadie? Is my daddy gone forever?”I frowned at her and replied, “What do you mean, sweetie?”She hesita
Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 61
Ralph stared at me. I could tell he wanted to argue.I waited for him to say something, anything, that I could use to shut down any chance he had left of getting close to Megan.To my surprise, though, he reluctantly nodded. “All right…all right. I’ll…I’ll do what you say. So long as you promise you won’t stand in Megan’s way if she wants to see me someday.”I regarded him a long moment before releasing a long sigh. “I promise. I won’t stand in her way. And I promise that I will take excellent care of her.”Ralph dropped his head, looking defeated.“I know you will,” he whispered.At that moment, I heard Sadie rushing back to us.“The cops are on their way,” she gasped when she reached me. She looked between me and Ralph and then gave me a relieved smile. “I’m glad to see everyone is still in one piece.”“Barely,” I grumbled.She wrapped her arm around mine and hugged it.“Thank you,” she whispered.I smiled down at her, but I then caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning
Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 60
CyrusI was at the very end of my control. My temper was about to snap. I kept reminding myself of Sadie’s words. Of my promise to her, but it was getting damn difficult to hold myself back. Ralph would just not give up. He kept pushing and pushing, bringing up Kate’s name and claiming Megan as his.It was infuriating. He kept saying he was a changed man, but he wasn’t taking responsibility for what he’d done. He wasn’t owning the fact that Kate wouldn’t have driven off the road that day if he hadn’t chased after her. I didn’t care that it was an accident. I didn’t care that he thought he loved her.In the end, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter because Kate was still gone. And she was gone because of him.“You know what, Cyrus?” Ralph growled. “You think you’re so high and mighty. You think you’re so much better than I am, but the truth is, you failed Kate just as much as I did.”My whole body went cold. “What the hell are you saying?”Ralph had the gall to glare at me. “If you thou
Forbidden Desire:My Best Friend's Brother Chapter 58
I couldn’t comprehend that. It made no sense.“How could you claim to love her and yet hurt her as much as you did?” I asked in a soft, cold voice. “How could you love her, but you put your hands on her? Hit her and scare her? Manipulate her, so she remained submissive and broken?”“I was messed up,” he answered in a pathetic tone. “I know I was. I know what I did to Kate was wrong. If I could go back and redo everything, I would. I’d love her the way she deserved to be loved. I wouldn’t lay a hand on her, and I’d do everything I could to make her happy. There is nothing I want more than the chance to undo all that I did, but I can’t. It’s too late for me to make things right with Kate, but it’s not too late for me to make things right with Megan!”I stared down at him, debating whether or not I believed him. To be honest, he did seem to be truly remorseful. I didn’t think anyone could truly fake this kind of emotion.Still, just b
