Page 2 of Forbidden Kiss

He says nothing as his frail eyes wait for me to further batter him.

The urge to intervene fights with my fear of becoming entangled in someone else’s problems. A part of me wants to dive in deeper, but another side is hesitant. What would I be getting myself into?

But then, of course, there’s an entire company I could add to my portfolio. An obvious score. And what if he offers this deal to someone else? I don’t want to kick myself later. With caution, I eye him. “I understand the need to protect your family and legacy. I’m not making any promises, but send the contract to my office, and I’ll look at it first thing in the morning.”

As I turn to leave, he calls my name once more. “I have one more thing to ask.”

A corner of my mouth drags down. “Your requests keep coming, don’t they?”

He lifts his head higher. “My daughter stays working at the company on full salary. She leads the creative team, and nothing must happen to her position.”

Not bad at all. “Seems reasonable enough, but let’s see that contract first.”

With that, I leave him and return to my guests, my mind already churning with the possibilities.

Ava

Iplaceastackof papers on my cluttered desk at the Lane Entertainment Group headquarters. With the buzz of the office humming around me, a whirlwind of thoughts fills my mind. “I can’t believe we just signed Ivy Blake for the Summit. Her career is really taking off.”

My best friend Brianna smiles and pushes her dark, curly mane out of her face. “Yeah, I bet her hubby, Jax, is jealous.”

I shake my head. “He is not. He’s the one who’s been pushing us to get her booked somewhere. The team has struggled to find a suitable venue for her.”

It is not my department to find venues for the celebs. My job is to create beautiful graphics and eye-catching marketing, but Ivy Blake’s star power has everyone in the company running around, regardless.

Brianna sighs, her brown eyes taking on a yearning look. “Yeah, all our venues are too tiny for her, and her husband never stopped pushing for something bigger. I wish I had a guy like that. Someone to support my goals and fight for me.”

I bury myself in my computer, trying to ignore her wistful tone. Brianna always goes on about men. With her stunning looks, any man would love to be with her.

As for me, let’s just say I’m plain in the looks department. I have a couple of good attributes, but they stay hidden under my thick, curvy frame.

She straightens her posture and glues her eyes onto something behind me. “See, that’s the kind of man I’m talking about.”

Distracted by the color scheme choices on my computer screen, I don’t bother turning my head to look at who or what she’s talking about. “We need to work on a good color palette for Ivy Blake’s concert. Ads need to come out asap,” I voice, even though I know it’s falling on deaf ears.

Her eyes widen. “Shit, shit, shit.” She ducks below the edge of her laptop. “Donotturn around. He just looked over here.”

“Who?”

She leans into me. “Ethan Wolfe. Out in the hallway.”

My mouth twists to the side. “I’m not even sure who that is.”

“He’s only the hottest bachelor in town.” Her eyes take on a sparkly glow. “And he works in our industry, so you should study up, girlfriend.”

Embarrassingly, my head is in the sand when it comes to competitors. I’m too busy creating my designs to pay attention to what everyone else is doing. But maybe that’s why our company is struggling. Father always points that part out.

I snap out of my thoughts. “This is ridiculous. I’m turning around now, Brianna.”

After swiveling my chair around to peek through the glass wall, I meet the gaze of an oddly striking man in a tailored black suit. His deep brown hair is slicked back, giving him a polished look.

He pauses in front of the glass and stares directly at me before following the hallway and striding into the office where we’re sitting. Possibly in his late thirties, he has smooth, tan skin and fiery amber eyes that burn right into me.

The scent of cedarwood and mint drifts into my nostrils, calming me amid my growing nervousness.

His eyes continue to pin me down, and for a moment, neither of us speaks. The silence stretches, becoming awkward. I stand up, but my legs suddenly feel unsteady.

“You must be Miss Lane.” His deep voice finally breaks the silence.

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