Page 9 of Forbidden You

My brows pinch together, still staring out of the window while I let her words sink in.She’s lying.

The few times I’ve seen Kayla were explosive, in a very naked and satisfying kind of way, but she didn’t strike me as the kind of girl that fails her classes. The girl had sparkles glittering in her eyes when she told me she got a scholarship to Stanford. Said it was her dream.

Why would you let that slip out of your hands for a few parties?

“She doesn’t seem like the girl who fails classes.”

Rae lets out a deep sigh. “I know. Something is off. I don’t know what it is. Maybe she’s having second thoughts about her major or something. But she’s been staying with us for the last two weeks. She’s talking about getting a job at Walmart until she figures her life out.”

“Well, that sounds promising,” I mumble, my tone filled with judgment.

“It’s not! That’s why you need to do me a favor and hire her,” she screeches.

No, I really don’t.

“I’m sorry, Goldilocks. Did you forget the part where I slept with her? I like to keep my private life separated. I can’t have her prancing around my office.”

It will be a disaster waiting to happen.

“Yes,slept. Last year. As in, you’re not sleeping with her now. Or, are you?”

“What? No! We haven’t talked since Thanksgiving.”

“Right! So, both of you can pretend that never happened. You are a successful businessman. CEO of the biggest publishing company on the east coast. It shouldn’t be hard to keep your dick in your pants and give the girl a break.”

She has no idea.

“Maybe she’ll realize she wants to go back to school. All I know is she’ll mentally die working at Walmart and I will go mad if she stays with me and Jensen for much longer.” My jaw clenches as she keeps pushing me in a direction I don’t want to go in. “She’s just lost, Bodi. She needs help.”

“Why can’t she work for you?” Rae’s family has a successful business in gemstone jewelry. Seems like the perfect gig for a nineteen year old girl.

“I need time to take over the company so Nana can retire in peace. None of that will happen if Kayla is here to rub the old bat the wrong way. And that’s exactly what she’ll do just for fun.”

I bite back a laugh. That’s exactly what she’ll do. Nana and Kayla love each other, but it’s the kind of love that’s fueled by annoyance.

“Nana can take her.”

“Oh, I know. I just don’t want to be surrounded by the two of them all day. They will drive memad.”

“And you don’t think she’ll drive me mad?”

“You own a six story building. You can literally put her on a different floor.”

Fair point.

I still don’t think it’s a good idea to have my past hook up strutting through my hallways on a daily basis.

Who knows what closet I’ll yank her into when I’m in a bold mood?

I can already see a whole string of allegations about inappropriate behavior coming my way.

My life is complicated enough with a dad who can’t remember who I am, thank you very much.

“Look, Rae, I know you want to help her, but what good is a Stanford dropout going to be for me? I don’t have any jobs she qualifies for because she doesn’t have a degree.”

“I don’t know. Work the mail?” The hope in her voice is killing me.

“Covered.”

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