Page 65 of The Forbidden Trio

He shrugged, his shoulder muscles rippling. “I could have, but I’d really rather not touch that. You know I prefer to make it on my own without accessing the family money.”

Lillian sighed. “You and your sister, both. Well, I do hope between you and this Keith you’ll have the funding to open something worthy of the family name.”

“No worries there, Lillian. We’ve discussed this a lot, met with our lawyers. He knows what he’s doing. Keith already has partnerships in restaurants in Chicago, Seattle, and Las Vegas. It’ll be beautiful, I can assure you.”

Lillian gave a small shudder. “Las Vegas?”

“It’s one of the top restaurants in the world. We haven’t settled on a menu yet, but it’ll be Italian, Mediterranean, and Basque fusion, and the space he found is amazing. Don’t worry, I’ll make you proud.”

Her mother nodded, then checked the delicate diamond watch on her slender wrist. “I certainly hope so. Well, I must be off. I have my Spring Gala committee.” She patted her tight brown and gold-streaked French twist in case any hairs had strayed. They never did. “You two will find something to keep you busy while I’m gone, I’m sure?”

Aster flushed with heat, forcing her mind to veer away from the sensual images flashing through her head. The last time they’d been left home alone they’d keptplentybusy.

Max got up and placed a quick kiss on his stepmother’s cheek.

“Of course, Lillian. We’ll see you for dinner?”

“Not tonight. I have an engagement. In fact, my calendar is quite full for the next few weeks. Aster, I trust you can take some time away from that studio of yours to keep your stepbrother company?”

“Of course. Sure.”

“Well then, I’ll see you both soon.”

She left the room, calling for Carla to bring her handbag.

Once the front door closed, Aster stood and rolled her neck.

“God, that woman makes me tense.”

“Poor sis. Let me rub those shoulders out for you.”

Unconsciously, Aster took a step back.

“What is it?”

“Come on, Max. You know exactly what it is.”

He was quiet a moment, and in that span of silence she could sense the tension in the air between them as if it were a solid, tangible thing—stabbing shards of desire, the edges sharpened by the forbidden—and knew he still wanted her as much as she yearned for him.

“Yeah, I know.” He stepped closer, making her breath catch in her throat. “But we’re both grownups now, not college kids who had no idea what they were doing. And I promise you, I know exactly what I’m doing.”

“Max…”

“Aster,” he murmured, pulling her close, until her breasts were crushed against the firm wall of his chest. “Did you really think we could avoid this forever?”

She bit her lip. “Maybe?”

He laughed, his fingers massaging her shoulders, and it felt so good to be touched by him again, she couldn’t help but melt into him.

“Max, this is so damn complicated.”

“Only if we make it complicated.”

“I hate that it always had to be a secret.”

“So did I. But we’re adults. Do we really have to care what anyone thinks anymore?”

She tilted her head back to look into his blue eyes, eyes the color of the water in the bay at the Hamptons, where they’d often spent their summers. Did she really see more than desire there? Because as much as she wanted him, craved his touch, it was so much more than that for her. It always had been. And with the wanting had come too much pain over the years.

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