Page 50 of Forbidden Fruit

"Where are you? Jack said something about you disappearing with Clive?"

I peek around the corner to see Clive flipping what looks like perfect golden pancakes. His sleeves are rolled up, and his forearms flex as he works. My God in heaven, the man is beautiful.

"I'm at Casa Azul with Clive," I admit, unable to keep the smile from my voice.

"Casa Azul? In Cozumel? Becca, what is happening?" Holly's voice rises an octave.

"I know how it sounds, but Holly... everything changed two nights ago. Jack and I had this horrible fight after he suggested that instead of getting engaged, we move in together so that I could support him while he pursued his dreams. We broke up, and his stepdad made him and his mom return to New York. Clive said I could stay or go with them. I chose to stay."

"And you just stayed in Cozumel with your ex-boyfriend's stepfather? Did you fool around with him?"

I lower my voice even more. "It wasn't planned. We just started talking and couldn't stop. And then... Holly, I've never felt this way about anyone before. I've been sleepwalking through my relationship with Jack for years."

"Oh my God," Holly whispers. "You slept with Clive Bishop."

"It's not just physical," I say quickly. "It's like Clive sees me—the real me. Not just the checklist-following, people-pleasing Becca that Jack wants me to be."

"Jack is going to have an aneurysm," Holly says. "He's already threatening to call the police."

"The police? I'm a grown woman. “He really has lost his mind.”

From the kitchen, Clive calls out, "Breakfast is ready!"

"I have to go," I tell Holly, my heart racing. "I'll call you later."

"Becca, wait—I need details!"

"I promise I'll give you all the dirty deets. Just remind Jack we’re no longer together, and he should move on with one of his side chicks."

I end the call and take a deep breath before entering the kitchen. The sight of Clive standing there, domestically arranging pancakes on plates, makes my heart do a little flip. He looks up and smiles, and it feels like sunlight spreading through my chest.

"Perfect timing," he says, sliding a plate across the island counter. "I hope you like blueberry pancakes."

"They taste amazing," I say, taking an eager bite as I climb onto a stool.

"All your praise is going straight to my head,” he says with a wink, pouring fresh coffee into a mug for me.

"Jack's called me fifty-three times," I blurt out.

Clive's expression darkens slightly as he sits beside me. "I expected as much. Are you okay?"

"I don't know," I admit, pushing a blueberry around my plate. "Part of me feels a little guilty, but another part feels... free? Does that make sense?"

"Perfect sense." His hand covers mine, warm and steady. "You don't owe him anything, Becca. Not after how he's treated you."

My phone buzzes again on the counter. Jack's face appears on the screen. I stare at it, frozen.

"You can answer it," Clive says quietly. "If you want to."

"No," I say, pressing the decline button. "I'm not ready to talk to him yet."

The phone immediately buzzes again. This time, I turn it face down.

"What happens now?" I ask, looking up at Clive. His blue eyes are serious, studying me.

"That depends entirely on you," he says. "I know what I want, but this is complicated. I'm eighteen years older than you.”

"And I just broke up with your stepson," I add. "Don't forget that part."

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