Page 7 of Falling for the Forbidden
Draining the glass as quickly as I can, I allow Erica to pull me towards the crowded dance floor. We’re only alone for one song before a few of the guys join us. Jon pulls Erica to him and they start grinding against one another before I feel hands on my waist.
My skin prickles, so I’m not surprised to find Will when I turn around and remove myself from his grip. Pouting, he tries to grab me again but, before he reaches me, his hands are slapped away and another body blocks him from me.
“We’re leaving,” Ben barks, grabbing my forearm to pull me away.
“Why?” I stand firm. I already have to follow Dad’s orders. I refuse to have another man trying to control my life.
“Because you’re drunk, and Will’s a dick.”
“And you’re not? You’re the one ruining my fun.”
“Lauren,” he growls.
“Don’tLaurenme. I’m having fun. How about you dance with me instead?” I step into his personal space, his body heat burning the front of me. He stills, his eyes boring down into mine. “What? You don’t dance?”
“I can dance just fine. Let’s go.” With his hands on my waist, he guides me from the dance floor and then the club.
Once we step outside and the coldness of the night hits me, I realise I’m too drunk and exhausted to start arguing with him. With his hand still resting on my lower back, he finds us a taxi and we head for home.
The house is in darkness when we enter. Leaving Ben in the hallway, I start to weave my way up the stairs, knowing I really need to get to sleep if I’m ever going to make it to day two of my job.
“Lauren, wait,” he calls when I’m halfway up. “Let me help you.”
With his arm wrapped around my waist, he helps guide me towards my room. I might be tipsy, but I’m not too drunk to manage myself. The feeling of his solid body pressed up against mine is too good, though, so I allow him to continue. I guess he owes me, anyway, after the other night.
Pushing my bedroom door open, he comes to a stop. “You okay from here?”
When I look up at him, I find dark, hungry eyes staring down at me. His lips are pressed into a thin line and there’s a rapid pulse throbbing in his neck.
Finding his eyes once again, the silence between us stretches out. That is, until the sound of the toilet flushing from the other end of the house reaches us.
“Fuck. I need to…Damn it.”
I don’t get a chance to question him, because he’s gone and his bedroom door is closed behind him.
* * *
The week fliesby once I manage to rid myself of Monday night’s hangover. As Friday comes towards an end, I can’t wait for the weekend to start. I have no plans as of yet, but that’s fine, because right now, all I want to do is sleep.
I’m just finishing up going through last month’s invoices when I spot something. Dad’s already been through them once, and he told me there was no need for me to do so as well, but it helps me understand the process. Now, I’m here, and I might as well make the most of the opportunity, even if I’m not sure I want to spend the rest of my life working with numbers like he assumes.
Everyone else in the office has left for the day, so when I come across something that looks wrong and doesn’t add up, I’ve got no one to ask. I go over it again and again, but I can’t figure it out.
Where the hell could fifty thousand pounds have gone?
Eventually, I shut my computer down for the night in frustration. I hate not knowing everything, but with only a few days under my belt, I’ve got a lot to learn and the answer is probably staring me right in the face.
Unsurprisingly, the house is deserted when I get home. Ben’s probably out getting pissed like he is most weekends. I’ve no idea where Dad and Jenny are, but they seem to make a hobby out of trying to spend as little time at home as possible.
I’ve barely seen Ben since the night he helped me up to my room. That makes it easier to pretend that what happened between us is just a very vivid part of my imagination.
Seeing as it’s Friday night, I run myself a bath and order a takeaway for when I get out. I’d hoped to spend tonight catching up with Mum, but when I rang her yesterday to make plans, she excitedly reminded me about her weekend away with her sister. We still talk almost daily, but damn, I miss her.
The discrepancy on the accounts still nags at me while I lie surrounded by bubbles. I do my best to push it aside and relax. Turning up my favourite playlist on my phone, I sink down into the warm water.
* * *
I feel refreshedwhen I wake up late Saturday morning. As I lie in bed, considering what I want to spend the day doing, I’m amazed that I can hear chatting in the house. My curiosity has me getting out of bed and dressed to find out if this family could be doing something as normal as having breakfast together.
