Page 28 of Forbidden Intent

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Trent and Becka really outdid themselves this time.Grabbing a glass of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter, I look around and admire the details that have gone into making this wedding reception an understated yet swanky affair.Their backyard has been transformed into a fairytale garden with twinkling lights, hanging purple bougainvillea, and immaculately manicured pathways allowing the guests—particularly the women—to walk around admiring the scenery without their heels getting stuck in the grass.

I spot Trent with his arm wrapped around Becka’s waist, the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on his face.Hers is tipped up to look at him, and the love passing between them is undeniable.Something deep inside me tugs with a hit of longing.

It’s human instinct to want connection—we’re not meant to be isolated and alone.But I feel like I’ve been alone for a long time.Even well before my family took Jesse’s side, I felt like the black sheep.There’s always been a disconnect between my parents and me.Nothing I ever did was good enough—I didn’t learn to read when all my classmates did, I was never interested in what they felt I should be interested in, I let my hair grow too long.You name it, I did it wrong according to my parents.I grew up feeling isolated.

And then I met Trent in band class and it was like finally being seen.He got me.Even if we have our own differences, he understands me the way no one else did at the time.Then we connected with Kasen, and Tristan and Robbie joined up with us and I finally felt like I’d found my tribe.

I was no longer alone.

But that’s not entirely true anymore.Our tribe is growing and expanding, which is great and I’m super happy for Trent, but it’s also changed our dynamic.We hang out less now that Trent is married.Kasen has used it as an excuse to do God knows what and Tristan has been throwing himself into the album—which isn’t completely out of the norm for him, but he’s become more obsessive about it since Robbie let it slip that he and Jolie were trying to have a baby.I think Tris feels the dynamic shifting too, and who the fuck knows what’ll happen when kids join our group.

Everything is changing, and tonight feels like the tipping point.It’s not like Trent and Becka just got married today—they’ve been married for a couple of months—but I can’t help feeling like I’m on the precipice of something big.

As if the universe is giving me a sign, the crowd shifts and I catch sight of the woman who has completely ensnared me.Tamsin stands next to Robbie and Jolie wearing a floral dress that hugs her breasts and then flows loosely down her body.The front of the dress stops a few inches above her knees while the back continues down until it almost hits the ground.Her light-brown hair is mostly up with a few tendrils of hair falling down around her face.Her lips are a slightly darker pink than usual and her eye makeup is darker than I’m used to seeing her wear.

She looks absolutely gorgeous.

Her dad is likely nearby, but the risk of being caught staring at her doesn’t even register in my mind.Despite the number of people mingling around, all I can see is her.

She’s all I’ve been able to see for weeks, and she has no fucking idea how much I wish she’d give in to whatever the hell this is between us.I don’t know what’s holding her back, but I’m determined to find out.I’m done pretending that the chemistry between us isn’t real.I know she feels it.I’ve seen it.

The distance across the patio feels like miles as I make my way toward her like she’s a beacon calling to me.A few people try to snag my attention, but I don’t stop.Not until I reach her.When I’m only a few feet away, she finally notices me.Her gaze slides down my body and I feel it as if it’s a physical caress.I’ve caught her staring at me in the studio, but never has she been so blatant in her perusal.

Something’s different about her tonight.And it’s giving me hope that she’ll finally acknowledge what’s between us instead of running away.It’s scary to let someone in—I get that more than most—but never has it felt more worth it than it does right now.

“Hey man, having fun?”Robbie asks, his arm casually wrapped around Jolie’s waist while she sips a glass of champagne.He’s wearing a dark blue button-down with his tie already discarded somewhere—not a surprise since the man hates ties with a passion—and a pair of khaki pants, while Jolie is wearing a blue dress that accentuates her petite frame without being flashy or too form-fitting.

“Yeah, Trent and Becka sure know how to throw a party,” I say, my gaze still locked on Tamsin as she stares at me, that plump bottom lip now trapped between her teeth.If she only knew what that one small action did to me.

“They sure do,” Robbie says.

A throat clears and I catch Jolie’s curious gaze darting between me and Tamsin before she tugs Robbie toward the dance floor.

Once they’re gone, I focus back on Tamsin.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hi.”

I take a small step closer.“Having a good time?”

“I just got here a few minutes ago, but yeah.You?”

Is it my imagination, or did she just move closer to me?“I am now.”

She dips her head, but I catch the slight flush of her cheeks and the curve of her lips as they tug upwards in a smile.Reaching out, I tilt her chin up with my thumb and forefinger.The touch sends tingles shooting through my body as if this is the first time I’ve ever touched another person, and the sensation is almost too much for my mind to process.Even just this small bit of skin is smooth as silk.

Her breath catches when our eyes connect.The sound sends another pulse of want throughout my body, and I take another minuscule step closer until our bodies are nearly touching.Her gaze darts behind me, reminding me that we’re at a very public gathering and she’s as skittish as a hare.

“Come with me,” I whisper, grabbing her hand and gently tugging her down the walkway toward a corner of the garden that is tucked out of sight and will offer us a little more privacy.Her fingers tighten slightly around mine and I take that as a positive sign.

Like the rest of the garden, this corner is well-lit with hundreds of twinkly lights.Roses bloom along a fence, the pink matching the color of Tamsin’s lipstick.Something about the combination of the lights and the flowers adds to the romance of this moment.I’m not usually the guy that pays attention to that sort of thing, but I’m glad I pulled her away so we could have this together.

“Tamsin,” I whisper, cupping her cheek with my hand and brushing my thumb along the edge of her lip.She lets out a shuddering sigh before opening her eyes again, and the desire in her gaze nearly brings me to my knees.

“Kiss me,” she says so softly I almost think I imagined it.When I don’t move, she says it again, more urgent this time, as her hands grip my biceps pulling me closer to her.

“Kiss me.”

Who am I to deny the lady what she wants?Without any more hesitation, I lean down and place my lips on hers.

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