Page 4 of Forbidden Love

“Same,” I said as I watched Kylie work the room. This was her event, so she was meeting with everyone here, probably to drum up donations and generate interest in her cause.

“I’m proud of her,” Eli said.

“She pulled it together in a short time.” I hoped Eli told Kylie he was proud of her because I had a feeling they neglected little details like that when it came to their sister.

“How long will she stick around? She’s never loved Telluride like we do.”

“Maybe she never thought you wanted her here,” I said, repeating what she’d told me when she was eighteen.

“How can you say that?” Eli asked, shifting so he could see my face.

“She was always trying to keep up with you and your brothers, but you always told her she wasn’t wanted.”

“She was the youngest, and we did some crazy shit back then. I didn’t want her to get hurt. Hell, she did get hurt that one time.”

“Did you tell her that?”

His jaw worked as he thought about it. “Not in so many words.”

“Have you offered her a position at the resort?” I remembered that night we spent together; she was upset because she felt like there wasn’t a place for her at the lodge or in her family. The boys had taken all the available positions, and there was nothing left for her.

“We never wanted her to feel like she had to stay here and work for the family business. We wanted her to have options.”

“Maybe she doesn’t see it that way.” At Eli’s concerned expression, I held up a hand. “I’m just guessing.”

Eli’s shoulders relaxed. “We’d love to have her here, but I don’t know where she fits in.”

“I hope you figure it out before she leaves again.” There was no chance that I’d pursue anything with Kylie, no matter how much I’d wanted her over the years. I’d taken advantage of her that one night, and I felt horrible about it. But more than that, she deserved a relationship, and there was no way her brothers would be okay with her dating me.

I wouldn’t do that to her or to her brothers. The Wilde family had always been good to me. I wouldn’t do anything to screw that up. Especially now that we wanted to partner with Kylie. A personal relationship would complicate things.

CHAPTER 2

KYLIE

Since I’d returned home, I’d run into Tyler at the party Natalie had for her new B&B, but I hadn’t expected to run into him tonight. I’d never seen him in a suit, representing his business before.

He looked uncomfortable in his suit, and it sent a pang through my heart that I did not want to feel. I wanted to shove his charcoal jacket off his broad shoulders, slowly unbutton that crisp white shirt, and find out if his skin was tan all over, and if he’d filled out since we’d seen each other last.

One night. That was all we ever had. There were other small moments when we’d hid in closets and under beds, and one night when we’d found ourselves alone in a hotel room. I was fairly sure the others had given up on the hunt when we moved from the closet to the bed.

Tyler had been the one to lock the door, but neither one of us wanted to turn on the TV. We talked about my brothers and the way they made me feel. Tyler had been surprisingly supportive.

That night, Tyler wasn’t my brothers’ friend; he was just a guy who got me. And when we kissed, I stupidly told myself it was the beginning of something, not the end.

Back then, I’d been naïve, and I’d learned my lesson. I wouldn’t allow myself to be vulnerable with a man again, especially not Tyler.

He’d gotten his chance, and he’d screwed it up by leaving the next morning before I woke. I later learned that he’d left for college early, and he never texted or called. I thought after what we’d shared, it warranted some kind of response.

I was a lot more careful with men since Tyler, but unfortunately, I fell into old patterns of bad decisions when I dated my previous boss’s son, Brad. Until I got ahold of my impulses, I wouldn’t be going there with a guy for a while.

I came home to heal, to regroup, and to figure out what I wanted. It was surprisingly hard to know what you wanted when you’d always done things either because of or in spite of your family’s desires.

This charity event was a test for me, a single push to raise money for equipment and lessons for kids who couldn’t afford them. I’d organized similar fundraising events at my last job, and I’d always wondered if I could do a better job without anyone else’s supervision.

I was pleasantly surprised with the turnout. It could have been the Wilde name, the resort’s reputation, or my brothers’, but I liked to think at least some of the donors respected me and what I wanted to do.

I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t intrigued by Tyler’s proposal. The thing was, I didn’t think I could be around Tyler. He churned up too many emotions. They hadn’t dissipated over the years. Instead, they’d reignited since I’d seen him again.

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