Page 60 of Forbidden Bond

“Katherine and I will take care of our own issues.”

He doesn’t look convinced. “Just to be clear, I’m the only person in her life that’s actively pushing her toward you. Everyone else is telling her to run like hell.”

“Why don’t you?”

“Because I want her to find happiness that doesn’t stem from her family’s approval. She deserves at least that.”

I smile. “I’m sorry for ever thinking you were a useless, waste-of-space friend.”

He arches an eyebrow. “That’s harsh, but I probably deserved it. We cool now?”

I slap his outstretched arm, “Sure.”

We start walking toward the kitchen. “You hungry?” Jameson questions.

“As long as it’s not something burnt, I’m in.”

He chuckles. “She tried to cook, didn’t she?”

“It was a disaster,” I confirm.

The three of us settle down on the couch after breakfast to watch their TV show. Which is around the time I remember everything that happened last night while I was drunk. It also hits me that I might have confessed my deepest, darkest secret to her. And she didn’t run. I start to question her self-preservation instincts. I basically confirmed what she’s always known, though.

Even before I could admit it to myself, Katherine astutely guessed that I was more like my family than I thought. I follow her into the kitchen when she starts to do the dishes.

“You know,” I say.

She whirls around to face me. “What are you talking about?”

“When I was drunk. I told you about almost beating someone to death.”

She sucks in a breath. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

I smile. “But you’re curious. You want to know why.”

“I don’t need to know.”

“Why not? You’re worried, aren’t you? That I’m not who you thought I was. That maybe you’re wrong.”

“I’m not wrong about you,” she says assuredly.

“I’ll tell you why I did it when you’re ready to talk to me about elevators.”

Her eyes narrow onto mine. “You’ll be waiting a long time.”

“That’s alright, princess. I’m very patient.”

CHAPTER 19

Katherine

I fall asleep to thoughts of Topher and the look in his eyes. A look that sometimes feels like it was specifically made for me. Thinking about him before I sleep is probably the reason for my dream.

I’m lying on my stomach, my cheeks pressed against my pillow, when I feel a voice in my hair. There’s a hard length pressed against my ass.

He leans down to whisper in my ear, the words heated and dirty.

“I’m going to spank you so hard before I fuck you, princess. So fucking hard.”

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