9781618858368ForbiddenDeceptionlLeveyNC (4 page)

“This
is hi-highly inappropriate here.”
Whoa.
A slow burn radiated through her from her belly. Her pussy constricted against
his tongue.

“But
so worth the consequences.” Seth slammed a finger into her pussy and flicked
his tongue over her nub. Ailyn bit her lip to keep from screaming. She bucked
against his finger and his tongue desperate to find the release he kept denying
her.

Intense
pleasure swamped her. Seth’s nose hit her clit as he pressed his face into her
dripping wet pussy. Gripping the desk wasn’t enough. He stole her
breath with each suckle
. Finding purchase with his hair, she
dug her fingers into his scalp and arched her body into his mouth, riding his
face.

“You’re
so beautiful, darlin’.”

She
peered down at him through her eyelashes. His hot breath on her sex, the scrape
of stubble against her sensitive skin caused her to break out in goose bumps.
Why did he stop to talk? She waited for him to resume.
Smug male
.
His eyes locked on
hers and a cocky grin appeared on his lips. He lazily strummed his thumb over
her nub, set his lips on her and engaged in licking her from clit to slit with
the flat of his tongue. She turned her head away from him and he stopped cold.

“Don’t
look away.” He resumed when she met his gaze. He wanted to see her crumble.
Fuck if she didn’t two swipes later from his glorious tongue. She forced
herself to keep her eyes glued to his while she came apart for him for the first
time in too long. He gave her pussy one last suck and stood. Raw and exposed,
Ailyn scrambled off his desk. Embarrassment flooded her. Flashes of their past
played at warp speed. She tore at the remaining plastic holding her hostage,
failing to get the clingy material off her body fast enough.

“Let
me help.” Seth flipped his knife out and she edged away from him.

“I
don’t want you touching me again.” Vehemence laced her shaky voice. She could
barely keep it together as she took the proffered knife from his hand and
worked herself free from the binding.

“Your
clothes are on the chair. Ailyn, please look at me.”

She
ignored his request and hurriedly dressed herself. “Did you think of how I’d
look
walking
out of your office at all? What people
would think or say?”

“This
is not what I expected to happen. I didn’t think I’d return to seeing you all
decked out like a shiny new present. I got caught up, but if you think I’m
going to apologize for taking things to the next level, I won’t. Ten years is
long enough.”

“For
you.”
She punctuated, spinning on him. True, she hadn’t
had an orgasm that level of intensity for a few years. And yes, she hated that
he could wring a physical response from her without effort.

“I
didn’t see you struggling while I had my face buried in your pussy. You didn’t
ask me to stop or say no. I’d say your response speaks for itself.” He crossed
his arms.

“I
see you’re just as selfish as always. Think about yourself first, others
second. Oh wait, I’m sure you put your victims first but lovers, no. You have a
MO. You take what you want, when you want.” God she should’ve stopped him. Why
didn’t she? Watching him pleasure her was the hottest thing she’d seen in such
a long time.

“You
always were great at being in denial. We are far from finished. This here and
now proves that. You’re little game at trying to dash off proves you haven’t
changed as well. You’re still a cock tease. Come off yourself and admit you
wanted me to find you, to
unwrap
each layer of that
outfit until I had you bare and begging for a hard fast fuck.”

Ailyn
sucked in a breath. She dropped her gaze down his body. The evidence of his
arousal tented out for any and every one to see. “You might want to put some
ice on your current affliction.” She pointed to his dick, swiped her keys and
smoothed down her clothing. Head held high, she pursed her lips in a tight line
and stormed out of his office.

Tears
threatening to fall didn’t roll down her face until she hit the privacy of her
car. Rage and a suffocating pain lanced her soul. The emotions she promised
herself never to feel again commanded her body more dangerously than in the
past. Instead of the boy she knew once, a man coaxed her into madness. Shear
madness. What was she thinking agreeing to meet him? How did she envision their
reunion anything other than a disaster? Thanking her lucky stars, she sighed at
Dire’s absence.

“I’m
so stupid.” What if Dire had been in house today? He knew Eva, had dropped Mia
off plenty of times to watch her while Mia played matchmaker, although no men
ever earned a second date with her. She wiped her face clean and blew out a
shaky breath. She turned to look out her window and saw Seth standing next to
her, arms crossed, a worried expression in his beautiful green eyes. She squeezed
her eyes shut to dispel thinking of him as devastatingly handsome. Only when
she opened them again, one he was still there and two he looked as disarming as
when she’d been coming all over his face.

He
continually knocked on the window. Ignoring him failed to work. After turning
on her engine, she pushed the automatic button only a quarter of the way down,
preventing him from sticking his head in, like he had in the past, to kiss her.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve had all I can handle from you today.”

“I
wanted to make sure you were okay.” He pressed a hand to the nape of his neck
and then braced his hand on the roof of her car. “I’m sorry I upset you again.”

“It’s
fine.” She moved to roll her window back up, but he slid his fingers in the way.
“I don’t want to sit here in the parking lot and rehash the past.”

“Don’t
you think we owe it to ourselves to figure this out?
Seems
like there are a lot of unresolved issues between us.”

“What’s
there to figure out? You lied, we broke up. Can’t you just let the past rest? I
can hardly believe you don’t have women flocking to you for dates. Why come
after me, someone who’s not interested?”

“You
want the truth. I’ll lay it flat out. All cards on the table. There
has
only ever been you. I’ve dated in the past ten years but
no woman has ever measured up to the memories of us. Jesus, if you’d only have
let me explain you’d have realized I was turning seventeen a month later from
when you found out. I’m sorry my mom told you. I know that must’ve been
damaging. Age had nothing to do with what we shared though.”

“Tell
that to the women or men in jail for statutory rape. You led me on for six
months. Let me fall in love with you and dream of a future, building a life,
having children. We had plans. Then the truth came out and there was nothing
you could do to fix the lies that built us. I had to sit and wonder if anything
you ever told me was true, if we were real.”

“I
was an asshole in love. There were times I began to tell you but I didn’t want
to see you hurt or risk losing you, not when I was entering college in the
fall. Creating more issues seemed a moot point than a harmless white lie.”

“What
do you want from me?”

“The
first thing I noticed about you was your smile. Man, it was like sunshine.
Looking at you now, makes my gut hurt. I took away your smile. Maybe I want to
put it back. Do right by you now.”

“I’d
have to be willing to put myself in that position. I never thought or imagined
we’d run into each other again. This is a lot for me to handle.”

“I
can respect that. What do you want me to do? I’m not a man who gives up
easily.”

“A
bit of breathing room would be nice. I don’t like feeling crowded.”

“All
right, I can give you some room. I don’t like speaking through a plate of glass
though. Would you be willing to meet somewhere in public, a coffee house,
anywhere that makes you comfortable?”

“I
don’t know, Seth. Right now I just want to go home to get some perspective.”
She leaned back in her seat.

“Fair
enough.
I’ll get out of your hair then.” He tapped his
fingers on the metal frame before backing off, sticking his hands in his
pockets.

Chapter Three

Ailyn
drew a bated breath as he edged his way back inside the fire station. Part of
her couldn’t deny his perfect physique, the way taut muscles flexed with every
step. She flipped on her cell and voice activated phonebook.

“Call
Rianna.”
Putting the car in drive, she pressed
the Bluetooth button on her steering wheel and clipped her seat belt before
merging into traffic.

“This
is me is it you?”

“Yep,
this is me, big sis.”

“Any
news on when your school will be repaired? We’re so glad no one was hurt.”

“Oh
it’ll be a few weeks before we can get back in to teach. Got an email that we’d
be set up in some mobile trailers within a few days and they’d call if sooner.”
She navigated into the turn lane and flicked on her signal.

“That’s
good. I’d have thought you’d sleep in with a day off.”

Her
sister had some delusions, she rarely got a chance to sleep in. “I saw him at
the fire and this morning.”

“Him?
Him
.
What
are the odds? I’m guessing you didn’t know he was in the Midwest when you
accepted the job.”

“I
know, right.
No, not at all.
Seeing him hit me like a monsoon.
I’d probably have moved in the opposite direction if I did.” With the need for
fortification running through her, she parked near her favorite coffee shop. She
exited and strolled down the sidewalk toward the entrance.

“I
tried to tell you to be prepared just in case. We should’ve had a game plan ready
to be set in motion. How did seeing him go?”

“
Uh
…well, I pretended not to know him
during the fire but he saw right through my act. He found my number in the
phonebook, called and convinced me to go see him at the fire station.”

“I
gather you went and from the sound of your panicky voice something went down.”

She
wove her way around a group of kids in deep conversation and entered. Cool air
greeted her flushed skin.

“
Yeah
.
I don’t know what to do.” She texted her sister a picture of Seth, then stood
in line to order her standing favorite, a large mocha latte and a slice of
pound cake.

“Ohh,
he has turned into quite the hunk. Shit sister, his looks are remarkably the
same as when you dated him. So?”

Ailyn
swiped her card before picking up her purchases.
“Infuriatingly
amazing.
I don’t think I’ve been kissed like that since him. Of course my
body responded to him like no time had passed, which set me off. I’ve acted like
a lustful wench, raging bitch and crybaby in the past hour and a half alone,
it’s not pretty. My nerves are wound so tight I’m not sure what emotion will
come careening out of me next. He just makes me want to scream.”

“Yeah,
his name out in the throes of passion.”
Rianna laughed.
“I take it things didn’t progress too far since you’re all worked up.”

“Oh
no, they went pretty well on my side, I had the O of big O’s. God, how can his
mouth and tongue action be so much better than I remember?” She tested her
coffee for scalding factor and took a sip.

“Nice
to know he knows how to take care of business. Now back to your all-over-the-place
emotions. If I wasn’t your sister I’d charge you for this session.”

“Har
har.
You’re the new family therapist you don’t have a
choice but to help.
For free.”

“It’s
simple. Let go of the anger. You’ve become quite a bitter cynic. Get to know the
new him. You all had a great time together back then. I remember how crazy he
was about you. Seth was all about pleasing you and being there for you.”

“
Uh
…no.
He had his shot. What is with you and Mia telling me to date him again?”

“What’s
up is we know you really want to but you’re scared. And face facts. You have to
tell him about Eva, so you might as well get to know him before you drop the
bomb on him.”

“I
am not telling him about my daughter. Well, I’m back and forth on deciding to
or not. Got a crazy yoyo going on in my
mind.
One
minute I think I want to and then the reality crashes in. If I tell him, I
won’t be able to kick him out of my life,” she confessed between bites of oh so
good lemon cake.

“You,
my dear pretty little sister, are playing a dangerous game. Why torture
yourself and him? And, are you thinking about Eva or trying to one up him on
duplicity?”

“Whose
side are you on? How do I know he doesn’t have a harem of women or something
crazy? I have a right to protect my baby from harm.”

“So
instead of getting to know the one man who knocked your socks off you’re going
to go back to the stuffy safe dates. Not surprised you didn’t find one to light
your furnace.”

“Ri,
I have dated my butt off. Recently too, and they haven’t all been stuffy. I’m
just looking for—”

“Seth.”
Her sister nailed the head on the board.

“But
not him in the flesh, someone like him who will make me
laugh
and fit seamlessly with me.
A man closely resembling him.”

Her
sister laughed on the other end of the phone.

“You
make things so difficult. What did you tell him before you left?”

“I
said I needed time.”

“Well
take that time to think about what’s best for everyone involved and not just
your wounded heart. Remember somewhere in the back of your mind you wanted to
share her memorable moments. I remember you putting everything in an updated
scrapbook and the yearly edited video of Eva. I trust you to do what’s right
when your head’s on straight.”

“I
knew you would bring the book of memories up,” she groused and finished her
food.

“I’m
your sister and big sisters are always right. Plus I’m on the outside looking
in. You are viewing things through rose tinted glasses.
Slightly
distorted.”

Ailyn
sighed.

“Go
home and take a nice long hot bath. Grab a bottle of wine and have a couple of
glasses. You will feel much better after drinking that than the swill you’re
drinking now.”

“I’m
not drinking wine this early in the day.” Ailyn laughed. “I’ll stick with my
vice of choice—multiple lattes and maybe an added shot of espresso.”

“
Mmm
, so much better for you.
Go ahead and get all razzed up. Here I was trying to get you relaxed and you’re
going the opposite direction. “I’ll come over and check on you when I’m done
with my last client.”

“Sounds
great.
Ri
, I’m so glad I followed
you out here. Bring the wine with you.”

“You’re
my sister. You didn’t think I’d leave you to suffer the cruel wilds of the
wilderness alone.
Mi casa, su casa
.”

“You
make it sound like we’re pioneers on a wagon trail through the old mid-west.”
She laughed.

“Yeah,
well. Once I looked up housing costs and job prospects, moving was a no
brainer. I have to go my next client is here. Hugs and relax, everything will
work itself out one way or another.”

“Later.”
She pressed end and bit her lip in uncertainty. Her runaway thoughts kept her
on edge.

Ailyn
powered up her tablet while toying with her, now too cool to drink, latte and
brought up her work email. For the next twenty minutes, she found and read the
instructions for the trailer she’d be sharing with another teacher, and sighed
over the one from Martin asking her on a date again. She hoped she wouldn’t
have to file a complaint against him, since she’d rebuffed his advances multiple
times. The idiot still didn’t get the hint he didn’t interest her on a personal
level, and never would.
Not that he wasn’t a handsome man.
He was extremely attractive, just not her type. Her cell phone ringing
interrupted her thoughts. She glanced down to see a pic of Eva’s face.

“Hi,
baby.”

“Mama,
Jerilynn wants me to spend the weekend with her. She’s having a sleepover, can
I go?”

“As
long as your homework is done and you find out if you’re leaving with her from
gymnastics or if I need to drop you off.”

“Okay.”

She
waited a minute for her daughter to confer with her friend and finished reading
her email.

“She
said I can just pack an overnight backpack and bring it to school with me. It’s
her mom’s day to carpool us all.”

“Sounds
okay to me.
Remember your homework comes first.
I’ll see you tonight at home after jazz, tap and ballet.”

“Yep,
today I’m hanging out with Ashland in between my private lessons. She’s helping
me learn the cheers for
cheerleading,
maybe I’ll make
the competitive team this year at tryouts.”

“Good,
now go back to class.”

“I’m
going. I hate indoor soccer though. You should write me a note. This sport is
dangerous for my dancing career.”

“Nice
try. Goodbye, Eveleen Izabelle Dominguez-Mahone.” She heard a sigh.

“Yes,
ma’am.”
The line went dead.

Speaking
her daughter’s name brought her back to the past. Reliving the moments spent with
Seth lazing in bed all day with nowhere else to go. They’d talked about any and
everything in those special moments, including what they would name their kids.
Seth’s grandmother Eveleen held a special place in his heart, as her
Abuela
Izabelle did. They had picked names
for the time when they would have a boy and girl. They had fought over having a
Seth Jr., where she vehemently objected, stating kids named after their parents
struggled to find their own identity. She caved to using Seth as a middle name
for a boy though. Seth gave her the wounded green eyed stare and eventually
tried sexing her into changing her mind. When she moved away and had Eva on her
own, she couldn’t think of a more perfect name for their daughter with olive
skin, a mass of thick black curly hair and bright green eyes.

 
Seth. Seth. Seth. She did an engine search of
his name and spent the next hour scouring every link he appeared in. When she
came across a picture of him and a date at last’s years annual award party, his
striking looks in dress Class
A
Uniform stole her
breath away. The date on his arms in a slinky barely there dress caused a fit
of jealousy to course through her. From her perfectly placed wavy tresses, to
her curvaceous body, long slender legs and pretty feet showcasing her Louboutin
heels. It wasn’t the dress or the shoes that caused the angry wave of envy.
Though no one should look so damn sexy without appearing trampy.
The body language is what had her teeth on edge. The way he stood, how she
hugged his waist showed they were intimate. He made love to that woman with
those green eyes of his, leaving her fuming, wanting to claw the bitch’s eyes
out.

Taking
a breath she tried to read the next but couldn’t get the image of him with the
gorgeous brunette out of her mind. Was he still dating her? The thought caused
her stomach to roll with nausea. She closed the window, tucked her tablet under
her arm, edged her way back to the counter, and ordered another latte and egg
and ham on a bagel with provolone cheese. She’d cooled off a tad by the time she’d
returned to her seat and propped up her tablet to stare at the black screen.

I will not stalk him online. I will
not stalk him online. I will stalk him online.

She
bit into her sandwich and went back to the page with her search. Lt. Seth
Mahone receives a Valor award from the state representative and a representative
from their U.S. district congressman. The same woman stood next to him with a
dazzling smile on her face. Seething with mistrust and hurt she whipped out her
cell phone and sent a rapid text.

I
thought you told me you were single. What was today about?
A
journey to the past?

I
am single. What are you pissed off about this time?

Really?
Doesn’t look
that way to me.
Pictures don’t lie.

I
have work to do, Ailyn. If you’re going to be cryptic, I don’t have time to
deal with you.

Cryptic.
You are all over the newspapers
with the same woman at every event. If you’re married, I’m going to sever your
balls from your body and shove them down your throat. Is that clear enough?