Forbidden Seduction [ Forbidden Obsession]

I’m sure,” he says, and the smile on his face makes me feel like the sun is shining.

“Good,” I whisper. “I don’t want it to either. You want to know where I went just now? I was thinking about how happy I’ve been. These past few days.”

He shifts closer to me, and it feels like we both breathe easier. My heart picks up a little, beating faster just because he’s looking at me. He wraps his arms around me, tilting my face up to his. Our kiss is sweet, laced with happiness at the idea that this isn’t just a fling. We’ll see where it goes, even if it isn’t conventional.

I try to wrap my arms around him, and fail, laughing, since my arms are shorter and our coats are bulky. Instead I let him pull me closer, deepening our kiss. I have a thought that he might warm me up so much that we might not need our coats anymore. I slip my tongue past his lips, tangling with his and relishing the feeling of freedom that he brings me.

Laughter suddenly breaks the trance, and I hear the worst voice in the world say, “Well isn’t this rich.”

Leigh is standing in the door, and the look on her face is one of disgust and triumph. The door behind her is open, and I see at least two members of my family looking out. Brad appears behind her, his face livid. “Don’t just walk away from me into my house, Leigh.” Then he sees me, us, and my stomach plummets into an anxious free fall. There’s no mistaking the way Trevor and I are wrapped around each other.

Brad stops, all the anger draining out of his face to be replaced by surprise and confusion. Trevor carefully extricates his arms from around me, pulls me to my feet. Pulls me towards the house. He’s right. If this is going to happen, it should happen inside. I hear Leigh laughing under her breath as I pass. Brad closes the door behind all of us and I take off my coat, take Trevor’s too. Everyone is completely silent.

Until Leigh says, “Well, I guess things look a little different now, don’t they Brad? You call me a liar, but it looks like I’m not the only one. At least my lie was small, nothing like mommy dearest lying about fucking your best friend.”

I hear the hushed whispers of June as she sends the twins upstairs. I don’t look to see if they go.

“Is it true?” Brad asks.

I swallow, trying to find my voice. That nervous pit at the base of my stomach has turned into a chasm. “Yes.” I pause, not knowing how to phrase it. I don’t want to put it as crudely as Leigh did. It feels like more than just that. “We’ve been…seeing each other.”

Anna’s voice: “Oh, Stella.” I can hear the disapproval and the shame. I look at Maria, and the same look is on her face. Bradley refuses to meet my eyes. Inside, I’m warring at myself, furious at them for being ashamed of this-something that they wanted, and also sick with shame because I knew this would happen.

“How long?” Brad asks, and I can’t get a read on what he’s feeling.

“Just since you’ve been home.”

Leigh laughs viciously. “The truth hurts, Brad. Not even your own mother wants you to be the only man in her life.”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“What the hell is wrong with you, Leigh?” That’s Trevor’s voice. I look up to find his face dark with anger. “What makes you think that this is even remotely the same as what you did to Brad? Should I tell the rest of the house?” He gestures to everyone else. “I guess I will, since you seem to think that this is your business. Leigh cheated on Brad. Not only did she cheat on Brad, she cheated on him multiple times, and every time she came back and was sorry. She swore it would never happen again. And because Brad is a good guy, he gave her another chance. But when he finally caught her fucking not one, not two, but three guys at a party, I guess even Brad had enough.”

He turns back to Leigh. “So when you come here on a high horse you haven’t earned, demanding to speak to him, telling him to take you back, don’t you see how ridiculous you look? And on top of that, to insult Stella and use the relationship we have to make yourself look better in comparison? You make me sick.” He’s addressing the whole room now. “Stella and I are both adults. We enjoy each other’s company. We make each other happy. You,” he points at my siblings, “haven’t stopped telling her that you wanted her to be with someone. I’ve only been here a week and I’ve heard you say it at least ten times. Now you find out she is with someone, and you don’t like it because there’s an age difference…” He shakes his head. “If we’re both happy why does it matter to anyone else?”

There’s a warmth in my chest as I look at him, and I realize that even though my family is looking at me with shame, I don’t feel it. I’m not ashamed with being with him. Trevor crosses the dining room to me, and takes my hand. He presses a kiss to my lips, soft and chaste, and it feels amazing to not be hiding that.