Risky Business: (Taboo Romance Series) (Forbidden Fruit Book 3) (3 page)

Chapter 4

Caden

I'd made the mistake of stopping by the bar down the street the night before. The pretty blonde reminded me just enough of Olivia to take her home with me. The sex had been sub-par at best, but it was still sex. She was a practiced moaner if nothing else.

"Hey, pretty girl. I need to get going. You wanna get up and grab your stuff?" I rubbed my hand down her back, trying as hard as I could to be polite. Something inside of me wanted to snap at the dissatisfaction I had with life in general, but she didn't deserve my angst. No one did.

"Hmmm?" She rolled over and gave me a sleepy smile. She was pretty, but nothing to gawk at.

"I gotta go. Come on. Grab your stuff and I'll walk you out." I forced a smile.

"I'll let myself out. Go ahead and go. I'm not going to take anything." She rolled back over.

"Lyndsay, I need to get to work, sweetheart. Come on and get up." I tugged the covers off, enjoying the view as the woman definitely took care of herself. Why I couldn't be more like my brother and take pleasure in the carnality of sex regardless if love was involved was beyond me. I had to believe with the right woman I would find myself again. The last six years had been one relational fuck up after the next.

"Okay. Okay. Jeez." She swatted my hand away.

"You want a cup of coffee to go?" I turned and walked to the kitchen to give her some privacy.

"No, I'm good. I'm just not a morning person. If I'd known we were getting up at ass-dark-thirty, I would have gone home with someone else."

I chuckled under my breath and ran my hand down the front of my face. Home with someone else? Maybe she wasn't the whore. Maybe I was.

After fixing myself a mug of coffee, I jingled my keys. "Let's go, lady."

"All right. I'm coming." She walked toward the door, not looking at me. "Thanks for last night. It'll be six hundred dollars."

I almost spit out the coffee in my mouth. "What? Is that a joke?"

"Yeah. Was it funny?" She opened the door and gave me a cheeky grin. "Later handsome."

The door closed and I growled loudly before walking back to the bedroom to change my shirt. I had several important meetings scheduled throughout the day. The last thing I needed was coffee splattered across my damn shirt.

The smell of our sex slapped me in the face as I walked into the bedroom, and my stomach constricted. Some part of me wanted to give up hope on finding her. Whoever she was.

Olivia.

"No, not her. Never her." I tugged my shirt from my slacks and ripped it over my head. My high school girlfriend was a powerful woman from my vantage point. The bitch still had my thoughts, my desires and my heart. Why was she so hard to shake?

"Love. It was love." I stopped in front of the mirror and ran my hand over my chest. I needed to get back to the gym and take my brokenness out on a heavy set of weights instead of settling for a shitty sex life and moving through life like a well-contained zombie.

I pushed the thoughts of Olivia out of my mind as they moved from warm fuzzy memories to the last night we were together. She had thrown away seven years because she was scared of us sleeping together and whatever the results of that could be, as if I'd forced her. It was her damn idea. I was fine waiting.

"Are we really having this fucking conversation again?" I grabbed another shirt and jerked it over my arms as anger burned through me. I needed to see a counselor. I had to be the only moron in New York that walked around thinking about a relationship that ended six years ago when I was nothing more than a lovesick boy. I wasn't him anymore, but some part of that guy still lingered, and no matter how many random women I took to my bed or bottles of liquor I drank... nothing would shut him up.

The fact that she was somewhere in the city was even worse. For the last year, I'd been living with my eyes wide open, looking for a ghost. For an eighteen-year-old girl from my past with beautiful blonde hair and big blue eyes filled with love - for me.

*

Traffic was horrible getting into the office, and I'd almost made it to my block when it came to a dead stop. Some poor guy had broken down and was trying to push his car over to the side of the road without much success. I waited a second to see if anyone would help me, but no one got out.

I grumbled and pulled out of the traffic to park on the side of the city street before getting out and jogging over to him.

"Need some help, buddy?" I smiled as he glanced up from the open driver's side door and nodded.

"Fuck yes. I swear there are a million people in this city and not one of them would get out and help me. I hate it here." He nodded to my side of the car. "Open that door and help me push?"

"I'm from Texas. It's sorta beat into us that helping is what you were created for." I laughed and opened the door before putting my shoulder against it and pushing hard. The poor guy had to be in his late fifties and was sweating profusely. The fact that it was summertime and the temperatures were unbearable for most people, felt like winter to me. People didn't know what hot was until they visited the south in August.

We got the car to the side of the road and he closed his door and walked around, offering me a hand. "Thank you so much. I'm Seth Martin."

I shook his hand. "I'm Caden Taylor."

"I thought you looked familiar." He shook my hand and chuckled. "Your partner, Luke Taylor, tried to sell me some investment advice a few years back."

"I bet he did." I released his hand. "Your design firm is doing wonders for the city. I'm sure if anyone realized you were the power behind the artsy week in Central Park each year they would have tripped over themselves to help you."

"True, but it's sad that people need a reason to help someone else." He reached out and patted my shoulder. "Come talk to me about investments next week. Schedule something with my secretary. I'm not interested in working with Luke, but I'll give you a shot to tell me what you boys can do for me."

"Of course. You gonna be all right? Need a lift somewhere?" I nodded toward his broke down Lexus.

"Nope. Someone will be here in seconds. Just needed to get the damn thing off the road." He smiled and moved back toward the car. "Thanks again, Caden. Schedule something for us."

"Yes, Sir. Of course." I turned and walked back to my car, a little shocked at the fact that of all the people in the city, I would get the chance to help out Seth Martin. Luke was going to shit himself. He had an "O-list" that he kept on his wall. Those clients that he wanted more than his next orgasm. The guy was a fucker, for sure.

Seth Martin was at the top of the list. The man had more money than God.

I smiled as I drove to the office, thinking through my brother’s reaction to the good news. The fact that Seth wasn't willing to work with Luke almost made it better. Luke had everything, and where I wasn't necessarily jealous, it was annoying as fuck. He was a total jerk to everyone but me. How the world bowed at his feet left me questioning the sanity of the people around me.

After parking the car, I made my way to the elevator with the large horde of people around me. The odd looks I got left me worried that maybe I had something on my face. I moved to the bathroom as I got off on my floor, but got stopped by Annie.

"Morning boss." She smiled and reached out to run her finger down my chest toward my stomach.

"Hey." I grabbed her hand and gave her a 'what the fuck' look.

"You have something on your shirt. Looks like a tire ran over your shirt." She giggled and pulled her hand from mine. "Luke has several extra shirts in his office. You're more muscular than him, but I'm sure one of them would fit. You want me to get you one of them?"

I glanced down and sighed. Somehow I'd gotten a thick black line across my white button down. It was going to be
that
day for sure.

"Yeah, get the biggest one you can find. I hate having something tight around my arms." I started to follow her to my brother's office, taking note of how good her pencil skirt fit her. Why was I denying the attention she kept giving? Right. Office romances always ended in scandal. No thanks.

"You're coming tonight, right?" She knocked on Luke's door, pressed her ear to it and opened it as I approached. "He's not here yet."

"Yeah, I'm coming." I walked in behind her and unbuttoned my shirt. It was a good thing I had on an undershirt as all I needed was for someone to find the two of us in Luke's office with me half dressed.

"Good. You know you could just go shirtless. We wouldn't mind." She laughed softly as she pulled another white shirt from Luke's closet.

"And tease all the ladies with my strapping southerly body? No way." I took the shirt and gave her a quick smile. "I had to help a guy out this morning. I wasn't paying attention."

"Aww... Did you help someone with their tire?" She crossed her arms over her chest, which only helped to accentuate the size of her breasts as they lifted.

"Not with a tire, but with his car breaking down." I turned from her and walked to the window to look out at the city. "A zillion people were on the road this morning and no one stopped."

"You did."

I glanced over my shoulder and nodded. "Yeah, but being the good guy gets you nowhere in life. At least not in this world."

"I think you underestimate your power." She moved up to stand beside me and swatted my hands away so that she could finish buttoning my shirt. "My boyfriend is a good guy. They're rare to find, but when you do-"

"You have a boyfriend?" I couldn't help but smile.

She swatted at me. "Yes. Of course. You don't?"

"Have a boyfriend? No." I tucked my shirt in and walked to the door. "And don't ask me about a girlfriend either."

"You're the boss. I'll not be asking."

"Hey," I paused at Luke's door and turned around to face her. "Do you know anything about this girl my brother's fallen for? He's wanting me to meet her tonight, but I hate not knowing anything."

"I know her name is Olivia, and she's a brilliant investment advisor for Tangling. That's all. He's kept her from all of us on purpose I think." She snorted as my muscles locked into place. "He plays the good guy with her, but she'll soon see around his facade."

"Or maybe not. It's been three years." My mind raced along the fucked up possibility that my brother was dating my girl. No. Olivia wasn't a common name, but still, what were the odds?

"Then maybe she's not as smart as he gives her credit for."

"Maybe not." I needed to research who this Olivia from Tangling was. Surely it wasn't her. It couldn't have been. The universe didn't hate me that much. Right?

Chapter 5

Olivia

"No ring?" Dana sat down at the kitchen table across from me. She'd been asleep by the time I got home the night before. With the slight time different from Texas to New York and the jet lag, she was out cold.

"No, but maybe it's a good thing." I shrugged and put a thick layer of butter on my toast.

"It's not fair that you get to eat that much butter and not look like the side of a barn." She smeared jelly on hers and huffed.

"I was raised on butter, remember?" I reached for the jelly. "My mom must have put butter on everything."

"Mine still does." Dana laughed. "Maybe it's that you got away from home after high school. I think I've put on twenty pounds thanks to my mom's cooking."

"You look great, and you know it. If you have someone as good looking at Dr. Tarrington looking at you... you're doing something right." I snorted. I didn't know Kendal Tarrington myself, but after hearing Dana rave about how sexy he was, I'd gone onto UT Dallas' website a few years back and checked him out. He was breathtaking, but something about him didn't sit right on me. Like he had a secret tucked behind his eyes. I was probably overthinking it seeing that all I'd seen was his professor picture on the website, but either way... I was leery.

"He is hot, isn't he?" She pressed her cheek to her closed fist and rested her elbow on the table. "He's completely off limits. I've been president of Beta Alpha Psi for the last two years, and nothing. He won't even have a conversation with me unless ten other people are around to witness it."

"Is he your advisor for the fraternity?" Accounting people and their smartie-smartpants clubs. I'd never understand them.

"Yeah. He's a great advisor. He's a great teacher. He's-"

"I get it." I laughed before taking a big bite of my toast and trying to speak around the bread. "He's great."

"He's off limits completely until I graduate, but then I'm headed back home to Houston. How am I supposed to stay in touch with him in a non-creepy, I-swear-I'm-not-a-stalker way?"

"Are you sure you want to? Something is definitely up with him. He's almost too cautious around you if you ask me. Did he get popped for dating a student or is he a child molester or something?"

Her expression darkened. "No. Don't be stupid."

"I hit a nerve." I laughed again and got up. "Find out what his story is, Dana. Don't fall in love with someone you know nothing about."

"It's a little late for that." She sighed loudly as I smiled and walked to my room to finish getting ready.

Who was I to be handing out advice on falling in love? My heart belonged to an eighteen-year-old boy from Texas with a killer smile and muscles that would make most girls’ knees weak. I couldn't help but wonder if he'd filled out even more over the years. Best to leave it alone or I'd be taking Dana's advice and searching the city for him.

*

"No. I don't accept it." My boss, Sarah Mayberry, leaned across her desk and smacked her hands on the polished cherry wood. "You're not leaving us. Period."

I chuckled. "I am, Sarah. I need to have more opportunity and take a risk while I can. This is a good move for me."

"No. It isn't. It's a horrible move. You know as well as I do that Luke Taylor is a fucking idiot." She got up and growled. "He's a heartless idiot with a brilliant brother and a silent partner with deep pockets. You need to stay here. Shit, Olivia... it's been a little over a year. What are you expecting? Partnership before you're thirty? That doesn't happen. Surely you're not so-"

"Naive? I'm not, but there are unconventional ways of creating success before society deems you worthy." I kept my voice even and non-confrontational. Luke was a bastard, and kept a lot of his life hidden from me, which was fine. I honestly hadn't wanted to know who his partners were or what products they sold when we'd first started dating. It was a hot fling and he was insatiable in the bedroom. I'd grown that way because of him, so as far as I was concerned, he could have three clowns and Daddy Warbucks working for him. He owned the top firm in New York. I was thrilled to be the woman he chose to show off from time to time.

"I agree, but this guy isn't the real deal. His brother is, but he's an idiot." She stopped in front of her desk and leaned toward me. "Reconsider. This is a mistake in the making. You're going to go over there and come crawling back in a few weeks."

"You were my sponsor-advisor in college. Do you think I'm the kind of woman who crawls back to anything?" I stood up as anger raced up the center of my chest. I was a baby in the game they played in Corporate America, but that didn't mean I wasn't capable of growing up - fast. I'd already outsold all of the members of my start class ten times over and was labeled one of the most successful employees in our company at the close of the last year.

"No, but you know that I'd take you back." Her expression softened. "I don't want you to go. You belong here."

"I belong wherever there is opportunity for growth. You know as well as I do that Frank isn't going to support another woman to rise up the ranks. You're it." I moved toward her floor-to-ceiling window and looked out across the city. "I want to take this risk, Sarah. I just want to see if it will lead somewhere."

"I get that." She stopped beside me and crossed her arms over her chest. "But who's going to be looking out for you over there? You know they have mostly men in their firm."

"I do, but Luke isn't all bad. He's got his faults, but so do you and I." I gave her a tight smile. She had plenty of recognizable faults that she did a piss-poor job of hiding. When she was happy, you knew it. Mad, sad, pissed, thrilled... you knew it. The woman had no filter.

"Fine. Let me at least put in a call to Caden and tell him to watch out for you." She brushed her hand over the top of my back. "Have you met him yet?"

"No. Who's that?" Tingles of white-hot fear raced across me. Surely there wasn't another Caden Taylor in the city. How stupid had I been to not ask Luke for more information. Was he Caden's brother? No. That wasn't possible. My Caden didn't have any siblings that lived with them on the ranch. His father had another son from a previous marriage, but Caden never really talked too much about the other kid.

"He's Luke's partner. You should do your research, Olivia. I'm a little surprised that you haven't. You trust Luke that much? What, are you sleeping with him?" She laughed as if the thought was audacious.

"Yes. He's my boyfriend." I turned to face her as she walked back to her desk and dropped down.

"Why am I not surprised to hear that? He's the type of bastard that would steal the heart of my most prized up-and-coming investment manager to turn her against me."

I scoffed and walked over to stand in front of her desk. "He didn't even know where I would end up when we started dating, Sarah. I was a junior in college."

"And I was your sponsor. A Google search would have revealed that." She glanced up and gave me a stern look. "I'm asking you as someone who truly cares about your future to reconsider. This guy isn't who you think he is."

"No. He's exactly who I think he is." I let out a shaky breath and walked to the door. "This is my two weeks’ notice."

"You don't get two weeks and you know it." She turned to face me as I glanced over my shoulder and held back tears. "You have to clean out your stuff and turn over your accounts today. Are you sure this is what you want, Olivia?"

"Yes. I've been thinking about it for a while now. I have to try."

"All right, kiddo." She stood up and walked toward me, surprising me by pulling me into a hug. "When you realize that the world is a heartless place to invest your time and talent, come back to us."

"I hate crawling though." I smiled as tears filled my eyes.

"No need to crawl, though I might ask for you to grovel a bit." She laughed, gave me another quick hug and closed the door behind me.

As emotional as I was over leaving the firm, I was far more destroyed by the thought of my Caden being Luke's Caden. It wasn't possible... right?

I closed my door behind me and grabbed a handful of Kleenex before sitting down at my laptop and pulling up Luke's website. I'd never looked into him because it didn't matter. We had two separate lives, and I almost preferred it to stay that way. I'd only been at my firm for a year, and wasn't at the level to worry much about the competition. I was too busy juggling ten new clients and meeting investment forecasts for the next month.

The website popped up, and I navigated to the about page where information about Luke popped up at the top of the page. I scanned through it and let out a yelp as an image of Caden Taylor popped up below Luke's. My Caden. The boy I'd sworn I'd never see again. Not in a million years.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I reached out and touched the screen, dragging my fingers down his handsome face. He was beyond handsome, by far the most beautiful man I'd ever seen.

Memories of us laughing in his daddy's barn as he chased me up to the loft assaulted me. The warmth of his arms around me, the sweetness of our innocence all those years.

"Why? Why the fuck are you here in my life again?" I pressed the Kleenex to my face and let myself have a cry that I'd been denying myself for far too long. Luke was Caden's brother. There was no way I could go work for them now, and I would have to break things off with Luke too. I could start over with someone else and rebuild whatever arrangement Luke and I had worked to build.

There wasn't another option.