Forbidden Kiss (Carson Cove Scandals 1)

* * *

Two days later

“Did you buy anything at the art show?” Cassie met me at the elevator with a cup of coffee in her hand.

“The auction is tomorrow.” I took the cup of coffee from her. “The art show was just an excuse to get all of the bidders together ahead of time, so we could see everything beforehand.”

“I figured you would still find a way to take a few pieces home.” She shrugged. “Like the Rembrandt you’re going to hang on the wall behind my desk…”

“That’s not going to happen, Cassie,” I growled under my breath. “Let it go.”

“Fine…” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “You’ve got a meeting at nine—the notes are on your desk.”

“Thank you.” I nodded and walked towards my office.

Cassie was a secretary with dreams of doing more than fetching my coffee and organizing my calendar. She just didn’t have the drive to make it happen—she expected things to be handed to her. If she could have conquered the world by pouting, she would have been crowned queen a long time ago.

Unfortunately, people like her were a dime a dozen in Carson Cove. She was good at her job, so I put up with her antics most of the time—but she knew where the line was, which set her apart from most of the others that had sat behind that desk. I knew she was mostly joking about the Rembrandt, but there was a tiny sliver of hope that I would just cave and give her what she wanted—that’s what her father always did. Her family never had much, but they spoiled her, and she expected everyone else to do the same damn thing.

She’s the perfect example of what happens when you give people something for nothing—that’s why I raised my kids to work for what they got even though they didn’t have to.

My day was spent tending to things at Benson Enterprises—just like every other day. There was nothing glamorous about running an investment firm in Carson Cove. I grew up idolizing my father because he seemed to be the most popular man in town—everyone loved him, and they treated him with respect. Then I got to see the ugly side of the people that pretended he was their best friend when a recession hit—it was an economic downturn that he couldn’t control, but they certainly acted like their losses were all his fault. The stress took

a toll on my father, and I had to bury him long before his time because of it. I thought the day I took over as CEO of Benson Enterprises would be a joyous one—instead, it just left me with a bitter taste in my mouth for all of the clients that became my responsibility.

It was only a matter of time before that bitterness spilled over into my personal life—I just didn’t realize it would destroy my marriage until it was too late.

* * *

The next day

Mr. Wellington called me before the auction to make sure I got his email with the itinerary for the evening. Everyone in Carson Cove that had enough money to make a serious bid got one of those calls. Mr. Wellington was pushing seventy and had an old school mentality when it came to customer service. That was part of the reason he entertained my requests when it was time for another auction. I could have approached the people who wanted to sell the paintings personally, but I preferred to let Mr. Wellington auction them off. It ensured that some of the profits went to charity and kept the museum in business. I believed in giving back to the community—even if there were a few residents that I wasn’t entirely fond of due to how they treated my father.

“Why are you still here?” I adjusted my tie as I walked out of my office and was surprised to see Cassie sitting at her desk.

“I was just working on a few things for tomorrow—I’m leaving early, remember?” She looked up at me.

“Ah, that’s right.” I nodded as I remembered her asking to leave early for an appointment—hair or nails if memory served.

“Good luck at the auction. I hope you get some good pieces.” She turned back towards her computer.

She must actually be trying to get some work done if she isn’t going to make one final plea for a Rembrandt to hang over her desk—or maybe she realizes that the joke has run its course.

My office wasn’t that far from the Mandalay Subdivision where Taylor lived. I had dropped her off after a weekend at my place enough to remember which house belonged to her family. I started to get a worried feeling in my stomach when I made the right turn on Cherry Street—if I was picking her up for a date, it was usually customary to knock on the front door. I had no idea how Mrs. Abernathy would feel about me showing up at her house—with every intention of taking her daughter on a date. Taylor wasn’t a kid anymore, but she was still her mother’s little girl. Her gorgeous curves didn’t change that—as tempting as they were.

It looks like I might get to avoid that meeting after all—Taylor is waiting on me in her driveway. Damn, she looks even better than she did the other night.

“I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” I looked at my watch as I stepped out of my car—I was one minute early.

“No, I just figured it would be easier to wait for you out here—for obvious reasons.” She smiled and started walking towards my car.

“That thought did cross my mind.” I walked around my car and opened the passenger side door. “I don’t think your mother would approve of this—date…”

“She hasn’t made it home from work yet.” Taylor leaned forward and sat down in the passenger seat. “You’re in the clear.”

We both seemed to have a fundamental understanding of the fact that the date was inherently wrong, but that didn’t erase the mutual attraction. Maybe I was more attracted to her than she was to me, but there were looks—lingering stares—I noticed them out of the corner of my eye. I kept my eyes on the road for the majority of the drive, but I couldn’t help letting them wander a couple of times—her dress was shorter than the one she wore to the art show—and the neckline showed off a hint of cleavage.

“What’s the game plan when we get to the auction? Should I just stay on your arm all night and flash Alexis Devereaux a dirty look if she tries to talk to you?” Taylor looked over at me and smiled.