Forbidden Heir (The Heirs 8)
Songlist
Click here - Spotify
I Would Die For You – Miley Cyrus
Kiss Me – Ed Sheeran
Head Above Water – Avril Lavigne
Don’t Give Up On Me – Andy Grammer
Moon Shines Red – Jamie McDell
Scars – James Bay
Until The End – Quietdrive
Edge of the Dark – Armon Jay
Look Away – Eli Lieb, Steve Grand
You Said You’d Grow Old With Me – Michael Schulte
Tightrope – Ron Pope
Till the World Stops Turning – Kaleb Jones
My Life With You – Ryan Star
Element – Matthew Mayfield
Our Song – Ron Pope
When I Look At You – Miley Cyrus
Welcome Home – Radical Face
Chapter 1
DANNY
Danny 32; Ryker 25
I’m lucky.
I have a loving and supportive family.
I have two brothers who would kill for me.
I have a big group of friends, even though they’re all younger than me.
I’m the COO and chairperson of a multi-billion dollar company.
I’m my father’s little girl.
I’m my godfather’s princess.
I’m lucky.
Letting out a sigh, I look at my reflection in the mirror. The blue bridesmaid dress is gorgeous, and I’m happy for Christopher and Dash. They deserve their happily-ever-after. But the sight breaks my heart.
I’m thirty-two, and there’s no sign of my prince. My youngest brother, Tristan, got married a year ago. My other brother, Christopher, is getting married in six weeks.
Damn, everyone I know is settling down. Getting married. Having children.
Everyone but me.
The one thing I’ve wanted most in life keeps eluding me.
Well… kind of. There is a man I’m interested in, but he’s off-limits Like way off-limits.
Walking back to the dressing room, I carefully remove the dress and place it back on the hanger before putting on my suit. I fix my brown curls and put on some lipgloss, then force a smile around my mouth.
Time to get back to the office.
I thank the designer and walk out to my car. On the drive back to Indie Ink, the company started by my grandfather, I push my elusive dream deep down and slip into the role of Danny, the powerhouse businesswoman.
That’s what my life consists of. Roles. Loving daughter. Loyal friend. Supportive sister. Kickass businesswoman.
Letting out a sigh, I park my car in the designated spot. I climb out of the vehicle, and squaring my shoulders, I walk to the elevator. Once inside, I press the button for the top floor and listen to the soft music until the doors slide open. Stepping out, I walk to my office.
“How did the fitting go?” Dash, my sister-in-law to be, asks before I can pass by her office.
Smiling, I inject excitement into my voice. “The dress is gorgeous and ready for your big day.”
Dash claps her hands. “Just six more weeks.”
“It’s going to be amazing,” I chuckle, and then I slip into my office. Shutting the door, I lean back against it. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
“You look tired,” Ryker suddenly says.
My eyes snap open, and seeing him in my chair, makes a wave of tingles rush over my skin.
Ryker West. My secret love.
Faking a scowl, I say, “Give me a heart attack next time.” I walk toward my desk, my frown deepening. “Get out of my chair.”
He grins at me while swiveling in the chair like a kid. “I’m here so we can go over all the files we need to take with us for the meeting.” His eyes lock with mine. “You know… for the trip to Africa…” His mouth curves into a sexy smirk. “Where it will just be the two of us.”
Ryker is my youngest brother’s best friend and also the company’s attorney. Since he started working at Indie Ink, taking over his father’s position in the company, he’s been doing his best to drive me insane.
It’s like there’s a constant push and pull between us. I do my best to ignore it, seeing as I’m six years older than him. Technically, I’m six and a half years older than him. The point is he’s off-limits, so it’s a constant battle to fight my feelings for him.
I stop next to the chair and let out a sigh. “I have last-minute business to take care of. We can look at the files later. Move.”
Ryker gets up, and rising to his full height, I have to tilt my head back to keep eye contact with him. With dark brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a face carved from whatever precious stone they have in heaven, Ryker is ruggedly handsome.
And off-limits. Like the forbidden fruit reincarnated into a hot-as-hell man to tempt the ever-loving shit out of me.
Actually, I started feeling the attraction between us when Ryker was a senior in high school. Yeah, totally made me feel like a perv. There I was, twenty-five and drooling over Tristan’s best friend. But damn, at eighteen, Ryker didn’t look like any other senior I’ve ever seen. He’s always been way too attractive for my ovaries to handle.