A Forbidden Affair

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The clothing they’d only recently donned—him in a pair of jeans and T-shirt, her in a sweatshirt of his with the sleeves rolled up and its length skimming the back of her thighs—had soon hit the floor. Their food cooling on their plates as the on-screen activity had incited a new hunger for one another all over again.

Nate still slept beside her and she watched his chest rise and fall on each breath. She was amazed at how natural it felt to be with him, especially considering how little they actually knew about one another. She’d heard the girls at work talk and giggle over their occasional one-night stands—guys they never expected, or in some cases even wanted, to see again—but she’d never believed she’d indulge in something quite so illicit herself. She felt as if the past few days had been a vacation, not just from work and responsibility, but from herself—her own fears and anxieties. On Friday she hadn’t even given a care to the fact she had probably still been expected at the office, nor that over the course of the whole weekend she hadn’t so much as told anyone where she was, nor checked her cell phone for messages.

It wasn’t as if they cared, anyway, a little voice said from deep down inside. Her father didn’t believe she had a valid contribution to make to the company, her best friend had turned on her and her brother? Well, he didn’t even know her, nor she him. So what difference would it make if she walked away from all of them for good?

A whole lot of difference, she realized. She’d been angry on Thursday night. Really angry. And she’d acted completely out of character. Deep down she knew her family, including Anna, loved her and had to be worried about her having been out of touch for so long.

This person in the bed with a stranger, that wasn’t her. Sure, it had been a great time, but all good things had to come to an end sometime, didn’t they? Nothing this good ever lasted for long.

A wave of guilt for her behavior swamped her, driving her from the bed and into the bathroom where she gave in to the sudden well of tears in her eyes. She’d behaved irrationally. Stupidly. She had no idea of who she was really with. Everything that had anchored her these past twenty-six years lay on the other side of town—with her family, in her home. So what if her father had signed the property over to Judd? Her brother wasn’t about to summarily eject her from the only home she’d ever known, surely. Judd was as much a victim of her father’s shenanigans as she. So was Anna, who was far too grateful for all that Charles had done for her and her mother to ever tell him no.

And as for her father … It would be difficult for her to forgive or forget his words on Thursday night. But she couldn’t forget twenty-six years of him sheltering and protecting her, either. For better or for worse, he was still her father. They’d just have to find a way to reach an accord. She was willing to take the first step, and come back home.

Nicole dashed her face with water and dried it before quietly letting herself out of the master bathroom and padding quietly across the bedroom floor. As she closed the door behind her she let go the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She gave herself a mental shake. For goodness sake, she was an adult. Her decisions were her own, her choices were her own. The weekend had been great, just what she’d needed, there was no need to sneak around like a thief in the night.

She squared her shoulders and made her way to the laundry room where she’d hand washed and hung her underwear to dry during the course of the weekend. Her suit was on a hanger and had been brushed and steamed to get the creases out after being summarily left on the living room floor for several hours after Thursday night. She slid into her underwear and put on her suit. It felt strange to be dressed so formally after a weekend where clothing had been minimal.

She picked up her bag from in the living room and brushed out her hair before heading back to the bedroom to retrieve her shoes. She’d have to call a cab to get herself into work, she thought as she twisted her hair up into a knot and secured it with a clip she’d found in the bottom of her bag.

Nate was awake when she pushed open the door.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, his eyes unreadable as he watched her slide her feet into her shoes.

“Yeah, time to get back to reality.” She sighed. “This weekend has been great. Better than great, thanks.”

“That’s it?”

“What—” she laughed nervously “—you want more?”

“I always want more, especially of what we’ve had.”

“I never said I didn’t want to see you again.”

“But you implied it.”

Nicole shot him a nervous glance. Was he going to get all weird on her now?

“Look, I need to get home and then head into work.”

“No.”

She shot him another look, this time the curl of fear in her stomach unfurled to bigger proportions.

“What do you mean, no?”

“What I mean is, you’re coming to work with me.”

Nate pushed aside the bed sheets and rose to his feet, calmly picking up the jeans he’d discarded last night and sliding them on. Nicole struggled to avert her gaze from the fine arrow of hair that angled down from his belly button to behind the waistband of his pants. She’d followed that path, and more, several times this weekend. A hot flush of color rushed to her cheeks. She couldn’t let herself get distracted by sexual attraction. What on earth did he mean when he said she’d be working with him? She didn’t even know what he did for a living. And he didn’t know anything about her … did he?

“You’ve got it wrong, I have a job. A job I love, with a family I—”

“Don’t tell me you love them, Nicole. Not after what they’ve done to you.”

Instantly she rued the way she’d mouthed off in the car when he’d brought her here, and the truths she’d shared over a bottle of red wine as they’d curled naked beneath a blanket on the couch in front of a burning fire, late on Saturday night.

“They’re still family. At the very least I need to clear the air with them.”

“Oh, I think that’s a bit more than they deserve. Besides, the air will clear soon enough.”

Nicole crossed her arms across her stomach. “What on earth are you talking about?”

“When they learn who you’ve just spent this past weekend with, I very much doubt they’ll be welcoming you home with open arms. I’m pretty much persona non grata with your father.”

Nate’s lips lifted in a half smile, as if he was laughing at a private joke.

“You’re speaking in riddles. Why should they care who I spent the weekend with?” she snapped.

Nate came to stand in front of her. “Because I’m Nate Hunter—Nate Hunter Jackson.”

Nicole’s mind reeled on his words. Nate Hunter? The Nate Hunter? The reclusive billionaire who was the new head of Jackson Importers, her family firm’s arch nemesis? Her father had never had a kind word to say about Thomas Jackson, or his staff.

Hang on a minute. Nicole replayed his words in her mind. Had he said Nate Hunter Jackson?

“I see you’ve made the connection,” Nate said coolly. “And, yes, I am Thomas Jackson’s son. Sweet, isn’t it? All that time your father accused my dad of screwing around with your mother, he was actually with mine.”

Nicole looked at him in horror as his words slowly sank in, leaving her mind reeling. She hadn’t just been sleeping with a stranger over the entire weekend—she’d literally been sleeping with the enemy!

Four

Nate watched the shock and dismay play across Nicole’s features as understanding clouded her beautiful brown eyes.

“So you knew who I was all along? This weekend has all been about you getting some twisted revenge on my family?” she asked. Her voice shook, betraying just how much his words had upset her.

It might have started that way, Nate admitted to himself, but now he’d been with Nicole so intimately he knew that for the better part of their time together, revenge had been the last thing on his mind. At least, revenge on her. Her father, of course, was another matter entirely.

“Did you hunt me out?” she demanded, her voice stronger now.

“Our meeting was by chance,” he said smoothly. “A happy chance from my point of view.” He stepped forward and reached one finger to her cheekbone, tracing the smooth feminine contour to the corner of her lips. “And I don’t regret a second of it, Nicole.”

She jerked her head away. “Of course you don’t,” she said angrily. “Well, your little game is over now. I’m heading back into the city to my family and my job.”

“I don’t think so,” Nate responded smoothly, crossing his arms in front of him.

“You can’t possibly be serious about me working for you.”

“I’m serious, all right.”

“No.” Nicole took a step back from him, putting one hand out as if she could physically prevent his words from holding any truth. “There’s no way in this lifetime that I’d do such a thing, even if my father didn’t want me at Wilson Wines. It would destroy every last vestige of our relationship together. He may not understand me as well as I’d hoped for, but he’s still my father. I won’t do that to him. I just won’t.”

Why couldn’t she have stayed angry at her family? That would have made this so much easier, Nate thought to himself. Was there any way he could stoke that anger again?

“You are talking about the man who said that Wilson Wines was a nice hobby for you, aren’t you?”

She shook her head, more in frustration, he imagined, than to negate what he’d just said. Nate pursued his advantage in the face of her silence.

“And you’re talking about the man who, without a word of discussion with you—his right hand at Wilson Wines—gave away a controlling interest in his business to someone who is essentially a complete and utter stranger to both of you.”

“Stop,” she moaned, wrapping her arms about herself and holding them tight. “I know that’s what he’s done, you don’t need to repeat it. He’s my father. No matter what, he’ll always be my dad. I’ll always be loyal to him.”

“Really? Why? He’s even given away your family home, Nicole. Again, without any prior warning to you, nor any assurance for you that you will have a roof over your head anymore. Haven’t you asked yourself yet what kind of man would do that to his daughter?”

Nate was angry, furiously angry. Not at Nicole, who seemed determined to forgive her father anything, but at the man who was at the root of all Nate’s unhappiness. The man whose brutal rejection of his best friend had crushed Thomas Jackson’s spirit and had forced him into dire financial straits. And the man who had withheld his encouragement and support from his daughter for so long that she’d forgive any insult for the chance to earn his approval.

He pressed on as she stood there silent and pale.

“You deserve more, Nicole. You deserve so much more. You’re a strong, intelligent and incredibly capable woman. You should work somewhere where you’re valued and appreciated. Think about the team we’ll make. We’ll be the best the business has ever seen.”