Forbidden Desire

Forbidden DesireElizabeth Bardot Forbidden DesireCopyright © 2023 by Elizabeth Bardot.All rights reserved. Printed in Australia. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations em- bodied in critical articles or reviews.This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organiza- tions, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.For information contact : elizabethbardot.comCover design by Wynter DesignsEditor : Leavens EditingFirst Edition: April 202310 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1To every woman who watched daddy Pedro Pascal in that helmet and wanted their own space man ;) Prologue12 months ago“Charlie, you’re free to go. We can close up.” Chad yelled over the booming music. Giving him a salute, I poured myself a gin and tonic as a knock off drink and moved around to the other side of the bar.Rapture was the hottest place in Sinclair Bay and my boss had called in a favor, asking me to work a shift here to cover for the night.I stared out at the crowd, the last drinks were about to be called and the DJ had started playing music from the nineties, the crowds jumping up and down with excitement at the flashbacks.I checked the tables, looking for where my boyfriend and his friends had been earlier tonight. I saw Chris sitting with Everly but there was no sign of Hudson.No doubt he had already taken off with the rest of his mates to some place else. I don’t know why I expected him to be here, it wasn’t like he was one to wait around for a woman.We had been together for almost ten years now. I was a new student at Sinclair Law School, he was about to graduate.Only I never finished, I hated law, instead I dropped out to focus on building my reputation in the clubbing world as an events manager. Bar tending had a certain charm and I met some great people, but my career stalled when my brother got himself arrested for the first time.Hudson changed after that day; it was as if he saw me as an extension of my brother and my less than fancy upbringing was a stain against my name.It didn’t matter that I distanced myself from my little brother which resulted in my family shunning me. I had become the snob of the Elite class they feared, someone who turned their back on family.But I was in love. Still in love with the man I had fallen head over heals for in school. But Hudson wasn’t the same man anymore and there was something between us, something that was growing every day.We played the part, attended all the events as a couple, the galas, the openings, and everything else that the Elite of Sinclair Bay liked to do to show off their money, but my refusal to leave my job had become a sticking point.Sighing, I made my way over to Chris and Everly to find out where he had gone. Chris was close friends with Hudson, both graduating at the same time and working in the same office.I had seen Chris dancing with the woman earlier, Elsie I think her name was. I had met her a few times at events, she was Chris’s brother’s ex. Though the way the man Declan had reacted said she was definitely with someone else now.Chris smiled as I approached, his eyes roaming down my body and taking in my shitty black clothes, now covered in various spirits and mixers from the night. It was hard not to get a little dirty in the process of serving drunk people at a bar.“Charlotte. You look like you had a great night.” He teased and I rolled my eyes. Chris was the flirt of the group. The playboy who knew he had the good looks to go with the money that made him irresistible.“You should go home and rest.” Everly said as she sipped the last of her wine. She glanced at her watch, a dainty little thing that sat on her slim wrist.She was the workaholic of the group, and it was a common joke in the office that she was married to the job with no plans of getting with a man.There were bets running to see if she would finally come out as a lesbian. I knew she wasn’t, and it pissed me off listening to Hudson and the guys talk about her behind her back.She was just a hard-working woman who had ambition and was trying to make it in a man’s world. I knew she wanted to make partner this year and she worked twice as hard as the rest of them.“I’m going home. I have a new case I’m working on tomorrow and I want to get ahead of the game.” She smiled at me, grabbing her handbag, and disappeared through the crowds.“And then there were two.” Chris said and I rolled my eyes. “Where is Hudson?” I asked and he shrugged.“He took off about an hour ago. I think he was planning on going home. You want me to drop you off?” I considered his offer. Did I want to go home to that apartment with all the minimalist décor, perfect temperature control and the cold sleeping body of Hudson? Not really.“Thanks, but that’s okay. I still need to wind down a bit from work. There’s a new indie bar that opened around the corner so I think I’ll go check that out.” Chris shrugged.“That sounds fun. I’ll go with you.” I swallowed the last of my gin and tonic. I should say no. Tell him to go home, but I was pissed off. Hudson hadn’t even said goodbye.“Sure. Why not.” He slid out from the booth and waited for me to grab my things from behind the bar