One Week With My Dad’s Best Friend (Forbidden Kisses #2)

1. Scarlett

Chapter 1

Scarlett

I stare down at the cherub in my arms. She’s a beautiful little girl with too much hair for a seven-day-old baby. My fingertip touches her nose as I coo, “See you later, beautiful girl.”

“I’ll take her.” My sister’s husband, Max, takes my niece from my arms and I feel it again. A strange emptiness that I’ve never felt before, but since Ella was born, I crave for a baby of my own.

I glance at my sister, Jade, as I hand her over with a heavy heart.

My friend Hetty thinks I’m crazy. Seven days, Ella has been in the world, and I’ve gone from aspiring to be a top lawyer to a mum in one week.

“Plenty of time for you,” Jade says, knowingly. She’s not looking at me when she speaks, and I’m no longer sure what she means as she kisses Ella on her head.

I love my older sister. I’m more in tune with her, despite her being five years older than me. I get on better with her than I do with my two younger sisters, and they are only two years younger than me at seventeen.

“I’m going to miss her,” I say. “I wish I could stay with you.” My eyes are staring into jade’s, almost begging for the chance. Because the alternative is me being embarrassed for one entire week when my parents take my sisters for an audition in Los Angeles.

Jade sighs and turns to her husband.

“We already have a baby to look after and you won’t be able to get to college from where we live,” Max says. “And Anton is the perfect man for you to stay with. I thought you wanted to be a lawyer?”

I do.

I think.

But I’m not sure anymore. Since Ella came into the world, I want to hold her and smell her all the time. But I know it is stupid to feel this way. I’m nineteen years old and have plenty of time for babies and everything that comes with them. “I do.”

Hell, my mother thinks I’m still a baby and that I can’t look after myself, and that’s the reason she refused for me to stay home alone. It’s also the reason I’m staying with Anton when she and my father take my younger twin sisters to the west coast. Not that I need taking care of. I can look after myself, but my parents refused—and surprisingly, Anton insisted.

Anton Hawthorn is my father’s friend. They’ve known each other for years. My father and Anton used to work at the same company together. Both trained as lawyers, and probably why I’m following in my father’s footsteps, as did my older sister Jade.

My gaze follows Ella as Max straps her into her baby carrier. My heart is beating fast, knowing I won’t see her until my parents get back.

I’m not sure that not seeing her will stop me from feeling this urge I find I have. It’s been this way since my mother told Jade she had to have a baby, and quickly, because of infertility being on our maternal family line.

My mother had trouble conceiving when she got married and needed IVF treatment to have Jade, but four years after Jade’s birth, she gave up on another baby by IVF, opting to adopt, and then she fell naturally with me.

Not long after I was born, they received a call from the adoption agency. They had twin girls for my parents. Their mother was a very young girl and after a couple of months of trying with her babies, she knew she could never give them the life they deserved and gave them up for adoption.

My parents jumped at the opportunity. They now have the large family they both craved.

But now I’m that middle child—the one who gets little attention. Jade is her wonder baby and the twins are a blessing—me—I’m the independent one. The one who takes what she can. Maybe it’s a good thing because I also get away with more than my siblings do.

My sister smiles as her hand raises to my mouth, pulling at my bottom lip and dragging it out of my teeth. “You’ll be fine.” Her voice is soft as she tries to reassure me. “Anton is a good man.”

“I don’t know.” Worry laces my words as I suddenly remember I am going to stay with Anton from tonight, and I’ll see him every day for the next week.

“You’ve got this. Let him see you study and work hard and he might offer you a job. Just do your best while you’re in his office next week.” She laughs and turns to her hubby. “And then Max will poach you once you’re qualified and have experience.”

She looks behind her at her baby and then at Max.

Max gives me a nod. “I only employ the best. This opportunity doesn’t get gifted to everyone.”

“Sorry, but we need to leave before the traffic gets bad,” Jade says, pulling me in for a hug.

I fight back my own tears as I say my goodbyes and grab the baby bag and follow them to their car. The late afternoon sun catches the silver trim of their SUV, momentarily blinding me. Max opens the door and secures Ella’s carrier into its base while Jade fusses with the blanket around her.

“Text me when you get home.” My voice cracks as a lump forms in my throat while I pass the baby bag to Jade.

“Of course.” Jade pulls me into another hug. Her perfume, mixed with that new-mom scent, fills my nose. “And stop worrying about staying with Anton. You’ve known him forever.”

“That’s what worries me.” I step back, wrapping my arms around myself.

Max closes the back door with a solid thud. “Ready to go, hon?”

“Remember what I said about the job?” Jade slides into the passenger seat. “Show him what you’re made of.”

Soon, my parents and sisters are near Jade’s car.

“See you soon,” Mum says, rapping her knuckles over the side window of Jade’s car.

I sigh as everyone waves as their car pulls away from my parent’s home. Wondering if I will get the same treatment when I leave later today.

I doubt that very much.

A hand touches my lower back.

I know it is him.

It’s the same gentle touch that sends electricity down my spine every time his body touches mine. It doesn’t matter that I’m wearing a tee shirt. I always seem to get a thrill from his touch.

I know I shouldn’t.

Not only is he Dad’s former colleague and friend, but he’s older than me, at thirty-two years old. He’s also the man I made a fool of myself once before. Now I try to avoid him whenever he comes to the house. Making excuses to stay in my room every time.

I wave as Max pulls out of the driveway, watching until their car disappears around the corner.

“We’ll get going soon,” Anton says. His voice is deep and sends a thrill through me when it really shouldn’t.

His hand drops as Mom walks to me.

“Be a good girl when you’re at Anton’s. I don’t want a call from him,” Mom says, smiling at Anton.

I roll my eyes. Even at nineteen, she treats me like I’m still in high school. But the reminder sends a fresh wave of nerves through my stomach. A week alone with Anton Hawthorn. The man who worked with my father. The man who got invited to every family holiday dinner. The man who watches me with those dark, unreadable eyes.

Just seven days. I can handle seven days.

“We’ll get going soon,” Anton says. His warm breath ghosts over the back of my neck and I hope he doesn’t see the goosebumps that are tracking their way over my flesh. I always react the same way, but I assume that’s because he gets so close.

There’s a hope I have—more of a dream—that he likes the way I shiver under his gaze.

I know I am being stupid.

I turn to him and nod, and a little sad that his touch is no longer on my back.

He is staring at me peculiarly. Probably annoyed that I always act weird around him.

“Are you ready to go home? It’s getting late.” His words are innocent but the way he punctuates them, the way he says home, and I can’t breathe. Like I’m drawn to him. Ready for him.

Like he is my home.

I’ve been attracted to Anton for years now. Not that I could ever do anything about it then—I’m too young now, before it would’ve been obscene.

Anton is a lawyer of good standing and I am only a nineteen-year-old student with hopes for my future. I also know that men like Anton are attracted to women who are successful, powerful, and beautiful.

Not me.

No. Women like his ex-wife.

The wind has picked up and whips my dark hair around my head. Still, his deep blue eyes penetrate the side of my face. I want to turn, but I can’t look at him, so I look ahead. I’m not sure what his look means, but I have a feeling Anton is a little annoyed at having to babysit me for a week.

Mom told me to keep out of the way and not bother him. He heard her. He thinks it’s for his sake, but I know why. She doesn’t want their time in Hollywood ruined and having to deal with me.

“I’m ready,” I tell him.

“Good.” Anton’s large hand drops on my shoulder as he ushers me back inside the house.

“I’ll get my suitcase,” I say, pulling away from him and heading to the staircase.

“I’ll get it. It will be heavy.” His voice snapping at my heels as I climb the stairs.

I turn and glare at him, not wanting him in my bedroom and definitely not wanting to be on my own with him. I’ve tried my best to keep my distance from Anton, too scared he will work out how I feel.

How do I feel?

You’ve made it obvious, he already knows.

I groan.

I’m no longer on the cusp of understanding what that may be. Before, when my body zinged to life whenever he was around, I never quite understood what was happening.

Now I know exactly what the feeling is. He does something to my stomach, turning it over and over. He does something between my thighs, so that my hand and fingers play there, often.

I don’t know why I like him so much. Maybe it’s a stupid crush that will disappear on its own. But I’ve had an infatuation with him for too long now. Perhaps it’s because of the way he smiles, like he is the only person to really care about me. The only person who understands.

But I don’t want him to care about me like I’m his best friend’s daughter. I want him to want me entirely different.

And that’s the reason I know I have to keep out of his way.