Forbidden: A bully romance (An Academy Twin Rivalry Series Book 2) Read online

  Forbidden

  A Twin Rivalry Academy Series

  Book 2

  Taylor Blaine

  Forbidden

  It’s true what they say – the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

  When Jax finds out I used to date his twin brother, he makes sure my torment ratchets up to unbearable and high school is more than just a living hell.

  I’ve become the one girl he doesn’t want to crave.

  He’s the only guy I want.

  Braddox isn’t accepting that and he’s doing whatever it takes to screw me – in more ways than one. What he’s willing to do is so deplorable, so outrageous, I’m not sure I’ll be able to look at him the same.

  Why can’t I be with the one who makes my soul scream and toes curl?

  Because my ex – his twin – wants me back. And he isn’t taking no for an answer.

  Chapter 1

  Braddox

  Instead of rain, the clouds should have been filled with bright sunshine and a sign flying above my house celebrating my victory.

  Not that I could control my dad and his decisions like who he married or lived with, but my suggestions and subliminal messages in comments and texts must have helped throughout the week he’d been gone.

  With Maria.

  I was fine with that. I honestly didn’t give a shit who he married or spent his time with. Anyone was better than my mother. That woman had no claims on me or my dad and I was going to do what it took to make sure that never changed.

  Even if she was clean and on a better path, I wouldn’t want them together. Too much had passed under the proverbial bridge or whatever.

  I lowered the glass of my dad’s best scotch and licked the heady brew from my lips. Standing at the window looking out over the driveway and front of the yard with its well-maintained landscaping, I watched as Olivia climbed out of the sedan.

  Damn. Her thick hair fell down her back in a mass of dark waves. Her curves made my mouth dry and I could almost imagine her scent as if she stood beside me. She stepped onto the drive and looked up at the house.

  I eased back a bit just in case she could see me. As much as I wanted credit for her being there, it wouldn’t help my case to get her to change her mind about me. I wanted her to choose me, be with me. Not only that, but I wanted her to love me, and she wouldn’t if she thought I had anything to do with turning her life upside down.

  She disappeared from my sight when she walked under the overhang of the roof.

  Tipping the glass up, I drained the rest of the contents and swallowed the smooth burning alcohol in one final gulp. I set the glass to the side and took a deep breath. I had to face her sooner or later and I wanted her to be receptive to my advances, not distracted with thoughts of moving, her mom’s marriage to my dad, or Jaxon’s whereabouts.

  Olivia would want to settle in and adjust to the new shift in her life. Again.

  Had her mother told her she’d be back at West Shores in two days? Dad had already reenrolled her and pulled some strings to get her back into where she had been when she’d left. I didn’t envy her the makeup work, but Olivia had always been extremely smart which only added to her sexiness.

  I returned to my rooms, pulling on a jacket and sitting on the edge of my bed. I pressed some buttons on my phone and lifted it to my ear, closing my eyes.

  Jaxon’s voice flooded over the line, creased with mechanical interference like he wasn’t on a cell phone. Probably a land line at the jail.

  “Braddox, I’m in jail. I don’t expect anything from you, but I need help. Mother kicked me out after… look. I don’t have anyone else. I can’t call Dad. I need you.” His desperation and frustration easily reached me and yet, I could only side smile.

  He was in jail. He’d finally been pushed there by our mother. I had no doubt.

  Jaxon wanted my help. What was going to be the best thing for Olivia? What was going to be the best thing for me? That was the most important thing. What was going to further my agenda?

  Keeping him in jail as long as possible seemed more like it would be a better choice for me. He couldn’t talk to Dad. Jaxon couldn’t check in with Olivia. I had no idea what was going on with her but I’d had a good time at our date and hadn’t heard from her since. Things should have turned around after that night. She should have responded to my calls and my texts, but again, it was like that hot little mess was ghosting me.

  Maybe she’d been dealing with… what? Jaxon? He was in jail. I’d gotten the call late the night before. I think I even listened to his message thirty or so times. His anger and desperation mixed for an interesting dichotomy I couldn’t stop listening to. She could have gotten back to me any other time. She wasn’t that wrapped up in things with Jaxon, if he was calling me from jail for help.

  I pushed off my bed, tucking my phone into my pocket. Walking slowly down the hall, I softly tapped the door to the room Olivia would be in. She wasn’t there yet. My fingers trailing slowly over the door and tapping on the wood paneling was more of a silent nod that she’d be there later. I couldn’t wait to have her feet from me. Accessibility was shifting and I couldn’t wait.

  Our rooms adjoined. I planned on wrapping up this game we’d been playing since we saw each other at Donnie’s party. Enough was enough. She’d left West Shores for three months, now it was time to come back and graduate. She probably wouldn’t be welcome with the other students, but I didn’t care about that. I just wanted her and having easy access was the only way I was going to get what I wanted.

  I had to figure out exactly what I was going to do with Jaxon. Compassion was easier to feel toward him with his ass safely behind bars.

  If I didn’t bail him out, things would be so much easier. Sure, I’d feel guilty for a little while that I hadn’t done anything to help him, but that feeling had to wear off eventually.

  Jaxon wouldn’t be sent to prison or anything.

  He wasn’t the type to do anything that was seriously illegal. Knowing Jax, he’d probably been arrested for caring too much.

  On the other hand, if I didn’t do something to help him and Dad found out… I wasn’t yet sure what the nature of their relationship was. Were they contacting each other to work on their connection together or worse? I couldn’t imagine what could be worse, but they were contacting each other on a regular basis and I didn’t know why. That left the entire situation in a state of unknown which meant my control was less than ideal.

  I stopped to the left of the stairs, watching the entrance to the foyer from the catwalk across from a nook by the windows. Bracing my hands on the top of the railing, I stared at Olivia as she came inside and looked around, suspicion dark in her eyes. She doubted something and I was glad she was on edge. That would make things more of a challenge.

  Having her in the room next to mine didn’t have to be an automatic yes. No, I still wanted to chase her. I liked the games between us, preferred them actually.

  When her gaze finally landed on me, I barely lifted my chin in acknowledgement. Her eyes narrowed and she definitely lifted her chin. There was something stony in the way she stared at me and I cocked my head to the side.

  We’d left on good terms Friday night. I’d flown her to Seattle for a nice dinner and we’d kissed. What could have happened in the time since?

  Her expression wasn’t just from irritation. The hardness in her eyes was steely with hate. How had she come to hate me in that short amount of time?

  What had Jaxon said to her? Of course, I blamed my brother. He had more access to Olivia lately than I did. Which I hated.
<
br />   Not anymore. She was moving in with me. Anything he’d broken, I could fix. I had no doubt about that.

  Maria walked in behind Olivia, her gaze taking in the tension between Olivia and me. She smiled tightly and offered a small wave my direction. “Good morning, Braddox. Is Trenton here?” Her formality was to be expected. She was new to my home, not the other way around.

  Dad had texted me that morning when they’d pulled in from Vegas that they’d gotten married and that Olivia and Maria would be moving in with us. I was supposed to arrange for a room for Olivia and then he’d followed up with something along the lines of “she was off-limits since she was going to be my step-sister”.

  I’d grinned at his message. He wasn’t going to be able to stop what he couldn’t see. Olivia and I would be discreet. As much as I longed for her, I couldn’t see my interest lasting any longer than the time it took to screw her senseless.

  Jerking my head in the direction of Dad’s office, I spoke with a welcoming smile. “He ducked in there a little bit ago. He wasn’t expecting you for another half hour or so.” I turned my attention back to Olivia, dismissing her mother. Maria nodded shortly, disappearing beneath the catwalk.

  I moved to the stairs, descending slowly as I continued staring at Olivia. She avoided my gaze, dropping her backpack on the ground at her feet and pulling out her phone.

  The coy game was one I played like a pro, but I had a feeling she wasn’t playing and it wasn’t coyness. No, there was furiousness in the way she held her hands and the set to her jaw.

  I got to the bottom of the steps and crossed the twenty feet to stand in front of her. I waited a moment in case she would lift her eyes. “Hi, Olivia. Are you at least going to look at me?”

  She huffed, dropping her phone to her side and shifting her gaze to pierce mine. “What do you want?” She tilted her head as if in question, but gave off the sensation that she decidedly did not care what I wanted.

  I blinked, taken aback at the icy fury in her eyes. Spreading my fingers at my sides, I asked, “I thought we had a good time the other night. What happened? Did I do something to upset you?”

  Olivia took a deep breath, the motion moving her chest upwards and grabbing my eye as her breasts pushed against the thin cotton material of her shirt. She ducked her head until I looked at her face and then she straightened. Her smirk was unforgiving. “Actually, Braddox, it’s not the something you did, it’s more like a someone.” She arched her eyebrow and narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me. I need to find out which room is mine so I can get settled.”

  Someone? She was pissed because she thought I’d done someone? How would she know that?

  I didn’t flinch or act like I knew what she was talking about. “Oh, you know the way. We’re putting you in the green suite. You remember, right? The one next to mine?” I smiled innocently at her.

  Her lips parted and I loved that I’d surprised her. I gave myself a week to get those lips to part in other ways for me. A week. I’d be banging her in a week. That thought made me whistle as I strode past Olivia to the front doors. I’d leave her with the thought that our rooms were going to be near each other. That’s all she needed for now.

  I shut the doors behind me and approached the Nova I’d called the valets to bring around an hour ago. The vehicle sat at the head of the driveway, not far from the door.

  Maria’s modest Hyundai sedan had been parked off to the side and the moving vans would be there shortly. I’d be gone, but that wasn’t the point.

  A car I didn’t want anyone to recognize pulled onto the driveway behind mine and parked. I glanced behind me at the house, making sure Olivia hadn’t followed me outside. She wouldn’t be able to see anything from her room, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t see things from the front of the house.

  Olivia wasn’t in sight.

  The car cut its engine and Staci climbed out, her blonde hair swaying as she shut the door and moved toward me. Her lips had been glossed to within an inch of blinding and damn, if she didn’t have five inches of cleavage available to ogle. The difference between her and Olivia was drastic.

  She stopped in front of the driver’s door on my car and thrust a hip out, planting her hand on the curve. “Brax, I found out something interesting last night. You have a twin brother.” She cocked an eyebrow at me, poking the tip of her tongue onto the inner angle of her bright pink lower lip.

  Jaxon. She found out about Jaxon. That fact made me not want anything to do with her. Staci did things with her body to just about anyone. I was fine with that. I could use her for my own games. But if she’d taken on Jaxon, I was done.

  I brushed past her, opening my door and shoving her out of the way with the metal frame. “Good. You can screw him now.” I slid into the front seat and moved to insert my key in the ignition, shutting the door behind me.

  Staci tapped on the glass, something cynical in her eyes that were so like Olivia’s green ones. They really were similar in some ways. I might imagine it, but I could handle that. Wanting Olivia made it hard not to see her features in everyone else.

  I sighed, rolling down the window. “What do you want, Staci? The other night isn’t going to be repeated.” I didn’t need that kind of crazy. The only reason I had given in as it was had nothing to do with Staci’s sexual allure and everything to do with the fact that I had pent-up needs from being around Olivia all night with no way to relieve them.

  Staci bent over, resting her forearms on my windowsill. My view of her breasts became fuller and I shook my head at her blatant availability. While Olivia was frustratingly unavailable, at least I knew she wasn’t giving it away to every guy she came across. Staci had been momentary and I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

  “I’d be interested in a three-way, Brax. If you’re game.” She winked and trailed her long pink fingernail on my shoulder. “It could be very stimulating.”

  I reached up, brushing her hand from my shoulder. “I’m not sure what you did with Jaxon, but I’m not interested in playing anymore, Staci.”

  “Oh, not that I didn’t try, but he had a tramp with him that wouldn’t let me get close. I thought it was you. I went up to volunteer more time with you, maybe even include her, if she wanted to, but she wasn’t having it at all. She said you were all mine.” Staci curved her lips upward. “Wasn’t that nice of her? You’re all mine, Braddox.”

  A girl had said Staci could have me. A girl with Jaxon.

  Shit. Olivia had found out about Staci. I had no doubt that Staci had been blatantly open about what we’d done. I couldn’t picture the context, but it had to be pretty revealing to upset Olivia the way it had.

  I shook my head and growled out, “Staci, I told you to keep what we did between us. You didn’t have to tell everyone. That was a contingency on our arrangement. I can’t screw someone I can’t trust. This is over.” Not that I’d planned on another encounter, but I’d mollified her by hinting at more. I could recognize a crazy bitch when I saw one.

  Staci blinked. Her lashes black with thickly applied mascara looked ridiculous with her nearly white blonde hair. “I don’t understand. I thought he was you so I was trying to be friendly. You can’t just shove me aside like that. I’m a Stabler. Do you understand?” Her voice screeched and reached levels of shrieking as she spoke.

  I shrugged, pressing my lips together to keep from laughing. She was seriously throwing a tantrum because I wasn’t going to screw her anymore? There was something wrong with that. I’d never said I wanted more or was interested in more. I shook my head. “This isn’t going anywhere. It never was.”

  “Is this because of Olivia?” Staci slowly stood, crossing her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts higher but this time without intent to come across as sluttier.

  I stilled. What did she know about Olivia? I tilted my head. “What about her?”

  “She’s the girl I met last night at DeGuido’s. Isn’t she the one with your brother? From what I saw them doing in that booth after I le
ft, you’re not an option she wants any longer.” Her irritation turned smug. “Maybe she knows something I don’t?”

  Furrowing my brow, I looked Staci over. I took my time as I considered my options.

  If Olivia thought I was sleeping with Staci, that would explain why she was so upset with me. That would explain a lot of things. It also might be a way to get through to her with jealousy. Envy and jealousy could be very strong motivators.

  I clenched my fingers around the steering wheel. “Maybe she does know something you don’t. What were they doing before you got to the table?”

  Staci flipped her hair over her shoulder and arched an eyebrow. “Actually, Braddox, they sat across from each other. It wasn’t until she was sticking up for him and he moved to sit by her that they started in on each other. Sounds like you missed that boat.” She turned, shaking her butt as she walked away.

  She was right. It did sound like I’d lost out on Olivia. Except… Was it possible that she’d turned into Jaxon’s arms because she was so upset that I’d been with someone else? It was highly possible. While I didn’t want to think about the possibility that she’d slept with Jaxon, it was something I had to accept was a distinct part of my reality.

  Screwing Staci had been purely out of instant gratification and nothing else. Something I should have learned was not the best way to spend my time. Regardless, I had a feeling I might have to utilize the slut to get through to Olivia. It was just a matter of strategy.

  Regardless of what had caused it, I could apologize to Olivia, acknowledge that I messed up and then beg for her forgiveness. If she was that worked up and upset by my actions with Staci, then didn’t that mean she cared? I was going to hold onto that. Olivia preferred honesty. If I wanted to get through to her, then that’s what I needed to be. Completely honest.

  First, though, I had a brother to visit in jail. Too many things were possible.

  Honesty could start after.

  Chapter 2