Page 5 of Forbidden Bliss
An eternity passes before he speaks again. “And her father?”
I look away before swallowing. “Tristan, it’s complicated.”
He scoffs. “It isn’t, though. It’s a simple question.”
The answer seems impossible, so I say nothing.
He moves closer. “Tell me, dammit.”
My hands shake as I turn to face him.
His intense gaze searches for answers while he stands still.
As I finally part my lips to respond, a sudden pitter-patter of tiny feet sounds inside, and I’m interrupted by Lana’s excited voice. “Mama.”
Tristan rubs the base of his neck as he moves back.
Pulling on the door handle, I find her innocent eyes looking up at me. “Yes, sweetheart.”
A sound of a heavy, frustrated exhale is audible from behind me.
Halting, I spin around to look at him. “Go.”
Tristan’s shoulders push back as his hands clench. “I have a right to know.”
Breathing deep, I turn halfway to the door. It feels better to hide, though it would only postpone the inevitable. Biting my lip, I shift back to him. “Not today, you don’t.”
While planting his feet firmly on the porch, his nostrils flare. “I will uncover the truth, Willow. Somehow or another, you’re going to tell me what the hell is going on.”
As he leaves, emotions churn in my stomach.
This is trouble, and as much as I fight it, I still want him. Badly.
Chapter 3
Tristan
AsIstandbythe window of my rental cabin, the afternoon sunlight streams through the panes, warming my skin.
Yesterday, after Willow hadn’t answered my questions, I had my assistant book a vacant property nearby.
Willow’s neighboring cabin is a rental home. Surrounded by towering pine trees and wildflowers, it’s the perfect place to wait for her.
At the large window, I grip a telescope that my assistant delivered to me this morning. The lens is perfectly clear, allowing me to see even the tiniest details.
Through it, I see Willow standing inside with her back to me, her figure magnified and clear. She moves with fluidity and grace while her mesmerizing paintbrush sweeps across a large canvas.
Her hair cascades down her back like golden silk. Arousal hits me in powerful waves, and I have to remind myself to breathe. She has this effect on me. I long to be with her, to run my fingers through her hair, to feel her skin against mine.
Before long, a car turns down Willow’s driveway and heads for the house. A teenage girl who looks strikingly like Willow steps out from a pickup truck. Must be family. They greet each other and the girl walks into the log house.
Moments later, Willow walks out on the porch, shutting the door behind her, and struts to a parked Jeep. She drives the Jeep down the long private road and takes a left. Then she disappears.
Suddenly, she’s on the driveway of my rental cabin, headed straight towards me.
Shit. How did she know I was here?
Adrenaline pumps through my system as I scramble to hide the telescope behind a flowy curtain. After smoothing down my hair, I force a casual look by leaning against the porch railing as her car pulls up.