My Forbidden Love - The Henderson's Children - Book One - Excerpt

Chapter One

Daniels POV

"Please, Daniel, if you don't, Zach and Callum will. And they will ruin things for her. She deserves this right of passage," Violet begs as we sit in my office in the centre of town. She's pleading her case for Ella and Tilly, who have finally turn't eighteen. The girls want to hit the town this coming weekend together before they both go to college in the fall. It isn't in the same place, which is interesting to know.

Both girls have jobs this summer, and I guess they won't have much time left together.

I've kept my distance from Ella these past few years after I kissed her on her sixteenth birthday.

Not that she hasn't tried to keep our friendship close. She still turns up out of the blue to sit in my apartment with me, and I'm helpless to her demands when she does that. I'm also helpless to the fact I let her cuddle me on the sofa...

Ella chose to make things go back to normal, never mentioning my little mishap that evening when I decided to kiss her back when she admitted I was her first kiss. And I've been too chicken to mention it in case I lose her.

I realised that night I had far less control over myself than I thought...

Could you imagine how many of my bones Callum might have broken, or how many bullets might have landed in my chest if he found out I was kissing his underage daughter in my apartment in front of the city?

Yeah... the shudder goes rights through me even now, two years later.

"I don't think it's a good idea. Let Zach take them?" I shuffle the papers I had in my hand when she came in.

Hopefully, it looks like I'm busy, and it's covering up the unease I feel when talking about taking Ella out Friday night.

Violet groans standing to help herself to water from the fountain. I watch her suspiciously as she wipes her mouth. She is dressed in scrubs, having just finished a night shift at the hospital where she's been working as a midwife for the last, oh, I don't know, eight years or so.

I'm proud as punch to see her prosper and get that career she always wanted, but shit, if I'm not perplexed, she drops in the office on her way home as often as she can to rope me into helping out with the girls...

"Come on, Daniel, don't you remember being their age, wanting to do your own thing? I bet Jerry didn't follow you around secretly as the boys do with Ella and Tils."

"No, pa wasn't like that."

"Exactly, the boys are refusing for the girls to grow up. They are adults now. Come August, they will be attending college, and they'll be too busy to think about being kids for a little while longer," that has my interest piqued.

Having kept my distance from Ella, I haven't spoken to her about exactly where she chose to go to school, and I'm not about to ask her mother.

Surely that would be overstepping the line somewhat?

I wonder if my time is limited with her now, will I be saying bye to her in august?

"Do you really want her in a club, Vi? They drink alcohol and smoke drugs .... You know... and have a far from meaningful quickie up against a wall for their first time. Stuff like that anyway, maybe Zach and Callum have a point?" Violet rolls her eyes as if she's been having this exact argument with each of her husbands for as long as time itself. No doubt she has.

"You're starting to sound like the boys. Come on, Daniel. You are the only other person I trust to take Ella out without having to worry that she's okay."

"Hmm..." the problem is. Is Ella really safe with me when all I do is daydream about her luscious lips from that day in my apartment and have almost nightly wet dreams over the dream I have of someday making her mine?