Forbidden Innocence: Tales of the Forbidden

Published by

Mélange Books, LLC

White Bear Lake, MN 55110

www.melange-books.com

Tales of the Forbidden, Book 3: Forbidden Innocence, Jaden Sinclair, Copyright  2011

ISBN: 978-1-61235-238-1

Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Credits

Editor: Nancy Schumacher

Format Editor: Nancy Schumacher

Cover Artist: Caroline Andrus

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* * * *

www.jadensinclair.com

Other stories by Jaden Sinclair

at www.melange-books.com

The Proposal

“Kiss Under the Mistletoe”
in Holiday Treats
S.H.I.L.O.

S.E.T.H.

Interplanetary Passion

Outerplanetary Sensations

SHIFTER SERIES

4

Stefan’s Mark

Claiming Skylar

Dedrick’s Taming

The Prowling

Cole’s Awakening

The New Breed

Seducing Sasha

Draeger’s Legacy

Lucifer’s Lust, with Mae Powers

Love at First Sight

Tales of the Forbidden, Book 1, Forbidden Temptation
Tales of the Forbidden, Book 2, Forbidden Rapture

5

Blaine Cedric sat in the back of his limo, staring at the dark town of Treece, wondering like hell why he came back home. The place hadn’t been home to him for so many damn years. He wasn’t even sure if it could be a home again. Yet it was the closest thing to a home he had, and with his friends he had a good feeling they’d help him make it a home once more. After all, Devon and Dane couldn’t stop bitching at him about coming back for good.

The limo turned south towards the house. Cedric Manor, which was what his father and grandfather use to call it. It was the second largest to the Chateau, and the coldest place in which to grow up. Blaine couldn’t recall too many warm and fuzzy nights in the house. After his mother died, his father changed and became a man he just didn’t know. He travelled, screwed around, and fucked many men out of business deals.

Once Blaine was old enough to see and act on his great role model, his father shipped him out. The town was told it was to correct Blaine’s ways, when in fact it was because Blaine became a threat to dear old dad, not only with business men but with the young women also. The women his father brought home seemed to want to have a taste of the younger Cedric man, and Blaine was very willing to give them that sample, if only to piss his father off.

He didn’t mind one bit being sent away from his father, or the customs of Treece—another thing to piss off his father. When he hit twenty-three, his father tried to order Blaine home to get married, but Blaine ignored it and started to travel. Years later, he got the news that his father died, and like his father did to him many times over the years, Blaine didn’t come home to say a final good-bye. He was bitter at how his father had shipped him off, and still carried that bitterness close to his heart.

6

Devon saw it, Dane didn’t and Darius just understood all too well. It was that bitterness that kept Blaine away from Treece and his home. But like Devon told him, there would be a time in everyone’s life where you had to take a deep breath and come back to where you belonged. Now was that time.

The limo turned into the long drive. After the death of his father, Blaine got rid of all the staff. They were his father’s and loyal to the bastard only. He needed someone there for him and the future, not people that would hang onto the past. His new staff were people not from Treece. They were people looking for work and willing to move away and start over for it.

They were Henning, the new driver, and Randal, the new butler, who ran the house. He also hired a cook, and about three others to keep the place clean. He shipped them all to their new home and was informed that they took their jobs seriously. A few months ago he discovered that his cook and maid had family looking for work also, so he brought them to take over the grounds. Even though Blaine didn’t want the whole house opened, he was told by Randal that the house was being cleaned from top to bottom. With instructions by Blaine, the master bedroom was also redone, getting rid of the dull, dreary look of his father and grandfather. He was assured that when he came home, nothing of the old would be there. And each time he stopped in for a few days he saw the changes that were being done, yet he never ventured upstairs. Hell, he had yet to really sleep in the house and had mixed feelings about moving back in even now.

The staff also had a method of keeping in touch with everyone.

When the house came into view, there were lights on in parts of the house and Randal standing out front waiting for him.

Cedric Manor was huge. It had eighty-three rooms, a grand dining room, ballroom, pool room, library, study, living/entertainment room, kitchen, and sun room. There even happened to be a pool built in the basement to be used during the winter months.

When one walked into the front doors they were greeted with a small split balcony overhead. The staircase fanned out to the left and right, coming down in an oval shape with marble steps. In the centre of the large space, a sitting area had been set up. It was one of the new things Randal and the staff had installed. To the left was the kitchen and dining room, and to the right the living area.

Up the stairs one could go either left or right to one of the many rooms. In the centre, up two steps and down a long hallway was the 7

Master suite. The design of the house was different, unique, and with the changes to the colours and the warm feeling it evoked, Blaine got the feeling that these walls would finally be a home to him.

“Good evening, sir.” Randal opened the back door of the limo the second it stopped. Henning quickly got out and unloaded the bags from the back. “Welcome home.”

Blaine smiled and shook Randal’s hand. “I trust that everything has been going well.”

“Perfectly.” Randal smiled. “The house is finished and can be opened whenever you desire.”

Blaine followed Randal inside, Henning behind with the bags.

Through the wide archway and a left up the stairs they went with Randal leading the way.

Everything had been cleaned, and redecorated. From what he saw, most of the new decorations were things that his father had either stored or took down after his mother died. Blaine liked it all.

On the second floor, Blaine went right up the steps and down the hall to his newly decorated bedroom. Randal rushed up in front of him to open the door, took a step in and one back for Blaine to enter.

The darkness of the master bedroom was gone and in its place were cream, warm colours. The dark leather furniture had been replaced with cream white pieces, dark carpeting taken out and new hardwood floors laid, accented with white fur rugs. The bed was also new. Blaine recalled the bed had once been a four poster, dark wood. What stood in its place now was a Villagio Eastern King Sleigh Bed of birch and solid cherry veneers with a medium brown hazelnut finish. A carved headboard with diamond cut, crystal finials on footboard. Blaine couldn’t wait to get into it and see if it was as soft as it looked.

“Randal, this exceeds anything I might have thought,” Blaine stated, going over to the bed, touching the footboard. “Remind me to give you a very nice bonus along with the rest of the staff.”

“I’m glad you’re pleased.” Randal went over to the left, opening a door. “The bathroom has also been redone. Everything’s new.” He took a step to the right, opening another door. “And all of your things have been moved over for you as well.”

“Very nice.”

Randal nodded and walked to the door. He stopped, and turned. “Oh I almost forgot. You have an invitation for the Compound’s winter party.

I’m afraid that you can’t ignore or decline this one. And Mr. Noved and Mr. Knight will also be here tomorrow evening and the information you 8

requested is on the desk.”

Blaine glanced over to the writing desk in front of the window. A folder rested in the centre with the information he wanted on Kabrey.

“You can call them Devon and Dane, Randal.”

Randal grinned, nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Blaine smiled, shaking his head. He reached up and released the top three buttons of his shirt, walking to the desk. Randal was going to take his job very serious, he knew that and it didn’t bother him. At least he had someone with half a brain working for him.

Slipping out of his jacket, tossing it to the bed, he picked up the folder, opened it and began reading the small amount of information.

Right before he left town for the last time, he had instructed Randal to dig up as much information on one family from his past and one girl he forgot. His gut screamed that she had something to do with why Owen was back causing trouble. If it was the daughter he was after, then Blaine needed to find her first and protect her before Owen destroyed her.

There wasn’t that much on Susan Kabrey and her young daughter as he hoped there would be. She worked at the school Blaine and several others were shipped to. Her husband died right before her child was born, she stayed on for seven years then left. Turning the page, Blaine instantly woke up.

Susan Kabrey and her child moved to Treece where she obtained a job as housekeeper at the Compound. For eight years she worked there then she got sick and died, leaving her daughter an orphan of the state.

That meant her daughter was still at the Compound and would be twenty-one by now. Ready to present, and Blaine would bet his last dollar that Owen knew it also.

Tossing the information on the desk, Blaine strolled to the door, flung it open and yelled, “Randal!”

Blaine left the room went back down the hall and met Randal as the man rushed up the stairs.

“Sir?”

“There’s nothing on the daughter. What’s her name?”

“I couldn’t find that out. I’m sorry.”

“Shit,” Blaine mumbled. He rubbed his face, thinking quickly about what he might do next. “How many girls are being presented as this winter party at the Compound?”

“I’m not certain. Some of the families around are also joining and bringing their daughters as well.”

Blaine nodded. “Okay. RSVP the invite. I’ll just have to go and find 9

her myself.” He turned and started back up the stairs.

“Sir?”

“I need to find the daughter before Owen does,” Blaine stated as he walked back up the stairs. “Just hope like hell I can pick her out.”

Early in the morning, Dane and Devon showed up. Blaine paced the dining room, waiting for them, thinking about how he was going to tell them that he would be attending the winter celebration at the Compound.

“Bright and early.” Dane shook his head. “Not a good sign if you ask me.”

“Who asked you?” Devon smarted off. “Okay, give. What the hell is so important that you had to have us come over this early?”

“I’m going to the Compound,” Blaine said, keeping his voice even and as emotionless as he could.

Both Devon and Dane stopped, mouths open, shock spread across their faces.

“Excuse me?” Dane held up a finger. “But did I hear you right? The one who swore he would never go to the Compound, never get married, is
now
going to head up there tonight?”

“Shut up, Dane,” Devon said. “What’s going on, Blaine?”

Blaine shrugged. “I’m back. Might as well get the shit over with.”

He sat down at the table, picked up the silver coffee pot and poured himself a cup. “If I don’t then they’ll just hound my ass to come.”

“Oh, that line I’m not buying,” Devon chuckled. “Want to try again?” Blaine only glanced at him. “Come on, Blaine. After all the shit we’ve been through don’t start shutting us out now.”

He didn’t want to drag them in. Couldn’t. But hell with the way they both stared him down, Blaine knew he wouldn’t be able to keep them in the dark like he planned.

“Fine,” Blaine sighed. “I’m going to the Compound to look for someone.”

“That usually happens when you go to the Compound—willing,”

Dane stated.

Blaine glared at Dane. “I’m not going up there to find a wife, damn-it!” He rubbed his face before standing back up, pacing the length of the long table. “I never told you two about the shit that happened when I was in that boarding school. The people I met, friends I thought I made. I mean one was a sick son of a bitch. I mean, this guy loved to cause pain to others and what made me even sicker was the fucking fact that my father wanted me to become good friends with this guy. Thought he was so much better than all of you.”

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“What the hell are you talking about?” Devon asked.

Blaine pulled a thin cigar from his jacket pocket. He put it in his mouth, lit it and took a big drag, blowing a thick cloud of smoke out.

“Owen Paterio was the money behind Cameron and Esopo, and I know the fucker.”

“What’s this got to do with you and the Compound?” Dane asked.

“I’m confused here.”

Blaine kept his back to them, closed his eyes and let the memories flow over him. He saw Owen sitting on the ground, the seven year old on his lap reading a book with him. Blaine recalled the look in Owen’s eyes, the way he held onto her, how he slowly released the thick braids to let her hair flow freely.

Blaine went right up to them, jerked her off his lap. He was so rough with her that she ended up falling to the ground, but his full attention was on Owen. Both of them were only sixteen at the time, and Owen had become fully aroused with the little girl. After that day forth, he made sure she stayed away from him, just like Blaine did.

“Owen’s a sick fuck. He likes them young, sweet and innocent.

Back in school, he mistreated a lot of girls, but there was one he never got his hands on,” Blaine turned around, facing his friends. “I kept her away from him.”

“But man that was miles away and years ago,” Devon pointed out.

“I know,” Blaine nodded. “Her mother left and came here. She worked for the Compound for years until she got sick and died. Her daughter, the one that Owen desperately wanted, became a ward of the state. She’s at the Compound, and I’m going to get her out.”

“Whoa!” Dane waved his hands in the air. “You don’t just go in there and take a girl out that isn’t your wife. They have rules. They protect those girls.”

“And I’ll put everything I have down that Owen is only doing this shit of smuggling girls, kidnapping and all to get to her!” Blaine worked to get his temper in check.