Chapter 1 Prologue

Warning: This story contains themes of dark romance and explicit, steamy sex. It's intended for mature readers, 18 and over as it delves into intense passion, taboo romance and crossing boundaries. Note that all of the characters are above 18 and their consent is taken before any of the intense scenes. If you're not into taboo relationships and intense, forbidden desire, this might not be the story for you, read with caution and know that all these are fictional themes.

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They say your first love is unforgettable, but they never tell you what to do when your first love is the one man you can't have.

I was sixteen when I first realized I had feelings for Shane Shepherd. He was my father's best friend, always around at family gatherings. He was older, confident, with a dangerous edge that made my teenage heart race every time he entered the room. I knew it was wrong to think of him that way, to feel my cheeks heat up whenever he looked at me, but I couldn't help it. There was something about him that drew me in, made me feel alive in ways I never knew I could.

For two years, I kept my feelings to myself, hiding the way my pulse quickened whenever he was near. But on my eighteenth birthday, I decided to be bold. Maybe it was the champagne, or maybe it was the way his eyes lingered on me a moment too long that night. Whatever it was, I found myself alone with him, my heart pounding in my chest, courage bubbling up inside me.

I kissed him.

It was a brief, desperate act of defiance against all the reasons why I shouldn't have. For a split second, I thought I felt him kiss me back, but then it was over. His hands gripped my arms and he pushed me away, his eyes dark with something I couldn't quite name. Disgust? Desire? I didn't know.

"This is wrong," he had said, his voice cold and steady, shattering whatever hope had sparked in my chest. "You need to forget this ever happened."

He left me there, standing in the dark, heartbroken and humiliated. I left Braxton City the next day, vowing to forget him, to bury that kiss deep within the recesses of my mind where it couldn't hurt me anymore.

Years passed, and I thought I had succeeded. I had moved on, or so I told myself. But coming back to Braxton City, I realized some feelings never truly go away. And finding out Shane was now my stepfather was like a cruel twist of fate. The man I once wanted so desperately was now tied to me in a way that was even more forbidden than before.

The moment I saw him again, I knew. The sparks hadn't faded; they'd only been lying dormant, waiting to be reignited. Shane Shepherd was more off-limits now than he ever was. But sometimes, the most dangerous temptations are the hardest to resist.

So, this is my story. A story of forbidden love, of crossing lines that were never meant to be crossed. And if you're ready to follow me down this path, I warn you-it's going to be a dark and steamy journey. One you may not be able to put down.