All Chapters of Taboo Pleasures: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Two children, a boy and a girl about eight or nine, were approaching them, taking up the whole sidewalk. It looked like they were talking while they looked right at Raven.I hurried."Is that your server dog, miss?" the boy asked just as I got within earshot."Service dog, dumb dumb," the girl scolded him.I knew they were brother and sister by the sister's comment, but they looked really close in age."Service dog, whatever," the boy told his sister before looking back at Raven.I was behind her, so I couldn't tell what her expression was, but she leaned down closer to them."Yes, he is. How did you know?""Can we pet him?" the boy asked.Boston looked nervous. He seemed to know people weren't supposed to bother him when he was working. He put up with it if he had to, but I could tell he didn't like it."He's working right now, but if you let me take his leash off, it will be okay to pet him then," Raven explained.Both kids nodded, which made me chuckle just a little bit."Boston, s

I managed to get both of Raven's big suitcases, her carry-on, and my small suitcase in one trip, and managed to arrange it so I just had to put one of hers down in the hallway to open the door into the condo.I noticed before I even had the door closed behind me that Raven's Mary Janes and white socks were piled in the middle of a sofa cushion. That was very un-Raven. She was so much more than compulsive about everything and anything being where it belongs.I didn't hold that against her. She needed that, not just with her things, but everything.I put everything I was carrying down right where I was and hurried toward her bedroom. I could only imagine she was hurt, or sick, or worse.I skidded to a stop at the end of the breakfast bar between the living area and kitchen. Raven's little bare feet looked amazingly cute as she knelt on the floor with her head, shoulders and arms inside the refrigerator and her butt sticking out behind her."Raven? What's wrong?""Seriously, Dan? Unless

"Would you like a Braille menu, ma'am?"Raven looked surprised for a split second before her deep red, pouty little mouth turned into a grin."You have Braille menus?" she almost giggled."We do. They're pretty new," the hostess informed us as she put a plain white piece of heavy paper in Raven's hand. I could see the bumps on it.Raven leaned toward me as the hostess left with a promise of Bernice being there soon to take our drink orders."This might be my favorite place in Cincinnati already. It feels so nice, and smells good, and they have Braille menus!""I hear their steaks are pretty good too, Raven," I grinned at her.Raven's expression changed. She was reading the menu, and she looked puzzled."This place is called Hoosier Steaks , right?""Yep. There are a few of them in Indiana, and this is the first one in Ohio. Why?""Nothing really. Just wondering.""Raven," I started. There was something I couldn't stop thinking about, and had been since we left home."Yeah?" Raven gigg

"It's not like I do book signings or release parties. As far as I know, it's just me at home all day, and until just now, I've never actually met anyone who read one of my books, except my publisher and editors.""With millions of fans all over the world?""I'm sure that was an exaggeration, and Heather didn't say 'all over the world.'"I would have to take that last part back at some point, even though it was technically true. Heather didn't say "all over the world," but I knew my books were translated into Spanish, German, and French, both standard books and Braille.I heard Dan's chair scrape the floor as it moved away from the table. Panic rose in my chest at the thought that he might be angry enough to leave me there.I felt him next to me a second later though. I hoped it was him. Then his warm hand rested on the bare skin of my back across my shoulder blades and his soft lips touched mine in a light kiss."I have to use the restroom before the food gets here. Will you be okay?"

Dan was carrying the carryout boxes with our dinners in them anyway. The manager had refused to let us pay for anything, even the box with a raw steak for Boston.Part of me wished I hadn't assumed I didn't need to do anything with my untended bush, but I knew I was just being vain."I'm sorry, Dan," I whispered before my brother started the car.He shifted in his seat before I felt his fingers comb through my disheveled hair beside my face.Between falling off my chair and getting manhandled, in more ways than one, by my brother, my hair had started to come out of the ribbon I had tied it in, so I took it out completely. I hoped it had looked sexy, but at that point I was sure it didn't anymore."What for, Rae?""Everything?"Dan's finger brushed away the tear that I wasn't even aware of off my cheek."None of that was your fault," he chuckled as I felt his fingers slip between mine and gently squeeze my hand.The backs of his fingers burned against the bare skin of my inner thigh, j