Forbidden Neighbor by Natalie Nice

Length: 17,400 words

College senior Rachel Bangmore returns home for the summer, expecting lazy days with her best friend Carol. Instead, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to Carol's father, Max Cordon—a successful married architect in his mid-forties.

What begins as innocent assistance with a backyard renovation soon evolves into charged encounters filled with lingering glances and unspoken tension. Rachel battles intense guilt over betraying her closest friend, while Max struggles to resist an all-consuming obsession that threatens his marriage and family.

As stolen moments deepen their connection, both must confront the emotional stakes of their forbidden attraction. With Carol growing suspicious and Max's wife increasingly absent, the risk of discovery looms larger. In this gripping tale of desire, loyalty, and consequence, Rachel and Max face impossible choices that could shatter lives or lead to a passion neither can deny.