Forbidden Touch: A Best Friends To Lovers Romance - Iona Rose (free ebook reader .txt) 📗

“She’s an awesome girl. Mom and I love her,” Jack said.

“Yeah. I just have to convince her that we’re better as lovers than friends,” I said, surprising myself with the admission. Jack and I were guys and we rarely talked about deep emotional stuff.

He clamped my shoulder. “You’ve got your work cut out for you,” he said with a chuckle. “Hard, but not impossible.”

Chapter Seven

Brooke

“How long have you and Jack been friends?” Amelia asked me as we sat at the bar counter sipping on our after-dinner drinks.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time, except me. This girl, I think her name was Terry, sat next to Blaze during dinner and they had talked nonstop. Now, they were dancing too close and I sat with Jack, Amelia and their friends, and pretended not to care.

The reality was that I shouldn’t have cared who Blaze danced with, or how he seemed to be having a good time, or how he and Terry were touching each other unnecessarily. A burning sensation filled my chest and then rose up into my throat.

“Brooke, are you okay?” Amelia said.

I sat up with a start and remembered she had asked me a question. I plastered a smile on my face. “We’ve known each other since forever,” I said in a breezy tone.

“She started coming to our house when I was five years old,” Jack said and draped a loving arm around Amelia.

They were so lucky to have each other. I wondered what it would feel like to have someone who loved me so much that he was ready to make a vow to love me for the rest of our lives.

Blaze’s sexy face floated into my mind and I resolutely pushed it away. I sipped my wine and scanned the dance floor. A moment of panic came over me. I couldn’t see Jack and Terry. Where had they gone? Had they sneaked out for a make out session or even worse— for a quick fuck?

It didn’t matter, I told myself. Blaze was my friend. He could have sex with whomever he wanted. It was none of my business. My heart seemed to be immune to the facts that my brain was spewing. It hurt to think of Blaze with another girl.

I knew this was stupid and irrational and I shouldn’t feel that way. I needed something to numb the stupid emotions I was feeling. I downed my glass of wine and asked for another. One of Jack’s groomsmen asked me to dance and I said yes.

“You look gorgeous tonight,” he shouted into my ear as we danced.

I smiled in reply but did not respond. I hated men who talked on the dance floor where you could barely hear each other. I remembered his name was Caleb. He wasn’t turned off by my silence and he continued shouting into my ear.

By the end of the song, I’d added miserable to the list of emotions I was feeling. We returned to the bar after our dance. Caleb got me another glass of wine which I proceeded to wash down in two gulps.

Numbing myself with alcohol was probably not the best idea because it had the opposite effect. I couldn’t peel my eyes from the exit of the restaurant. I felt sure everyone thought I was a weirdo. I needed to leave before I made a bigger fool of myself.

I excused myself as I told everyone I had a headache and needed to lie down.

Caleb offered to walk me back to our condo but I said no, as graciously as I could.

Outside, in the privacy of the darkness, I let the tears fall. It didn’t matter that Blaze was my best friend, I felt jealous. I hated the thought of him with someone else. I hated myself for what I’d become.

When had this happened? When had I started behaving like a crazed jealous girlfriend? Loud sobs left my mouth and I did not bother to stem them. No one was around to witness my shame as I walked towards our condo. Images of Blaze’s big hands caressing Terry to orgasm filled my mind.

When I realized what I was doing—imagining Blaze and Terry in their private moment, I couldn’t believe how low I had sunk. I needed to do something fast before I caused irreparable damage to our relationship. One day, I would look back at this period and congratulate myself for holding it together.

But to get through it, I needed a guy to get off with. I needed someone to take the edge off the lust taking over my life. Even in my undeserved anger for Blaze, my body still ached to be touched. The only solution to the madness would be a one-night stand.

The decision made, I finally felt marginally better and when I got to the condo, I poured myself a glass of wine and headed to the balcony. It was a starry night, the dark skies dotted with brilliant lights. The perfect night for lovers.

My mind wandered to Blaze and Terry. Were they watching the skies as I was, in between kisses? I gulped a sip of wine to stem the tears threatening to fall. I’d never been as disappointed in myself as I felt right now. I’d always considered myself a strong woman.

Since coming to Hawaii, what I had discovered was that I was, in fact, deranged. How could I have allowed myself to have such strong emotions for Blaze of all people? The man who could not hang on to a relationship for more than two months.

My gaze wandered to the beach below. I spied couples walking hand in hand, their soft laughter wafting up to where I sat. I must have been so deeply engrossed in couple-watching that I did not hear the front door of the condo open.

When I heard Blaze’s footsteps as he stepped out the balcony—I stopped breathing.

“Brooke, what happened? Why did you just leave?” Blaze asked, his voice filled with concern.

Tears