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

The groom wore a vest coat over his shirt to differentiate him from his groomsmen.

My eyes immediately moved to Blaze.

As if he could feel my gaze, his eyes searched the crowd and came to a stop on me. We exchanged a lingering gaze before he looked away.

Soft music came from speakers hidden in the garden and the bridesmaids appeared and walked down the aisle.

Finally, we all stood up as the volume grew. It was Amelia’s turn and when she appeared, fresh tears filled my eyes.

She looked so beautiful and when Jack caught a glimpse of her, his mouth fell open and a look of pure love came over his features.

I shifted my gaze to Blaze to see his reaction but he wasn’t looking at the bride or groom. He was looking at me.

My heart rate sped up and every nerve ending in my body rose to the surface of my skin. I swallowed hard as I felt myself drawn into his dark eyes. He looked at me as if he cared. Of course, he did, we were best friends. But it was more than that. His gaze resembled that of a man looking at the woman he loved.

I came to myself and almost laughed aloud. Now, that was wistful thinking. I looked away and watched as Amelia’s father gave her to Jack.

The scenery was to blame for my errant thoughts. Mountains, beach, wedding… love was in the air. In this kind of atmosphere, it had been easy to tell myself that Blaze and I were in love. That our relationship could also lead to this. I shot down those thoughts. The road to hell was paved with fantasies and I knew better than to indulge them.

No one had a dry eye as Amelia and Jack exchanged their own vows, promising to love each other until the end of time. The happy couple walked down the aisle to cheers and whistles.

As if drawn to each other by an invisible force, Blaze and I couldn’t stop staring at each other. Fear trembled through me. No matter what I told myself, it would hurt like hell to give him up, but it would be worse if I held on.

He would resent and hurt me, unable to tell me he was tired of us. I refused to lie to myself thinking I was different to Blaze. He was operating on shiny new object syndrome.

I held him captive because my body was new to him. A new toy to play with. When familiarity crept in, and our lovemaking wasn’t as exciting to him, then he would want to move on.

And it would be too late for me. I’d already be head over heels in love with him. As much as Blaze cared for me and loved me as a friend, he would break my heart into a million pieces. Something told me if I let that happen, I would never recover from it.

The rest of us followed the bridal party to the tent erected on the west end of the garden where the reception would be held. But first, the photographer had us stop and take a few pictures. My heart bled but I forced a smile and playful poses before following everyone else into the tent.

I found myself seated next to Jack and Blaze’s aunty. She kept me laughing as she regaled me with tales of the boys spending some vacations at her cottage by the beach. It explained why Jack had been eager to have a wedding by the beach side.

Aunt Sara had no children of her own and she regarded Jack and Blaze as her children. “I think you and Blaze might be next,” she whispered into my ear, making me blush.

I smiled in response. I didn’t want to break her heart or hopes and tell her Blaze and I would only be good between the sheets. A relationship was out of the question for us.

Dinner was delicious but I’d only been able to pick at it. I felt like my life had entered a timer. Every minute that went by took us closer to our departure time. The last few days had honestly been the happiest in my life.

I’d never known sex could be so wild, exciting, and fulfilling. I had laughed, cried and experienced all other emotions in between the two. The end of our short affair would leave a gaping hole, impossible to fill. But I would try. Especially, because I now knew what I wanted.

I refused to settle for less. I knew how good it could be between a man and a woman. It made me sad as I wondered if our friendship would survive our affair.

“It’s time for their first dance,” Aunt Sara said and clapped her hands together like a young girl waiting for her birthday present.

“You’re a true romantic,” I told her laughing.

“Who isn’t?” she said and returned her gaze to the happy couple who only had eyes for each other.

The DJ invited the Maid of Honor and the Best Man to join the couple in the next song.

Blaze threw me a dimpled smile before pulling Emily into his arms.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him and when he turned my way, neither could he.

When the official dances were over, I felt a hand on my arm. I looked up to Blaze’s animated face.

“A dance, my lady?” he said and bowed.

I giggled. “Yes, sir,” I said and placed my hand in his.

Unlike our previous drunken dances where our hands roamed all over each other’s bodies, we kept this one PG-13.

“You do know what I’d like to do to you, don’t you?” Blaze whispered into my ear as we danced.

I trembled in his arms. “I have an idea.” I breathed him in, loving the familiar masculine scent that was all Blaze. I stroked his shoulders and his back.

When the song was over, Blaze took my hand and led me out of the tent.

“Where are we going?” I asked him.

“For a walk on the beach,” he