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

her hair rolled into a casual bun at the top of her head, and stray tendrils falling over her forehead.

“I’ll set the table,” I said.

“How did the peeling go?” Brooke asked as she carried the food to the dining table.

I liked what we had done with the space, opening up the living room, dining room and kitchen so one space flowed into the next. It meant we could talk as we set up the table for dinner. “Better than I hoped. I’ve done both bedrooms,” I said and gave her a quick rundown.

“Good job.” She smiled at me as we sat down at the table facing each other.

How had I not paid attention to how beautiful Brooke was? When she smiled, it was as if a ray of sunshine had been directed onto her face. She glowed with inner beauty. “Looks delicious,” I said, my stomach rumbling.

“Help yourself,” Brooke urged, sliding the dish filled with potatoes to me.

She’d already served our steaks onto individual plates and I proceeded to serve myself potatoes and salad. “How was your first day back at work?”

“Odd,” Brooke said. “I miss the lazy mornings,” she said and then her face heated up as she probably remembered they had been anything but lazy. “You know what I mean,” she added feebly.

“Yeah,” I said and quickly changed topics. The last thing I wanted was more temptation. I could only handle so much. “Hey, what was that about when I came to your office this morning? Mason was acting a little weird.” To be honest, I hadn’t liked the familiar manner with which he had sat on Brooke’s desk or the wary look she had worn.

“Don’t worry about Mason, I can handle him,” Brooke said.

“He’s your boss,” I pointed out, the food on my plate suddenly losing their appeal. “What’s to handle?”

Brooke placed her hand on me. “It’s fine, honestly. There’s nothing to concern yourself with.”

My stomach churned. A million possibilities zipped across my mind. What if she liked him? I shook my head. I was turning into the kind of person I disliked. Paranoid. As much as I wanted Brooke in my life, I needed to chill. Take a step back and recognize that she was an adult.

I had to trust that when she said there was nothing to worry about, there really wasn’t.

Chapter Nineteen

Brooke

I was back where I had been before we left for Hawaii. All I could think about was Blaze and how much I wanted to feel his arms around me and his mouth on mine, kissing me. His nearness didn’t help. His scent surrounded me as we washed dishes side by side.

My body ached at the memory of his hard cock, separated from me by a mere towel. I had been sure Blaze would kiss me but he hadn’t and I’d been left angry and frustrated. Which made no sense since I was the one who had made the decision to end our affair.

We chatted as we cleaned up and when we were done, I invited him for a cup of coffee and in response he yawned loudly.

“I guess that’s your answer,” I said.

“Sorry, another time?” he said and flashed me a tired, dimpled smile

And of course, that smile made my heart break into a gallop.

I walked him to the door but before opening it, he turned to me and pulled me into his arms. “Thanks for dinner, it was delicious.”

I melted into his arms and inhaled his sandalwood scent that had become as familiar to me as the feel of his hard, chiseled chest against mine. “You’re welcome,” I said and buried my face deeper into his chest. It felt as if I had come home after a long day at work. It felt right and I allowed my thoughts to wonder if I had made the right decision. If Blaze was so wrong for me, why did I feel so safe when he held me? It’s the chemistry, a loud unwelcome voice reminded me. I let out a deep sigh.

I made as if to pull away but Blaze kept his hands around my waist and our gazes met— everything in me came alive. His gaze which had been on my eyes dropped to my mouth. One of us moved and in the next second, our mouths were glued together, nipping, sucking, licking. Soft purring sounds filled the room before I realized they were coming from me.

His hands tightened around me as my hands greedily roamed along his shoulders and his back. It felt so good to hold Blaze again. I should stop it, my brain said. But it was a weak thought ‒ and Blaze’s tongue doing delicious things to mine ‒ pushed it away.

I understood then how a person felt when they had gone for days without water and they finally got a glass of it. They drank it greedily, afraid it would be snatched away. And that was exactly what I did. I touched him everywhere my hands could reach.

It took a while to realize his movements were not as frantic as mine. His kisses not as ardent. I forced myself to slow down.

Blaze pulled away, kissed my forehead and turned away to leave.

I stared in disbelief after him and only believing he was truly gone when he shut the front door. Moments later, I heard the roar of an engine and the truth finally penetrated my thick brain.

He was gone and he wasn’t coming back. I sank against the wall and slid down until I sat on the floor. My whole body was trembling. Of lust or hurt or a combination of both.

Rejection stung. I didn’t understand why Blaze had pulled away. I knew he wanted me too. No man had ever made me feel the way Blaze made me feel. His hands and fingers turned me from a thinking woman to one incapable of coherent thought.

How would I ever make it through the night when my body quivered like it did, with desire. I