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

wrapped my hands around my knees, brought them to my chest, then rocked myself until my body cooled down and my brain cells started functioning.

Only later while I lay in bed, did I finally feel gratitude towards Blaze for stepping away before we had sex. I’d have hated myself had we slept together. And we would have, had he not been the adult between us and stopped it.

It would not happen again, I vowed to myself. All we needed was time and the attraction between us would die down.

I had recovered somewhat the following day and was busy inputting data into a spreadsheet at work when a notification for an email came. I clicked on it. It was Mason, my boss, asking me to come to his office.

His office was a few doors away from mine and when I knocked on his door, he called for me to enter.

My insides clenched as I forced one foot in front of the other. It was always worse when I went to his office. He made me feel like a caged animal.

“Brooke, come on in,” Mason said. “Here.” He held out a stack of papers. “Could you please photocopy those for me? Maggie is not in today.” He smiled, his gaze daring me to say no.

I seethed inwardly but forced a smile. It cost so much effort to smile that by the time I walked out clutching the papers to my chest, tears of humiliation prickled my eyes. I knew what he was doing and it shouldn’t have irked me but it did. I was not his secretary but he wanted to show his power over me.

Usually, I was able to look at the bigger picture. I needed the job. He wouldn’t actually do anything to me. I was an adult and could take care of myself. But today, my nerves were frayed after a sleepless, lust filled night.

As I entered the photocopier room, I saw Blaze and Daniella huddled in the corner whispering. He said something to her then she threw her head back and laughed.

Tremors ran over my skin. Possessive fury came over me. I talked myself out of it. There was no point in getting mad. This was who Blaze was. He loved women and they loved him back. I’d been smart by bringing our affair to a halt. I congratulated myself as I quickly made copies of each paper, all the while, keenly aware of Blaze’s eyes on me. I escaped as soon as I could and returned to Mason’s office.

Mason was on the phone as he waved me in and pointed at the chair.

I had no choice but to sit down and as I did so, my skirt rode up my thighs. Discreetly, I tugged at it and kept my legs tightly meshed together.

He ended the call, stood up and came around to my side. “Thank you for being an obedient girl,” he said, his tone riddled with sexual undertones.

I sat tightly, with my hands folded across my stomach.

He perched on the edge of the desk, looking down at me.

I knew he was ogling my chest. He could look all he wanted, as long as he did not touch. I had debated on what to wear this morning. I’d been tempted to wear a conservative top but decided I would not let Mason bully me into changing my dress code. And so I had worn one of my sexy blouses and from where he sat, he had a nice view of my cleavage.

“How about a drink after work?” he asked.

I stared up at him. “Aren’t you married Mason?”

He was married to a very quiet woman by the name of Juliet. He brought her to the office Christmas parties which was the only time he behaved himself. Office rumors had it that she came from a very wealthy family, which was one of the reasons Mason had married her.

He stared at me long and hard. “What’s that got to do with anything? I’m asking you to go out for a drink with me. You should be honored. I don’t go around issuing drink invitations, but I think you’re gorgeous and smart. You could go very far in the company.”

I was as ambitious as the next person but my plan was to work hard and get promoted using the normal methods. Certainly not my body. I looked at Mason.

He wasn’t unattractive. Actually, he could be described as handsome with slightly greying hair around the temples and a chiseled face. The trouble was, I didn’t see all that with Mason. What I saw was his leering gaze and his lusty eyes that followed me everywhere.

Which went to show that beauty really did come from the inside. As he sat there, telling me how sexy I was and how much he wanted to show me a good time, the image of Blaze and Daniella came to mind. A burning sensation filled my chest. The little scene replayed in my mind.

Daniella’s laugh and the way she had placed her hand on his arm, as if he was hers. I shook my head to dislodge the images. In less than a week, Blaze had forgotten about Hawaii. It hurt to know that a period which had been so special to me, had meant nothing to him.

If it had, he wouldn’t have been flirting with Daniella. He would have been missing me as much as I missed him.

“No thanks,” I said to Mason.

“Are you frigid?”

Mason’s voice penetrated my thoughts. “What?” I asked.

“Do you enjoy sex? Is that what this is, because if you don’t, it could be that you’ve haven’t met an experienced man who knows what he’s doing.”

I gasped at the gross invasion of privacy. Tightening my mouth, I pushed my chair back and stood. “Is there anything else?”

He chuckled. “I know your type Brooke. You like teasing men and enjoy it when they sniff around you. I’ll be patient but mark my words, I will have you.”

I fled. His words made