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

What to do? I was already here, so I might as well go in, I decided. I hit the buzzer.

Mason’s voice came over the intercom, “Is that you Brooke?”

“It's me,” I replied.

Moments later, the door swung open and he stood there smiling broadly.

Fresh apprehension came over me. I wanted to be at home. Not come to Mason's house to work. I wanted to be home with Blaze cooking dinner or working on the upstairs apartment. Anything as long as I was with Blaze.

I’d decided to leave Mason’s house in less than half an hour.

“Come on in,” he said.

“Thank you,” I said and walked in.

The front door opened up into a living space that stretched out to a dining room and a kitchen beyond but what caught my eye was the dim lighting in the room and a table in the middle of the room set for two.

Why had he gone to all this trouble and yet, I was here to work… I was not here on a date. “What is this?” I asked him. “I thought we were working?”

“We are,” he said, his tone patient as though he was speaking to a child. “But that doesn't mean we can’t have a quick meal, does it? Put your things down.”

I sighed deeply and did as he asked, placing my bag on the couch.

Mason struck a match and lit the two candles on the table.

He had tricked me into coming to his place. I was a fool but it was definitely the last time he would trick me.

“Come and sit at the table. Everything is ready,” Mason urged. “You’ll like the food. I ordered it from a nice seafood restaurant.”

I fought the urge to turn around and walk out of his house. I would go along with the charade and try and eat. If he wasn't ready to start working after that, I would leave.

Mason brought the food to the table with flare and then took the chair opposite mine. “Isn't this nice? Go on, dig into your food.”

I grabbed a fork, and forced myself to eat. The prawns tasted like cardboard in my mouth and I had to forcibly push the food down my throat. I couldn't do it. I couldn't pretend I was okay with a forced dinner date. There was nothing I wanted from Mason anymore. So I didn't have to pretend. I carefully placed the fork down. “I'm sorry. I don't understand what this is. I only came so we could finish the project before tomorrow.”

Mason’s face hardened. “Why the change Brooke? You were all in before. Have you forgotten what's in store for you? The promotion.”

I shook my head. “I'm not interested. Actually. That was one of the reasons I came. I want to tell you that I'm not interested in that job anymore. I'm happy where I am.”

He stared at me in disbelief. “Who are you trying to fool? I know underneath that cool exterior, you’d do anything to get it. Don’t pretend otherwise, I can see through you.”

I pushed the chair back to get up.

In a flash before I knew what was happening, Mason stood up too and came to my side of the table. His eyes flashed wildly. He wore a look I had never seen. “You’re a tease Brooke Mathews. Now, I’ll teach you what I do to women who tease me.”

Fear coursed through my veins. Mason was dangerous. I had misjudged him. I took a step back, but before I could move again, his hand shot out and he grabbed my arm.

Adrenaline kicked in. I folded my knee and kicked him in the groin.

“What the fuck!” he exclaimed, momentarily surprised. But he recovered quickly and he was a lot stronger than I was. He grabbed me again, slamming my body against his.

I would not go down without a fight. I lifted my knee and kicked him again in the groin.

He let out a curse but seemed to recover in the next second and launched for me. I lost my footing and made a grab for the table but instead, got the tablecloth. I toppled to the ground as did the tablecloth and everything it.

Mason took that chance to get on top of me. He pinned my hands to the side and grinned.

Something flickered behind him, catching my eye. “Get off me,” I shouted. “The tablecloth is on fire!”

Mason went still and then looked behind him.

That's when we saw it. The fire had spread to a rug on the floor.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Blaze

I glanced at my phone again. I was contemplating writing another message to Brooke. She hadn't responded to my two previous messages asking her whether she was okay. I glanced up at Mason's house. I saw no activity but there was light in there in what I assumed was the living room.

It was too quiet and the knot of worry in my belly tightened. Why hadn't she responded since the first time I’d written to her from home?

But then Brooke had the habit of leaving her phone in her purse and only looking at it when it rang. I would give it five more minutes and if she didn’t text back, I would storm the house.

I kept my eyes glued on the house for any sort of movement. Five minutes later, I was about to take my phone out to call Brooke, when something in the house caught my eye. A flash of orange light. I peered closer and my heart pounded hard in my chest when I realized it was a fire.

“Fuck! I said under my breath and quickly got out of the car. I sprinted towards the house. By the time I got to the front door, I knew for sure it was a fire. I pushed the front door knob but it wouldn't budge. It was locked.

I ran to the window but the blinds blocked my view. I banged on it. “Brooke! Brooke, are you there?” I heard no response, apart