Forbidden Touch: A Best Friends To Lovers Romance

by Iona Rose

  He squeezed my hand. “That sounds perfect.”

  I stilled the voice in my head threatening to spoil the moment by pointing out that people did not change.

  Not really.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Blaze

  Patience pays. I had known this for a fact but after dinner at Jack and Amelia’s, it was now firmly reinforced. I’d almost lost hope that Brooke would ever want anything more than sex from me. Waiting calmly had worked. I wanted to throw a fist in the air, but I felt sure it wouldn’t go down well with the cab driver.

  We’d agreed I should go home as it was late and the following day was a work day. I looked forward to moving into the upstairs apartment as soon as it was ready. After that, these partings would come to an end.

  The future looked bright and inviting. I kept grinning like a fool when the cab came to a stop outside my rented place. I paid and hoped out. That’s when I saw a figure huddled at the steps.

  Frowning, I hurried towards the front door and when I recognized the figure, I let out a sigh of frustration. “Hi Daphne,” I said, keeping my voice even. “What are you doing here at this time?”

  She stood up. “I was waiting for you.”

  “You could have called,” I said.

  “I tried. Your phone is off.” Her tone was accusing.

  How had I ever thought Daphne was pretty? She was physically attractive at first glance but I’d come to learn a long time ago that physical beauty did not translate to inner beauty. For a woman to be truly beautiful, she had to have both and sometimes, inner beauty was enough.

  Daphne was ugly inside. She was possessive, overbearing and obsessive.

  We had gone out on several dates but luckily, I hadn’t slept with her. It hadn’t taken long to realize she had an obsessive personality. We had made out heavily but that had been as far as we had gotten, before I backed off.

  I opened the building door and held it for her. I was tempted to tell her to go away but my good manners would not permit me to do so. I grew up knowing women should be protected and refused to change that because a particular one was annoying me.

  “What do you want?” I asked her when we entered my apartment.

  She folded her arms across her chest as if she was cold. “I just want us to talk.”

  We had talked too many times and each time I’d made it clear to Daphne that I wasn’t interested. I used the excuse of an office romance and how uncomfortable it could get blah, blah, blah. It was a good thing she didn’t know about Brooke.

  I made my way to the couch and sat down.

  Big mistake.

  Daphne sat down next to me and placed her hand on my thigh.

  I decided to ignore it.

  She smiled. “I miss you Blaze. I don’t understand what happened.”

  I smiled away my impatience. I was beat after my night with Brooke and I desperately needed to sleep. “I’ve told you this before Daphne, I’m not interested in a relationship.”

  “I know but I have another idea,” she said and smiled coyly. Her hand inched up my leg but she could be cupping my cock and nothing was going to happen.

  “Let’s hear it,” I said, wanting to get the discussion over and done with. My eyelids were growing heavier by the second.

  “I was thinking,” she said and batted her eyelashes. “We could be friends with benefits.”

  I stared at her in disbelief and almost burst out laughing, except the laugh would be humorless. It was the second time in a couple of months I’d been offered meaningless sex. What did I look like? A male escort?

  Her hand snaked further up my leg. Her suggestion was insulting but Daphne needed careful handling. I couldn’t just say no like I would with another woman. There seemed to be something vulnerable and a little crazy about her. I cursed the day I had asked her out on a date and the subsequent ones.

  I should have stayed away. For one, office romances were a disaster. If it didn’t work out and one of the partners refused to accept it, it was hell. I wasn’t worried about that particular aspect with Brooke. She was the most level headed person I knew.

  I turned my attention back to Daphne. What a mess. I was paying for my sins now. I covered her hand with mine and then gently pried it away from my leg. “You’ve just sprung this on me, I hope you don’t expect an answer now,” I said as a yawn escaped my mouth.

  “Poor baby,” she said. “You’re tired.”

  This had been another thing that had turned me off, Daphne loved baby talk in intimate moments. I hated it. It made me feel like a seven-year-old boy and of course that was the fastest way to kill my hard on. I nodded. She was right about the tired bit. I would wait a few days, pretend I’d given it some serious thought and regretfully turn down the offer.

  “Okay, I’ll leave you alone to rest,” she said. “Are you sure you don’t want me to spend the night? I could leave early in the morning in time to get home and then to work.”

  “Thanks for the offer but I’m too tired. I just need to sleep,” I said and did not have to feign another yawn.

  I finally managed to get her to request for an Uber and leave. I really was exhausted. As soon as Daphne left, I turned off the lights and went straight to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

  Minutes later, I was in bed, texting Brooke goodnight.

  Her reply came moments later. She was in bed too and about to fall asleep.

  I slept with a smile of contentment on my face.

  One of the decisions I’d made was to keep my relationship with Brooke under wraps at work. She had her reasons for wanting it to be down-low and I’d decided to respect that decision. It also worked in my favor because I hadn’t sorted out my issues with Daphne.

  Still, there were a few things I could do to make Brooke feel special. As soon as I got to my office, I called my go-to flower shop and organized for flowers to be sent to Brooke. She would know they were from me.

  I was soon lost in work as I attempted to clear my inbox. I received a myriad of emails every hour of the day, most of which were applications I had to process into our systems.

  An hour later, a slight knock came on the door. “Come in.” I looked up.

  Brooke slipped through the door like a spy and shut it. She leaned on it and smiled at me. Her face was glowing and I felt glad to have sprinkled some cheer into her day. A buzz of something inside me heightened into a crackling, pulsing energy. Brooke did that to me.

  “Thank you for the flowers,” she said. “They’re beautiful.”

  “Not as beautiful as you are,” I said, meaning every word.

  “Thank you,” she said softly. She moved from the door towards me.

  I swiveled my chair away from my desk.

  She came and sat on my lap. Then wrapped her hands around my neck and kissed me softly on the lips. She teased me with her tongue, tracing my lips with it and then nudging my mouth open.

  I was soon in a lust-filled bubble as our tongues moved against one another. My hands caressed her thighs over her pencil skirt. My cock swelled in my pants as we made out like wild teenagers. Still, I wasn’t complaining at the impromptu make out session. I lifted my right hand to her breasts and flicked my thumb over a taut nipple pressing against the fabric of her blouse.

  Brooke moaned softly into my mouth. I loved how responsive she was.

  Footsteps broke into our bubble and Brooke jumped from my lap. She walked to the door as she straightened her clothes.

  I swiveled my chair back in place to hide the swell of my cock.

  At the door, Brooke blew me a kiss and left as swiftly as she had come.

  It took a couple of minutes before my heartbeat returned to normal and I could focus on my work.

  I left my office half an hour later to get some water and stretch my legs. Too late, I thought as I spied Daphne at the water cooler.

  She saw me before I could turn back. She turned to me and smiled. When I reached into the cooler to grab a bottle of water, she came to stand t
oo close to me. “I was about to come to your office for some…” she let her voice trail off suggestively and rested a hand on my shoulder possessively.

  I smiled and turned to beat a hasty retreat back to my office.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Brooke

  I blew out a shuddered breath as I watched Daphne and Blaze by the water cooler. She placed a hand on his shoulder and said something that made him smile. My heart contracted. Was I a fool? Would I always have to deal with Blaze flirting with some woman?

  I didn’t wait around to watch as I returned to my office and sat down heavily. You’re jumping to conclusions, a voice in my head said. I inhaled deeply in a bid to force oxygen into my brain for clearer thinking. I needed to be rational about it and not allow emotions to rule me.

  Easier said than done. Everything in me longed to march to Daphne and let her know Blaze was mine. But was he really? I hated how I was feeling. I hated the insecurity.

  I couldn’t think clearly no matter how much oxygen I inhaled into my lungs. I forced my mind back to work. Work helped and by the time lunch time rolled around and Blaze came to get me, I was in a better mood.

  I’d decided not to let Daphne sour my mood. She was known in the office as a flirt and a bit of a slut to be honest. I was sure Blaze would not be interested in someone like her.

  “Ready?” he asked as he peered into my office.

  “Yes.” I got up. Before leaving, I sniffed at my gorgeous arrangement of jasmine flowers. “Thanks again,” I said to Blaze.

  Flowers were another first. The losers I’d dated before usually gave me flowers on Valentine’s Day and even then, they would be a last minute buy. Not to mention they would be wilted by the time they got to me.

  It did feel nice to be out of the building and walking outside in the warmth of the sun. We made for our favorite coffee house that served lunch as well. We sat at our regular table by the large windows looking out to the street.

  My tummy rumbled loudly at the delicious smells of food. I grinned at Blaze. “Can’t help it, I’m starving.”

  “That’s what I love about you. Your healthy appetite,” Blaze said.

  “More like an elephant’s appetite,” I replied as a waiter brought over the menus.

  Blaze and I were pretty predictable when it came to lunch. Menus were wasted on us as we always chose grilled chicken sandwiches and water.

  “The weather today reminds me of Hawaii,” I told him.

  “We should make it our next vacation destination,” he said.

  I went still. “We’ve never gone on vacation together,” I pointed out.

  “That’s because we were not dating. Now, we are,” he said. “It would be fun, even better than Jack and Amelia’s wedding.”

  Butterflies filled my belly at the thought of spending weeks together, just the two of us. It was too much to take in. “It would be nice,” I said breathlessly.

  “Does that make you nervous?” Blaze asked. He knew me too well.

  “A little,” I admitted.

  I felt grateful when Blaze did not pursue it by asking why. I had no answers myself.

  “Hey, what ever happened to Winky?” Blaze said.

  Winky was my white-haired cat with the most gorgeous icy blue eyes I had ever seen on a cat or human. “He left home and never came back,” I said.

  I’d been sad for close to two years after Winky disappeared. I’d put up posters everywhere as well as pictures of him. No one had seen him.

  “I’m sorry,” Blaze said. “You never told me.”

  At the time, he’d been involved with a ballet dancer and she’d kept him pretty busy. That memory was like a gateway of all the other Blaze women memories. I remembered the time he had dated a dainty Asian girl and the sexy Jamaican girl.

  “Are you okay?” Blaze asked.

  I pushed away my plate. “I’ve lost my appetite.” I opened my water bottle and washed down almost half of it in one go.

  “Did you ever think of getting another cat?” Blaze asked.

  I shook my head. “Some things are irreplaceable.”

  Blaze had a way of taking control of a conversation and steering it to cheerful topics. He expertly shifted the conversation to his trip to Paris the previous year and soon, he had me laughing at his tales of solo travel.

  We returned to work after lunch and as I pushed open the door to my office, I sensed the presence of someone. I fought the urge to click my tongue in irritation when I saw Mason staring at my flowers. He was my boss after all and he had a right to come into my office.

  “Who are these from?” he asked.

  I shut the door. I frowned and tried to recall if there was an office rule that said you had to disclose the name of the person who sent you flowers. “Why?” I countered, circumventing the question.

  He stared at me, his eyes cold. “Because gifts are not allowed at work.” He grabbed the flowers from the vase and carried them to the trash can.

  I closed my eyes as he threw them in.

  Indignation flooded me. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him what the hell he thought he was doing. Then I remembered he was my boss and had the power to get me fired. I bit my tongue, literally.

  My teeth hurt from clenching my jaw so tightly. I desperately needed to keep my job but I didn’t know how long I could take Mason’s abuse. The realization hit me that the more I kept quiet, the braver and more obnoxious he became. I would have to take a stand soon.

  Relief flooded me when he left my office without another word. I collapsed on the chair and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I felt grateful that I could sink myself into work and not think about the Mason problem.

  Sometime in the evening, my phone vibrated. I glanced at it and smiled. It was a text message from Blaze. Dinner at my place? I’m cooking.

  I responded immediately. You’re on.

  I hadn’t been to Blaze’s apartment in ages and I couldn’t remember the last time he had cooked a meal for me. Though to be honest, food was not the reason why I’d suddenly become breathless.

  At the end of the work day, Blaze and I left work together and took an Uber to his place.

  “I should have gone home first to shower,” I fretted.

  “You can shower at my place,” Blaze said.

  My thighs trembled as my thoughts immediately went to the gutter. No man had ever affected me the way Blaze did. He only had to mention something as innocent as a shower and my mind immediately conjured up images of myself on all fours with Blaze ramming his cock into me. “I’d like that, thanks,” I said.

  Blaze leaned towards me to whisper into my ear, “And if you’re real nice, I might even scrub your back.”

  My breath hitched. “What do I have to do?”

  “A kiss could do it,” he suggested.

  I turned to him, cupped his face, and kissed him deeply, not caring whether the Uber driver saw us through the rearview mirror.

  When I broke away, Blaze whistled. “You have yourself a deal.”

  I settled back in my seat and willed the car to move faster.

  Ten minutes later, we were out of the Uber and walking up the steps to Blaze’s apartment. I stood behind Blaze as he opened his front door and snaked my hands to the front of his pants. I cupped his cock over his pants and my panties dampened. I never got used to the size of his cock, especially when it was contained and throbbing to be set free.

  “Fuck, Hot Sauce,” Blaze said under his breath as he fumbled with the front door key.

  “Having trouble?” I asked innocently.

  “You know I am,” he said. “Stop that if you want us to get into the house.”

  I giggled softly and took my hand away.

  He finally opened the door and held it for me.

  I paused to kiss him on the mouth and then went in.

  “Has any man ever told you that you’re a tease?” Blaze said. He shut the door. “On second thought, don’t answer that. I can’t bear to
think of another man touching you or even thinking it.”

  Thoughts of Mason flashed through my mind and guilt came over me. Being in a relationship meant sharing all the parts of your lives but I knew Blaze. He was a caveman when it came to protecting those he loved. If he became involved, I had no doubt I would end up without a job. “No need to worry on that end,” I said casually. “No one’s even looking.”

  “Good,” Blaze said. He reached for me and pulled me hard against him. His hands grazed along my hips and then he lifted up my skirt so his steel hard cock was pressing against my pussy.

  I moaned as he held my hips and rocked back and forth, each time ramping up my desire. He brought his mouth to mine and kissed me hard. I dropped my purse and ran my hands over his shoulders, loving the feel of the hard muscle underneath.

  His hand gripped the back of my panties and tugged gently, the motion creating an almost unbearable friction on my pussy. “Please,” I said.

  A pounding noise came on the door, making both of us jump. Breathing hard, we stared at each other.

  Blaze dropped his hands and straightened my skirt before moving to the door. He flung it open. “How did you get in?”

  A hand pushed him to the side before the owner strode in. Daphne. She halted to a sudden stop when she saw me. She turned to look at Blaze questioningly.

  My heart pounded hard against my chest as a million thoughts criss crossed my mind.

  He couldn’t have, could he? Nausea rose up my throat. Daphne was a slut. Everyone knew that. I thought she had just been flirting with Blaze in the office but clearly, it was more than that. She knew his home address for goodness sake!

  Damn Blaze!

  “I have to go,” I mumbled and grabbed my purse from the floor.

  Blaze looked troubled. “Hot—Brooke, don’t go.”

  “What’s she doing here? I thought you told me that you were friends,” Daphne said in a screechy voice.

  There was no way I would hang around for this.

  “The question is, what are you doing here?” He glared at the woman then turned to me. “Brooke please?” Blaze grabbed my hand.