My Bossy Protector: A Best Friend’s Brother Romance

by Charlize Starr

  The cop looked me up and down and then, looking bored, pulled out a file. “Has he harmed you physically in some way before? Has he threatened you with actual violence? Do you have any evidence of this?”

  I didn’t, so I remained silent.

  “Look, Miss, we can’t just issue restraining orders on people who say they want to see you. If we had to do that against all these soppy sorry exes, nobody would be left. Everyone says stupid things. I’m sure that’s all it is,” he said.

  “I know him. I know Marco and what he’s capable of. He’s biding his time. He’s going to find me and I know he’s going to hurt me!” I screeched, but the cop shook his head.

  “Unless you have proof of harm, violence, or actual threats, I can’t do anything official, Miss.”

  I left the police station, and this time I was in no rush to go back to the office. I felt vulnerable and exposed. I could still feel those eyes on me, and I wished I had someone to talk to. Four years ago, I would have told Simon everything, trusting him to keep me safe. But now I knew that I meant nothing to him, just like he told Shay.

  Chapter 11 - Simon

  I was waiting for Ivy when she returned. I stood by the main glass doors of the building, watching her run towards me. My eyes glazed over as I watched her beautiful form, her curls flying behind her, breasts bouncing gently in her form-fitting dress. She had a denim jacket on with the sleeves rolled up and ankle-length boots. Everything about her made me want to give up. Throw my hands up in the air and confess that I’d always wanted her.

  But she burst in through the doors, and before either of us could react, she toppled into me.

  My hands flew up to clutch her by her arms. She was out of breath, her face red from exertion. I felt her breasts press up against my chest before she pulled herself away. Everything about that moment reminded me of our kiss – the way she’d tasted in my mouth.

  “Oh, my god. I’m so sorry, Simon! I didn’t see you there,” she exclaimed, brushing her hair with her hand.

  I clenched my jaws and slid my hands into my pockets. “Do you know what time it is?” I asked her and she looked at her watch.

  “Shit!” she murmured.

  “You are seventeen minutes late. This is supposed to be a lunch hour. You’re supposed to be back at your desk at one-thirty. Not a minute after,” I growled.

  Ivy stared up at me with watery eyes, but she blinked her tears away. She held her chin up. “I’m sorry, Simon. I can assure you this will never happen again. I just had a personal errand to run,” she apologized.

  My body was still reeling from our contact. I’d felt the warmth and softness of her, and I felt like it was going to drive me crazy.

  “You told me not to dish out any personal favors to you, so that is what I’m doing,” I said.

  She nodded. “Yes, I understand. You have every right to penalize me. What can I do to make up for it?” she asked.

  I was trying to think. What could I tell her to do that wouldn’t make me a complete asshole? What was the fairest thing to punish her with? Throw her over my arm and spank her ass? I’d love to do that. To feel her ass bounce against my hand. But I had to do everything in my power to drive those thoughts away. I needed to behave. This was Ivy Soleman. She was beyond my league.

  “Stay an extra half hour after closing time,” I told her.

  Ivy sniffed but nodded her head at the same time.

  “Of course,” she murmured. I opened my mouth to say something more, but she’d already brushed past and walked away from me.

  ***

  I could have left at my usual time, but this evening, I stayed. I couldn’t make myself leave while Ivy was still working in her office. I kept looking out and checking to see if the lights in her office were still on.

  The moment I saw them turn off, I left my office too. She saw me at the end of the hall. For a moment, I thought she’d leave – that she didn’t want to speak to me. I wouldn’t blame her after the way I’d been treating her since she arrived.

  But she waited for me as I walked towards her.

  “Sorry again, Simon. I got caught up and lost track of time. I promise it won’t happen again.”

  I stopped in front of her, searching her eyes.

  “You don’t have to keep apologizing, Ivy. You made a mistake and made up for it. It’s over now,” I replied.

  She nodded and licked her lips nervously.

  “Mick had me going over the documentation for the investor proposals you guys have been working on,” she told me.

  “Good. We could use all the help we can get. A fresh set of eyes will definitely come in handy. I’m looking forward to your perspective,” I answered.

  Ivy tipped her head to the side as a soft smile was spreading on her face. “Is that as close to a compliment that I’ll get from you?” she asked, her blue eyes were glittering in the dim light of the hallway.

  “I didn’t realize you were fishing for compliments from me,” I replied.

  Ivy shrugged. “Just validation from my boss.”

  “Yes, then that is the closest compliment you’ll get from me. Unless you do something to blow my mind,” I said.

  Ivy chewed on her lower lip, and her smile grew. “Okay, then I’ll keep trying,” she said.

  “Why do you care, Ivy? What do I think of you? You’re an intern here. This isn’t even a real job for you,” I asked her.

  The smile drooped and she snapped her face away from me. There was a faraway look in her eyes, and I could sense she was thinking about something else. “I just want to do a good job while I’m here. I know Shay stuck her neck out for me. I know she had to do a lot to convince you to take me on. I don’t want it to be a complete waste of time for you,” she replied.

  She had no idea. The only reason Shay had to convince me to take Ivy on was because I knew what I was capable of while around her. It had nothing to do with her capability in the workplace.

  “You should get going. It’s getting late,” I suggested, changing the subject.

  Ivy gulped and nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to ask you to walk me to my car this time,” she said. Before I could answer, she walked away from me, which was for the best. What was I supposed to say to that?

  That four years ago, I refused to go back to her house with her because I had feelings for her? Because I didn’t want to hurt her?

  She was better off thinking I was an asshole.

  Chapter 12 - Ivy

  Shay called me the next day on my lunch break. I left the cafeteria to take the call, but I was careful to keep an eye on my watch.

  “So, what’s been happening?” she asked me, sounding excited.

  “It’s going well. I’ve found an apartment to rent. It’s small, but it’ll do. I’m still driving the rented car around,” I replied while sipping on my milkshake.

  “That’s great. I’m glad to hear you’re settling down. What’s happening with Simon, though?”

  “What do you mean? I rarely see him, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “You know what I’m asking, Ivy!”

  We hadn’t spoken about this in a long time. We’d decided that the best way to keep our relationship intact was by taking her brother out of the equation. I didn’t want to argue with Shay, and I knew she’d always felt sorry for me.

  “No, I don’t know what you’re asking, Shay. Look, you forced me to come here, so I did. I’m just trying to do my job and gain the experience I need,” I told her.

  Shay sighed but didn’t bring up the subject again. Instead, she asked about something else I didn’t want to talk about.

  “You haven’t heard from Marco, have you?”

  I clamped my mouth shut, trying to make a split-second decision on whether I was going to tell her about the texts or not. “No, have you?” Shay was better off believing that I was doing fine. That she had finally managed to get me away from him.

  “He came around to our house, but Brian shooed him away. All I know is
that he knows you’ve left town, which is probably a relief!”

  I gulped, trying to bring back the cheer in my voice. “Thanks, Shay, for everything you’re doing for me,” I told her.

  “I know you’d do it for me, too, hon,” she replied.

  We spoke a little about her wedding preparations before we finally hung up. This time, when I got back to the office building, Simon wasn’t waiting for me at the door. I was not late. However, I wished he was there. I wished I found another reason to stay late. I knew it wasn’t for the best and I’d end up hurting myself, but I couldn’t help but crave some alone time with him.

  So, I stayed late again, not because Simon demanded it of me. My job didn’t demand it either. In fact, I could have left several hours earlier, but I lingered around until everyone else had left.

  “You shouldn’t overwork yourself,” Jacob told me sweetly, poking his head around my door before he left. I knew he was waiting for the opportunity to ask me out for a drink, but he was shy and unsure of how to approach the subject. I hoped he didn’t ask me because I didn’t want to have to turn him down. Right now, there was no room for a man in my life.

  It was nearly eight by the time I turned off the lights and stepped out of my office. Just like the night before, I found Simon leaving his office, too. Was he waiting for me? Was he keeping an eye on me? I couldn’t believe I was putting myself through the trouble of staying late just to get a glimpse of him. To maybe have the opportunity of speaking with him. I stood by the elevators, waiting for him as he walked towards me.

  “What are you still doing here?” he asked and I grinned.

  “I had some work to catch up on. Why are you still here?”

  “I always work this late. It’s pretty much all I do,” he replied and pressed the button for the elevator.

  I was a little disheartened at that. He wanted to get away from me.

  “Yeah, Shay told me you’ve become a workaholic,” I said with a smile and he lifted his brows up on his forehead.

  “What else has Shay told you about me?”

  I shrugged, trying to keep my gaze away from him. I knew that I tended to stare when I looked at him – at those intense green eyes and dimples! Sometimes, I still couldn’t believe I was in his presence again. That he was actually back in my life. I’d yearned for this for so long, even though I knew it was wrong.

  The elevator doors pinged open and he held them until I’d stepped in.

  “I’m going to walk you to your car,” Simon said, and my heart was racing.

  I couldn’t help but imagine what might happen . . . If he might kiss me again. It was foolish of me. I knew he wouldn’t do it. Did he even want to do it the first time, or did he feel obliged for some reason?

  “You don’t have to. It’s a perfectly safe neighborhood,” I said as the elevator started moving.

  “I know,” was all he said.

  We were silent as we stepped out. He kept pace with me as we walked out of the building and in the direction of where I’d parked my car.

  “Ivy.” He said my name all of a sudden, making me stop in my tracks.

  I turned to him and saw in his eyes that he wanted to say something.

  “Simon?”

  “About what happened . . . four years ago,” he began.

  “You don’t have to say anything. We don’t have to talk about it.”

  “I know what I did was wrong. You’re my sister’s best friend and I shouldn’t have taken advantage of the situation,” he continued.

  “You weren’t the only one doing the kissing!”

  “But I instigated it, and it was your birthday. I left the next day. Nothing about it was right, and I am sorry about it. I hope you’ve forgiven me,” he said.

  The way he was speaking was the Simon I remembered from my childhood. Strong but calm, kindhearted but firm. The kind of person you know always stood for what was right. The guy I had fallen in love with.

  “Yes, Simon. I forgave you a long time ago,” I replied.

  Chapter 13 - Simon

  Hearing her say that she forgave me was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. She was smiling at me, and I smiled back.

  “I’m glad,” I remarked, and Ivy reached for my arm and awkwardly patted it.

  I caught her hand and brought it up to my lips. Something I knew I shouldn’t have done. She looked like she was holding her breath as I kissed her fingers. I let her hand drop immediately after.

  “Sorry. Shouldn’t have done that,” I said.

  Under the streetlight, I could see her cheeks flushing and her eyes glowing.

  “It’s okay, it’s fine,” she said and took a step away from me.

  What was I doing? What made me think it was okay to kiss her hand after the things I’d done to her?

  “I guess I should have told you I was about to leave for California,” I said.

  Ivy licked her lips and sighed. “But you didn’t, and that is okay too. It’s not like you owe me anything, Simon. It was just a kiss.”

  I stared into her eyes. Hoping she would say something more. “Yes, it was,” I added, and Ivy looked away.

  “Shay told me what you said to her over the phone,” she continued.

  I froze up. I couldn’t remember the exact words of that conversation, but I knew that I hadn’t been kind to Ivy when I spoke to Shay. I just wanted Ivy to move on, and the only way I knew how to make her do that was by claiming the kiss had no effect on me.

  “What did I say?” I asked.

  Ivy smiled softly – it was a fake smile. She was trying to pretend like my words hadn’t affected her. “That the kiss meant nothing to you,” she stated.

  I ran a hand through my hair dejectedly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so rude,” I said.

  She shook her head.

  “Just like I didn’t mean to be so rude since you’ve come here. I know I’ve been extra hard on you,” I continued as Ivy looked down at her feet.

  “Then why have you?”

  I didn’t know how to answer that question without giving myself away – without telling her the truth about my feelings. Those feelings I thought I’d left behind in our hometown. But life had a funny way of working out. Four years had gone by, and I thought I’d moved on. But here she was again and here I was, feeling like I was right back where I started.

  “I guess I’ve been trying not to hurt you,” I replied.

  “By pushing me away?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Because you believe we can’t actually be together?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why did you kiss me that night?” she snapped. Her eyes were glowing with fury. I knew I’d pushed her to the edge of frustration. She’d had enough of me.

  “I don’t know. I guess I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t think my actions would have consequences. For a moment, I forgot who you were. I never wanted to hurt you, Ivy. I never wanted to treat you like those other girls who meant nothing to me,” I tried to explain.

  She nodded her head and leaned herself against her car. “There’s no use in talking about this anymore,” she stated.

  “No, there isn’t,” I added and took a step towards her.

  She had a gravitational pull that was reeling me in. Now that she was leaning against the car, she had nowhere to go.

  “I guess I should just get in my car and go,” she murmured. I leaned in closer, my breath falling on her face, making her curls shiver around her cheeks.

  “I guess you should,” I said.

  We were staring at each other in a trance-like state. Neither of us made a move. Neither of us spoke for several moments.

  “Friends again?” she asked, but her voice was weak.

  “Friends again,” I replied.

  Ivy sighed, her lips parting slightly as she took a breath. I knew she was about to say something else, but my lips were on hers before she could, muffling her voice. She gasped in my mouth and my tongue slid in, exploring her, tasting that
sweetness again.

  I thought she was going to push me away when she brought her arms up, but instead, she wrapped them around my neck, pinning me closer to herself. It was wrong, but it felt so right. I pushed her with my body, squeezing her up against the car.

  This kiss wasn’t like the shy, naive kiss from four years ago. I had my cock pressed against her thighs. She knew exactly how hard I was, how my cock was growing in my pants.

  Ivy kissed me back furiously while I slid my tongue in and out of her mouth, slipping it over her lips. I used my hand to clutch a fistful of her hair and I angled her face to the side so I could kiss her better.

  Her breasts were pushed up against my chest. I could feel the protruding hardness of her nipples. I brought a hand up and squeezed her right breast. Ivy moaned in my mouth. Her voice was all I needed to snap me out of the trance.

  “Fuck!” I cursed, pulling myself away from her. She was panting, glaring at me like she’d seen a ghost. “This shouldn’t have happened!” I growled, rubbing my mouth with the back of my hand.

  Ivy let out a shrill cry before she pulled her car door open and jumped in.

  “Where are you going?” I shouted at her, but her windows were rolled up and she was already driving away.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck!

  I watched as she zoomed past me. I couldn’t believe I’d done it again. I lost myself again. This time, I wasn’t expecting her to forgive me.

  Chapter 14 - Ivy

  Why did it have to happen again? Why did he have to kiss me?

  I was on an adrenaline rush when I got back to my apartment. My hands were shaking. I thought I was going to collapse. For four years, I believed that our first kiss meant nothing. That Simon had forgotten all about me in an instant. So, why did he kiss me again?

  I couldn’t sleep. All I could do was toss and turn in bed and fantasize about him. What it would feel like if he did more than just kiss me . . . It was unmistakable — that hard bulge in his pants when he was pressed up to me. When he touched my breasts, I thought I was going to faint. So, that was what it felt like when energy and desire accumulated for four years finally found its release.