Page 23 of Off-Limits Silver Fox Billionaire

10

JOSH

Bree and I texted constantly over the next few days, and I was looking forward to hearing from her every time my phone buzzed. We planned to have another date that night, but at my house this time, and she was arriving at seven for dinner.

I was still locked away in my studio, my clothes stained with paint, and my hands messed up too because I had been working on this painting since the morning.

Iris had called earlier to tell me she would be around next week once she got back from her trip to Australia, and I was looking forward to having her back in the house so we could do something fun together. My daughter was the only one I looked forward to spending time with for a long time.

Bree was gradually sneaking into that space in my heart too.

My phone buzzed on the table, and I instinctively dropped my pallet so I could reach for it. My grin was already wide once I saw Bree’s name on my phone’s screen.

Ready for tonight?She asked, then attached a photo of her outfit laid out on her bed. I imagined seeing her in the dress on the bed, it looked like the neckline would come low on her body and expose a lot of creamy flesh. Just an image of her in it had my body tightening in arousal.

Now I can’t wait,I texted her back, then set my phone on the table again so I could complete my work.

One hour later, I was tired and decided to take a break for the rest of the day. I went to my bedroom for a shower, then put in a clean pair of joggers and t-shirt before heading downstairs to the kitchen.

Everything I needed to make us dinner was already in the kitchen, and I just needed her to arrive so I could start the cooking.

Bree and I would make an amazing team if we cooked a meal together, she was a well-taught chef, and I was a man with a hobby cultivated over the years.

During my previous marriage, I had spent the better part of those years working so I barely had the time for my wife and daughter. Our family’s separation was partially my fault. That was a fact I had learned to live with over the years, but nothing could also justify Hannah’s decision to have an affair while we were still married even though she had been thinking of divorce long before that.

I didn’t want to think about my ex-wife or how that chapter of my life ended because the sour memories always brought back a wave of pain in my chest that made me moody.

Iris had believed I was still in love with her mother for a long time, and I had also thought so too initially, but after so many years passed, I realized the ache I felt wasn’t because I still loved Hannah. It was because I still wished I had a happy family, and my daughter had grown up in one.

I tried my best to be present for Iris from the very day her mother left when she was twelve. We had crossed every milestone together, and a chance to be present in her life was enough time to make up for the years I hadn’t been.

I was still lost in my thoughts when the soft knock on my front door came. Bree’s text followed it, alerting me that she was out front, and I left the kitchen to let her into the house.

She took off her coat once she walked in, and I pecked her cheek before taking the coat from her and draping it over a couch in my living room.

“You ready?” I asked. “I’m going to make you something spectacular for dinner tonight.”

Bree grinned wide. “I think I’m the one who’s going to blow your mind tonight,” she said as she rubbed her palms together. “I want to do the cooking.”

“Really? Tonight’s supposed to be a date where I cook dinner and you simply sit back to enjoy it.”

“I don’t mind,” she shrugged. “We could do it together, but I want to make you something from a recipe book I’ve been secretly developing. You’re going to be the first person ever to taste this.”

“Now I can’t wait,” I answered, and we both laughed before walking into the kitchen.

“First, I need to make sure you have all the ingredients I’ll need.”

“What are we making and what do you need?”

“I’m calling it Mediterranean Lamb Chops,” she said before listing out everything she needed to make the meal.

“I guess we should drive by the grocery store to get some fresh lamb then,” I suggested.

“Great, and we’ll pick up a bottle of wine while we’re out too.”

We were both in sync and as she moved to walk past me, I grabbed her wrist and brought her close to me so I could steal a kiss. Bree gasped when I plastered my lips over hers and kissed her deeply.

“I’ve wanted to do that since you walked in,” I told her, then brushed some strands of hair away from her face before releasing her. “Let’s go grab that lamb.”

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