Page 29 of Off-Limits Silver Fox Billionaire

“I won’t,” she said and hiked her chin high.

She counted to three, then we began eating the chips at the same time. My insides bubbled with laughter when she finished hers but nearly combusted in flames because her cheeks were hot and red, and her eyes watery.

“Damn,” Bree said after she drank the mojito in long gulps and blew air out of her lips. I had finished my taco chips too, but I was used to spicy food, so it didn’t affect me.

It was fun to watch her squirm under the heat though. I ordered her a bottle of water and more mojitos to help her tongue, and we both laughed hard after we left the stand and made it back to shore to continue our date.

“I thought you loved the spicy chips?” Her cheeks were turning red now, and she was sticking out her tongue like she needed to drink something cool.

“I do love them,” she answered. “But Iris used to have more of them.”

“I’m not surprised,” I teased and nudged Bree’s side gently. “She’s her father’s daughter after all.”

Bree laughed again, and I admired her while listening to the soft sounds of the waves. It was so easy to get lost in this moment with her and forget all about the many reasons why I shouldn’t be with her.

I loved the sound and the freedom of it. It was a light sound that tickled my senses and made me laugh too. I hadn’t felt this free in a long time and it all happened with her. She brightened my day and that made me realize that this pull to spend time with her wasn’t about the physical attraction.

13

BREE

Josh Sanders…I hummed the name all day in my mind and grinned like a high school kid whenever I remembered our time at the beach the other day. After trying out spicy taco chips and racing down the shores, we found a barbecue spot and bar to sit and chill.

Josh had told me all about Hawaiian culture and living in Seattle. He had lots of experiences I loved listening to. Our time together made me wonder what it would be like to spend my time exploring the world as much as he had.

“Good morning,” Allison chimed as she entered the kitchen and found me fixing a healthy breakfast. I was still in my sports clothes, and sweaty from my morning jog. Allison on the other hand had just come downstairs with my brother.

“How are you, sweets?” I asked and ruffled Samuel’s hair when he came into the kitchen. He grinned at me, then showed me the coloring book he came down the stairs with.

“Samuel go back upstairs and wash your face,” Allison said when she grabbed a chair to sit. I watched her give Samuel a smile before she faced me again, then adjusted the towel wrapped around her hair.

“Going out?”

“Phil is out for the day while Samuel and I have this party to attend. It’s his friends’ birthday. It’s Saturday, all I want to do is sleep in, but Samuel won’t let me hear the end of it. He’s always so hyperactive, especially at night or when his dad feeds him cookies before bed. I think it’s some kind of sugar rush.”

I chuckled because I loved how she complained about her son. It reminded me too much of my mother and her days of pretending to hate that I required so much of her attention.

“Kids will always be kids,” I said to Allison. “Soon, you’d start to miss when he was a kid, and you’d do everything to try and keep him by your side.”

“Like hell, I’ll do. I think when that comes, I’ll have more kids.”

We chuckled and I continued fixing the French toast I had in mind. After eating, I went upstairs for a quick shower, then ended up making a list of all the things I wanted to spend the month doing.

Iris was supposed to come back today, and I had made plans to visit her once she got back from her trip. Working as a flight attendant really took much of her time, and I loved every second we could spend together hanging out just like old times.

Once it was noon, I changed into a pair of jean shorts and a tank top that suited the summer afternoon, paid special attention to adding gloss to my lips and styling my hair into a bun before I started my stroll over to Iris’s house.

I knew I would run into Josh, and he was on his porch stairs arranging some tools when I got there. He seemed engrossed in what he was doing, and he didn’t notice my presence till I drew closer.

“Hey,” I said once I saw him.

Josh looked up from what he was doing, and a grin formed on his face. “Hi … Bree.”

We spent the next second staring at each other, and I cleared my throat when I started to feel the flush on my cheeks. “I’m here for Iris,” I said then moved closer to take a peek at what he was doing. “What are you doing?”

“Arranging my tools,” he said before staring at the box on the floor again. “I needed to fix something in the kitchen and in Iris’s bathroom too. She’s inside fussing on a call with someone who’s visiting tonight. Will you go in?”

“Ahh, yes,” I said, then took a second to admire his physique. The shirt was unbuttoned, so I could see the toned muscles of his abdomen. I longed to touch them and run my hands down every tautness just like I did when we were alone together.

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