Page 9 of Off-Limits Silver Fox Billionaire

JOSH

Bree continued sipping from her cup cautiously, like she feared the drink, or was too nervous to drink it.

“These cookies are amazing,” I said, trying to strike up a conversation because I hated the silence in the kitchen. I knew Bree was chatty. The weekend she spent here; she had a lot of fun with Iris. They talked a lot, laughed, and danced, then spent their evenings on the beach and came back too tipsy.

I watched her the entire time because I couldn’t stop myself. She was a beautiful woman now. Her hair was a bit damp, and her skin whiter than usual. I noticed her lean fingers, and the ring she wore on her left hand.

“Nice ring,” I complimented, then instantly cringed inside when she looked at me.

Why did I do that?I didn’t need to compliment her ring or anything. It only showed that I was interested in knowing more about her.

Was she engaged? Married? Seeing someone?

Why did I care?Nothing could ever happen between Bree and I again even though I kept thinking of her lips, and the sweetness of her kiss.

Years had passed since that incident, and I still thought of her.

I didn’t care … I shouldn’t. Bree toyed with the ring on her finger for a bit, then gently slid it off. “I love wearing rings,” she told me. “It’s kind of like my thing.”

Oh, so they are fashionable.For some reason that revelation made me smile. I pushed my plate of cookies in her direction and said. “Have some, they are amazing.”

“I know, I baked them,” she answered with a smile, then took one out and stuffed it into her mouth.

“You bake?”

“I’m a chef,” she answered. “Just decided to help Allison out for the time I’m here… I think it’s fun.”

“You love baking? You work as a chef?”

“I fell in love with it at some point.” Bree relaxed on her chair and tapped her fingers on the table. “I’m not working as chef though … I haven’t really decided what I want to do. Work as a chef or run my own bakery.”

“I think you’d do great at either,” I told her. Bree’s father was Phillip Dell, an influential man in the country, and a business mogul. She didn’t really have a problem. If she chose to do anything, then she could make it happen with the resources at her fingertips.

“I just want to find my own path,” she continued. “I’m like … I want to find something I truly enjoy doing, not just something I can do.”

“So, have you experimented?” I asked. “Tried out anything new or something?”

She paused, then sighed. “Actually, I kind of tried out blogging,” she told me, then smiled. “I can show you.”

Bree left her seat and walked over to me. She took my phone from the table, keyed in her website address in my browser then showed me the page of her cooking blog.

“I made a few posts and then I stopped,” she continued.

Now that she was close to me, I could smell the tender scent of her perfume. She smelled like lavender, just like that night we were together, and I angled my head instinctively to look at her.

I heard her inhale sharply when I did. The angle brought my lips close to hers and her eyes searched mine. Her words about the blog and everything else faded to nothing. All I could think of was her scent, her lips, and the feel of her warm body close to mine.

“Bree…” I whispered. Another loud thunderous rumble erupted outside. I felt the ground shake under my feet with it, and Bree’s shock made her topple over toward me.

I spun my chair around fast and she fell on my lap. She gasped loudly and her body stiffened on top of mine. Her scent immediately filled my nostrils and made my pulse start a race that didn’t slow.

I lifted a hand to push back the strands of hair falling to the sides of her face away, so I could caress her cheek.

“You’ve grown,” I whispered. My voice sounded hoarse and thicker than ever in my ears. I wanted to feel her plump lips against mine and kiss her with all the passion racing through me.

“I …” I didn’t let her finish her sentence before I kissed her.

It was fast, hot and it left me spiraling. Bree should have stopped me. If she did, then I wouldn’t have slid my hand over her thigh to touch her smooth skin. I wouldn’t have ran my fingers through her hair and pressed her closer against me.

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