Best Friends With the Billionaire (The Rochesters) by Coleen Kwan Page B

got too complicated and messy.
    He slept in fits and starts, eventually waking up early. He went downstairs to his gym and worked out some of his frustration on his weights and treadmill. After an hour, he went back upstairs. The house was quiet, and there was no sign of Cassie. Maybe she was avoiding him on purpose. His gut cramped at the thought.
    He showered, dressed, and made his way to the kitchen. At the entrance he stopped short, brought to a halt by the sight of Cassie at the coffee machine.
    “Want some coffee?” she asked cheerily, like it was just a normal morning. She was dressed in dark jeans, striped blouse, and flat sandals, her face freshly scrubbed, her hair tied back in a no-nonsense ponytail. Nothing remained of the slinky siren from last night with her high heels, garter belt, and thong.
    “Yeah, sure,” he muttered, unable to stop himself watching her as she turned to get an extra mug from the kitchen cabinet. Those jeans flattered her long legs and tight ass. His groin stirred. Dammit, this was what he’d been afraid of. Even when dressed her usual self, Cassie played havoc with his imagination.
    She poured him out a mug and pushed it to him across the island countertop. “What’s up?” she asked.
    Just my cock . He pressed his lips together. “Why do you ask?”
    “You look like you ate something disagreeable.” She paused to take a sip of coffee. Her eyes seemed wary over the rim of her mug. “Um, I hope it’s nothing to do with last night…” She trailed off, sounding uncertain.
    “Last night was…unexpected.”
    She traced a finger around the rim of her mug. “Yeah, I’ll say. It’s not every night I end up kissing my best friend. But it’s no big deal, is it?”
    Tell that to my dick .
    He took a deep breath. “I’m just your rebound guy, right?”
    “Not just. It’s an important role.” She studied the depths of her coffee mug. “You know me, Kirk. I can trust you. You’re helping me get over Russell, and that’s great. That’s what friends are for.”
    “So we’re still friends, then?”
    Cassie glanced up, her eyes widening. “Of course. We’ll always be friends. The fact that…that we enjoy a bit of kissing has no bearing on that.” A pink hue tinged her cheeks.
    The tight ball in his chest he’d had all night loosened a little. So many women took a simple kiss to mean much more than it did, but not Cassie. She was level-headed, pragmatic. She enjoyed his kissing, but for her it was therapy, and by kissing her, he was showing her how much he valued their friendship. A win-win situation.
    “Glad to hear it.” He downed another gulp of coffee. “Is it working?”
    “Is what working?”
    “The kissing. Is it helping you forget about Russell?”
    “Oh.” The pink in her cheeks deepened to red. “Sure. You’re a good kisser, buddy.”
    He shouldn’t ask, but he couldn’t help it. “Better than Russell?”
    The red reached the roots of her hair, making her look adorably cute and flustered. “I don’t know if I should answer that.”
    Instantly he was ashamed and uneasy. Had he upset her by bringing up Russell? Was she remembering what it was like kissing Russell? Maybe she still missed the guy.
    The spike was back in his chest, but this time for a different reason. “What did he do to make you break up with him?” Kirk asked.
    She chewed on her lower lip, the blush fading from her cheeks. “He, uh, he was selfish and…” She blew out a sigh. “Look, if you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about it right now.”
    “Why not?” Had Russell hurt her badly? He realized his hands had curled into fists.
    “It’s…difficult.” She lifted a shoulder, her expression nettled.
    “Okay.” He forced his hands to relax. “But I’m here whenever you need to talk.”
    “Thanks.” She tilted her head to one side. “And that goes for me, too, you know. If you ever need someone to talk to.”
    He blinked in surprise at the sudden switch in the