Chapter 16 #2
“OK.” I smile as I look around for my keys. Poor Mum. Trust her to burn something tonight of all nights. Margaret will love this shit.
“I’ll drive you,” Josh snaps and before I can retort and tell him that I don’t think it’s a good idea he grabs his keys and is out the front door.
I give Bridge a shrug, and she gives me her best don’t-fucking-do-it look.
I slowly follow him outside and down the stairs.
And then he is on me. Grabbing me by the arm, he pulls me around the side of the house.
He’s kissing me like his life depends on it.
My back is against the wall and he is leaning over me, his hands resting on the wall behind me.
Excitement starts to warm my blood. I can feel his large erection digging into my stomach, it’s promising me carnal things, things that I so desperately want and need.
My eyes close as he cups my face in both his hands and tenderly swipes his tongue through my open lips.
He grabs my head at my nape and moves me to mold the way he wants me.
I can feel a familiar pulse between my legs as he ignites my arousal with his possession.
“Stop fighting with me about shit,” he whispers in between kisses.
“Stop sleeping with other women,” I breathe.
“You know you have me, what are you worried about?” He kisses me deeply again as he grabs my face.
“Do I have you, Josh?” I question.
“Completely,” he breathes. Shit, good answer. My heart melts. Completely. Well, he has me completely under his spell, completely in love with him and completely needing to climb his big, beautiful body and take him inside me.
“Josh, let’s just go inside and tell them.” He kisses me again but doesn’t answer. Our passion turns desperate as he grinds up against me and lifts my leg around his hip so he can gain access to my wet center.
“I want to try and make a go of it. I will move back to America with you.”
He stills and pulls back to look at me and my leg drops to the ground as he frowns. “You would do that?”
“Josh, I would do anything to be with you. You have to know that by now.” He kisses me again more urgently and rams his hips up against mine. Oh shit, I think I’m going to come just by doing this. His arousal just amped up ten notches.
“Josh, I’m serious, let’s go back inside and tell them. They will understand and, if they don’t, I don’t care. We will deal with this together.” He kisses me again and pulls back to run his fingers through my hair while smiling and looking down at me. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears.
“Slow down, precious, let’s just see if we can get through a week without ripping each other’s heads off before we do anything rash.”
I smile a shy smile as I gather my senses. What’s wrong with me? “You’re right,” I whisper. I run my hands up his strong arms and over his broad shoulders. I feel the power emanating from his body. “When will I see you again if your mother’s here?”
“I will come over tonight when she goes to sleep,” he sighs.
“Give me one more kiss to last me till then.” He smiles his broad melting smile and I feel my heart flutter.
I will do anything to be with this man. We sneak out of the shadows and to Josh’s car.
I see him make eye contact with the bodyguards and he nods.
“Josh, why are you so guarded?”
“Drawback of having money,” he sighs. “Don’t worry, it shits me too.
” What exactly does that mean? Ten minutes later we are armed with cream and heading back to the house.
He holds my hand on his lap the whole time, deep in thought, occasionally lifting my hand to kiss the back of it.
I don’t know why but all this honesty suddenly has me hoping for a real future with him.
Maybe we can do this? Is it really possible?
Would I move to America? Who knows and who cares.
He’s holding my hand and he just told me he’s completely mine.
Nothing at all can wreck my night tonight.
How wrong can a person be?
We arrive back at the house and I head up while Josh goes and talks to his bodyguards. I’m met by Margaret at the front door.
“Hi,” I smile, and she glares at me.
“Hello,” she hisses. Shit, did she just see us?
I hope not and an uneasy feeling rips through me.
She brushes past me and I walk in the front door.
What in the world was that about? I watch her storm across the road to Joshua.
Brock comes barreling up the hall and grabs me by the arm and drags me into my old bedroom. Ow, what the hell?
“Brock,” I snap as I pull my arm from his grip.
“What in the fuck is going on with you and Stanton?”
Holy mother fuck.
“What do you mean?” I feel faint.
“Margaret just went berko on Cameron when she found out you two went to the store.”
I swallow the tennis ball and bucket of sand in my throat. “What did she say?”
“She said you two cannot be trusted. What in the fuck does that mean, Natasha?”
Oh crap…crap, crap, crap.
“Um, I don’t know.” I shrug. “You know she’s tapped.”
“Is she?” he snarls.
“Of course,” I reply. “What do you think?”
“I know what I saw at the wedding and I warned him that night that I would kill him if he touched you.”
“You did what?” I snap. “Are you kidding me?”
“I am going to say this once and once only, Natasha. Listen, because I genuinely mean it. I will fucking kill him if he lays a finger on you.”
I roll my eyes. “Drop dead, Brock. I’m twenty-four years old.
Stop trying to control me. I’m friends with Josh.
You and Margaret are as bad as each other.
Go back to overprotecting Bridget, because I’m not putting up with your shit.
” I storm out of the bedroom and back into the lounge room just as Joshua and his mother come in the front door.
I hotfoot it straight to the kitchen without making eye contact.
This night is quickly turning from hero to zero.
Twenty minutes later we are seated at the dining table.
Bridget and Brock are on either side of me and directly opposite is Margaret.
Cam and Will are on either side of her and Josh is next to Cam.
Mum is at one head of the table and Dad at the other.
I don’t think I have ever dreaded a family dinner quite as much.
Brock is onto us and so is Margaret for that matter.
I know I can’t lie for shit. I feel like a frigging Russian spy just about to take a lie detector test. I look down.
Determined not to make eye contact with Josh or anyone else for that matter.
I know he is feeling uncomfortable as well.
I can feel it in my bones. Brock is the first to speak.
“So, Josh, I saw on the internet you dated Heidi Mills, that supermodel.”
Cameron chokes.
“Pass the carrots,” Wilson asks me, and I know it’s a distraction tactic. I slowly look up to see Josh’s reaction. He nods but keeps his eyes cast down. What is frigging Brock playing at? Bridget taps my leg underneath the table.
“She is so…smoking hot.” Brock smiles, he lifts his fork in the air en route to his mouth. “In fact, you seem to date a different glamour girl every week.”
I look back down at my plate and I wish the ground would swallow me up. This night is becoming very uncomfortable and I know exactly what Brock is doing, the bastard. Bridget rubs my leg under the table in a symbol of sympathy.
Margaret smiles. “Yes, Josh sure does well with the ladies, however, his heart is taken, unfortunately.”
“Oh, is it?” Mum asks excitedly as she takes a sip of her wine. Shut up, Mum.
“Yes.” Margaret smiles at me. “Her name is Amelie.” Will clears his throat and Cam drops his knife and fork, and they hit his plate with a clang. By the boys’ reaction I know there is some truth to this story. OK…I keep my eyes cast down.
“Do tell, Josh.” Mum laughs. Shut the hell up, Mum.
“Nothing to tell,” he snaps.
“Oh Josh,” his mother chastises. “Don’t be embarrassed.
” She pats him on the arm. I think I am going to vomit in my own mouth.
“She’s a veterinarian, a beautiful one at that, and she manages Josh’s horse stud for him.
” My heart drops—the blonde from his phone.
“Yes, she’s an amazing equestrian rider.
Josh drives her all over the United States every weekend for competitions, don’t you Josh?
They go away most weekends—she just competes so much.
” I bet she does. I can’t help it. My eyes flick to Josh. I want to see his reaction.
Damn it. He keeps his eyes deliberately down to avoid my glare.
Margaret is on a roll. “They have so much in common. They go horse riding together for hours on his country estate. She comes away on holidays with us and sometimes her parents join us as well, don’t they, Josh?
She’s English and her family own a castle.
She comes from a very well-to-do family.
Robert and I visited them last year in their country estate.
” My cheeks heat and I can hear my heartbeat in my ears.
He’s lied to me. He told me that he has never dated anyone.
Going on holidays with fucking parents is dating, asshole.
“So, is that important to you, Margaret? That your boys marry into a well-to-do family?” Oh shit, did I say that out loud? She fakes a venomous smile. I can’t help it. I have to know. She deliberately doesn’t answer me. Mmm.
“So, how long has she worked for you, Josh?” I ask as I bite my food off my fork, smiling at him way too sweetly. He glares at me as he wipes his mouth with a napkin and brushes his tongue over his front teeth, but he doesn’t answer. Bridget grabs my hand under the table. He stays silent.
“Five years.” Margaret smiles. Fucking bitch, she’s loving this. I look back down at my plate. Five years…five years. What in the hell? That’s a long time. And I know he has feelings for her because I’ve seen the fucking photos.