Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
JOSHUA
My girl’s eyes widen, then she does the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen; she crosses her arms over that ample chest of hers and shakes her head.
Since when did I start thinking of her as my girl?
“Absolutely not!” All that’s missing is the stamp of her foot.
“I’ll survive.”
“You’re not camping out in your truck when there’s a perfectly good bed in here,” she says, making my heart pound in my chest. My palms begin to sweat.
As if realizing what she could be implying, she quickly adds, “I meant, you take the bed, I’ll take the couch.
I wasn’t implying that we… uh… never mind. ”
What I’d really love is for her to stop talking and use her mouth for more productive things, but she is quite adorable when she goes off like that.
“If anything, I’d take the couch. A queen can’t be sleeping on anything less than a comfortable mattress.”
Who even am I?
“A queen?” she mouths. Then she shakes her head, some of that sass returning. “I bet you say that to all the girls who see you naked.”
I roll my lips. “I wish I was that smooth, sadly I’m secretly a workaholic who clearly hasn’t spent time with a woman in a while because every time I speak, something stupid flies out of my mouth.”
She laughs and it’s a glorious sound. “You’re funny, Joshie. You always make me laugh.”
Joshie.
She. Did. Not.
I don’t know why that cutesy nickname, which I’d hate if anyone else called me it, has my dick standing to attention. Heck, if she called me dingleberry I’d probably have the same reaction.
I put on a serious face, my eyebrows knitting together. “You mean to say seeing me naked was funny? I’ve gotta work better on my pitch.”
If watching her was an Olympic sport, I’d be the next gold medalist. Those dimples do me in, and those plump, soft lips are reeling me further by every passing second.
“Like I said, hashtag not sorry.” She takes a sip of her wine and what I’d give to swipe that bead of rosé from her bottom lip…
We stare at each other for a moment, the electricity sparking like a livewire on repeat. I don’t know how I’m going to survive this weekend without touching her.
“Since you’re not heading for the hills, I think it’s safe to say we can both enjoy the weekend. If you’re okay with that?”
She nods. Okay, that’s a good sign. “I’m okay with that.”
“I mean, I’ll probably just be working anyway, even though Mason has told me he’s monitoring my emails to make sure I really do take a weekend off. PAs are so bossy.”
It’s meant to cause a reaction, but she just laughs in that adorable way of hers. Damn, she has the prettiest hazel eyes I’ve ever seen. Do they have little flecks of green?
Her hair is drying, and I’m pleased to see that her natural hair is wavy. She must straighten it but I’ve no idea why. It suits her. A flash of her tousled hair on my pillow as I fuck her into the mattress flashes through my brain and I stifle a groan.
I need to think of something boring, fast.
Escrow.
Acquisitions.
Boring work meetings…
“Mason sounds exactly like how I am in the office. I gave Ali the exact same instructions before I left. She’s delirious, but still trying to operate from her bedside.”
“You just admitted to being bossy.”
She sighs airily. “I am bossy, but not in all instances.”
I pique a brow. “Oh? In what instances aren’t you bossy?”
She takes another sip of wine, except this time it’s more of a gulp. “I… uh…”
“Don’t be shy now.” I give her a wink and I have to wonder if I am having more than an effect on her, since now she’s cutely stumbling over her words.
“You’ve seen me naked, and we shared an impromptu shower together with your cat clawing dangerously close to my nether region, so I doubt you can shock me any more today. ”
“In the bedroom,” she blurts.
Except possibly that .
Then she smacks a hand over her mouth. “Wow, what is in this wine?” she says behind her hand with a giggle. “I think it’s because I haven’t eaten anything.”
Dick throb barely in check, I rub my chin. “While I’d love for you to get some sustenance into you, I’m also intrigued by what else might come out of your mouth.”
“When I drink, I become unfiltered,” she explains. “I’m not really a pushover in the bedroom. In fact, I haven’t had a boyfriend since my ex cheated a year ago. It was with one of my best friends… so it’s been a while… and, oh God, why am I even telling you this?”
I adore how her cheeks flame again and I don’t hide my smile — not at that ex revelation, but seeing her unglued like this over little old me is a huge turn on.
Upon hearing she’s been single for a year is my new favorite sentence she’s ever spoken, aside from calling me Joshie .
But then I sober up when I take in what she actually said.
“Wait, your ex cheated?”
“I didn’t mean to say that.” She turns, reaches for a cracker and begins stuffing it into her mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m a cheap drunk.”
There’s no cracker in the world that’s gonna get between me and what she just said. I’ll wait it out. Watching her eat is surprisingly satisfying. Weird, since I don’t usually notice things like that. Most people annoy me.
“With one of your best friends?”
Her eyes pop to mine as she swallows, nodding. “Yeah, pretty shitty. I’d love to say I’m one of those girls who walked away with my dignity intact, but I didn’t. I cut up all his suits and threw them like confetti off the balcony onto the street.”
“Wait, you’re not talking about that dickface on TV, are you?”
“The very one.”
Anger balls up inside me. “What the fuck?”
“I never went public with it, for the record. I wanted to slink quietly away and lick my wounds in private, but the press got hold of it. He was the most hated man in America just before the election.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, because I am. I don’t want Lexi to ever be hurt, or lick her wounds. I want her to smile all the time and be happy, just like she makes everyone else around her feel.
“He sounds like a complete asshole. Please tell me you’re not still friends with the chick?”
“I’m not. The bitch even tried to justify it by blaming me for never being around. She just had to keep him company because I neglected him.”
I stare at her dumbfounded. “Sounds like they deserve each other.”
“Oh trust me, I got a good hair pull in before two of my friends dragged me off her. We didn’t get the chance to do much talking. It wasn’t my finest moment.”
“Understandable considering the circumstances,” I say. “For the record, he’s an absolute fucking idiot.”
She swallows hard, looking down at her hands. Vulnerable Lexi is quite a sight. I’ve never seen her like this before. Then again, we’ve never talked about exes together.
“Yes, he is, though it took me a long time to get my self-esteem back. After almost a year of wallowing and feeling sorry for myself, I picked myself back up and made a list of all the things I would not accept in my next relationship.”
“That sounds really smart.” I’m glad she’s got a backbone, because nobody deserves that. Especially not my sweet, dear, Lexi. “Trust and loyalty are high up there on my list, too. I’m glad you’ve set the bar high. You deserve the best, Alexis. Nothing but the best.”
She grips her wine glass with a little more vigor. “I appreciate that, Joshua. Thank you.”
“You know you can call me Josh,” I say. “Or Joshie, I promise I don’t bite.”
Oh, she has no clue what I’d like to bite. Her inner thighs, for one.
She giggles. When her eyes find mine again, they’re sparkling. “You’re a really nice guy, Josh. I’m sure no woman on the planet would deny that this mix-up definitely isn’t unpleasant.”
“With that being said, I can grab the rest of your stuff out of your car if you’d like?”
“Chopping wood, collecting my luggage, pouring wine, making crackers — that chicken salad is fantastic, by the way — I may never leave,” she teases.
I grin, heading toward the porch so I can retrieve the rest of her stuff. No woman should have to lug her own cargo, even in the wilderness.
Maybe this weekend is about letting go, after all. That nagging voice in my head reminds me that I told myself I couldn’t go there. Lexi is off limits. She’s the opposition, and too innocent for me. Then I think about her words earlier: She’s not bossy in the bedroom.
I’d certainly like to show her a thing or two about how bossy I can be, but I don’t think my sweet little Lexi is quite ready for that. Not yet, anyway.