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“Honestly?” She presses her bubble gum tongue against her top lip. “I do. I actually, really do.”
My shoulders relax. There are two things in the world I give a damn about, my family and my town. Although something tells me now that I’ve found Josie, that number has increased to three…
“Great. Then let me take you someplace you’ve never been. It’s very exclusive and only certain people are allowed in.”
Josie leans forward, brow raised. “I’m not into A-list, exclusivity, red velvet rope kind of places.”
I let out a hearty guffaw, tilting my head back in the process. I love games like this. “I promise you it carries no air of pretention.”
“It’s hard to believe you when you say it like that.” She shimmies her shoulders, mocking my deep tone. “No air of pretention.”
I can’t help but laugh again. I cover my mouth with my hand. I love women. I love beautiful women. Strong women. I meet them all the time, but it is a true rarity to find a woman who possesses these traits and can still make me laugh.
I stand and Josie follows suit. “I’ll send a car at seven.”
“I can drive myself.”
I place my hand on her lower back and walk her to the door. “No, Miss Byrd. I absolutely insist. I’d pick you up myself but I have a late meeting and I’ll want to go home and get cleaned up.” An image of a very naked Josie in the shower with me causes my length to jerk. What the hell is this woman doing to me?
Josie stands in the open door frame. “Fine, I’ll take the car.”
I lean in a little closer than what she’s comfortable with. To my surprise, she stands firm. The clean lilac scent of her skin intoxicates me. “I’ll see you soon.”
Her bright eyes flicker up and down my face. Right now, she’s wondering if I’m going to kiss her. If I didn’t like the anticipation so much I would. But this is too much fun. “See you soon.” She replies in a weak voice.
As soon as she’s gone I head back to my desk, wondering how the hell I’m supposed to work knowing that tonight I’ll be tasting those full, sweet lips at last.
4
Josie
The car arrives atseven on the dot. I shoot a quick glance in the hallway mirror, and run my tongue across my teeth. One more twist of my hair and I’m out the door. As soon as the driver sees me, he hops out and holds open my door. Unaccustomed to such service, I nod a quick thanks to the man and hop in the car, trying my best not to flash him. I knew this dress was too short. As soon as we pull away from my house, with still no idea where we’re headed, my stomach twists into knots.
I can’t believe I agreed to this. The thought barely forms in my head before I have to alter it. Of course I can believe it. Russell is the kind of guy I always end up going for. Smart, powerful, and handsome. But I’ve never dated anyone with a body like his. His physique puts Superman’s to shame. I cross my legs a little tighter thinking of his strong, sinewy arms wrapped around me.
A quick note to self: this is the same man that felt the need to come to your rescue. He clearly thought you couldn’t handle yourself in the situation. I raise my chin, staring out at the dark woods surrounding the car. Where the hell are we? I open my mouth to ask the drive this question when my phone pings. An unknown number with Burly Creek’s area code pops up:
Looks like you’re almost here.
“Creepy, much?” I whisper to myself, craning my neck for a sign of life on either side of me. There’s nothing but trees, so how can he see where we are? Christ, what have I gotten myself into?
Abruptly, and seemingly out of nowhere, a house appears in the distance. The car swerves up a long drive toward a…holy shit, calling this building a house is underselling it. The gorgeous, warmly lit house in front of me is actually more like a mansion tucked deep in the woods. I lean forward in my seat taking in the gorgeous architecture, the floor to ceiling windows. My warped brain immediately pictures some kind ofEyes Wide Shutparty. I burst out laughing at the thought. The driver peers at me in the rear view. I press my fingers against my lips, and avert my gaze, feeling like an idiot.
The car stops, and the driver hops out before I can tell him that I’m cool to get my own door. When I carefully step out of the car, I see Russell’s towering frame shadowed against the front porch lights. I smooth down my dress, realizing that I’ve been duped, but I don’t care. Russell Strong has invited me to dinner at his house. That devil.
“You are impossible.” My heels click against the cement.
Russell holds his arms wide. He’s dressed down in jeans and a black t-shirt. “I told you, it’s very exclusive and only certain people are allowed inside. I didn’t lie, Josie.”
If I really wanted to prove my point, I’d get back into the car and go straight home. But everything about Russell magnetizes me tonight, from the way his shirt clings to his beefy shoulders, to how his cedar and citrus scent fills the night air between us. The least I can do is stay for dinner.
“Come in.” He rests his hand on my lower back like he did at his office. How does he know it’s one of my spots? A shiver runs through me and I have to remind myself to calm down. “The chef’s been hard at work in the kitchen.”
“You hired a chef?”
He leads me inside the massive foyer. “You’re looking at him.” When he closes the door behind me, I get a look at his round, sexy ass. For all that is good and holy, is there anything about this man’s body that isn’t perfect?
I try not to gawk at his showplace of a home. It’s minimal but lived in. The fireplace roars in front of his buttery leather, cognac sofas. This is the kind of place a girl could get used to living in.
