“I’m right here,” Josh said. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You are a smart, capable woman, and I don’t want you to feel like there’s anything you can’t do. I promise that when we’re done, you’ll feel totally different about the subway.”
She wished she could just tuck herself beneath his arm and cuddle up against his muscular body, hiding from any possibility of getting on a train.
“Trust me?” he asked.
She nodded.
“That’s all I ask,” Josh said.
Riley’s legs shook and she held her breath as they stepped over the edge of the platform and onto the train. Josh held her arm in one hand and put the other firmly across her back long enough for her to find safety hanging on to a metal pole. She didn’t mind that there was no place to sit. It gave her a reason to stand closer to Josh, and with her nerves tied in knots, she needed the security of being close to him. An older woman read the newspaper; her silver eyeglass frames slipped down her nose every few seconds, and she’d wrinkle her nose, then push them up with her finger, and repeat the act again a minute later. At the far end of the train, a group of high-school-aged kids gathered, laughing and smiling. Riley marveled at their ease. Why am I so nervous? The seats were packed tight with people whose eyes were locked on the floor before them.
Each time the train stopped, more people got off the train, and by the third stop, Riley wasn’t as nervous. She watched women and men in groups and alone, and the longer she watched, the more she realized that the subway was a way of life in New York. It was like taking the bus through Weston or Allure. She looked up at Josh, who was watching her intently, and she couldn’t believe he’d take his time to help her through her fear. Then again, this was Josh Braden, who, as a fifth grader, had given his lunch to a boy who had dropped his tray in the school cafeteria. She’d almost forgotten about that incident, and as she looked at his handsome face, she realized that the boy he’d been was likely very similar to the man he’d become.
After the next stop, they settled into the hard seats, and soon there were only three other people on the train with them.
“It smells a little like cigarettes and stale food, but you can’t smoke in here, can you?” Riley asked.
“It’s from the people. Pack enough smokers into any confined space and you’re bound to have some residual odor. I close my eyes and imagine the rumbling beneath me is a roller coaster, or a toboggan, and then I can actually smell it,” Josh said.
“You can smell the crisp air of a snowy mountaintop? In here?” Riley asked with a smile.
“I’m a designer. I can design anything in my head. Then all I have to do is convince my brain to believe it. Try it,” he said.
Riley closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
“Think about being back home. Remember that hill behind the high school?”
Riley nodded.
“Remember as a kid how everyone would sled all day when they closed the schools? Pretend you’re there.”
Riley knew exactly where he was talking about. The problem was, every time she and Jade had gone there, they’d spent half the time pretending not to stare at Rex and Josh. As she tried to force the smell of the Colorado winter air, thoughts of Josh brought the smell of Clive Christian cologne. Riley felt her cheeks flush.
“Is it working?”
“Better than I’d imagined,” she said. When she opened her eyes, the last person was stepping off the train. “This is the Brooklyn Bridge stop. Isn’t that the last stop?” She rose to her feet. “Don’t we have to get off?” Why are you still sitting down?
“Everyone thinks this is the last stop.” Josh rose to his feet and put one strong arm around her waist, pulling her against him. “We’re all alone. No eyes, no ears.”
He lowered his mouth, and Riley nervously rose on her tiptoes to meet him. Last stop? Where are we heading? The minute their lips touched, her anxiety fell away. She’d trust him to take her anywhere. When he deepened the kiss, she couldn’t imagine how her legs were still holding her up. The train lurched to the side, and they drew apart. Josh held the metal pole with his free hand, stabilizing them, clutching her close with the other.
“See, there’s no reason to be afraid of the subway,” he said. “Just be smart. Were you nervous?”
Only about being so close to you. “Not really.”
“Good. Everyone’s got someplace to be, and you’ll be taking the train to and from work. That’s safe, Ri. I don’t want you worrying about going places. The subway is a must in New York.”
“I know. I feel much better about it. I might not ride it alone at night for a while, but I think I can do the morning commute without worrying too much. It’ll just take a little getting used to.” She couldn’t believe he had remembered her comment about needing to master the subway. His thoughtfulness tugged at her heart. “Thank you,” she said.
“Here. Sit with me. The train’s going to make a sharp turn, and when it does, you’re going to see the most beautiful, forgotten subway station in New York.”
“Forgotten?”
The train slowed, screeching against the rails as it made its way around the loop. Riley and Josh shaded their eyes and peered through the windows.
“Oh my God. What is that? It’s so ornate. Josh, it’s glorious.” And just as fast as it had appeared, it faded back to concrete. Riley came away from the window with her mouth agape.
“It’s built below City Hall. They renovated the station a few years ago, but they never opened it to the public. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? It’s dark, so I know it was difficult to see,” Josh said.
“It was incredible. Does everyone in New York know it’s here?”
Josh shook his head.
“How did you know? Wait. Don’t tell me if you found it with some other woman.” She cringed at the thought. She’d seen the magazine pictures of Josh with beautiful models on his arm and she tried not to think about it. Stop it. Everyone has a past.
“You’re so cute.” He put his arm around her. “My real estate agent.” He kissed her cheek. “He told me about it.” He kissed her neck, and Riley closed her eyes, relishing in the motion of the train and the feel of Josh’s lips. “At least in here we don’t have to hide.” He took her in another kiss, and his hand gripped her rib cage; his thumb brushed the underside of her breast.
Heat rushed through her, and as the train slowed at the next station, Riley had only one thought. I’m already sick of sneaking around.
Chapter Ten
THIS IS A DREAM. It has to be. Riley stood at the entrance of Savannah’s apartment building—her choice. Josh had invited her to his apartment, but she worried that being seen coming or going from Josh’s apartment might raise eyebrows. She hated worrying about that, and when they were kissing on the train, she’d been ready to forget about sneaking around, but when the cool night air hit her cheeks, she realized that reality would be waiting for her at eight o’clock the next morning.
From the first time Josh’s lips touched hers, Riley had a hard time thinking about anything else. The musical had been a romantic and very enjoyable distraction, and helping her overcome her fear of the subway was the most thoughtful thing he could have done, but now, holding Josh’s hand, knowing they were on the cusp of crossing the line between employee and lover, all she could think about was being close to him.
Her fingers trembled as she fumbled with the key. Josh reached around her, pressing his body against her back, and put his hand over hers, settling the key into place. His breath was hot on her neck, and she closed her eyes as he turned the key, soaking in the feel of him against her.
The door swung open, and Riley’s nerves caught fire. Oh my God! I’m going to have sex in his sister’s apartment. This is wrong on so many levels. Josh wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing her neck, then nibbling her earlobe and whispering in her ear.
“Let’s go inside so I can kiss you some more.”
The hell with wrong. Riley spun around and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him into the apartment. He kicked the door shut behind them. She’d stifled her desire for him for too long. She wanted him, damn it, and she wasn’t going to let something like who owned an apartment stop her from doing what her body and heart had been yearning for forever. The need was too great. She worked the buttons on his shirt as they made out like horny teenagers on their way toward the bedroom. It’d been too long since she’d felt such a craving for wantonness. Josh pulled back long enough to rip his shirt off and toss it aside. He reached for her dress, and Riley reached for the light switch.
“I want to see you,” he said.
Not after all the skinny models you’ve dated. “I’m a little embarrassed,” she admitted.
He cupped her cheek with his hand—a mannerism that she’d already come to long for—and whispered, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”
I don’t care if it’s a lie or the truth. You just got major brownie points. She reached for a candle on the bookshelf. “Okay?”