“That is a low blow. Why don’t you admit it’s my animal magnetism that’s keeping you here?”
I laughed out loud. “Yeah, I have to say there is some reason why I haven’t left yet. Not sure about the animal magnetism though.”
“Don’t worry baby, you can tell me the truth. I mean, most times I have to beat them away with a stick, but I’m used to it.”
I laughed. “Oh, I can only imagine.”
We continued to talk, him making me laugh, making me feel like I was in high school again and I was talking to the guy I’ve been crushing after for months. Even through the phone, he made me feel secure.
When I finally made it inside my apartment, I told Josh I was home.
“Do you think we could meet for lunch next week?”
I sighed and fell on my bed.
“I don’t see why not.”
“Good, then it’s a date.”
“Okay,” was my only reply.
We were quiet for a minute and then he said, “So, I’ll see you Tuesday then... Good night Sweets.”
“Good night, Joshua.”
Chapter 7
Joshua
Josh laid down on his couch and covered his eyes with his forearm. He let the softness of the suede caress his bare legs and back as he tried to cool down from his shower. He needed to concentrate on something, anything other than that woman. He slowed his breathing down, trying desperately to quiet himself.
These last two months had tested his patience and brought him to his breaking point. He didn’t have a clue how much longer he could hold on before he lost his mind.
The sound of his cell invaded his thoughts, and without opening his eyes, he reached for the phone sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch.
“Cooper.”
He heard a female chuckling on the other end. “Wow, it’s that bad, huh?”
“You have no idea. What do you want?”
“Damn, can’t I call and say hello?” she asked.
“No, Misty, you can’t. Now what the fuck do you want?”
“Okay, okay, don’t get your panties in bunch. The Powers–To–Be want an update on the case.”
“At two in the morning, they want an update?” Josh replied back, not hiding his growing frustration.
“Well, sort of. Actually, they want an update in the morning, but I figured I’d get a jump on things and ask now.”
“Yeah, well, good thing I give a shit what they want.”
“So what do you want me to tell them?”
“Tell them to go fuck themselves,” he growled.
“You know they won’t be happy hearing that,” Misty offered.
“Again, I don’t give a shit. If they don’t like how I’m handling things, they can come here and figure this shit out themselves.”
Misty chuckled. “I take it the protection detail isn’t going very well.”
“I’m in fucking hell,” Josh told her, meaning every fucking word.
“So why don’t you tell her what’s going on? It will save you the hassle of having to follow her all around town like a puppy.”
Josh sat up and looked down at his naked torso.
“It’s not that simple.”
“Sure it is, Josh, just tell her what the fuck is going on. I mean, at least you can try. You’ve been following her around for two months. Don’t you think it’s time to tell her?”
“I can’t, Misty. Fuck, don’t you think I would if I could? This situation is fucked up, and if I told her she’d freak out and probably run. No, it’s better she doesn’t know shit.”
“Huh, it’s better for her or you?”
“Goodbye, Misty,” Josh growled.
Josh hung up the phone and stood to go get dressed and fall into bed when someone started knocking at his door.
He stared. Stunned, he tried figuring out who the hell it was knocking at his door at two in the morning. He suddenly thought it might have been Summer, so he wasted no time and opened the door. Instead of the woman that had been driving him sexually frustrated, it was the woman he had been avoiding for weeks.
Josh looked Paula up and down, noticing she only wore a mid–length trench coat and high heels. Her hair was pinned up, and she wore a smile that would level a town.
Josh leaned on his door, still in only his towel and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Paula’s smile broadened. “It seems you need a little push in making the right decision, so I wanted to help you along. Can I come in, or are you going to make me stand out here all night?”
Josh hesitated, knowing shit wasn’t going to end well if he let her in. You know the saying, he thought to himself, once you invite a Vampire in your home, you won’t be able to get rid of them.
Josh reluctantly moved to the side and watched as she walked past him, caressing his chest as she moved.
Josh locked his door and turned to face her. She stood not too far from him and started undoing the strap to her coat. Amused, Josh watched on as her coat dropped to the floor revealing a black bodice covering an amazing body with a flat stomach, nice size tits and legs that seemed to go on for days.
“So, I’ve shown you mine. Are you going to show me yours?” Paula asked, moving closer to Josh.
Smirking, Josh asked, “You think it’s that easy? Why don’t you tell me what the fuck you really want so we can stop playing this tired ass game?”
Still smiling, Paula brought her hands to his chest and caressed him, moving up to his shoulders and calmly and slowly down his arms. She went to his waist and started to remove his towel.
“I really hope you don’t make it easy. I’m always up for the challenge. The question is, are you?”
She rubbed his cock and felt his response. Josh stilled her hand and looked her dead in the eyes.
He said with no emotion filling him, “Fucking touch me again, and a challenge will be the least of your worries.”
“Playing hard to get, are we?”
“We need to settle this now.” Josh started moving further into the living room.
Paula turned with him and followed, watching the muscles in his back contract, proving there was a lot of power and strength she couldn’t wait to experience.
Josh opened his mouth. He was ready to set her straight when his phone went off again. What the fuck?
He started not to answer it. Whoever it was, they could wait until morning. He needed to get this shit squared away with Paula tonight. Shit clearly had gone too far.
But as he thought about it, he couldn’t let it go, so he snatched up his phone and growled.
“Cooper.”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Yeah, I can see that. What’s going on? Is she okay?”
The caller paused, then said carefully, “I’m not really sure.”
Frowning, trying not to crush his phone with his bare hands he asked, “What the fuck do you mean you’re not sure?”
The caller sighed. “I was doing what you asked, and well, I heard her scream.”
Josh’s breath quickened. “What did she say when she came to the door?”
“Yeah, that’s the thing, I’ve been knocking, and she’s not answering.”
“What!”
“Cooper, man, I can just hear her crying, okay, so I–”
“Did you fucking break the door down?”
“No I–”
“No!” he boomed.
He closed his eyes, feeling the very little patience he did have disappear. He moved quickly to his room to get dressed, forgetting his unwanted company.
“So help me, God, if she’s hurt, and you didn’t do shit to help her–”
“Come on, man, you know me better than that. She wasn’t answering, so I used that heat sensing shit you gave me, and only one heat signature is in the apartment.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah man, I’m sure. I’ve checked the cameras around the apartment, and only the residents and their guests have been through.”
Josh felt somewhat better, but still he wondered what happened for her to just scream.
“And she’s still crying you say? How long has she been crying?”
Josh returned to his living room and his eyes fell on Paula.
“I think about twenty minutes now.”
A sudden sense of urgency overcame him. He needed to leave.
“All right, keep me posted. If anything comes up, let me know.”
He hung up and looked at a still half naked Paula lounging on his couch with a glass of wine in her hand. Josh didn’t have time for this shit.
He said quickly, “Something’s come up, and I’ve got to go.”
Paula’s smile dropped from her face as she asked, “What do you mean you have to go?”
“Exactly what I said. I need to be somewhere, and I need you out of my apartment.”
Paula sat up incredulously and moved slowly toward him. The moment she reached for him, he stepped back, bent down to get her coat and tossed it to her.
“Seriously, I need to go.”
Fuming now, Paula said, “Please don’t tell me you leaving has something to do with that little waitress girl I’ve been seeing you babysitting?”
Josh didn’t answer her, and he didn’t need to. He knew she’d seen him with Summer on the company floor, and in his office. He also noticed the looks she would give her too, another thing they needed to address.
Heading for the door, Josh replied, “I’ll see you Monday at work, and we can discuss how the hell you got my address and why you came here at two in the morning.”