“Got it, oh and Junior said he had some information for you on something you had him looking into.”
Josh perked up. “Yeah? Tell him to call me then.”
“Well, he said he’d rather tell you in person. Something about him needing to show you instead of telling you.”
The news she shared didn’t sit well with him at all. Hearing shit like that would probably make him go out of his mind if he waited.
“Tell Junior to pick me up at the airport then, and he can show me what he has on my way to the meeting.”
“All right, anything else you need then?” Misty asked him.
“Nope, see you soon.”
Josh hung up and sighed. This put a huge monkey wrench in his plans today. The things he needed to tell Summer, he wouldn’t be able to do in two hours.
He also wasn’t sure how long he’d be gone and didn’t want to drag this out either. He decided to at least give her some of the information he wanted to tell her, and when he got back, if she hadn’t run by then, they would get into the rest.
Josh walked back to his bedroom and bent down in front of her. She was lying on her stomach with her arm hanging off the bed and her lower leg poking out from underneath the sheet. She was facing him, and he took time to appreciate her beauty and softness. He softly caressed her cheek, trying to figure out just when this woman captured his heart.
He knew it didn’t matter when it happened. There was nothing he could have done to prevent it anyway. He was in love, and for the first time in his life, he was scared shitless.
Josh leaned over and lightly kissed her shoulder, and he felt her start to move. He moved back and watched bright brown eyes…whoa wait, were they green?
Summer sat up startled slightly then relaxed when she saw who was in front of her.
She smiled warmly. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, did you sleep okay?” he asked, unable to prevent the huge grin that creased his face.
Summer rolled her eyes and moved further away from him.
“From what little sleep I got, yeah.”
Josh chuckled. “Oh sorry about that.”
“No, you’re not.”
“You’re right, I’m not. But I am sorry to say that I have to leave earlier than I planned.”
He noticed the sadness overcome her instantly.
“You do,” she said softly, sitting up placing her back against the headboard.
Josh moved to the bed and sat close to her. He brought her hand to his lips, not missing the slight move she made to cover herself from him.
“I’m sorry about the bad timing.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“My case is almost over, and I have a few meetings to take in DC before everything is wrapped up.”
“So you got who you were looking for?”
He nodded. “Pretty much. There are a few nails that I have to place in a few people’s coffins, but other than that, yes, my job is done.”
Summer frowned and shook her head. “So what does that mean exactly?”
He sighed. “Well, I’m not sure really.” He touched her cheek softly. “I was hoping to come back here and talk to you about it.”
“Really?” Her eyes lit up slightly.
He smiled and nodded his head. “Yeah, Sweets. We have a lot to talk about, but I just need time to get everything together before we do.” His other hand found his way to the other cheek, and he leaned closer to her. “Do you think you could give me a few days to sort some shit out?”
She visibly relaxed. “I think I can do that.”
He leaned into her and kissed her softly. “Good.”
Josh leaned back from her and rested his hand on her thigh.
She asked, “So you’ll be a few days?”
“Give or take, yes. But as soon as I get back, I promise to call you.” He then stood. “I have to jump in the shower… If you’re hungry I made turkey bacon and eggs. Help yourself; I’ll be out in a minute.”
Josh walked quickly into the shower before he found himself wrapped up in Summer again. He lathered up quickly and rinsed then proceeded to wash his hair. When he rinsed off, he let the water fall over him, thinking about all he had to do when he got home; the paperwork that was waiting for him as well as the bureaucracy. He would love to tell her when he would be able to come back, but he really wasn’t sure.
His thoughts shifted as the shower door suddenly opened. Josh turned to find Summer coming in the shower behind him. Her warm hand ran down his back, creating a heat that traveled from her touch to his groin instantly.
Summer, to her credit, didn’t move her eyes from his when she said to him, “I figured since you’re leaving me so soon you owe me a proper goodbye.”
Josh turned around to face her as she closed the shower door.
“Is that so?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck as he moved his arm around her waist pulling her closer to him.
She nodded. “I mean, there’s no telling when you’ll get back right? What if I forget what you feel like?”
Josh tightened his grip on her waist and frowned. “Well let me make sure there’s no way in hell you’d forget.”
Josh did everything he could to made sure she wouldn’t forget him, which also caused him to almost miss his flight. But as he settled down in first class, he couldn’t stop the smile that stayed on his face the whole flight home.
Chapter 11
Kenya
It had been a week and a half since Josh left, and I was a basket case. So the day that he left, he told me we would talk about us. He even gave me the keys to his car so I could take myself back and forth to work, after I proved to him that I could drive, of course. He told me that there was a lot that we needed to talk about, and the day he got back we would. So the problem was… I haven’t spoken to him since that day.
I’d called and texted him, and he hadn’t returned either. What’s messed up was I had no idea who to contact to see if he was okay or if he was alive. I ran into Aaron, and he told me that Josh quit a week ago. That was a few days ago, so now my frantic state had turned into something else entirely.
What if everything he told me was a line? What if he had no intention of coming back and didn’t have the guts to tell me?
I was so angry with myself for thinking I would be enough for him. I mean, Josh was this alpha male who was strong and fearless and so freaking sexy that the only type of woman he deserved was not the one that I saw in the mirror daily.
I’d resounded to the fact that he just didn’t want to hurt my feelings and tell me he and I wouldn’t work. Joy, of course, thought I was crazy, but I really didn’t think I was. To be honest, if he did decide to come back, I needed to make sure I wasn’t here when he did.
I decided it was time for me to move on. As painful as it would be, I needed to do it. I’d been here too long to begin with. This would be the hardest thing I’ve had to do, but that would teach me a lesson that I could not become complacent no matter what.
So I started working like crazy to save up some money for my departure. I wasn’t completely broke. I’d invested secretly into some businesses, and I’d captured some return on my investments, but I couldn’t go after them just yet. I had to talk to my friend, Nickels, first to make sure it was okay for me to move the funds and how I should do it. He’d been keeping me hidden for this long, and he seemed to be the only man I could truly rely on.
I’m currently on my second day of a ten–hour stretch and Mr. Creepy wanted me to wait tables tonight, so for the last nine hours I’d been kissing up to a lot of self–absorbed wealthy folk, and I was exhausted.
During my last hour of my shift, I was making my rounds, hoping no one else would sit in my area when I saw a familiar face that I never imagined I would see again.
He was sitting with a beautiful woman with dark skin, long straight black hair that shimmered and eyes that were exotic and enchanting without any help from makeup.
I couldn’t move as I watched Josh place his arm around this woman and whisper something in her ear that caused her to smile seductively at him. My heart crumbled, and I thought I was going to faint as my hands started shaking. The moment where I convinced my brain to move my legs, the woman looked over at me, and his eyes followed. We made eye contact for what seemed like forever, but finally, I was able to move, and I got out of there as quickly as I could.
I ran down to the employee lounge, ready to tell Mr. Creepy that I had to leave. The tears that were beginning to fall down my face should be enough for him to let me leave. I didn’t see my boss down there, so I just grabbed my bag and decided I would tell him when I was on my way out the door.
I didn’t get very far however. The moment I opened the lounge door to leave, Josh was standing there in his tailored black Armani suit looking delectable and mouthwatering, which made me hate myself even more. I couldn’t believe in spite of what I just saw, my body still wanted him.
“Summer, wait a minute…”
He grabbed me by my arm, but I yanked it out of his grasp.
“For what? No, don’t worry, I get it, Josh … I get it, believe me.”
Josh moved behind me and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Sweets, just give me a second to explain.”
“Get off me, Josh!” I yelled, and he obeyed instantly. I moved away from him and stopped but didn’t turn to face him. I felt so humiliated and embarrassed. “There’s nothing to explain. I’ve seen what I needed.”