Steph took a step back from Josh and eyed him up and down, trying to reconcile the words with the man she had been so comfortable with. It wasn’t just that she’d slept with him. She felt as if she’d known him. As though they had some sort of connection that went beyond words or back story.
It was like a slap in the face as she realized how little she really knew about this man she’d just shared her body with.
Josh cursed under his breath and turned away. His long strides widened the distance between them by the second.
Steph stood motionless, watching him leave before reality hit and she realized what was happening. “Wait!” she called as she started to run after him.
She caught up right as he headed to the truck. “Josh, I want to know more.”
He pulled open the passenger side of the door and held it for her. “It’s okay. I got it.”
“No, you don’t got it. I was surprised and—”
“We don’t know each other,” he pointed out. “Today was nice, but maybe it was a fluke. Let me take you back to your car.”
“I don’t want you to take me back to my car. I want you to finish the story. I want to know what really happened.”
“Really happened? There is no sob story here, Steph. I did a bad thing and I got sent to prison.”
“And now you’re out of prison. So I don’t see why I need to suddenly hate you when nothing has changed in the past two minutes.” She had been so lost in her own self-loathing of the past few weeks that it never occurred to her that Josh might be going through the same thing.
But the world didn’t revolve around her. Other people had real, serious problems that would follow them around for life. And whatever Josh had done, whoever he really was, it didn’t change the perfect gentleman he’d been with her.
“Come on, Josh. You dropped a bombshell on me and I didn’t immediately hug you and tell you everything was going to be okay. I’m allowed to be surprised. You can’t punish me for being human.”
He squinted and stared at her in shock. “Punish you? I’m protecting you. You’re a heiress passing through town. You don’t need to be caught up with some ex-con who is only just getting his life together.”
“Do me a favor. Don’t protect me. I didn’t come out with you today because I wanted a bodyguard.”
“Then why are you with me? Because there is absolutely no reason that we should be doing anything together and I can’t—”
He broke off and Steph desperately wanted to know what he was going to say. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I don’t have any answers for what’s happening or what I want or where I’m going or how long I’m staying. Everything about my life is in the air right now, so I’m not exactly a model of stability. But are you going to end whatever this is because we’re riding blind? Or are we going to keep whatever this is going?”
He started to say something but stopped. He reached up and ran his fingers along the bottom of her jaw before the pad of his thumb brushed over her bottom lip. She took in a shaky breath as all of the sudden she was right back in the sensual haze that it was so easy for him to drag her into.
Finally he said, “I don’t think that not knowing is a good idea for us.”
She nodded as she tried to remember how to breathe normally. “So we need to decide then. Is this over or are we going to try for something real?” How the hell was she supposed to decide that? How was she even supposed to think straight when he was around? And was her inability to think straight around him a good sign or a bad one? “You decide. This is too hard for me.”
“Hard for you?” He raised a brow and she let out a snort of laughter as she caught the double entendre of his words.
“Fine. What do you suggest, oh wise one? If I can’t decide and you can’t decide, what do we do?”
He glanced up at the sky and squinted. “We’ve had a long morning. Why don’t we take a beat and then meet up for dinner?”
“Dinner at my place?” The bed-and-breakfast had a brand-new stove and an entire working kitchen she could use.
“Maybe someplace public would be best,” he said with just enough wickedness glinting in his eyes for her to know exactly what would happen if they were alone again. “Sue Ann’s Cafe has the best food in town.”
“Okay. Dinner at Sue Ann’s,” she agreed. “And then we can have the talk.”
“It’s a date.” They both smiled at each other at the sudden agreement, but Steph knew that neither one of them felt totally comfortable with the idea of putting a label on the explosive reaction between the two of them. But in a few hours, everything was going to come to a head.
~~~~~
It was five in the evening, but Sue Ann’s Cafe still smelled like cinnamon and pancakes and comfort food. Steph took a deep inhale to appreciate the scent as she walked to one of the open tables. There were about a dozen tables at comfortable angles. The tables were covered with various mismatched tablecloths that seemed to all go together with how different they were. Along the back wall, shelves were lined with various crafts and local mementos, and the walls were covered with pictures of locals. Some of them looked old, but Steph wondered whether she spent enough time looking, she would find one with Josh…
She sat down right as her phone started to buzz. She took it out to see whether it was Josh calling to cancel or tell her there was no reason to talk because he’d already decided this wasn’t worth it. But it was only when she realized it was AJ calling again that she remembered that she still didn’t have Josh’s phone number. God, this was so strange.
She’d slept with a guy a day after meeting him. She didn’t even have his phone number. And the strangest thing of all was that she didn’t even regret it. Even if she left town and never heard from him again, she couldn’t say that she wished that day had never happened.
She smoothed the blue dress down her legs. It was a bit shorter than she wanted while sitting but it was the closest thing to a date outfit she brought with her on her soul-searching road trip. It was loose and airy and great for the summer heat. The v-neck was flattering on her and it would look better with a pair of heels, but the flip-flops she had would have to do.
A friendly waitress came over and Steph ordered two waters as she waited for Josh. Like that morning, her nerves had caused her to get there much too early, so she was willing to take her time.
But, also like that morning, Josh arrived soon after, still much earlier than the five p.m. time they agreed on.
The cafe was reasonably busy with some young families and older couples. Back home, she usually didn’t eat dinner until at least eight at night, but she supposed—or hoped, at least—that Josh wanted an early dinner because he didn’t want to go that long without seeing her.
She smiled at him across the restaurant when his eye met hers and she bit her lip as he approached.
“Hey.” He took his seat.
“I don’t need any more time,” she said without any preamble.
His eyes widened and he shifted his weight in his seat. “Yeah?”
“Let’s do this. For real.”
“Even though I’m—”
“This doesn’t make sense and it might not be logical, but for a few seconds I thought you might not show up today and that freaked me out so much that I don’t want to end this just because I’m afraid. Now, I don’t really know the logistics. I only have the bed-and-breakfast for three days before Shelby said the next guests are coming, but I have an American Express Black card and thanks to my fear of commitment, I can hang around for a while, so I’m going all in on the stupid part and we’re going to do this.” She stopped when she realized she’d said all that without giving him a chance to say anything. Josh had leaned back in his seat and folded his arms in front of him. Was he sitting like that because he was guarded or because he was just more comfortable? “So where do you want to start?” she asked carefully.
“Pancakes would be a good start.”
She smiled at the answer. They’d start with pancakes. She could do that. She reached for the menu to look over what kind of pancakes were available when the door opened and a strikingly beautiful couple walked in. She squinted at the woman, trying to place where she knew her from, and then blinked a few times when she realized who it was. “Karina Black?” she asked Josh.
Josh looked over his shoulder to the table where the couple was sitting. “Yep. Her husband, Ryan, is the grandson of the owner of this place.”
“Huh. That’s so interesting.” Steph went back to looking at the menu and tried to decide whether the hike that morning would cancel out chocolate chip pancakes. After a few moments, she realized Josh was staring at her. She poked her head over the menu to meet his gaze. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I just… You don’t seem to care that one of the most famous women in the country is sitting a few feet away from you.”
Steph frowned and glanced around the cafe. She realized that the tourists evidently noticed because they had started to whisper among themselves while not so subtly looking to where Karina and Ryan were smiling lovingly at each other. “Trust me, I’m impressed.” She went back to the menu.
“Do you not like her music?” asked Josh.
“Of course, I like her music. I’m human. Don’t listen to the newer stuff, though.”
“The new stuff is a thousand times better than the manufactured pop.”
Okay, this conversation now required her full attention. She set the menu down and leaned forward on her elbows. “Josh, are you a Karina Black fan?” she asked with a teasing smile.
“I live in Hope Falls. We’re all Karina Black fans here. But for real, you like the older stuff better?”
“I like it all. But I usually only listen to music at the gym, so the more upbeat stuff is what gets played more.”
“But you’re not excited that she’s so close? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone famous before I moved here and I used to live in LA.”
She smiled at him as she realized why he was so confused. “Josh, remember when I said I was rich? I’ve met famous people before. It’s much less fun when you realize they’re just people. I’m sure she’d rather eat without me gawking at her. Besides, I’d rather gawk at you,” she said with a little wink.
He leaned back and considered her once more. “You know, I’m not hungry anymore.”
She raised a brow. “We could always order in.”
He nodded. “I think ordering in is the best idea.”
~~~~~
Josh glanced over his shoulder as he followed Steph into the cute little cabin that she was renting out. Even though they were both consenting adults, he still felt as if someone was going to pop out any second and start asking what he thought he was doing.
The cabin was out behind JT’s, so it was relatively secluded, but Shelby or Levi would be able to see the entrance from the windows of the upstairs apartment they shared. He didn’t think they were gossips, but he was still protective of this new relationship.
Would he mind if word got out that he was messing around with the new girl in town? Everything about Steph was awesome. Maybe he should just go to the top of the nearest rooftop and shout to the world that she was his now.
Once he was inside, she pushed the door shut and immediately locked and bolted it. Even though he was almost a hundred percent sure he was about to get lucky, the idea of her making sure they weren’t going to be interrupted had his cock hardening in his jeans.
And Steph, who looked amazing on a normal day, wore this deceptively evil dress that wasn’t tight anywhere on her body but stopped mid-thigh. He was obsessed with running his fingers up those thighs to the warm heat in the center…
“So…” she said finally. “What kind of food is good to order in here?”
“Well,” he said as he approached. “There’s Chinese and Chinese.”
“Then Chinese it is, I guess.” Her words faded as he got closer.
He leaned in until his nose touched hers. “Chinese sounds good.”
“Good.” Her lips brushed his now.
And then they gave up any pretense of talking about food and he bent in for a kiss. For a second, the only part of them that touched was their lips as they started the gentle exploration. Then Josh cupped her face and tilted her head, his tongue demanding more access as Steph leaned her body into him, her belly pressing against his hard erection.
A need like he’d never known took over as he savored every second. Even though he’d had her just a few hours ago, this still felt like the first time. He might never get enough of this intoxicating woman and right now he was a hundred percent okay with that.
He reached down with one hand and gave in to temptation as he ran his fingers up the back of her thigh, pushing the hem of her dress up higher and higher until he grazed the lacy edge of her panties.
She curled her fingers in his shirt and pulled him closer as their kiss blazed hotter, but right now Josh had other ideas. His free hand moved down between the valley of her breasts and once it was flat against her stomach, he pressed her firmly against the door. He moved to kiss her earlobe and gave her one playful bite that had her sucking in a breath. “You’re all mine now,” he breathed next to her ear.
With her pressed against the door, he started to tug the dress higher until it was bunched around her waist. He hooked his fingers in her panties and pushed them over her hips until they fell to the ground.
She stood utterly still and he could see the spot where she was biting the inside of her cheek. “Step out of them,” he ordered and immediately she obeyed, lifting one foot and then the other, kicking the black lace out of the way. He had to hold himself back for a few seconds to keep from lifting her up and fucking her against the door right then and there. No, they’d already done that this morning. Now he was going to take his time.
He reached between their bodies and cupped her mound. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hands came to his shoulders, but she didn’t push him away. More holding onto him in anticipation of what was going to happen. And if he had his way, her knees were going to give out sooner rather than later.
He adjusted his hand to run his fingers along the seam of her opening; she was already so wet and ready for him. He had to fight the urge to smile. But when he pushed a finger in and felt her body contract around his finger, he wasn’t smiling any more. He was pure concentration as he started to work against her. His thumb brushed her clit and she jumped against him.
“Josh,” she moaned. “It feels…”
He pushed another finger in and she gasped for breath and seemed to forget that she was speaking. “Feels what, babe?”
“Good,” she murmured before she was taken over by a moan.
She was getting even wetter. As his hand was coated with her juices, it took every ounce of control he had to keep himself back and focus on giving this to her. But as her moans increased, he pushed forward like a single-minded demon focused solely on getting this goddess to come for him.
And then she was spasming in his arms. She leaned forward to press her mouth against his shoulder as though to stop herself from screaming as her nails bit into his arms.
He wanted to stand there and bask in the glow of her orgasm, but he couldn’t hold back any longer. “Bedroom,” he said, incapable of forming full sentences.
She pointed but because she pointed behind him, he didn’t see which direction. Hell, he’d have to guess and wherever they ended up, that was where they were going to stay. He lifted her against him and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and let out a giggle. “You really do like to carry me,” she said into his ear before she gave the lobe a little lick, causing him to walk a little faster.
He had apparently guessed right and seconds later, they were in the bedroom, she was on the bed, and he was pressing himself fully between her legs. If he weren’t still in his jeans, he’d be buried to the hilt.
When Steph kissed him, it was as though she was putting all of her into the kiss. If they hadn’t had their little talk already, he would know for certain right now that this would never be a one-night stand. This was more. This was once-in-a-lifetime.
Her hands roamed over his back and then pushed at his jeans, apparently wanting his jeans off just as much as he did. He managed to pull himself away from her long enough to shuck off his shoes and jeans. He was just pulling off his shirt when he remembered the stupid condom and cursed as he had to grab one from his back pocket.
But when he stood back up, Steph had taken her dress off and was reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. His mouth went dry as he looked at the pure perfection. There were few men as lucky as him and he never thought he’d ever feel that way…
She held out her hand. It took a second for him to realize what she wanted and then it clicked. He gave her the condom wrapper. She moved to her knees on the bed and tore at the wrapper. “I’ve never done this before, so don’t laugh at me,” she warned.
If she had any idea how fucking turned on he was right now, she’d know that there was no way he’d ever laugh at her. She tentatively put the condom over the head of his cock and he reflexively jerked at the first touch. Her eyes jumped to his and she had to realize when she looked at him that it was a compliment because she gave him the sexiest smile he’d ever seen as she started to unroll the condom over his shaft, guiding it until it reached the base.
Once it was on, there was no stopping. She started to fall back, but he stopped her, instead motioning her to go on her knees facing away from him. She started to lean onto her elbows, but he wrapped an arm around her stomach and pulled her back against him. His cock pressed insistently against the crack of her ass as his nose ran up her neck, taking in the scent and feel of this woman he was about to have.
“You’re perfect,” he breathed into her ear as his hands came up to cup her breasts. She let out a sensual moan as she rubbed up against him in approval. He lowered himself just enough while one of his hands ran along her stomach and into the warm, wet folds of her sex to part her for him. There was no more waiting now. He needed to be inside her this second or he was going to lose his mind.
And then he was nudging at her entrance and sliding in with one smooth stroke. They both caught their breath at the invasion. As he started to pull out and push back in again, she fell forward with her palms flat on the bed and he followed; one hand braced himself on the bed while the other hand went to her waist and held her steady as the thrusts came faster. He wanted to be gentle with her, but before he knew it, he was going harder and harder until the only thing he could do was find her clit and hold his palm steady there so with every thrust she was jumping in his arms and convulsing around his cock. And when her second orgasm ripped through her, he followed her right over the edge.
He came even harder than that morning as spasm after spasm ripped through him, every single muscle going tense until there was nothing left in him.
It was all he could do to hold himself above Steph to keep from crushing her as they both caught their breath. He rested his forehead against her shoulder and pressed a gentle kiss to her soft skin. She let out a breathy laugh. The motion caused her to tighten around his still sensitive cock and he bit out a curse, which caused her to laugh once more.
“Sorry,” she muttered very insincerely.
Well, that was probably his cue. He pressed one more kiss to her shoulder before he pulled out and immediately mourned the loss of the warmth. “I’m going to go clean up. You stay naked,” he said, causing her to laugh once more as he retreated to the bathroom.
When he came back, he crawled back in bed with Steph and held her tightly. They stayed like that for a few moments before his stomach started to growl. After she spent a good thirty seconds giggling about it, they finally got the Chinese food ordered. Normally he hated to lie in bed without a television on, but he didn’t mind it as much with Steph in his arms.
They talked about small things for a while. She described her apartment in the city and he told her about some of the characters he worked with over at Mountain Ridge. But then she fell silent and he knew she was about to ask him something more serious.
“What?” he asked.
“Tell me about it. What did you go to jail for?”
“Prison,” he corrected. She was quiet and he decided to just get it over with. “I’ve never had a lot. My dad was never around and my mom worked two jobs to support me and her drinking. Back then, I thought I was the biggest sob story in the world but I know better now.”
“That sounds pretty bad to me.”
“Maybe, but it’s not unique. There are thousands of kids going through the same shit and they don’t end up getting arrested.”
“Did you hurt someone?”
“No. Thankfully, things never got that far. One of my buddies robbed a store and I was the driver. He used a knife, which made it armed robbery, and since I was the driver, I got the same charges.”
“That’s not fair.”
“I knew better.” He didn’t think it was fair for a long time, but he was older now. He was sure as hell smarter than the dumbass in that ’97 Mercury Sable. “My mom had died the week before I did it. I think that’s the reason the judge was lenient and I got the minimum sentence.” He didn’t like talking about it. He knew that the robbery wasn’t in response to grief. It was from him not knowing any better. It was from him thinking he could beat the system. After her death, he’d gotten a small chunk of life insurance, but to him it was more money than he’d ever had before. And after getting out of prison with no skills and a record, that money was probably the only thing that kept him from being in the high percentage of inmates who ended up right back in prison.
“After a few years of taking odd jobs here and there, I ended up here and I never left.”
“It’s so nice here.” Steph looked over her shoulder to study him. “Do you think you’ll ever leave?”
“I haven’t thought much about it. I’ve been living day-to-day for so long. Hard habit to break.”
She rolled over so she faced him. “It’s strange how we have so little in common, but you’re kind of the same as me.”
He had his doubts about that, but didn’t say anything. He ran his fingers over her shoulder and savored the feel of her. “What about you? Are you going to live in Chicago forever?”
“I don’t know. My parents are… I can’t even tell you how crazy they are right now. They haven’t really liked each other for years and now it’s all-out war and they’re impossible. It’s like two children. Two annoying children.”
“And do you want kids?” Her eyes widened and he cursed himself for asking the question. It was hardly the kind of thing he normally asked a woman right after sleeping with them, let alone the first day they were dating. But once again, Steph tended to make him forget things like how to be normal. “You don’t have to—”
“No. It’s a fair question,” she said hesitantly. “I, um, I do want kids. I want them really bad, actually.”
All of the sudden, a tear escaped the corner of her eye and he brushed it away. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said. “We don’t have to talk about it.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, as though willing the tears to stop. “This is so stupid. I guess I never talk about this. I’m just so…unhappy. How can I think about starting a family when I don’t even know how to take care of myself? And it’s not like I’ve had a good example. Which is why I left Chicago. I needed to get out.”
“Well, you found Hope Falls,” he said.
She looked through her lashes at him and he held his breath. Was that him asking her to stay? They’d only known each other for a few days, but if she at that moment said she was going to move here to be with him, he would’ve thought it was a completely sane, rational decision.
But before she could say anything, there was a knock on the door. “Food,” she mumbled as she reached for her dress and pulled it over her head and ran her fingers through her hair. “You stay there,” she said as he started to reach for his pants. “I’ll be right back.” She ran out of the room and he sat back on the bed.
Chinese food in bed and sex. This might be the best date ever.
Except thoughts of a relaxing evening were dashed when he heard her sharp gasp from the hall. “AJ?”