by Ashley Blake
"How on earth could I be affected by his negative feelings toward you?"
"Because he'll see that I…"
He stopped himself before finishing his sentence.
"Yes? He'll see that you what?" I could feel that he was hiding something and it was time that we started having honest dialogue.
Joshua looked surprised that I pushed a little bit and his eyes searched mine. It looked like he was trying to decide if he should continue. He hesitated and then just jumped ahead of what he was going to say.
"Just stay away from him. He's trouble."
I let out an exasperated sigh. How are we ever going to get to the next level if you don't open up to me?
He shot me a bit of a cold glance. "Is there a problem?"
I hesitated for a few seconds but then answered him. "No, not at all."
We went over to some of the guests that had arrived and Joshua introduced me. I met Bunny's two brothers and her sister and their children. While everyone was very friendly and welcoming, Ethan was the most charismatic of the bunch.
Lunch was going to be served in the backyard so we all headed outside. I decided to strike up a conversation with Vivienne who was acting aloof as always.
"This home is so beautiful, isn't it?"
"It is a beautiful home. My parent’s home is similar in size to this one."
"Oh, wow. That must have been amazing growing up in such a nice home."
"It was okay, I suppose." Her snobby attitude did nothing to endear me to her. Ugh, I just don't get what Jake sees in her!
"How big is this home, do you suppose?"
"Jake told me it has 10 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and is around 48,000 square feet."
"Oh my goodness! That is incredible!" I couldn't help how amazed I was. I had never been anywhere like this before.
Vivienne ignored my enthusiasm and it seemed as if she had something on her mind. "Sarah?"
"Yes?"
"What did you think of Ethan?"
What a strange question. I wonder why she is asking me that.
"Um, well, he certainly knows how to make an entrance!" I wanted to keep my response lighthearted.
"That he does." She chuckled softly to herself but I could see something else was there. "Did you find him charming?"
"Charming?" What was she getting at?
"Yes. Well, I know that you are single, I assume that you are anyway. I thought maybe you might be interested in him." She looked away when I searched her eyes to see what she was talking about. And then it hit me. I see what's going on here. You like him Vivienne. Well isn't this an interesting turn of events? If you’re interested in Ethan, why are you hanging on to Jake?
I decided to bait her a little bit to see how much information I could get out of her.
"Oh yes! He was very charming and so handsome. He was very flirtatious with me. Are you asking because he said something to Jake about me? Do you think he may be interested?" I couldn't help but play it up a bit. She was fishing for information for herself and she wanted to make sure no one else was interested in him. Clearly Vivienne had a thing for Ethan. I saw her face fall at my feigned enthusiasm.
She cleared her throat before speaking. "No, he hasn't said anything. I was just curious because you're both single. I thought you might make a nice couple."
I held her gaze until she was visibly uncomfortable. "Really." I set my eyes on her letting her know I knew she was lying.
Her eyes darted away as she looked around for some sort of escape. I decided to let her off the hook for now. I would delve deeper into this situation later.
CHAPTER 2
After we were done eating, I was standing near the pool admiring the hydrangeas when I felt a light touch at the small of my back. I turned to see Joshua standing beside me.
"Are you enjoying yourself?"
I looked into his gorgeous eyes and still couldn't believe this was all real.
"I am having a lovely time. Your mother is so warm and welcoming."
"That's because she likes you. Mother doesn't take very well to women I have brought to meet her." He looked out into the beautiful greenery of Beverly Hills.
What? Is this how he sees this visit? Bringing a girl home to mom is a big deal in my world. I didn't want to make a big deal about what he'd said for fear that he would close himself off again. Joshua was more relaxed than I've ever seen him and he was starting to open up to me.
"I like her too. She's not at all what I expected."
He gave me a curious glance.
"Oh, I don't mean anything bad by that! It's just that this is not my world Joshua." I waved my hand around the beautiful backyard. "I am not used to being surrounded by and submerged in this world of incredible wealth. I guess I imagined your mother would be kind of aloof. But she was so nice to me. She made me feel at ease right away. Can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"I'm glad you didn't tell me beforehand that I would be meeting her. I would have been a nervous wreck."
"I figured as much. Well, you're probably wondering how long we're going to be here."
"The thought had crossed my mind."
"Mother's birthday is Thursday and we are having a big party for her that night. We'll head back to New York on Saturday."
"Oh, that sounds fun! Is the party going to be here?" I assumed it would be because the house was so enormous.
"Yes. It's going to be in the ballroom."
"There is a ballroom?" I didn't even try to disguise my wonderment.
Joshua chuckled. "Yes, there is." He hesitated and looked at me. "Let me take you on a tour of the home."
I couldn't hide my excitement. I had to admit, I wanted to see the rest of the house but I didn't think it would be appropriate to ask.
As we were walking toward the door to go inside, Bunny came over to us. "Where are you two off to?"
"I thought I'd give Sarah a tour of the house."
"Oh, how nice, darling. Just don't take her to the gallery. That is going to be our special trip tomorrow afternoon." Bunny smiled at me and patted me softly on my arm. "Enjoy the tour dear."
I couldn't get over how nice she was. Joshua seemed to be happy here and I was thoroughly enjoying my time with him. As we strolled through the house I noticed how relaxed he was.
"You seem pretty relaxed here. I know I haven't known you all that long, but I've never seen you this way."
I could tell that my comment caught him off guard. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. He stopped for a moment but then continued to stroll casually down the hallway.
"You're very observant. I am relaxed here. My family is very important to me and I don't get to see mother that often. She always makes me feel safe, calm and relaxed."
"I can understand why. She's very warm."
"Like I told you, she has never been this way with anyone I’ve brought to meet her."
Here was my second opportunity to say something about being ‘brought home to meet mom’ and this time I wasn't going to hold my tongue.
"Joshua, there is a difference between bringing home a woman to meet your mother and bringing home a new business associate who happens to be a woman."
Joshua stopped walking and turned to look at me. His gorgeous eyes smoldered as he held my gaze. He then slowly looked me up and down, lust written all over his face.
"Is there?"
My eyes started blinking and I was completely tongue-tied. My stomach was fluttering and my mouth suddenly went dry. My voice was very small when I finally spoke. I glanced at the floor and then looked into his eyes.
"Well, I think so. Usually when you say you're bringing a woman home to meet your mother there are romantic feelings involved. If you're bringing home a work colleague, it's just about work." My heart was thumping in my chest.
He had a bit of an amused look on his face. He gave me a slight smirk and cocked his head to the side.
"Hmmm, interesting. So, I brought you home to meet my mother. Tell m
e, which category do you think you fall into?"
My cheeks were on fire. Of course I hoped it was the former, but I wasn't going to kid myself. Joshua was a very powerful and wealthy man who I'm sure had women constantly throwing themselves at him.
"I would just assume the latter." I couldn't even look at him when I said it. I was so nervous in that moment.
"Work colleague?" He searched my eyes and I could see that he wanted to say something. He started to speak and then stopped himself. He reached out and gently smoothed hair out of my eyes. "We should continue with the tour."
I didn't push back for an answer, I just continued walking with him. I felt that in time he would open up to me. I decided to focus on the splendor of the home. It really was incredible. Joshua told me it had an art gallery, a library, a 40 seat movie theater, a dining room that could seat 22 comfortably, and a grand ballroom that could accommodate up to 200 people. 200 people in one room in someone's house! I was definitely in a different world.
When we made our way to the ballroom, I was speechless. The crystal chandeliers sparkled like the night sky filled with stars. It was simply breathtaking. We stood in that room and I closed my eyes and imagined Joshua holding me in his arms, twirling me around. I was completely engulfed in my reverie when Joshua lightly tapped me on the shoulder.
"Earth to Sarah." A soft chuckle escaped from Joshua's lips.
My eyes snapped open as my hands flew to my flushed cheeks. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to all of this. It's like a fairytale." Did I really just say that fairytale part out loud?
"Well, you'll have a chance to dance in this ballroom at the party on Thursday."
"Oh? Will I?" I couldn't help but flirt with him just a little bit.
"If you're lucky." He winked at me and proceeded with the rest of the tour.
There go the butterflies again.
"Did you buy more than one gown in Dubai?"
I panicked as I realized I had nothing to wear to Bunny's birthday party.
"No, I didn't. What am I going to do? I don't suppose I can wear the same dress I wore to the charity event?" My palms were getting sweaty as I tried to figure out a solution.
Joshua must have seen the panic written all over my face. "Calm down. Don't worry. I will take care of everything."
His gentle tone surprised me but was so comforting. I really loved this sweet side of him. I stood staring at him, my eyes filled with gratitude. I think it made him a little uncomfortable.
“We should probably get back to everyone else. I'm sure they are wondering where we are."
CHAPTER 3
The next morning I was lying in bed thinking about where I was. It was still hard for me to believe this was real. Dinner was pretty wonderful the night before and Bunny's brothers and sister were just as nice as she is. As crazy as it may sound, I felt as if I fit in with this family.
I hopped in the shower, got dressed and was just finishing curling my hair when I heard a light knock at my door. My heart skipped a beat because I knew that it was Joshua coming to get me for breakfast. I opened the door with a big smile on my face and it immediately fell and was replaced by confusion.
Ethan was leaning in my doorway flashing his pearly whites at me.
"Ethan. What are you doing here?"
"I thought I would escort you to breakfast, gorgeous." That sexy smile of yours is not going to work on me. Just as I was about to respond, Joshua appeared at my door.
"Thanks for the offer cousin, but the lady is spoken for." His dark eyes fixed on Ethan’s, and his imposing stance sent a clear message to Ethan that he should back off.
"For now." Ethan winked at me as he sauntered off.
Joshua came into my room and closed the door. He turned his fiery gaze on me. "Did you invite him to your room?"
"Of course not! You heard him say he wanted to escort me to breakfast!"
"I told you he's trouble Sarah! Don't encourage him." I could see a flicker of hurt fly across his eyes and I quickly went to him.
"Look at me." I was surprised at how bold I was being with him.
He looked at me, his eyes longingly searching mine. I reached up and gently held his face in my hands. "I am not encouraging him in any way. He is not the…” I stopped myself. I had already said too much and I didn't want to scare him away.
Joshua gently pulled me to him and softly kissed me on the lips. I thought I would melt into his arms. He pulled back slightly, still holding me close and looked into my eyes. He caressed my cheek softly with his finger.
"We should get downstairs for breakfast."
After breakfast everyone was lounging by the pool when Jake came over to me.
"How's my favorite new associate enjoying her visit?"
I giggled at his playful banter. "I am having a great time. This house is incredible and your mother is lovely."
"I think Vivienne is a bit envious of how mother has taken to you." He leaned in to whisper to me. “She has only ever felt this way about one other woman."
I looked at him and knew the answer before I asked.
"Lauren?"
"Yes." His mood darkened for a minute and I think I saw a moment of anger flicker in his eyes. I changed the subject to lighten things up.
"I'm looking forward to the party on Thursday. I saw the ballroom and it was so amazing. You guys really have an incredible life."
Jake looked at me and smiled. There is the friendly face I recognize.
"I'm looking forward to the party as well. Be sure to save a dance for me."
We chatted for a little while longer and then Joshua came over to us. As he was walking toward us I happened to glance to my right and I saw Vivienne and Ethan in what looked like a heated discussion. Something is definitely going on there.
"We have lunch reservations at the country club at 1:00 PM and Jake, we have a tee time of 2:30 PM. Mother wants to go over in about an hour and relax by the pool before lunch."
"Are we all going?" My question probably sounded silly but I had never been to a country club before.
Joshua didn't laugh at my question, he just smiled at me.
"Yes, we're all going. A few of the men are going to play golf after lunch. You're welcome to join us if you'd like."
I had never even played miniature golf. It was sweet that he invited me but I had no desire to play golf. I held my hands up and shook my head.
"No, no. Thank you for the invite but I believe Bunny and I have plans. She is going to show me the gallery today. Well, I suppose I should go change into my suit if we're going to be lounging by the pool for a while."
Joshua's eyes slowly roamed over my body in full view of his brother.
"Yes. A swimsuit is definitely a good idea. You probably want to wear a two-piece."
I couldn't believe he said that in front of Jake! Jake stood there staring out into the hills acting as if he didn't hear anything as Joshua flirted with me. My cheeks were literally burning as he held my gaze.
"I should go get changed." I gave him a slightly flirtatious smile as I started to walk away. "I'll see you both in a bit."
CHAPTER 4
I could tell the country club was filled with rich people the second we got there. They just had a different air about them as if they had not a worry in the world. Joshua totally downplayed the club when describing it to me. It had a beautiful golf course, tennis courts, a pool and spa facilities among many other amenities. To me, this was the kind of place where you would go on vacation.
I felt a little self-conscious in my bikini as I lay by the pool. But Joshua seemed to appreciate what he saw and he even laid in a lounge chair next to me. As we were chatting, Vivienne walked by in her bikini. Her skinny body was perfect, not an ounce of fat anywhere, and most of the men openly gawked at her as she walked by. Yeah, that makes me feel really good about myself. I silently chastised myself for having that extra muffin at breakfast that morning.
"I've always thought a woman should look, and feel, like a woman."
Joshua's comment completely put me at ease. I don't know if he sensed my insecurity, but what he said made me feel good. "Like you, for instance. Your body is perfect to me. Curves in all the right places."
His voice was low and sexy as he whispered the last part to me and I felt myself becoming aroused. It was broad daylight and we were in a public place and Joshua was turning me on! I couldn't help but flirt back.
"I'm glad you like what you see." I gave him a subtle smile.
His voice was low and gravelly and his beautiful, dark eyes were filled with pure sex as they slowly roamed over my body before fixating on my eyes. "What I see, what I have seen, what I've touched, what I've tasted…"
My stomach fluttered uncontrollably as I felt the wetness between my legs. I wanted to straddle him right there but I couldn't because there were way too many people around. I looked directly at him.
"You can have it all again whenever you want."
The desire in his eyes was overpowering. He quickly looked around and I could tell he was trying to think of something but I didn't know what. He grabbed the towel off of the back of his chair and as he wrapped it around his waist I could see that he was aroused.
"Come with me."
"Where are we going?" I tried to hide my excitement at whatever it was Joshua had in mind.
"We're going for a walk."
As we walked past Bunny, Joshua told her he was taking me on a tour of the club.
"Be sure to cover up and put on a shirt dear. Don't forget lunch is in a little over an hour."
"Yes mother. We'll be back by then."
Joshua grabbed his shirt from his bag and I put on my cover-up which looked like a summer dress. He walked with purpose to the spa facilities and when we ducked inside one of the empty rooms, he locked the door behind us.
