"Turning into a psychiatrist, aren't you?" Joshua teased in his serious tone of voice.
Elijah nodded before directing his gaze towards the window. It was a sign for them to go, so they said their goodbye and thanks, after being hosted into his property. It was a hard thing to do, to be touching base with the past. She could tell that it took a lot of energy and effort on the older man's part as he relived what happened that night. Lauren had to harden her heart from reaching out, and patting his arm reassuringly. It would surely piss off Joshua even more by getting closer to Elijah.
But this was work, and she would not be able to do anything but continue on. The best way that she could help was to find enough evidence and run it to the police. That way the criminal would finally be put behind bars, and pay for the crime he had committed. But enough evidence was needed in order to put Elisa's cousin in jail.
They went back to the car and hopped in, neither one of them talking. She was thinking about her next tactic when the car stopped abruptly. Lauren glanced at Joshua to find him staring ahead of him, eyes distant and felt far away from him.
"I've been trying to gain a few clues here and there after our visit at Crimson's house," he said after a few seconds dragged by.
She cocked her head to the side to study his features. Joshua Baker was a good-looking man; she could never deny that. With his side profile, it gave her a better angle to study him. His chin had the perfect tilt with a line in the middle. His brows were drawn together as if pulled into troubled thoughts that somehow did not make any sense to him.
Joshua suddenly turned his head and saw her looking at him. She expected him to make a remark or some joke that she would normally find amusing. But there was something different about him today. He looked serious as if the idea of making her laugh was a crime. Lauren wasn't used to this side of him. It made her feel weird out. But being serious while handling this case was the main key as they figured things out.
"Don't worry about it too much," she said. "We're going to gather our information together and pull this case through. Just have some faith, Joshua."
It was the first time she had said his name, and it surprised her. Not only it was herself, but also Joshua. He raised a brow in surprise, the corner of his lips quirking up at the side. He was back to himself again.
"Joshua, huh?" he said, eyes going back to heated once more.
She gulped, knowing that it was a bad decision to call him by his first name. Something had shifted between them the moment Edward had decided to put them together. It wasn't a surprising thing as she had always known that they were bound to be put in a case together. She was just surprised that it took a long time before it happened.
Before she realized what was happening, he was already leaning down and cupping her face with his hands. She blinked in astonishment as their lips pressed together, moving as his fingers sank into the strands of her hair.
"Joshua," she breathed as she finally closed her eyes and sank into the kiss that he gave her. The world seemed to rock a little as she let him do whatever he wanted. It wasn't hot and quick as she had expected. Instead, it was rather the opposite. It was long and sweet with no tongues involved. It was just the soft presses of their mouths, and it made her wish that her first kiss had been this good.
He finally broke the kiss and pulled away from her. She regarded him in shock, and he did the same thing. Neither one of them wanted to pull away completely for fear of the spell being broken. Outside, the sun shone brightly. The birds chirped cheerily up in the trees as the breeze slid through the small crack of the windows. She shivered, blinking and breaking the eye contact she had with him.
"We should go home and get a few more information about this," Joshua suggested. He cleared his throat when it turned kind of husky. She saw him fidget in his seat and saw a semi hard-on that he was supporting. A giggle almost slipped out of her mouth before he put the car into drive.
They drove home in comfortable silence. They exchanged a few words, but their conversation was short and curt. Most of it had been about the weather that neither one of them cared about. She wanted to bring up about the kiss and asked him, but there was no need really. Reliving that and making a fool out of herself made her want to sink deeper into her seat. She should never let him kiss her. What if he thought she was easy? She was anything but and Joshua probably already knew that. She hoped, anyway.
They reached her house, and the car stopped once more. Only this time, it was her turn to get out of the car. She should really have considered about arguing more and driving her car to Elijah's house. Being alone with Joshua would only cloud up her better judgment of him. They could not cross a boundary that she had built ages ago. It took a long time for her to convinced herself not to date anyone from work. Mixing business with pleasure was a no-go for her. Things must remain professional if she wanted to keep her job, and still have closure with Joshua.
"Well, we're here." Joshua declared as if she already knew that.
Lauren cast a glance at him, but he wasn't looking at her as she had thought. She was delusional for thinking that this man would come to like her back. She finally admitted it. Yes, she felt attraction toward him. A sane woman would feel the same way, that much was obvious at least.
"I'm going to go in then," she said before opening the door. She hesitated as if wanting to tell or ask him something that she didn't know what herself.
"Is there anything that you want to say to me?" Joshua asked after it took her a couple of seconds to move.
She moved then, staring back at him through the blade of her shoulder. He looked bored, almost uninterested in her after what had just happened. His face right then told her everything she needed. Joshua Baker was a womanizer and had women lining up after him. It was a fact that she was starting to learn how to accept if they would end up working together for a long time.
Chapter 6
The sun hung low on the horizon as Lauren turned off the ignition. The low rumbling of the vehicle faded away slowly into silence. She was parked in front of the house she had grown up in. Where she had spent her childhood and her early years as an adolescent, it had been years since she had lived in that house. Almost seven years had gone by since she left her parents' house to live independently.
Getting out of the car, she placed a foot carefully on the gravel followed by her other one. She could make out sounds coming from inside. Her parents were probably arguing about the little things again. She smiled to herself, actually missing the familiar scenery. As a kid, she had been too eager to get out of her parents' cage.
She was a dreamer. Lauren had always believed that a tall, dark, mysterious man would come to her door and sweep her away. And that someone had been too familiar to her. He had been her childhood crush, and although the feelings weren’t the same anymore, Lauren still found that attraction toward him that always lingered. It wasn't anything sexual for that matter. It was more like an adolescent thing that had always been there.
She headed to the front door and knocked on the wooden surface. There was a shuffle of feet before the door opened. A thick tuft of graying hair met her eyes and a pair of deep chocolate brown eyes that she had inherited. Corner of his lips had turned into a smile before she found herself being crushed into a hug.
"Dad," she said in relief.
"It's been a while since you visited," her father said after he let her go.
She had muttered a reply before he messed up her hair and they stepped inside. There were a few voices that she recognized. The twins were home, and so was her older brother. Smiling a big smile, she walked in and saw her whole family complete. She was the only girl out of them and happened to be in the middle. There was the eldest, Adam, and the youngest twins. George and Alexander.
And she also noticed that someone who wasn't included in the family sat next to Adam. It was Joshua Baker, and he regarded her through his thick dark lashes. He fitted right in as if he had been a part of their family for a long time.
Adam and Joshua had been best friends for years, and she was a living witness to their friendship.
"What are you doing here?' she asked through gritted teeth.
"Your parents invited me over for dinner," he answered infuriatingly.
She glanced at her mother who smiled at her kindly. It was answer enough to her question and not wanting to ruin the moment; she sauntered over to her mother's direction and kissed her on both cheeks.
"I'm glad you came tonight, Lauren, honey." Her mother said as Lauren took a seat beside her mom.
"I wouldn't miss this for the world, mom." She responded before noticing that Joshua was staring at her again. He didn't look away nor had the decency to be embarrassed for being caught.
"But what is he doing here?" she asked rudely, pinpointing Joshua. They hadn't spoken much at all during the past couple of days. She had been out of it since that moment in the car. She tried to forget about the kiss he gave her. It only happened out of the heat of the moment, and it wasn't something that she should be thinking about right now. But with the way he was looking at her made her forget about everything, but him and the kiss.
"He's here for a visit, love." Her dad chimed in as he headed toward her mother's side.
She could only nod and help out with preparing dinner. She had nothing against Joshua, nothing at all. But with her feelings all over the place, having him here under the same roof her made it impossible. They barely spoke to each other unless it had something to do with the case they were dealing with. There hadn't been any more information that was added to their file. As much as Lauren tried her best to talk to the police who handled the case, none of them wanted to give her a few reports or evidence that was found at the crime scene. She guessed she would have to rely on Joshua for this part.
They ate while making conversations. She mostly stayed quiet as she focused on eating. She had nothing to say let alone tell her family. She was too familiar and aware of her insufferable and infuriating partner in the Herald. She felt him glance at her a few times while she wasn't looking. It was pretty ironic that neither one of them were talking. Her parents probably noticed, or at least her mom. She had shared a word or two with her while they were in the kitchen. Most of the questions had been about work that involved Joshua in the equation.
Nevertheless, this was just a case that they were working together on. As soon as this was done, both of them will be assigned to different projects again. Possibly working with different people that didn't include their presence in each other's company. This was for the better, really.
As soon as dinner was finished, Lauren headed out after she said goodbye to her parents. She was already outside, about to unlock the car when she heard footsteps following behind her. She turned to find Joshua behind her, hands deep in his pockets. He merely regarded her as if he wanted to say something.
"Shouldn't you be heading out?" she asked, making light conversation.
"Actually," he started. "I need a ride so I thought you might be able to give me one."
She frowned to herself, careful not to show him any facial reactions. He might think she didn't want to give him a ride home. She didn't mind really, but how did he get here in the first place? She gave her head a shake, seeing it wasn't important to know. She told him to hop in as she opened the door, getting on the driver side.
They didn't speak at all until they reached his apartment. She turned off the ignition before unlocking the doors so he could get out. Joshua seemed to be lingering as she stared at him, waiting for him to say something.
"Would you like to come inside first and have a cup of coffee or something?" he offered, seemingly shy all of a sudden.
She regarded him before nodding. They ought to talk about what happened in his car last time. It wasn't a big deal, really. They could both just let it go, or at least she could since it was nothing. They were probably just led by their emotions, and it should be left at that, there was no need to make things so complicated.
She agreed, and they climbed up to his apartment. She waited as he fished the keys out of his pocket and jammed it into the hole. This was the first time she was stepping foot inside his house. She had never seen it before her whole entire years of existence. She had known him a long time but never had Lauren seen something so neutral and welcoming. Most of the decorations that were displayed were the artwork of famous artists. The kitchen was small but had a welcoming feel to it.
This wasn't what she had envisioned his apartment to be. She had thought that it was messy and loud as any typical men his age would have a design. But not Joshua Baker. He had taste when it comes to interior design. Everything in this apartment screamed of him.
"It's a great house," she said.
"Thank you," he said before he came back with two cups of steaming coffee.
She accepted it before thanking him. Leaning against the sofa, she held the coffee cup to herself and blew on the hot liquid. She took a sip, liking how everything made her comfortable. She wished her house was just as comfortable as this one. She ought to start looking for apartments that were close by. One that made her think about and felt of Joshua's house.
She immediately wiped that idea away. She was good with her apartment right now. There was no point in looking since she didn't want to be so close to Joshua at all. It would cause more trouble if she moved in somewhere close.
"Are you okay?" he asked, breaking her train of thoughts.
She smiled at him, nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking how comfortable your house is."
He grinned. "I'm glad you think it is. It's been a while since I had it re-design."
"Don't change it," she advised while looking around. "It's good the way it is."
"Thank you," he said.
They spoke about the case for a little bit before Lauren found herself being tired. She covered a yawn with her hand, not wanting to be rude.
"You should just stay in one of the guest bedrooms," he offered before placing his cup down.
"It's okay," she said before shaking her head. "I have to head out tomorrow anyway for work. Thank you for the offer."
"It's very late already, he insisted. Please, Lauren. Just for tonight then you can go early tomorrow if you'd like."
She really didn't see the point of driving late at night anyway. So she agreed and followed Joshua into the hallway where the guest bedroom waited for her. He gave her a few necessities such as his old shirt and a spare toothbrush she could use. She took them all and headed to the bathroom where she got ready.
Looking around to make sure that he wasn't around no more, she stepped out with just a t-shirt on. Her ass showed through the shirt he gave her. It was kind of short, but it mostly covered the things that needed to be covered. She didn't realize that there was a cabinet in the hallway and stubbed her toe on it, yelling out a loud yelp.
"Are you okay?" Joshua said as he came running from his room. His eyes immediately went to her figure, seeing her in his shirt had him going rock in seconds.
"Yeah, fine." She mumbled before clutching her foot.
"Come here." He guided her to the bed before taking her throbbing foot in his hands, examining it carefully. There was no damage done apart from the pain that was starting to fade away.
"I'm fine," she said before snatching her foot away. She realized that she only wore a pair of undies and a shirt that barely covered her body. She wore no bra as well, which brought her nipples to protrude against her shirt. So basically, what she was wearing was see through, and it made her blush in embarrassment.
She felt his hand on her cheek before he kissed her. It wasn't the same as before. It wasn't sweet nor hurried. It was slow but sensual that brought feelings to rise inside of her. Hair started to stand up at the back of her neck, and she found herself giving into the temptation. She wrapped her arms around him before he pushed her down the bed.
Chapter 7
He began to shed her clothes away from her body before gathering her in his arms. H
is mouth told her everything she wanted to hear and feel in silence. She grew compliant, boneless as he explored the depths of her mouth. She was all woman and oozed off sweetness that only made him grow harder against her. Lauren was full of passion and fire that he had always known, but not she had never really acted upon it. For that, he was thankful for. The damn thought of any man touching her had him tightening his embrace around her. She was all his, and he was hers.
Joshua buried his face into her neck as she turned her neck to the side, giving him more space to explore. She smelled the lavender scent in the air that he had probably sprayed earlier before she stepped into the room. She appreciated the little things he does that only made Lauren fall for him deeper. She was certain that this attraction they both felt would surely grow into something more. And that was something that she feared would happen if she let him make love to her.
But what did it actually matter? She would give herself up to this once for a man she would probably never have. There were times in life that it involved making sacrifices for happiness. She was happy being here in his arms. She really was. But Lauren was also prepared for the heartbreak that was about to come. Giving up her innocence didn't mean that Joshua would give up his life of being a bachelor.
When he slipped her shirt away, it stopped her train of thoughts. The sensations brought her back to the present and reminded her that this was what she wanted. She had wanted Joshua for a long time. She ached for him as much as he ached for her.
"You're so sweet," he mumbled before he pressed kisses along her shoulder blades.
"Joshua," she murmured before he traveled downwards. He kissed the top of her breasts before pressing open-mouthed kisses on her nipples. She shivered, unable to hold back the long sigh that turned into a moan, she was so soft against him. Not a single complaint was uttered as he focused his attention on the other breast.
Lauren was swimming in pleasure and passion that had gripped her so hard she couldn't let go. Everything that Joshua did made her want to cry out, wrap her arms around him and never let go. She was so aroused that when he finally slipped a finger between her thighs, she was so wet. He had cursed under his breath before she felt the brush of his hard-on her leg. He was so hard she wondered how he hadn't combusted from it.
The Lost Seal: A Seal Romance Page 46
