by Susan Behon
At the time, her dad called him out for being the horny teenager he was. Hal Brandon had threatened other, even more creative and painful ways to torture Josh if he laid a finger on his daughter. That little talk had scared the living hell out of him. It still hadn’t stopped him from touching her.
Josh had more hormones than will power. He got near Sarah, and one sweet kiss led to two, two kisses led to more, and after that, threats of bodily harm failed to register in his lust-addled brain. She’d always been irresistible.
Sarah sat up straighter when the tow truck lumbered into the garage’s parking lot. She looked mildly panicked. “I thought you would drop me off first.”
Josh could have easily taken Sarah home first, but he was trying to buy himself more time with her. He hadn’t been able to get this close to her in over a decade. Even if she still hated him, he was savoring the experience. “I need to unload your car before there’s any more stress on the frame. I’ll check it out and let you know what I find first thing in the mornin’.”
“Isn’t it a hassle to drive back across town to take me home from here?”
“It’s on the way to my place anyway, so it’s not a problem.”
“Don’t you live in the apartment above the garage?” Sarah flicked her gaze to the darkened windows above the steel door rolling open to reveal an empty service bay.
“Nah, Dad still lives there, and I need my own space.” He attempted a smile to soften his next piece of information. “I live above Sophie’s cookie shop now.”
Chapter 3
“NO, you don’t.” That couldn’t possibly be right. She was going to have a serious sister-to-sister chat with Sophie for not telling her Josh had moved in above the bakery. Sarah thought the apartment was still empty since Tracy King moved out and married Ben Carrington. She’d had no idea anyone new had rented it.
Sophie’s landlady, Darlene, surely would have had something to say about Josh. The old lady flirted with Sarah’s brother-in-law, Reed, and his brother, Keith on more than one occasion. From what she’d heard from Tracy, Ben hadn’t come out of an encounter with Darlene unscathed either. A prime specimen like Josh would have earned a little ogling from the silver-haired cougar.
“It’s all about location, darlin’.”
No kidding. While she’d been avoiding him, he’d been hanging out with her family. Lucy and Sophie had both failed to mention that little tidbit to her. It made her wonder what else they were hiding.
“Why did you choose to live above my sister’s bakery? Why didn’t you go to the Madison Falls Condos?”
“Like I said, location. Now I wake up to the scent of cookies and cakes bakin’ instead of the stench of motor oil.” He tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel. “Sophie didn’t tell you?”
“No. Guess not.” Sarah kept her tone flat and carefully neutral. She switched that over to brusque and business-like to hide her dismay. “Okay, let’s get this over with. I want to get the smell of beer out of my hair before I go to bed.”
“Your hair doesn’t smell like beer. It smells like coconuts.”
“You sniffed my hair?” She’d sniffed him too, so she supposed turnabout was fair play. Sarah didn’t want to play fair. As far as she was concerned, Josh could keep his nose and the rest of his body to himself.
“I couldn’t resist. Besides, your ponytail was in my face when you wrapped yourself around me in the ditch.” His grin was unrepentant and all too alluring. “Trust me on this, sunshine, takin’ a whiff of your hair was mild compared to what I really wanted to do with you.”
There went those not-good ideas again. The damned man was double-dipped in sexy, and he knew it. Sarah wasn’t falling for it a second time. She was older and wiser. It was time she reminded them both of that.
“Stop calling me…”
“Sunshine. Yeah, I s’pose I can’t help that either, darlin’.”
His voice was deeper now. Josh knew she was a sucker for it. He used to whisper southern-touched sweet nothings until she was hot and bothered and panting for more. Lord, that sensual drawl poured over her like warm honey. Those panties she’d been pondering earlier were about to melt right off her body.
So much for being wiser.
“Wait here and I’ll set you up in the office. You don’t want to walk barefoot in the garage.”
Sarah held up a hand to ward him off. “You’re not picking me up again. I can walk, even if I have to do it on my tiptoes.”
Josh parked, got out, and headed straight for her. Sarah contemplated scrambling out on the driver’s side, but he was too quick for her. He popped open the door and scooped her up in no time. At this point, she swore he was doing it just to show off.
Despite Sarah’s protests, Josh didn’t break stride. He continued through the side door, managing to flip on the overhead fluorescents while hauling her like a keg of beer. Upon reaching the small office, he set her down in a visitor’s chair that Kenny must have felt attached to. It’d been old twelve years ago, and its faded red upholstery had seen better days. The seat cushion had a tear down the seam that showcased the yellowing foam stuffed inside.
“Don’t mind the chair. It’s ugly, but it does the trick.”
Sarah unclasped the hands that she hadn’t realized were clinging to the back of his neck.
“Can I get you somethin’ to drink? How about some root beer since you’re off the clock?”
Her mouth went dry from seeing Josh up close and brightly lit. Sarah managed a nod as she took in his faded blue T-shirt that showcased defined biceps and a broad chest. The washed-out cotton encased a stomach that was still annoyingly flat. A hint of a tattoo on his upper left arm peeked out of the short sleeve. Sarah couldn’t make out what it was. From what she could see, the design looked intricate. She wanted to push up that sleeve and explore him…no, wait, explore the tattoo. Not him. Definitely not him.
“Get enough of an eyeful, darlin’?” Josh raised his arms out to the side. “Because I can turn around if you want to see more of me.”
Her gaze snapped up to meet his, and Josh didn’t appear self-conscious in the least. If anything, he looked amused, and at her expense.
Sarah decided to brazen it out too. “You’re looking…fit, Josh.”
His lips tugged up in an indulgent half-smile. “Thanks. I try.” He gave her a slow, heated, once-over—make that twice-over—up, down, and then back up again. “You’re lookin’ mighty…fit there too, darlin’. Go on and wait right here while I take care of your refreshments. If you want, you can check me out as I walk away.” Josh shot her a sexy wink. “I don’t mind, at all.”
Not to be outmaneuvered, Sarah called out, “I already did. It’s not worth a second trip.”
Josh continued to amble away in his slow, steady stride. He didn’t stop as he called back, “You keep tellin’ yourself that if it makes you feel better, darlin’. I’ll still let you look.” Then the man chuckled. “I’ll be back soon with your drink so you can wet your whistle.”
Sarah couldn’t think of a good enough comeback. If she’d said, “Don’t bother, it’s already wet,” that would sound sexual, not to mention stupid. She knew she’d come up with a fabulous zinger later when she was lying in bed drifting off to sleep. Of course, it would be useless then.
* * * *
Josh took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he headed for the mini fridge near his roll-around tool chest. He was ready to do a striptease right there if he could have kept Sarah’s gorgeous green eyes focused on him.
He’d been happy that she’d been too busy checking him out to notice Josh doing the same thing, well before he’d made a show of it. From her golden-blonde hair that was beautifully mussed, to the tips of her cute, bubblegum-pink polished toes, Sarah Brandon was downright adorable.
Those watchful eyes of hers were what had gotten his attention when they were teenagers. His first day at Madison Falls High School, Josh had walked into the cafeteria
, tossed his books on the table, and sprawled out in his chair. While counting the minutes to the dismissal bell, he happened to glance up and see Sarah. The cute blonde sitting a table over was openly staring at him. When their eyes met, Josh felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. He looked left and right, but no one else was at his table. He was the one she had to be looking at.
Time slowed down while his heartbeat sped up. The once-loud ticking of the clock became muted, and the only sounds Josh heard clearly were the thud of his own heart and the rasp of his quickened breaths. Getting caught in those stunning green eyes gave him a zing that went all the way down to his scuffed boots. He’d never experienced anything remotely like that before. The encounter might have lasted only a few seconds—half a minute, tops. That didn’t matter. It had been enough time to change his life forever.
Sarah appeared startled when they’d made eye contact and immediately glanced down at the textbook she had opened in front of her. Josh continued to watch her as she tucked a golden tendril of hair behind her ear and started flipping pages a little too quickly to actually be reading anything. He liked it that she’d blushed a rosy pink when he caught her looking.
Josh didn’t bother pretending to study. His focus was on the cutie speed-reading through American History. He waited to see if she was interested in him as a guy or just checking out the only new student the school had seen in a dozen years.
Over the course of his day, he’d endured the stares and whispering. Some of the girls smiled and flirted, which made some of the guys puff up and stand closer to the girls. He didn’t care about being social. Josh didn’t need friends, and he sure as hell didn’t need a girlfriend. He just wanted to get his senior year over with so he could have his own life.
That was the plan until the page flipping stopped. Those thick, sooty black lashes lifted like a curtain being raised. There went the second look he’d been waiting for, and damned if it didn’t make him suck in a breath. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of green he’d ever seen. And if her eyes weren’t enough to nail him to his chair, her radiant smile finished up the job. He was done for. She’d owned him and didn’t even know it yet.
All these years later, and it took less than a minute of Sarah studying him with interest to give Josh hope that he might have a chance with her again. Something about the way she looked at him made him want to stand up straighter. He wanted to do better, be better, and do anything to be the kind of man who’d earned that admiring gaze. Some things never changed.
Josh shook his head and wished for the millionth time that he could kick himself in the ass for messing up the greatest thing that ever happened to him. The same old litany played on a loop in his head. He never should have left her. He should have found a way to stay. He should have explained things to her instead of cutting ties.
Would it have made a difference? Could she have been married to him now with the two point five kids and the white picket fence? He’d never thought he’d be the type of guy to want something like that. Josh had dated over the years, and no other woman had inspired any desire for something more. After a night or two, maybe as long as a few weeks, he lost interest. When it came to Sarah, he was willing to build the damned fence himself and sign up for the PTA if it meant she would be his again.
Josh grabbed a few root beers and headed back to the office. He caught Sarah fixing her ponytail, so he waited in the doorway. Condensation rolled down the sides of the cans in an icy trail that pooled on his knuckles. Josh couldn’t be bothered with that. He watched as she swooped that shiny mass of hair to the top of her head and wrapped a hair-do-ey thing around it to hold it in place.
He stood there, completely transfixed while she used the mirror in her compact to wipe under her eyes and apply a dash of lip stuff. He wondered if it was his favorite cherry flavor. When the compact got shoved back into her handbag, he cleared his throat to let Sarah know he was there.
She pressed her lips together, rubbing in her lip gloss, and met his gaze with a “so what?” expression. Josh handed her the drink and searched out the ibuprofen he normally kept in the top drawer in the metal utilitarian desk. If his dad wasn’t going to do it, Josh was going to be the one to order some new office furniture. Sure it was a garage, but the customers needed to see something less ramshackle when they were in the office. He found the pain reliever, popped the cap, and shook out a few pills.
“Here.” Josh held the medicine out to her.
Sarah stared at his proffered hand in confusion.
He nudged his open palm closer to her face. “You’re bound to be sore as hell in the mornin’. These’ll help.”
She folded her arms across her chest and went to shake her head no, but winced instead.
“Don’t be so stubborn, honey. You don’t want to be hurtin’ if you don’t have to be.”
Sarah eyed him suspiciously. “What are they?”
“Ibuprofen. What do you think they are? You want Tylenol instead? I’m sure I can hunt some down.”
“No, thank you.”
“Take the damn pills.” From the dubious look in her eyes, he figured out why she was refusing. “Holy shit! Do you really think I would roofie you or give you somethin’ dangerous?” He snatched the bottle and held it out for her to see. “Advil. Look at ’em. It says Advil right there on the damned caplets!”
He set his root beer down and ran a hand over his face. Josh knew Sarah hated him, but what kind of guy did she take him for?
A pop and a fizzing sound preceded a mumbled apology. “Sorry.” Sarah took the pills and followed them with a swig from the can. Sorry or not, that stung.
“Yeah, well, I’ll unload your car, and then I’ll get you on home.”
Josh made an effort not to stomp out. He exited the office with his shoulders back, steps careful and easygoing. When the side door fell shut behind him, he lost the facade. Josh got in the tow truck, slammed the door harder than necessary, and started the engine. The whole time he guided her car into the service bay, he tried to figure out what pissed him off more, the idea that Sarah thought so little of him or the fact that after everything, he probably deserved it.
* * * *
As if Sarah’s list of embarrassments and humiliations wasn’t long enough, her mom opening the door while Josh held her honeymoon-bride style at the threshold now topped it. Sarah told him that there was nothing dangerous to step on going up the walkway to the house. He ignored her and picked her up anyway. Lord, she was trying not to enjoy being this close to him.
Lucy beamed up at them as though seeing her long lost ex-boyfriend carrying her to the door was perfectly normal. Her mom patted her nutmeg, still suspiciously brown, bobbed hair and moved to the side of the doorway.
“Why, hello, Josh. Come on in, honey.”
Did she forget I’m here too?
“Put Sarah on the sofa over there.”
Guess not.
Sarah stared pointedly at both of them. “Sarah doesn’t need to be put anywhere.” She let go of Josh’s neck. He merely held her tighter so she wouldn’t fall. “Put me down. I can walk, really. Go home.”
Lucy gasped. “Sarah Elise Brandon! Mind your manners!”
Seriously? Did I really just get chastised like a little kid? Might as well add that to the list too.
Josh whipped out a charming grin. “It’s all right, ma’am. She’s a little cranky from dingin’ her car.” It was more than a dinging. Sarah knew Josh was trying not to worry Lucy. “I’ll set her on down and help you fuss over her.”
“I don’t need any fussing!” Well, damn. She’d shouted that exactly like a petulant little kid. Sarah needed to be sent to her room. Now. This night had to end sometime. She took a deep, calming breath in the void-like silence she’d just created. Sarah did the best impression of an adult that she could manage at the moment. “Josh, if you’d please put me down, I’ll grab a shower and go to bed. It’s late.” As an afterthought, she added, “Thank
you for helping me.”
Completely disregarding her tantrum, Josh, still smelling yummy, carried her to the sofa and set her down as if she were made of glass.
Lucy hovered and supervised. “Josh, honey, why don’t you put Sarah’s feet up so she can get more comfortable?” Her mom placed a cool palm on her forehead like she was checking for a fever.
“Mom, I’m not sick. It was only a little fender bender. I’m fine.” She glanced up at Josh’s smiling face. “And what the heck are you smiling about?”
“You’re cute when you’re mad.” He folded his arms over his chest and grinned down in amusement, which in turn, managed to aggravate Sarah more. Cute was the last thing she was feeling. Tired, pissed off, sore, and a little embarrassed? Yes. Cute? Not so much.
“Josh, go home.” Sarah peered up at Lucy, hovering over her. “Mom, let me up. I’m tired. I need to get a shower so I can go to bed.”
Lucy eyed Sarah with concern and then shot a calculating glance at Josh. “Josh, do you suppose you could take Sarah to her room?”
Josh looked more than ready to swoop in and carry her. Not again. Not tonight. It was already too much to process. She swung her feet to the floor, and Lucy backed up just in time to avoid getting bopped in the head when Sarah stood up. Pointedly, she met Josh’s gaze with a glare. “Good. Night. Josh.”
The glare didn’t faze him. “Good-night, sun—Sarah.”
Josh was lucky he’d caught himself before letting her nickname slip out. She was going to pretend he was invisible now. In a softer tone, she said, “Good-night, Mom. I really need to get some sleep. We’ll talk about everything in the morning.” Sarah kissed Lucy on the cheek and didn’t look back as she made her exit.
* * * *
Well, that went over like a lead balloon. With Sarah in bed, Josh couldn’t dredge up any more reasons to stay. It was past two in the morning, not a prime time for visiting anyway.
“Thank you for taking care of my Sarah. I don’t know what we would have done without you.” Lucy held both hands over her heart with such gratitude, you would have thought Josh had saved Sarah’s life or something.
