“Is he really that bad?” Hilda lowered her voice.
“Yes.” I nodded.
“It’s sad about his family, though, huh chica?”
I looked at her and instantly felt bad. When I’d first gotten here, I thought of being sensitive and understanding because of what had happened to Josh’s family. After meeting him that all went out the window. I supposed the craziness was the effects of how it all affected him. The drinking and the attitude. I couldn’t comment on the women, but maybe that too. I wouldn’t kid myself into thinking that he was a nice guy, because he wasn’t. But, perhaps I needed to be more mindful.
Didn’t mean I was going to go soft. I had a mission to fulfill and I needed that tough-love approach.
“It’s sad, but you just have to be careful around him.”
“Okay. Should we do lunch? I did a quick scan of the place and it looks like I have my work cut out for me. Have you seen upstairs?”
I shook my head. Upstairs scared me, and the thought of going up to where he slept and did whatever the hell he did with those women turned my stomach.
“What’s it like?” I gritted my teeth, scared to hear the answer.
Hilda’s perfectly arched brows furrowed. “Like a dump and a brewery mixed together.”
He drank too much. Far too much, and I wasn’t sure if a PA could help with that. The frequency and amount he drank required a therapist, or possibly rehab. But I would see how waking early went first. After that I could maybe speak to Zelda about getting him additional help.
“Let’s go grab something to eat and get back to sorting this place out. Make sure he helps you when we get back.”
Hilda giggled. “Yes, and I can check him out while I work.”
I laughed too. It was good things were under some control. I needed that. Here’s hoping it would work out the way I wanted.
* * *
Josh
* * *
I focused on the TV as I listened to her talk. I was actually listening, but I was pretending I was focusing on the TV and drinking my beer.
I was only doing this whole following her lead because the little Disney princess was right. Last night I thought about what Corey said and it freaked me out to consider the possibility of being cut from the team. If that happened I would most likely flounder in the world until I met my end.
I was by no means okay, and Miss I’m-not-from-Kansas-and-my-name-is-Amy was definitely irritating the hell out of me, but I was listening.
I needed help to get myself in order for that damn show. It was bad enough that I had to take on the daunting task of waking up early, but I felt like I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to be the Joshua Mancini the world knew. The strong, confident athlete who could handle himself in any situation. It was unnerving to think that I’d have to go on ESPN, of all the networks, where everyone was guaranteed to watch.
I wasn’t ready and it felt like I was being forced to grieve quickly so the team could use me again.
“We’ve got a host of people inviting you to various events after the show. How do you feel about one appearance a day until training starts?” She stood next to me with her stupid fabric-covered notebook with glitter on it. I looked at her without commenting, then focused my attention back to the TV. I was watching Jerry Springer and the main guest just found out that his wife of six years was sleeping with his father.
I didn’t understand how people could be so scandalous, and going on a TV show to reveal something like that was beyond me. Now the poor guy was so devastated he was in tears.
Although I couldn’t have had better examples than my parents, I didn’t believe in love and marriage. I thought the whole thing was a farce and a money-making scheme.
Look at this guy on the show. How much had he gotten just for the appearance? And damn, Jerry Springer for the matter. The man must have made millions from exposing people’s secret lives and whatever crap had ruined their marriages and relationships.
“Josh, are you listening to me?”
“No,” I retorted with cold sarcasm.
Shit, now she moved to stand in front of the TV, and was definitely better looking than Jerry Springer, and so much better to look at in those tight jeans, but annoyingly irritating.
“I really need you to listen.” She lifted her chin, meeting my gaze straight on.
“Nope, it’s five past five, go home.”
“I’m on overtime.” The damn princess tossed her golden locks over her delicate shoulders in a gesture of defiance.
“Didn’t realize you loved working here that much.” I grimaced.
“So, how do you feel about doing these appearances? People want to see you out there again.”
“What people?”
Hope filled her eyes when I said that. “There’s a few schools and charities, an appearance on the Today Show, a couple of photo shoots for mags like Men’s Health and GQ.”
What the hell? Why did GQ want me again? I wasn’t some damn model. In my younger days that would have all sounded so exciting.
“Tell them to go and fu—”
“Language,” she cut in before I could finish. “I don’t like swearing, so please don’t swear at me, or ask me to swear at people, especially these people.”
This was some sort of joke. “Okay princess. I won’t swear, but you get my drift. I’m not some poster boy cover man, or whatever the hell you’d like to call it. Those days are done. I’m thirty-six; I don’t need to do that shit anymore.”
She narrowed her eyes at me and I nearly laughed; it was because I just swore at the princess.
“Why is it so hard for you to call me by name? Princess and Kansas have more letters than Amy. It would be so much easier to say Amy. You asked me to call you Josh, and I did with no problem.”
“That’s because you’re an automaton who works for me.”
Her delicate mouth dropped and she shook her head. “It’s just appearances and photo shoots, what’s so bad about that? And it’s GQ, for heaven’s sake, not some local paper.”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Please just go home.”
The house phone started to ring and I scowled at it, wondering who the hell that could be calling so early. I snuggled against the sofa and listened to it ring out. Amy looked at me with disgust, probably thinking I meant for her to answer it. She moved over to the table and bent over to pick up the receiver, giving me a really great view of her perfectly rounded behind. But she stopped in mid-action when the answer machine clicked on.
“Son, it’s me.”
I froze. Dad didn’t usually call at this time. It was normally much later in the evening. Occasionally he called in the morning, but I made it my duty to avoid either time. Then I’d delete all messages, regardless of who they were from. The people I wanted to contact me had my cell number. I’d changed it months ago and hadn’t given the new number to him. That was how it was going to stay.
“Just changing up my tactics a little to see how you are,” Dad continued. “If you want to talk you know where I am. Or better yet, let me come and see you.”
Amy reached down to grab the phone but I was quicker than her. I grabbed her hand before she could.
“Don’t,” I told her, shaking my head. She gazed up at me with those vibrant green eyes of hers, surprised by my actions.
“It’s your father.” She stared at me, baffled.
“Don’t answer the phone in here. There’s a different line in the office. Stick to that.”
She still gave me that look. The machine clicked off, signaling that my father had hung up. I looked down at where I held onto her arm and became fascinated with how soft her skin felt and that sweet vanilla scent that came from her. It reminded me of flowers and soft summer days. That halter neck she wore looked good on her, inviting me to stare at the distinct peaks of her breasts and linger at the creaminess of her skin. By the time I reached her face, her cheeks flushed a soft rose color and I almost reached out to touch her.
I released her and stepped back, then turned and walked away. Time to get another drink.
She left a few minutes after that with Hilda. I was happy to have the house to myself again where I could breathe without these women around. I only loved having women around for one reason and neither of them were here for that. Such a shame.
Like usual I drank myself to sleep and couldn’t have been more infuriated at the sight of Amy standing over me the next morning at eight a.m. Just like she’d promised.
“Rise and shine.” She smiled down at me, green eyes sparkling. “Our time starts here and now.”
Chapter 8
Amy
* * *
That first day of trying to get Josh to wake up was terrible.
I had hung in there, with my fingers and toes crossed that each day had to get better. But it didn’t. Each day actually got worse, and one week later we were still at the same spot, in the same position, with no progress whatsoever.
I’d had a week of hell where I tried everything I could think of to wake Josh up, but he wouldn’t budge.
After that first Friday I decided that if I wanted Josh to wake up at eight I’d have to be here at seven. I thought I was being generous in giving some of my personal time, but it was all for nothing. He ended up cursing me out of the room and didn’t wake up until eleven thirty. The same thing happened every day after, and he’d be in the worst mood with me for the rest of the day.
And here I was again, with a fresh week, the week that counted, no further than I was when I began. On Friday we would need to be at the studio at ten. That meant leaving here at around nine.
As I watched him lying flat on his face, passed out with a bottle of rum next to him, I wondered what the hell I was going to do. It was seven thirty. I’d been trying to wake him up now for the past half an hour, to no avail. I was tired myself. In fact I was exhausted and could have used my normal boost of energy that propelled me in the mornings. However, this whole exercise had taken its toll on me and I was getting more uncomfortable in my apartment to the point where I found it difficult to sleep. I kept feeling like someone was standing outside my door. The impression filled me the other day and it terrified me.
When I looked at Josh with this massive house, with all its bedrooms and rooms, I was aggrieved because he didn’t know how lucky he was. Right now, my budget was so low that my main meal was lunch and then anything I might be able to grab my hands on while I was here.
“Josh, get up.” I was getting fed up now and he was seriously beginning to work my last nerve. “Josh.”
I rested my hand on his shoulder just above the soft cotton of his jersey and tapped him. He stirred a little but that was all I got.
A flurry of hope filled me when I shook his arm a little harder and his eyes fluttered open. He rolled onto his back and ran a hand through his ruffled hair.
Most people looked like hell when they just woke up, but Joshua Mancini managed to carry the look off and still look sexy. There was no wonder why GQ wanted him to do photo shoots, and it was for their cover. Same with Men’s Health and a few of the others.
“Woman, what the hell do you want?”
“You, you dumb oaf.”
“Oh, well why don’t you just take your clothes off and climb in here with me.” The corners of his sensual mouth slid up into a sexy grin that made me blush, and I scowled at him.
“That is not what I meant.” If I didn’t know him I would have thought he was joking and laughed that comment off, but since I did, I knew he was totally serious. I didn’t know how anyone could be like that. So openly and explicitly sexual. “Get up.”
“Baby, please think about it, you could have so much fun, and you wouldn’t be so uptight all the time like you’ve got a stick up your gorgeous ass.”
This was not working, and everything he said was worse than the first thing he’d come out with. I couldn’t even tell if that was the drink talking or him. I hadn’t been with him long enough to make the distinction. I just knew that he became even more sexual at the point when he’d had too much to drink. The normal him was just grumpy and spiteful.
“Josh, can we please stop talking about me. Get the hell up.”
“I haven’t had sex in days. Come here.”
I grabbed a pillow and hit him with it several times hoping it would take his mind out of the gutter, but to my horror he fell asleep again.
It was the same thing the next day. Tuesday. Zelda told me that a PR rep was coming here on Thursday to go over some of the questions Josh could be asked. She’d also sent some practice questions so I could run through them, too, with him.
It was a great idea, but once again I found Josh flat on his face with a bottle of rum, and when I did eventually wake him up he looked at me, licked his lips and said, “Baby, your tits look really good in that top.” Then he went back to sleep.
I had to put the image of my mother in my mind at that point, and by the same token I felt deeply sad because it was looking like I wasn’t going to be able to wake him. And if I couldn’t wake him, then I wasn’t going to be able to get him to the show. If that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t get the upfront bonus to put down the deposit for my mother’s treatment and surgery.
My job here would be over because Josh would more than likely get cut from the team. I had to do something, fast too before I lost my sanity.
He stayed in bed all morning so I used the time to respond to emails. Despite his protests, I booked the appearances at the schools, charity events, and the photo shoots. Just before lunch Hilda came into the office and handed me a glass of orange juice.
“You’re too kind.” I smiled.
“And you work too hard. You’re one of those people aren’t you? That never stop.”
“Sadly yes.” I sighed.
“Well you should. Don’t always be in work mode. We should ditch this place and go do our nails.”
“I wish.” I didn’t have money for that. I’d had my nails done before leaving New York and now they were starting to look rough.
“Or we should go pick up some hot guys to take us on dates.”
I couldn’t do that either. I was testy when it came to relationships. It was most likely down to my parents’ disastrous one. Add that to the low-life jerks that had come my way. I didn’t have time to date and there was no room in my mind to contemplate it either.
“Unless you’re seeing someone.” Hilda’s eyes brightened.
“No. I don’t have time for that.”
“Amy, are you kidding? Imagine having a really sweet guy to take care of you, especially during this time with your mom.”
“I wouldn’t know where to find a guy like that.” I giggled. “Hilda, I just seriously need to get through the rest of this week.” What I wanted was mom better and the designer job with Dior. That’s all I wanted. Everything else was secondary.
“You will.” Hilda nodded positively and tucked a wayward strand of her shiny hair behind her ear. “Should we go to lunch now?”
“How about I catch up with you. I have two emails to send and an agreement to fax over, then I’m good.”
“Cool, I’ll order your sandwich so it’ll be ready by the time you get there.”
“Thanks so much.” I had gotten into the habit of getting a teriyaki steak and vegetable grill swaddled within hearty Italian bread. It was amazing and filling, perfect to get me through the day.
When Hilda left I returned my gaze to the bright computer screen. I was thinking about what I’d do tomorrow. Maybe I could get here at six and try everything again to wake Josh, but over a longer period of time. I was really starting to lose hope and needed to keep strong.
I got up to find the agreement I needed to fax, and as I was sorting through the suspension files in the cabinet two strong hands gripped onto my waist.
“I know what you want,” Josh slurred, turning me around. Before I could protest, his mouth covered mine hungrily with the strong hardness of his lips an
d paralyzed me with a heart-stopping kiss. My mind became nonexistent and my brain receded into the dark, slipping into a void in the back of beyond as he ravaged my lips.
“No more games, baby,” he said between breaths.
I took the chance to gasp for air, but then he reclaimed my lips and crushed me to him as he slipped his hands down to my ass to lift me up.
A shred of sanity returned to me as he moved me over to my desk and placed me on top of it, knocking all the papers and letters to the ground to make room for them. I placed my hand on his chest in an attempt to stop him, but the rock-hard cords of muscle mesmerized me and something ignited within me, leading me to succumb to the weakness that lured me to explore. It lured me to give in to the overwhelming power of his masculinity and strength. As the kiss intensified I kissed him back with reckless abandon, allowing my tongue to mingle with his in desperate need. Fire consumed me as he ran his hands down to my breasts and squeezed.
At that point I must have truly lost my mind.
Heat escaped me as he left my lips and kissed his way down my neck and throat. He stopped at the swell of my right breast and I watched him suck my breast through the dark cotton of my blouse. It felt amazing. He smiled up at me with those gorgeous eyes of his when he saw my reaction.
“You like that,” he slurred. He went to move the fabric away so that my bare breast would come through but I stopped him.
“Josh we have to stop.” I pressed my hands against his chest again and stole a moment to indulge in his chiseled perfection. In his boxers I saw exactly why he was getting so many requests from magazines. Ripples of muscle ran down his abs, which were only enhanced by the Chinese characters tattooed within the rigid line that ran along his happy trail.
“You can’t say you don’t want me.”
“You’re drunk, and you have no idea what the hell you’re doing, or even who I am.” It was a sad truth.
He laughed and leaned in to kiss me again. “Amy,” he whispered saucily against her lips and smiled. “Beautiful Amy, my supposed PA. Amy, I know exactly what I’m doing.”
Play of Love: The Gladiator Players Box Set Page 7
