“Yes. Better than I expected actually.”
“Good to hear, asshole. By the smile you haven’t been able to wipe off your ugly mug, I can tell you are happy. I hope it works out for the two of you,” Graham busted my balls. Little did he know how serious I was when it came to Josselyn. She made me happy and I planned on ensuring she was happy for the rest of her life.
“It will. I’m going to marry her. She’s always been it for me. Now I just have to convince her,” I deadpanned.
“Whoa. Marriage? Didn’t you just get divorced?”
“Months ago, yeah. This is different and you know it. You of all people know that.”
“I do. But I thought you were just trying to prove to yourself that you could get into her pants because she was the only one you wanted but you couldn’t have. But fuck, man. Good for you. Glad you finally figured out your shit with Joss,” Graham congratulated. It was a bit backhanded but I knew what he was saying and why he said it.
“Thanks, boss man. Now, what work shit do we have to talk about?” I asked.
“Well, I need to know by next weekend if Joss is doing the demo. Tickets will go on sale soon and I want to make sure we price them accordingly. Josselyn Easton doing a demo is a huge deal in that world, and I want to make sure we advertise and market her properly.”
“She said yes under duress but I will make sure I talk to her about it again and will let you know as soon as I do. Is that all?” Graham was a savvy businessman and was very precise when his name was connected to anything, so I knew I had to do everything I could to make sure Joss did this demo. Then I thought about our weekend but mostly Joss with those kids. Then an idea hit me and I negotiated with Graham for the next twenty minutes before he had to go to a meeting. Before he hung up, Graham told me I needed to get my ass on a plane and to the city soon.
Of course, I agreed.
With a little bit of planning, once things settled down for Josselyn, I’d take her to New York.
A little weekend getaway for the two of us, Joss skating around the Big Apple.
On that pleasant thought, I pulled up Joss’s text thread and sent her a message.
ME: I miss you, baby. I’m thinking about you. And I like what I’m thinking.
JOSS: I miss you too. I’d rather be hanging with you then trapped in my office waiting to talk to Wes.
Tell me what you’re thinking if you like it so much.
ME: I’d rather show you. And I will tonight. Hint…I’m hungry.
JOSS: You are so not right. Torturous bastard.
ME: Ruthless, baby. ;-)
JOSS: Take your winky face and shove it. Now my panties are going to be wet while I talk to Wes. Oh, what do you know? Gotta go. He just walked into my office. :-)
ME: Fuck. You fight dirty. See you later. I have to go take care of my cock now that I know your panties are wet.
I didn’t lie. I had to take care of myself in the shower. Josselyn could make me hard simply by breathing in my direction, so I should have known better then to flirt with her through texts. But it was fun to get her riled and know she’d be thinking about me the rest of the day.
_______________
After my shower, I had some emails to check, calls to return, and then I had to stop by a site to check on the progress so I got to it. The day seemed to drag until I left to go to the renovation site. When I arrived, my construction workers were all working, safety gear on, progressing nicely.
Skate parks were what I loved to revamp, but this warehouse I had bid on to reno was going to be spectacular. It was the largest industrial space I had ever landed and my crew was completely gutting the inside. As it stood now, my crew had it down to the studs and we were reframing the walls that needed it and reinforcing the foundation and floors. When I did my original walk through of this place, I saw that there was a good amount of wood rot on the east side of the building but not as much on the west. My hope that I could save some of the original wood on the west side came to be and it allowed me to save a little on budget. The outside was brick and had an old feel to it so not much would be happening to the exterior. We’d patch up the cracks, replace all the windows, and throw on a new roof. All in all, I was happy about the progress.
The final plans for the building depended upon a buyer. Technically I owned the building and could sell it whenever I wanted, but I’d much rather sell it to someone who would pay me to build whatever it was they wanted inside the warehouse. Going that route is a guaranteed job for me. There was just something about the building I was drawn to and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to let go of it once perspective buyers started reaching out. I’d already had a few brokers begging for the listing but had informed them that we weren’t done fixing it up yet.
My track of time had been lost and I heard my phone ding with an incoming text. When I pulled it out of my pocket and saw it was from Joss, I’d forgone the text reply for a phone call. I needed to hear her sexy, sweet voice.
Two rings sounded in my ear then, “Hey. You didn’t have to call,” she greeted me.
“Maybe I wanted to hear your voice and that required a call. Anyway, what’s going on, baby?”
“Did you even look at the text or did you just see it was from me then call?”
“I just called. I told you, I wanted—no needed—to hear your voice. It’s been hours since we’ve been in the same airspace and I needed my hit of you to suppress the craving,” I answered her.
“Seriously. You have a wicked mouth. Not that I am complaining, but fuck. Anyway, if you’d have just read the text, you would have seen that Wes got a hold of Arden. They talked and she is going to use some vacation time to go see her parents in Jersey. Wes apologized to me and said he’d stay for two weeks, tops. Then he has to move on to another case. The suits and Wes think I’d be a good replacement. I think Arden would be better, but with her taking time off and Wes needing to work another case, we’ve agreed that he will teach me what I need for the time being. Zane, I’m just not sure I want to manage this show. I just want to talk to my listeners, ya know?” Joss explained.
I had to agree that I wasn’t sure about her taking over. Don’t get me wrong, she was great at radio and if she really wanted this, I’d support her all the way.
“I know that. You’re incredible on-air, Josselyn. Just take it one day at a time. I’ll support whatever decision you make. These things usually have a way of working themselves out,” I told her supportively.
“You’re right. One day at a time,” she sighed but then went on, “Okay, I got to go finish some prep for Thursday. See you soon. Thanks for listening, honey,” she whispered and disconnected. It was breathy and instantly turned me on. Not only did that breathy voice do things to me, she called me honey. That hit me directly in my chest and it tightened.
There was never a time I didn’t know that Joss was different than any other girl or woman I had been with. The problem was back then, I had dreams I wanted to follow and so did she. Even at sixteen, Joss knew what she wanted out of life, down to her damn dream kitchen. I couldn’t give her anything until I got my life together and I’d never stand in the way of what she wanted.
Except me. I was the one exception I wouldn’t give her back then. Joss had so much more potential than I ever did, and she never wanted to make a name for herself off anything besides her talent. When she crashed onto the skating scene, it wasn’t a woman’s sport and I always respected her for having high standards for herself. It made me proud that she stuck to her guns. Had she dated as a teenager and a woman? Of course, she did. And it grated on my damn nerves every fucking time some little limp-dicked fuck held her hand or kissed her. But she couldn’t be mine then. So as hard as it was, I stayed away. Fuck, I even walked away when I could have stayed. Transitioning from pro back into normal life was always hard on an athlete and I didn’t want to mess that up or complicate it more. The feelings I had for Josselyn lay dormant until I knew I could give her everything, but the feelings were always t
here.
I’d made it to my car after our call and tried to get out of my head. I pumped up the playlist I had on this morning full of classic rock, but it was no use. Joss was taking up every inch of real estate in my head right now. It wasn’t a bad thing, as such. I thought about her fiery attitude and all the ways I’d had her this weekend. My chest tightened even more and I knew in that exact moment I was gone for her and there would be no stopping me getting what I wanted. Now I just needed to keep things on track and not fuck it up so that she’d get there too. I wasn’t even going to think about what would happen if I had to live without her again. Did this shit make me seem like a pussy? Probably. But I was man enough to know that when you know, you know.
Joss wasn’t there yet. The fact she didn’t love me back wouldn’t deter me.
I was one-hundred-percent positive the tightness in my chest and the constant need for her meant what I had known since I was a kid.
I was in love with Josselyn Easton.
CHAPTER 19
Security.
Joss
THE NEXT WEEK and a half went by in a blur. It was Thursday, the last show day I’d have with Wes at the helm and I was sad to lose him. Wes was the reason I even had this show. He’d been working this case against Bruno for a long-ass time, but I understood he was just staying true to his assignment. We agreed to stay in touch and he mentioned something about being around, no matter what. My mind immediately went to Arden. They were meant to be together, they just needed to get their heads out of their asses. So in honor of Wes’s last day, I decided this week’s show would be all about bosses. Hot ones you’d slept with, asshole ones you wanted to punch, and bosses you would kill to keep around because they were the best.
This would have been a good topic to cohost with Arden but she was still in Jersey, set to come back that night. She was meeting up with Wes, Zane, and me at The Proud Lantern as a little send off for Wes. I couldn’t wait to see her. She’d been MIA at work even before everything had gone down, and now it’d been almost two weeks she was away visiting her parents. It was definitely going to be interesting to see how Wes acted around her now that he was leaving.
Wes hadn’t found a replacement yet but said the station was going to keep looking. He had recommendations for two people, both women, which excited me. Wes knew me well and wouldn’t recommend anyone I wouldn’t work well with. Besides, after the bullshit with Bruno, it was time to change things up. So for now, I was in charge of things production-wise since I could somewhat stumble through operating a switchboard. Wes showed me enough that I would be able to make it happen as long as Arden was back to work.
Things between Zane and I felt like they were on hyperdrive. We hadn’t spent much time apart. Mostly I stayed at his house. We cooked for each other—mostly it was me cooking for him since it was my dream kitchen and all—we talked so much it was a surprise we still had things to say to each other, and we had more sex than I could have ever thought possible. I mean, was it normal to crave someone so much? Through it all though, my favorite thing about our time together was that my Mac was back. At least with me he was. He was still a savage, ruthless ass when he dealt with his business stuff but always softened when he was with me. Calling him Mac was still reserved for our sexy times, which I couldn’t understand fully, but I started calling him other endearments which seemed to earn me a soft look in his eyes every time I did it, along with a smile I’d only seen aimed my way. Zane was a fantastic support system for me during this transition time of losing Wes and my heart rate picked up thinking about seeing him after work.
Wes let me work the board for a test run about an hour prior to the show and then, since I didn’t have Arden; he would cohost with me. This allowed me to run the board on my own and do the show. Wes was more nervous than I thought he’d be talking live on-air, being that he was this badass, alpha undercover agent. It was quite telling when he tensed up when we got to the part about sleeping with your boss. Wes was the boss and I was almost one-hundred-percent positive that he and Arden did the nasty. Not that it really mattered to me. My bestie deserved a man like Wes and I was their biggest cheerleader. It may have been against Wes’s personal morals or company policy, but it was all a moot point now. When the show was over, I gave him a hug and thanked him for not just the opportunity on the show but for protecting me while he was here. He’d gone to his office and me to mine, letting each other know we needed some space but we’d see each other later.
_______________
What felt like minutes later, but was really hours, a knock sounded at my office door before Wes came in looking like someone died.
“Hey, you. What’s with the look?” I asked.
“Shit, Joss. You’re too fucking observant. Maybe we should wait for MacIntyre to get here.”
“What the hell? Why does Zane need to be here? Do NOT keep something from me again,” I sort of accused. I knew Wes had to do what he did for his job, but if this had to do with me, I wanted to know and I wanted to know immediately. Zane could always be briefed when he arrived.
“Fuck me. That’s not fair, babe, and you know it. When is Zane gonna be here?”
“He’s picking me up to go to The Lantern so about an hour or so. You know him, though, he’s always early so my guess is now until then.” My answer was full of attitude but he deserved a little of it from me.
“Please, Wes, just tell me.” As I pleaded with Wes to tell me, my phone dinged with a text from Zane.
ZIT: Be there in about ten minutes, baby.
ME: Your ears must have been ringing. Wes and I were just talking about you.
ZIT: Oh yeah? Anything good?
ME: Doesn’t seem good. He was asking when you’d be here so he could enlighten us together.
ZIT: OK. Be there ASAP.
“Is that MacIntyre?” Wes asked.
“Yes. He says he’ll be here in about ten minutes,” I answered.
“Right. We’ll wait for him then.”
I let out what sounded like a growl. Now, don’t get me wrong here. It was sweet that everyone was trying to protect me and whatnot, but I wasn’t this helpless woman who couldn’t handle shit on her own. I was Josselyn fucking Easton.
“Why do you think I can’t handle whatever it is that you need to say, Wes?” I inquired, but at that point had stood and had my hands on my hips. You know, the universal ‘don’t fuck with this woman right now’ sign. Obviously my former boss didn’t clue in if his answer was anything to go by.
“Because. What I have to say may impact your safety.” Cryptic, yes. Honest, yes. That in no way meant I wasn’t now completely freaked out. He knew I’d be freaked out.
“You knew that whatever it is you have to tell me would freak me out,” I whispered.
“I knew if it was my woman, I’d want to be present when her safety was called into question, so I could do everything to keep her unharmed. But more, so I could hold on tight if she needed to crumble. So, fuck yeah, I knew Zane needed to be here.” That was his answer and if I hadn’t been in love with Zane MacIntyre since I was sixteen years old, I might have climbed Wes in that moment like a tree because that answer was so macho and swoon worthy.
Arden didn’t stand a chance.
“Alrighty then. We’ll wait for Zane.”
“Don’t be mad, babe,” he started, and came over to my desk and sat on the corner. “It’s just a guy thing. We, by nature, protect what is ours and I know Zane and I see eye to eye on this. There is not a single thing I wouldn’t do to keep you and Arden safe.”
Interesting he’d throw Ardie in there.
“Since we have about six minutes to kill until my crazy-ass boyfriend shows up, and since you brought her up, tell me what the hell is going on with you and Arden.” It was a demand but really I was nosy and couldn’t wait until she got back from New Jersey to ask her.
“Joss, it’s really complicated. She seems to be repulsed by me right now, and I would do just about anything to have her smile
at me. Arden is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Her eyes and that fucking hair. Fuck me. There are times when I think I may have gotten through and made progress with her, but then she shuts me out and disappears, claiming to be sick or to her parents’ house clear across the country. I’m not a very patient man so she is going to have to make the move if she feels an ounce of what I feel for her.”
Fuck. That may have been sweeter and hotter than what he said a few minutes ago.
“Are you in love with her?” It was intrusive but I needed to know. I was like a voracious romance reader waiting to for that pivotal moment when the man reveals his true feelings for his woman,
“I’ve been in love with her since the first time I laid eyes on her when she interviewed for her position,” Wes stated calmly and with absolutely no hesitation. He was in deep and Arden was not helping herself in this case.
“Have you told her that?”
“Fuck no.”
“Why the hell not?” I asked, and then like a bull in a china shop, Zane barreled through my office door and Wes and I snapped our heads to watch him. Zane’s chest was heaving and his beautiful green eyes were such a deep forest green, they almost looked black. He was raging a war inside himself; it was obvious. Without thinking or even questioning it, I went to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and he looked down at me. I went up on tiptoes and kissed him. It wasn’t hungry like our kisses usually were, but it was meant to convey that I was fine. I also wanted him to know I was happy to see him. So when he wrapped his arms around me and tried to deepen the kiss, I pushed away and stepped back. Once he was calmer than he was when he burst in here, I grabbed his hand, linked our fingers, and walked him to my desk. Zane was resistant to me pushing him down in my chair, but he eventually caved and his eyes twinkled with a look that said I’d pay deliciously later for trying to show dominance in front of Wes. That look, or its promise, didn’t bother me in the slightest and before I could move away, Zane grabbed my wrist and tugged me into his lap. His arms instantly went around my middle.
Ruthless Renovator : A Hero Club Novel Page 13
