Page 42 of Just Joshing
"It's beautiful. How many floors?"
"It's five floors, but has a subfloor with a screening room, so technically six." He shot me a grin over his shoulder. "I was on the fence but that really weighs in the plus column."
"Are you renting this?" I ran fingers along the wood railing, following Josh up the stairs.
"At the moment. I wanted to try before I buy."
There was an elevator which we both ignored as he led me through the beautiful home.
"This door leads to the master bed, but this is what I want to show you." He grinned, pulling open a door and gesturing for me to proceed him.
I walked through, gasping as my eyes adjusted to the dim light. I walked to the middle of the room, taking in the gorgeous features.
“So, what do you think?”
I closed my eyes, breathing deeply through my nose, taking it all in.
"You don't like it?" He asked softly.
"Shhh," I replied, eyes still closed. "I'm smelling it."
"What?"
I opened my eyes, shooting him a large grin. "Libraries have a distinctive smell. And this?" I waved a hand around the room. "This is some beauty and the beast level foreplay."
The library was done in wood and plaster. The herringbone wood floors were covered by thick beautiful rugs with comfortable chairs, positioned just so, by the windows and fireplace. The giant picture windows had window seats built into their curve, pillows and a throw strewn about inviting you to sit awhile.
This was my dream library, in my dream home.
"What happened to your one-bedroom apartment?" He'd bought it when he'd first left home, letting Sam crash on the couch after my parents tried to force Sam to return to the family business.
"It's time to upgrade. I love Brooklyn but I need a place to entertain execs."
I ran fingers across the spines of the books, smiling as I recognized the classics in hardcover. "Are you going to buy it?"
"I wanted a second opinion."
"Don't." I sent him a saucy grin over my shoulder. "I want it."
He laughed and a spark of… awareness? Warmth? Heat? Lit deep in my belly. I pushed it away, wrapping fingers around the ladder for the book case. "I can't believe you have a library with a ladder." I glanced over at him, putting one foot to the bottom rung. "You really have chosen the wrong woman for this job. You show me a library and I immediately lose all impartiality."
He laughed, walking over, holding the ladder while I climbed. "You're going to do a swish, aren’t you?"
"Oh, yes."
I snagged a random book off the shelf and then pushed off, humming the beauty and the beast theme song as the ladder gently rolled across the floor.
"This is such a cliché." Josh muttered, watching me with a smile.
I winked, still humming, one arm outstretched, the other clutching a rung.
"You need me to be Beast?" Josh raised his hands, pretending to snarl.
"Oh, how scary you are." I threw a hand over my head, pretending to cower. "Don't eat me."
Josh snatched me, lifting me off the ladder to place me on the floor. He pressed me back against the rungs, hands settling on my hips. My heart fluttered and I looked up, seeing him considering me, his eyes shadowed.
"Do you want the truth or the mask?" He whispered. His thumb slipped under my shirt, brushing the skin at my hip. I shivered at his touch, goosebumps breaking out across my skin.
