Page 22 of The Catch

He adjusted his position, leaning into the corner of the couch, and let his hand curl over her belly. Her body went lax almost immediately. “Cat,” he whispered, shaking her gently. “You should call Sonya, let her know you’re staying here.”

She didn’t stir, and he considered just shutting off the light and falling asleep beside her, but the thought of getting on Sonya’s bad side didn’t appeal to him. He reached over her, plucking her phone from the coffee table, and scrolled through her contacts until he found Sonya’s number to send her a text.

Josh: Hey, it’s Josh. Cat is safe. She just fell asleep here. I’ll walk her back in the morning.

Barely a moment went by before a response came through from her vigilant friend.

Sonya: Send me a picture so I know she’s safe.

Josh chuckled at the request, but quickly found the camera on Cat’s phone and did as she asked. He adjusted the sweatshirt to cover her bare midriff for good measure then held out his hand to snap a photo of her sleeping peacefully in his lap.

Josh: Don’t get me in trouble for sending this.

Sonya: This is going straight onto Instagram… just kidding, thanks for taking care of her.

Josh: You’re welcome.

Seven

The early morning light pouredunfiltered through the balcony door, slowly rousing Cat from the few hours of sleep she’d managed. She was curled into a ball against Josh, his hand resting casually on her hip and the warm wall of his stomach greeting her as her eyes blinked open. She watched it rise and fall with short breaths, corresponding puffs of air falling from his lips while he slept.

The pillow she’d been using had fallen to the floor, and she realized she was resting her face directly on Josh’s crotch. She groaned, trying to decipher the mixed messages the universe was trying to send her. First, the night had forced an end to her attempt to have him, and now she was waking up conveniently face to face with exactly what she’d been denied.

She rubbed at her temples, feeling vindicated in the fact that her plan for the evening had been a complete bust. Although it did end up being a lot of fun. Josh was a lot of fun, even though she could tell he was again being more magnanimous than he felt. She pictured the look on his face when he’d seen Dylan and bit her lip to keep from laughing. It was cute how he’d struggled with his politeness at that moment. She probably should have just left, but the idea of watching him in his natural habitat was too compelling. She’d had a secret hope to hear that laugh come back, maybe be the reason for it.

She slowly lifted her head, praying she didn’t have an imprint from the fly of Josh’s jeans plastered across her cheek and tried to wiggle out of his embrace without waking him. His eyes fluttered open, though, and a lazy grin spread across his face, reminding her of the sexy, morning-after fantasy she’d come up with the day before. His hair wasn’t quite as disheveled as she’d decided it would be, and he was wearing more clothes, but other than that, she’d imagined it well.

“Morning,” he whispered, rubbing at his back. It couldn’t have been comfortable sleeping like that, and Cat felt a little twinge of guilt for using him as a pillow. “Where are you going?”

“Bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

She tiptoed across the room, hoping to avoid the attention of his two friends, and shut the bathroom door behind her. She could hear Josh walking around in the kitchenette on the opposite wall, opening and closing the refrigerator, and she went to work wiping away the makeup that had shifted out of place on her face and splashing some water on her tired eyes. She looked ragged, and she could only imagine the looks on her friends’ faces when she showed back up at her hotel room. Was it still technically a walk of shame if she hadn’t actually done any of the shameful stuff she’d tried to do? Or if she wasn’t particularly ashamed? She wasn’t sure.

Before she dealt with her friends, though, she still had to go back out and face Josh. She hadn’t intended to stay the night, even if they had gotten to the sex part. She was going to do that thing that guys did where they say they have an early morning and slip out into the night. That plan had been tossed to hell by a double shot of liquor and her competitive side when it came to card games—and maybe a little bit by how enticing it had been to cuddle up with him on the couch, wearing his sweatshirt and listening to the rainfall outside.

There was a small travel case on the shelf above the sink, and she took a quick peek inside, pumping her fist in the air and mouthing a silentyeswhen she saw a bottle of mouthwash. She quickly swished it around in her mouth, spitting and rinsing as quietly as she could, then pulled out the bun she’d slept in, letting her long hair fall around her face. Josh’s sweatshirt was still hanging off of her shoulders, and she played with the zipper, trying to decide exactly how much skin she wanted to be showing when she walked back out. Settling for zipped to just below her breasts, she took one more deep breath and crept back out to where he was.

Josh was leaning casually against the counter when she emerged, holding bottled water and a box of the same crackers Shawn had given Emma on the beach. The sight of him, all puffy-eyes and wrinkled clothes, settled her nerves. He wasn’t acting awkward at all.

“We don’t have much for food,” he said, handing her the water. “Unless you want a beer or some pizza that’s been sitting out all night.”

“You guys are living like a bunch of frat boys over here,” she joked, snatching the cracker box from him and stealing a few to ward off any repercussions from their late-night drinking game.

“I suppose you girls wake up to mimosas and croissants every morning.” He gave her a playful smile and watched her as she went back for more crackers.

“Of course we have croissants,” she said with a wink. “What are we? Heathens?”

Josh took a cautious step toward her, his hand finding the same spot on her hip where it had rested all night. Her skin tingled as she prepared herself for one of his soul-shaking kisses, but instead, he gave her a chaste peck on the cheek that was dripping with self-restraint. Even as Cat recovered from her disappointment, she couldn’t help but smile at his impeccable manners. It was obvious he was unsure if the liberties she’d granted him the previous night stood up in the daytime, but she was leaving this place in a few hours, and she was pretty thankful he’d looked after her, so he deserved a proper good morning. She covered his hand with hers, moving it around to her backside, and grasped his face, pulling him back in for a more intimate greeting.

When she pulled away, she spied relief behind his intense gaze and felt him relax in the loose hold she had on him.

“Let’s go then,” he said. “I’ll get you a fancy breakfast somewhere with all the croissants you want.”

Cat dropped her eyes down her front. “I’m wearing your pajamas and a bikini top. I’m not dressed for a fancy breakfast.”

“Then, I’ll get you a bagel and some shitty coffee on the beach.” He brushed her hair out of her face, and she leaned into his fingers.

A breakfast date certainly wasn’t part of her plan the night before either, but the way he was looking at her made a bagel on the beach sound like the spaghetti scene fromLady and the Tramp. Maybe she had time for coffee. She wondered what he drank. Probably something strong and reliable. Dark roast. Cream. No sugar.

---