Page 36 of Shape Of My Heart
“Heychica, you okay?” Gabriella asked, coming up to the car. Amy got out and joined her and Hilda. They’d messaged earlier about meeting fordinner.
“I’m…okay.” She supposed she should be, considering she’d just jumped over the first hurdle and gotten themoney.
“How’d it go? He just walked by looking like hell.” Hilda lookedconcerned.
Amy shook her head. “We did it, but I don’t think it was the rightthing.”
It wasn’t. Truth be told, he wasn’t ready for any of this and he was doing it because he didn’t want to be cut fromtheteam.
“Do you want to cancel tonight and spend the time with him?” Gabriellaasked.
“I’m the last person he’ll want to spend time with.” It was official now that they both couldn’t stand each other. “I’m just gonna go see how he is, though. I’ll berightback.”
They nodded,understanding.
She found him in the kitchen. He’d taken off his jacket and tie and rolled up the sleeves to his shirt. The top buttons lay open, exposing the rigid muscle that laythere.
“Shift’s over, Kansas, what are you doing here?” He poured vodka into aglass.
“You’re going to drink again? Even after what happenedtoday?”
“It’s Friday, time for booze andbitches.”
She should go, run away, but something within her wanted to reach out to him to see if hewasokay.
“It doesn’t have to be. We could talk abouttoday.”
“Do I look like the talking kind of guy to you?” He glowered at her. “Like I said, shift’s over. You’re done for the day, now run along with your little friends.” He tossed his head back and poured the drink down his throat in one gulp. When he saw she wasn’t moving he walked over to her and marooned her between the fridge and the wall. “Unless, Kansas, if you and your little friends want to join me upstairs. There’s plenty room up there for everyone. Or there could just be me and you. Like I said, shift’s over. You aren’t at work anymore. Imaginethefun.”
He wasn’t drunk yet; this was him talking. The real him. It was awfully close to the drunk side of him that weakened her the other day, but she could tell thedifference.
Amy rested her head against the wall as he gazed down at her. She wasn’t sure what to think right now other than he was just trying to get rid of her by freaking her out but hoping at the same time she’dagree.
“Is that what you want? Me?” She had no intention of doing anything with him, but once again she was making astand.
His eyes did, however, flicker with interest. “Yes, Kansas, Iwantyou.”
Even she had to admit that there was something tempting and alluring in hearing him say thattoher.
“And what makes you want me, Josh?” She continued to stare as he looked her over withappreciation.
“Everything, baby. I want to strip you down and feast on every single part of you.” His eyes turned a darker shade and he lifted the end of her ponytail. “Imagine our naked bodies pressed against each other. I want to see the pleasure on your face aswefu—”
“Shhh, language.” She pressed her fingers to his lips. He lingered on the edge of her fingertips and kissed it. “See, that’s just the thing. For a start…” She moved away from the wall and moved closer to him. He moved, too, so that their faces were just inchesapart.
“For a startwhat,baby?”
“For a start, if you were mine, I wouldn’t share you with anybody. And…we would make love. It would be love, and not some meaningless act of attraction to passthetime.”
The desire on his face receded, and that playfulness shrank away. Instead she saw the effect her words had on him. He searched her eyes and moved back so she could step away fromthewall.
Before she left she turned back to face him and observed the contemplative look on his face. She’d bet no one had ever said anything like what she said to him before. She’d bet these women just did what he told them and fell down andworshipedhim.
Amy had never been like that, and she wouldn’t change. He fixed his gaze on hers once more and shifted his weight from one leg tothenext.
“Don’t drink too much, Josh. Please don’t. You’re stronger than youthink.”
She knew even before she left that he wouldn’t listen, and since she wouldn’t see him till Monday he’d most likely spend the weekend undoing all the work and progress they’d madethisweek.
