Page 23 of Shape Of My Heart
“That’s because you’re an automaton who worksforme.”
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 localpaper.”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Please justgohome.”
The house phone started to ring and he scowled at it, wondering who the hell that could be calling so early. Josh snuggled against the sofa and listened to it ring out. Amy looked at him with disgust, probably thinking he meant for her to answer it. She moved over to the table and bent over to pick up the receiver, giving him a really great view of her perfectly rounded behind. But she stopped in mid-action when the answer machineclickedon.
“Son,it’sme.”
Josh froze. His father didn’t usually call at this time. It was normally much later in the evening. Occasionally he called in the morning, but Josh made it his duty to avoid either time. Then he’d delete all messages, regardless of who they were from. The people he wanted to contact him had his cell number. He’d changed it months ago and hadn’t given the new number to his father. That was how it was goingtostay.
“Just changing up my tactics a little to see how you are,” his father continued. “If you want to talk you know where I am. Or better yet, let me come andseeyou.”
Amy reached down to grab the phone but he was quicker than her. He grabbed her hand before shecould.
“Don’t,” he told her, shaking his head. She gazed up at him with those vibrant green eyes of hers, surprised by hisactions.
“It’s your father.” She stared at him,baffled.
“Don’t answer the phone in here. There’s a different line in the office. Sticktothat.”
She still gave him that look. The machine clicked off, signaling that his father had hung up. He looked down at where he held onto her arm and became fascinated with how soft her skin felt and that sweet vanilla scent that came from her. It reminded him of flowers and soft summer days. That halter neck she wore looked good on her, inviting him to stare at the distinct peaks of her breasts and linger at the creaminess of her skin. By the time he reached her face, her cheeks flushed a soft rose color and he almost reached out totouchher.
He released her and stepped back, then turned and walked away. Time to get anotherdrink.
She left a few minutes after that with Hilda. He was happy to have the house to himself again where he could breathe without these women around. Josh only loved having women around for one reason and neither of them were here for that. Such ashame.
Like usual he drank himself to sleep and couldn’t have been more infuriated at the sight of Amy standing over him the next morning at eight a.m. Just like she’dpromised.
“Rise and shine.” She smiled down at him, green eyes sparkling. “Our time starts hereandnow.”
