Page 8 of Loving Josy
“Can I have some help carrying this to the truck?” I look straight into her beautiful caramel eyes.Damn, she’s so pretty.
I watch as Josy begrudgingly grabs the cups, murmuring something under her breath that I can’t quite catch. Before I can ask her what she said, Violet chimes in with a playful smile, “Ineed to use the restroom.” And slips away, leaving us alone. I raise an eyebrow, knowing full well she’s just giving us space.
Josy, meanwhile, is determined to avoid looking at me, her eyes focused straight ahead as she practically bolts toward the door. I can’t help the chuckle that escapes my lips as I grab the bags of food and follow her out. She’s walking so fast I have to speed up just to keep up with her. I also can’t keep my eyes away from her fine ass. Those shorts that she is wearing should be illegal. The temptation to slap one of her asscheeks and see how she responds is painful, but that will have to wait. If I do that now, I would be facing death, and I don’t want to die today.
“What’s so funny?” she snaps, turning her head just enough to glare at me.
“You’re funny,” I say with a grin. “You’re walking so fast that I’m practically running to keep up with you.”
“I have things to do, and I need to hurry up,” she retorts, her voice dripping with sass. “So if you could walk faster and open your truck, I can go back to work.”
I smirk, loving the fire in her tone. “I would’ve thought you’re just scared to be near me.”
She stops dead in her tracks and whirls around to face me, her eyes blazing. “Why would I be scared to be near you? This has nothing to do with being scared. I just don’t want to be near you, period.”
Her anger only makes her more beautiful. The way her eyes flash, the way her lips press together in that stubborn line, it’s mesmerizing. I can’t help but tease her a little more. “Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Josy. But you know if you really didn’t want to be near me, you wouldn’t have agreed to help me carry this stuff.”
She huffs, clearly annoyed. “I’m doing this because I’m a professional and because Violet would’ve kicked my ass if I didn’t.”
“Oh, I see how it is.” I drop my voice to a playful whisper. “So, it’s Violet you’re scared of, not me.”
Josy narrows her eyes at me, her nostrils flaring just slightly. “I’m not scared of anyone, Noah. Least of all you.”
I can’t help but laugh at how serious she is. “Okay, okay. I believe you.” Lowering my voice a little, I add, “But just so you know, you’re kinda cute when you’re mad.”
Her eyes widen, and for a split second, I think she might actually throw one of the cups at me. Instead, she just rolls her eyes and picks up the pace again, practically jogging to my truck. “Just open the damn truck, Noah,” she barks.
Enjoying every second of this, I chuckle as I fumble for my keys. As soon as I unlock the door, she practically shoves the cups into the passenger seat and turns on her heel to head back to the shop.
“Thanks for the help, Josy,” I call after her, still grinning.
She doesn’t even bother to look back. “Don’t make a habit of this, Noah. I have better things to do than carry your lunch orders.”
“See you tomorrow then!” I shout, knowing full well that I’ll be back.
She flips me off over her shoulder, but I catch the faintest hint of a smile before she disappears inside.
Chapter Four
Josy
I’m fuming as I march back toward the coffee shop, my footsteps quick and determined. I can’t believe I actually gave Noah the bird just now. I mean, what was I thinking? That’s so unlike me. But something about him just got under my skin, and before I knew it, my hand was up, flipping him off like some angry teenager. Ugh, why does he manage to get such a reaction out of me?
As I push open the door to the shop, I’m still replaying the whole encounter in my head, trying to figure out how he managed to rile me up so much. It’s infuriating because I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he got to me.
Inside, the shop is warm and bustling with the usual lunch crowd. But all I can see is Violet standing behind the counter, a big grin plastered across her face. Great, just what I need.
“Why are you smiling, bitch?” I snap, feeling my irritation bubble over. My voice is sharp and makes a couple of customers glance our way, but I don’t care. I’m too wound up to care.
Violet bursts out laughing, doubling over as she tries to catch her breath. “Oh my goodness, Josy, your face is hilarious!”
I cross my arms, feeling embarrassed and frustrated. “Why is my face funny? I’m not amused right now.” I can hear thedefensiveness in my own voice, but I can’t help it. Violet’s laughter is only making me feel more on edge.
Violet finally manages to get herself under control, taking a deep breath as she straightens up. “I’m sorry, it’s just… when you were walking back from Noah’s truck, you looked so pissed off. And then—” she giggles again, “—you flipped him the bird! It was so funny! And the best part? He just smiled at you like you’d paid him the biggest compliment.” She has literal tears running down her cheeks. I hate her right now.
Feeling a blush creep up my neck, I groan. “He smiled at that? Of course he did. The man is insufferable.”
“Insufferable, sure,” Violet says with a smirk. “But he’s got you where he wants you. And from the way he was looking at you, I’d say he enjoys your little outbursts a lot more than you think.”
