Page 33 of Take Me Slowly: part 2
He rolled his eyes. "So you've told me."
"Connor, Riley and Fiona, they don't think you should hate yourself either," I said. "And before you say it, they don't hate you. The animosity towards you, they were taught by their parents. All of them are old enough to make up their own minds now and they think differently. They supported me in doing the DNA." I didn't add that they would also support me if Ididhim. That was a whole different conversation.
"Big fucking deal." Josiah shrugged. "In case you hadn't noticed, I don't give a shit what they think."
It was my turn to roll my eyes. "In case you hadn't noticed, I don't believe that. Everyone needs human connection, even if they like to think they don't."
"That's very woo-woo of you." He didn't look like he was buying a word of it.
"It's not woo-woo, it's science," I said. "I know it's been a long time since you were at school, but you must remember science." I smiled teasingly. He was only about ten years older than me, but I couldn't resist the jab.
"I was never very good at school. I preferred working with my hands." He raised one of them above his folded arms, showing off calloused, tanned skin. The kind of fingers that could stroke a girl to orgasm without breaking a sweat.
I swallowed. "I'm sure you are. How are you at making coffee? I know you're not used to guests, but it's the polite thing to do."
"I figured you weren't sticking around for long," he said unapologetically.
"I thought I would. It’s pretty up here." I turned to let my gaze linger on the creek, and the trees beyond.
"If I make you a coffee, will you go away?" He seemed resigned.
"If you make me a coffee, I'll consider it," I said. That was all I was willing to concede right now. In spite of him being grumpy as fuck, I liked his company. He was both attractive and fascinating. And deep down, vulnerable and hurting. If I couldn't take away the pain, maybe I could ease it somewhat.
He muttered something about me being annoying, but he pulled the door shut behind him and gestured toward his cottage.
"Let's get this over with."
I flashed him a smile over my shoulder as I walked towards his front door. He reached past me to open it and followed me in.
"This is cosy." I stepped carefully across worn hardwood floors and into the living area. Everything was stone and wood, like the cabin in the mountains it actually was. While the Clarke house looked like a little piece of suburban living, this looks like it grew here.
"It's all right." He turned on a coffee machine that sat on the butcher block countertop and pulled out a couple of clay mugs. He sat them both under the spouts, and waited for them to fill.
I wandered around slowly, taking in the pictures on the walls and the shelves full of books.
"I thought this would be familiar, but it's… Not."
"My mother had the place decorated about ten years ago," he said. "Ifyou were here before, it looks different."
I nodded slowly and stopped in front of a picture of young Josiah. He couldn't have been more than about ten, but even then he wasn't smiling. He was staring right at the camera like he wished the photographer would hurry up and take the photo. He wore worn jeans and a shirt that looked as though he'd rolled around in the dirt before the photo was taken. Behind him, was an expanse of green land and a high fence.
"Where was this taken?" I asked.
"Double Maple Ranch," he said, glancing over. "My dad used to ride bulls back in the day. He thought I might like to try."
That explained the dirt.
"Were you any good?" I turned around to face him.
"I was okay." He shrugged one shoulder. "According to him, I had the makings of a champion." He seemed indifferent to that.
"You didn't agree?" I asked.
"I'm good at pissing people off. I didn't see the point of pissing off animals too. I preferred riding horses to falling off cattle. I used to think…"
"What did you use to think?" I pressed.
He shook his head. I thought he wasn't going to answer. Finally he said, "I thought it'd be fun to bring some horses up here. Take folks on trail rides through the forest. It was a dumb idea."
