Entice (32 page)

Her father grimaced and shook his head. “I don’t know where he went, Shel. I can only say that I probably judged you harshly in your life because I was afraid you would make the same mistakes I made in my own.”

“Being me? And Mother? We were your mistakes?” Shelly demanded.

“No, being the hurt I caused you and your mother. My own selfishness and stupidity hurt two women I respect and admire. The man who bought you ice cream by the fountain is not who I am. But, Shelly, he
is
the man who taught me how to love you, and he
is
the man you should try and love. Try to think about him and maybe eventually you’ll forgive me.”

They finally pulled up outside the house, and her father turned to her.

“I love you, and your mother and I are so very proud of you. Don’t let what we did to each other, and inadvertently you, destroy your life.”

Shelly bit her bottom lip as she turned to push open the door.

“Oh, Shelly?”

She turned back to see her father give her a lopsided smirk.

“Your brave face is still horrible.”

***

Josh was sitting, watching a baseball game, when his laptop chimed, indicating he had a message. Looking down to the toolbar, he saw it was from Georgia.

Leaning forward, he picked up the computer and put it on his lap. Reaching out, he grabbed his beer, took a swig, and read.

Georgia: Can’t sleep. You awake?

Josh settled on the couch and typed back.

Yeah, I’m awake, Georgia. How goes it?

Georgia: Ugh. I’m down visiting my parents this weekend…need I say more?

Josh took a deep breath and let it out.

Wow, that must be rough on her
, he thought as he put the beer down on the coffee table. Sitting back, he typed.

Horrible?

Georgia: Pretty much. Drove back from the airport with my father.

Oh boy
. Josh wasn’t sure what she wanted at this stage, so he kept it light and easy, letting her make the decision to either open up or move on.

How’d that go?

Josh waited a good five minutes, and then he got her response.

Georgia: It was really sad. How is it that in the space of several months I have had my heart broken twice?

Josh leaned his head back against the chair and reread that message twice.

Why is she determined to bring me to my knees?

He wasn’t ready. His brain and his body were ready, but his heart was still telling him to tread gently. This woman had the ability, as he already knew, to break
and
burn him.

I broke your heart?

Josh asked like an idiot. This conversation could only move him further toward aching for her when he was trying to work out what to even
do
about her.

Georgia: It breaks every time I think of you.

Josh’s heart wasn’t broken right now. It was thundering in his chest. He wanted so badly to reach over and pick up the phone—to call her and hear her voice telling him all the words she was writing. Instead, he wrote back.

Mine has never quite healed.

There was a long pause, and he wondered what she would write next. He was shocked when she changed the subject.

Georgia: It’s raining here tonight. I’m sitting by my bedroom window with my laptop, watching the lightning.

Josh settled in, crossing his legs on the coffee table while he turned on some music.

Yeah? It’s raining here, too.

Georgia: Where’s here?

None of your business.

He typed, chuckling, and added a smiley face poking out its tongue.

Georgia: Damn, I thought for sure I could get you that time.

Nice try, Georgia, but I’m onto you.

Georgia: Pretty sure you’re not, or I’d be much happier right now.

She ended that flirty little comment with a wink. Josh grinned, typing back.

Happier, huh? You’re happy when I’m on top of you?

Oh yeah, sexy I can do. Heartfelt, I’m not ready for
, Josh thought.
 

Georgia: Happy is probably the wrong word. Hot? Horny? Wet?

Josh groaned, and then shook his head.
Crazy, sexy woman.

What are you wearing?

Georgia: A smile.

Laughing, Josh wrote back.

And…

Georgia: A bigger smile?

Josh smiled over her antics, and then wrote.

I want to kiss that smile soon.

Georgia: If you told me where you are, I’d come see you.

Josh sighed as he always did when she asked. Then, he responded.

I know. That’s why I haven’t told anyone. I’ll be back for the wedding.

Georgia: That’s in a month! That’s a long time to wait for a kiss.

Josh sat up before writing.

Trust me, it’ll be worth it. I gotta go sleep now. You okay?

He waited, wanting to make sure she was feeling alright.

Georgia: Yeah, I’m fine. Josh?

Josh felt his heart hammer in his chest again.

Yes?

Georgia: Thank you for being there. I wish you were here to hold me tonight.

Josh read the words and was just about to send,
I want to be there every night
, when he noticed she was already gone.

Chapter Twenty-Two

August

Josh was packing up his truck and getting ready to drive back to Chicago. He had a wedding to attend.

He opened the side door for Mutley, and his dog took a bounding leap, landing in the passenger seat before turning back to look at him.

Yeah, you aren’t as pretty as my last road trip partner
, Josh thought before ruffling his dog’s head.

Mutley whined, and then lay back down.

As Josh walked around the front of his truck to the driver’s side door, he looked up at the clear sky and took in a deep breath of fresh air. He had been on his way to hitting the highway, but before he got on a long stretch of road, he had wanted Mutley to stretch his legs a little. And he had some things he wanted to think over.

So, he’d driven by a small place he had found recently and pulled the truck over. As he sat on the back of the tailgate, he thought about his future. He knew what he wanted, and she was living in Chicago. He wondered if she was happy there.
Is that the place where she sees herself growing old?

Shelly was such a contradiction of personalities. Sometimes, he wondered who it was he was talking to, but he knew it was time to lay out some options for her.

He had to admit that in the months he had been gone, she had been extremely persistent. He didn’t know if the saying
absence makes the heart grow fonder
applied to her, but she sure did keep in daily contact with him, and it just made his evenings that much sweeter.

Taking one last look around at the serenity in front of him, he stretched his hands above his head with a smile.

Now is the time, Shelly Monroe.Now is the time to let me know what you want from me and when you want it
, he thought.

He climbed into the truck and started the ignition. As the vehicle hitched and bumped over the gravel road, he smiled at his dog and rubbed his head.
Let’s go see Georgia, Mutley.

***

Shelly was a mass of nerves.

It was ridiculous really. It should have been Lena that was nervous. After all, tomorrow was her wedding day, not Shelly’s. However, as she stood in front of her full-length mirror, all Shelly could do was think about her last email to Josh and the sexy but vague response she had received in return.

The man was utterly frustrating. He blocked her at every turn, never giving an inch. She wasn’t sure if he still had real feelings for her or if she was fighting a losing battle.

Shelly was done fighting people. After the weekend with her parents, she had come home feeling freer than she ever had. Even though everything her father, and then her mother, had said to her was still not ideal, the fact that they apologized at all was a miracle.

After that weekend, she had also started to reflect on her decisions in life.

Exiting was the Shelly who thought she needed to date a man merely based on his success, and entering was a Shelly who wanted a man whom she couldn’t seem to get out of her head. And that man happened to be coming to the rehearsal dinner tonight.

***

Tonight, Josh had opted to take a cab from the hotel he was staying at. The dinner was being held at Exquisite, and Josh had to admit that he was excited to see everyone. Even though he had only been back for a short time a few months earlier, hanging out with the Langley crew had been like living with a second family again.

He was also looking forward to seeing a certain blonde.

Oh yes
. He hadn’t seen her since the end of June in his kitchen, and that had been such a hot and desperate parting that he had trouble remembering anything about that day except for taking her over the countertop.

 As the taxi pulled up in front of the valet, Josh got out and made his way to the front door. He knew that Mason had shut down the place tonight due to the private party. As Josh pushed open the doors and made his way inside, he had to admit that he was more than ready to see Shelly again.

He looked around the dining room and saw Rachel and Lena sitting at a large table off to the left of the entrance. They were chatting among themselves and hadn’t seen him walk in yet. From the door, he saw a very serious expression on Rachel’s face as she shook her head at Lena. Then, Mason’s fiancée reached out, touching Rachel’s shoulder, and nodded.

Okay, something is definitely up there. It’s none of my business though, so I’m not getting involved.

He was about to move forward when the door behind him whooshed open. He turned around to see who had just walked in, and there standing a few feet away from him was Dr. Monroe. Tonight, every inch of her looked like the man-eater.

***

Shelly opened the door and was treated to a fine view of Josh’s ass. She had forgotten how much she liked that part of the male anatomy.

When he heard the door close, he turned, and they locked eyes for the first time in over a month and a half.

“Well, hello, Josh,” she purred as she stepped closer in her red high heels.

“Evening, Shel,” he greeted, now turning around fully to look her over.

She’d opted for a blue blouse tucked in at the waist of a simple black pencil skirt that ended an inch above her knee. She had secured her hair into a waterfall braid around the crown of her head.

“You sure are a sight for sore eyes, Josh.”

She watched as he took a step toward her.

He asked in a voice as smooth as whiskey, “Did you miss me?”

Shelly knew he was testing her, checking to see if she would hesitate or deviate from the direct question that would make her reveal her true feelings.

Instead, she told him sincerely, “Very much so.”

***

Josh hadn’t been expecting that simple and honest answer, and just as he was about to tell her that, he heard Lena shout out her name.

With the moment now gone, he watched her smile at him with those sexy lips, and then she brushed by his arm to make her way toward her friend.
Hmm,
she even smells amazing
.

As he turned around, he saw Mason standing over at the bar with a huge grin on his face. Josh shrugged and walked over to his friend.

“Hey, man. What’s up?” Josh asked as he settled on a bar stool.

“Not much, Josh. The business is great, the weather is supposed to be amazing, and tomorrow, I am marrying the woman I love.”

Josh chuckled. “Could you be anymore smug?”

Mason poured him a Goose Island Beer and shook his head. “Nope. Well, maybe. I could add to my list my prediction that you and Dr. Monroe would hit it off, but that would just be obnoxious or annoying, right?”

Josh lifted the glass to his mouth and took a sip.

As he placed the glass back on the counter, he nodded and told his good friend, “Or just annoyingly obnoxious.”

Mason laughed before asking, “How are things going between the two of you?”

Josh thought about that for a moment. “Good. We’ve kept in contact while I’ve been away. I think things are going well.”

Mason acknowledged that silently, and then looked beyond him to the table of women. Josh turned around just in time to see Shelly let out a loud laugh that then had Lena chuckling and Rachel frowning.

 All of sudden, Josh found that he too wanted in on the joke.

***

“
Super Domme?
That’s my new nickname?” Rachel asked incredulously.

“Well, only in private, like in my head,” Shelly told her with a laugh.

Rachel did not look impressed. Lena was chuckling, and Shelly thought it was downright hilarious.

“Oh, come on, Rach, you took us completely off-guard. Who knew you had that in you?” Shelly asked her with a smile.

Rachel arched her brow. “Was I supposed to announce it?”

Shelly thought about that, and then lowered her voice. “Well, no, but hell, I didn’t even know you had any tattoos until that night.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “I just like to keep that part of my life private. Is that such an issue?” She paused, looking over to where Mason and Josh were now staring at them. Then, she turned back to Shelly. “Kind of like you and Josh Daniels.”

Shelly thought about that as she turned and gave Josh a flirty wink before looking back to the girls.

“No secret there. I am head over heels for that man.”

Shelly watched as Lena’s face split into a huge grin, and Rachel’s mouth fell wide open.

“Does he know?” Lena whispered.