Goody Two Shoes (Invertary Book 2) (24 page)

“You were in my bed?”

From the dim light in the room she could see him pull his T-shirt over his head. “Have to say, I like the décor in here a whole lot better than the rest of the house. Didn’t have you pinned for frills and flowers, but it suits you.”

Caroline pointed at the door. “Go to the other room.”

“No.” He pulled back the duvet on the side of the bed nearest the door. “Move over.”

“Fine!” She clambered out of bed. “You can have the bed. I’ll sleep next door.”

She stomped to the door, furious that the man was kicking her out of her own bedroom. A strong arm snaked around her waist, her feet left the floor and the next thing she knew she was on her back in the middle of the bed and Josh was climbing in beside her.

“Get out of my bed. I didn’t ask you into it.”

He pulled the duvet over them. “Actually, you did. You accepted my proposal.”

“I told you I don’t want to do any touching before we get married.”

“Yeah, you tell me lots of things. But actions speak louder than words, and your body is saying that touching is good. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s flashing a big old neon sign that’s begging for more touching.” He trailed his fingers over her silky pyjamas to the curve of her hip.

Caroline tensed. “Your father is in the house.”

“And I can hear everything,” his father’s voice came up to them.

Caroline froze in place. This was humiliating.

“We’re only going to sleep,” Josh said. “That’s it. You think you can handle that?”

She smacked his chest. His wide, bare, warm chest.
Get a grip
, she ordered herself.

“I don’t trust you,” she said. “You kiss me every time you want me to agree with you.”

She saw Josh’s teeth flash in the dim light, and it made her shiver. “Yeah, and it works great. But we’re just going to sleep. In a bed that fits me. That’s it. We can hardly fool around when there’s no door on the room and my dad is listening.”

“Too bloody right,” came the voice from downstairs.

Caroline glared at Josh as the absurdity of the situation hit her. Her anger fled. She started to shake. The laughter bubbled up inside of her, beginning in her stomach and working its way out until it exploded from her mouth.

“That’s right, enjoy it while you can,” Josh muttered.

Caroline gasped for air. This was too much. “You shot yourself in the foot taking off the door.” She barely squeezed the words out between laughing.

“Yeah, it cracks me up too.”

Caroline wiped her eyes and hiccupped. She was still grinning and trying not to giggle when Josh rolled her over and tucked her back into his front. He slid an arm under her neck and wrapped it tight around her shoulders. His other hand rested on her stomach. She was locked in tight. So tight she was surprised he didn’t throw a leg over hers to keep them in place too.

“Sleep,” he ordered.

“How am I supposed to do that? I’m not used to sharing a bed with anyone.”

Josh stilled behind her. “You’ve never even shared a bed with anyone? Never slept beside anyone?”

Caroline felt her stomach clench. They were having
that
talk. The one she’d been trying to avoid. “No. I’ve never slept beside anyone.” She swallowed hard. “Or with anyone.”

The muscles in his arms tightened. “Are you telling me you’re a virgin?”

She blinked hard into the darkness. Oh how she hated that word.

“I wanted to wait until I was married to be intimate. Obviously I’ve never been married. So I’m still waiting. I had planned on getting to know my future husband quite well before we, uh, became intimate. There was a boy in college—we were serious; I thought we’d get married. But then I came back here, to help out with my sister. And, well, since then, I haven’t dated very much. There hasn’t been time. Or the interest.” She stared into the darkness. “From men, I mean. They aren’t that interested in me. So time just went on. And here I am. Still waiting until I get married.” He was tense behind her, and Caroline felt tears well in her eyes. She shouldn’t have told him.

Josh’s arms wrapped firmly around her. “Well, guess what. You’re getting married now.” His fingers brushed her breast.

She smacked his hand away. “Not today, I’m not!” Caroline chewed her lip. She had expected more of a reaction. Didn’t guys think this sort of thing was a big deal? “Doesn’t this bother you?”

“No. It doesn’t bother me. Why would it bother me? It means I get you all to myself.”

“I don’t have any experience.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I need you to be patient with me.”

“Or”—she felt Josh grin against her temple—“we can throw caution to the wind and I’ll teach you every dirty thing I know. That way you’ll be a sexpert by the wedding.”

He sounded so wicked it spiked Caroline’s curiosity. She wriggled against him, knowing she shouldn’t ask. She did anyway. “What kind of experience do you have, exactly?”

“For the love of all things holy,” Josh’s father shouted, “don’t tell her. I don’t want to listen to my son’s sexcapades.”

Caroline wanted to die. She groaned against Josh’s arm as she felt him shake behind her. “Your father heard everything.” She was never leaving the bedroom again.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, lass,” his father shouted.

“I want to die. Right now. This minute. I’m never leaving this room, ever again. Never.”

Josh turned her and buried her face in his chest as he kept laughing. Caroline honestly couldn’t remember ever being so humiliated. How could she look Andrew McInnes in the eye ever again? Oh no. If she married Josh she’d have years of dealing with his father. “I can’t marry you,” she told Josh.

“Sure you can.” He was still chuckling.

“I can’t face your father.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“Sure you can,” his father shouted.

“This house has better acoustics than some of the venues I’ve played.” Josh stroked her back. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal that he knows.”

“It is to me.” She pressed her face to his shoulder.

Josh held her, cooing soothing noises at her. They stayed like that for the longest time. And then they heard loud snoring coming from beneath them.

Josh raised his head to stare at the doorway. “We really need that door back.”

Caroline hoped she’d see the funny side of this—one day. She looked up at Josh, but could barely make him out in the dark. “You don’t think I’m a freak?”

“No, baby. A control freak, yeah. A freaky virgin, no. I told you, I like it. I have you all to myself.”

Now she wanted to kiss him. Instead she wriggled in place. A sense of relief flooded through her as a small smile curved her lips. Josh’s fingers traced a lazy circle on her hip.

“Great PJs, babe,” he said into her hair.

Caroline settled in closer and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Caroline was dreaming of Josh’s kisses. Something she’d been doing since the first time he’d kissed her. Only this one was different. This one felt real.

“Time to wake up, baby.”

Another kiss on her lips. Her hand slid across wide shoulders and held him in place. Her legs stretched long on her bed. Oh, this felt good.

“Are you awake, Caroline?” His voice was an amused tease against her lips.

“No. I’m dreaming.”

He chuckled before running his tongue over her bottom lip. “Is it a good dream?”

“Oh, yes.” She ran her hand down the bare rippling muscles of his back. “It’s delicious.”

Another chuckle. “Good to know.”

“Stop talking and kiss me. You’re ruining my dream.”

Smiling lips found hers and did as they were told. Caroline groaned into his mouth as he held her tighter. Wonderful. Her brain wasn’t quite awake, or quite asleep. But better than that, her body was on fire. Every single inch of her skin was tingling.

“My skin is on fire,” she told him.

“What can I do to help?”

She didn’t know. Her tongue touched his lips and he kissed her again. Deeper. Harder. She pressed up into his chest, trying to make the ache in her breasts go away. It didn’t help.

“Do you want me to touch you?” he whispered.

“You are touching me.”

His hand slowly slid from her waist to her breast. The heat of his touch seared through her pyjamas and straight to her heart. She pressed into him.

“Do you want me to touch you here?”

“Yes, please.”

Josh chuckled again as his hand stroked her feverish skin.

“You like this?”

“More,” she moaned.

His thumb flicked over her nipple. She gasped. Josh caught the end of her gasp with his mouth. She clung on to the ridges on his back as sensations overwhelmed her. Slowly his hand slid down from her breast. She moaned her complaint and felt him smile against her lips. A second later he stole under her top. Skin on skin. Perfect. His tongue swept lazy patterns inside her mouth as his fingers found her nipple and circled it slowly.

“Beautiful,” he told her.

“Need more,” she breathed.

“Your wish is my command.”

His knee worked between her legs until his thigh was touching her.
There.
Without thinking about it, she ground into him. Josh pushed the edge of her pyjama top upwards. The feel of the satin sliding over her skin was almost more than she could take.

“More?” he said.

She moaned her agreement.

His lips moved to her breast. Caroline would have come straight off the bed if it wasn’t for Josh holding her in place. Her breathing was fast; her head was spinning. Her fingers dug into warm muscle as his tongue did wonderful things to her nipple. She widened her legs so she could move closer to him. She wrapped her leg around his hip, arching into him. He grunted his approval against her skin. He blew cold air across her nipple, making her moan. He took her in his mouth and sucked. Hard. Her hips pushed upwards. Desperate. So desperate. Her nails dug into his back. She needed more. She needed all of him.

“You’re killing me here,” Josh said against her skin.

Caroline couldn’t reply. She felt his teeth brush her sensitive skin, and before she knew it, her hand was in his hair and she was pulling his mouth back to hers. Her tongue pushed in as soon as he was close enough to taste. She couldn’t get enough of him. His palm on her breast, his thigh between her legs, the taste of him, the smell of him. She was drowning in him.

“You have no idea how much I want you,” Josh told her.

Caroline’s head was fog. The words were lost in it. He pushed away from her, just enough so she could see the heat in his eyes.

“Oh,” she whispered.

“Yeah, oh,” Josh whispered back.

There was a loud yawn from downstairs. “I’m awake and I’m coming up to use the facilities. You two better be decent,” came the roar from beneath them.

Josh put his forehead to hers. He ran his thumb over her throbbing nipple one more time before pulling her top back down. “Sometimes, I hate my dad.”

Caroline fought for control of her body. She didn’t want to stop. Part of her didn’t even care that there wasn’t a door on her room. Let his father see. Let everyone see. Just don’t let Josh stop.

“You don’t think he heard, do you?” She worried her lip.

Josh shook his head. “He was snoring until a minute ago.”

“I’m at the bottom of the stairs,” bellowed his dad.

Josh sighed heavily. “I’ll put the door back on today.”

“That would make us all thankful,” his father grumbled as he thumped up the stairs.

A giggle erupted from Caroline. She wasn’t sure if it was from the absurdity of the situation or the humiliation of it. Josh gave her one last hard, but short, kiss before rolling over to the edge of the bed. He picked up his jeans and pulled them on. Caroline watched in fascination as the muscles in his back and thighs rippled. Suddenly she wished his briefs were gone so she could watch all of him ripple. Josh turned to her as his dad passed their room and slammed into the bathroom.

“We’re not done here,” he promised.

With a wink, he disappeared down the stairs.

Josh left Caroline in bed while he dealt with his father. After his trip to the bathroom, the man glued himself to the TV. He was methodically working his way through the snacks Josh had bought.

“Are you going to sit there all day watching TV?”

His father grunted.

“Don’t you want to sort out your marriage?”

Silence.

“How about getting lost so I can spend some time with my fiancée?”

“Not going to happen, son.”

Josh pulled out the big guns. “I’m calling Mom.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.” He went back to eating potato chips.

“At least put on some pants. No one wants to see you sitting around in your underwear.”