Red Hot Obsessions (120 page)

Chapter Five

Three years earlier, 12:10 a.m.

Due at Pendleton
in less than two weeks, the last thing on earth he needed was to get involved with a woman like Carissa, who’d never before gone home with a guy she’d just met, he’d bet his business on it.

Yet, there they were, hands tangled, as she led him out of McCauley’s Pub. The night sky was clear overhead and its crystalline stars and bright moonlight only added to the clarity he’d felt the moment his brother’s girlfriend introduced them. Mine.

She pulled him along, past the few vehicles remaining in the parking lot, and he barely contained a chuckle at her haste. When he tugged at her hand, she looked back, her long, dark hair whirling around her face, her eyes wide.

“We’re over here.” He redirected her with a tip of his head.

“Oh.” She pursed her lips and he’d bet an adorable blush covered her cheeks too. He wanted to tell her exactly how hot her wanton urgency made him, but he had to get this right. Needed to be a gentleman. Needed to slow down and make every second with her count.

“I know. I feel it too.” He stepped in, lowered his forehead to hers, and raised his free hand to the side of her face. Her skin felt so incredibly soft beneath his fingers, and damn if she didn’t smell amazing. Like wildflowers—sweet pea maybe and vanilla. He threaded his hand back into her hair, pulled her flush against him and, just as he’d suspected, they fit perfectly together.

You’re so screwed, bro.

“I’ve never done this.” Her whisper was a warm caress against his face, as her fingers found his chest and fisted his shirt. “I mean, I have, but not like this.”

“I know,” he said again, grinning his primal satisfaction in that little detail. A solitary nod of his head forced hers up and back, opening her mouth to his. Sliding his other arm beneath her ass, he lifted her off the ground and gave them a taste of what they both wanted.

The sensual glide of her tongue against his was like heaven. Slow and promising, yet hot and sinful at the same time. The erection pressed between their bodies was by no means his first, but the tug deep in his gut was.

And he knew in that moment one night with Carissa would never be enough.

***

Tuesday afternoon, present day…

Sure as shit, the entire east side of the mansion’s first floor electrical had been tampered with. Cuts everywhere. At least fifteen hundred worth of damage, which, considering the house was a million dollar project, was pennies in the big scheme of things. Still it irked the hell out of him that some jackass thought it’d be fun to dick around with one of his jobs.

After putting a call in to his insurance company and then another to the security company to bump up the alarm installation to ASAP, Josh spent the better part of the day helping the electricians pull wires, so they could start all over again in the morning.

He’d also elected not to call Henry. For one, he figured the senator wouldn’t appreciate being interrupted at the capital with news of a mishap and, two, it no longer made sense that someone targeting the politician would pull this kind of stunt. They’d be more apt to choose a personal means of raising hell. Like keying one of the man’s vintage Jags.

Unfortunately, that meant whoever was behind the stunt had either too much time on their hands or a vendetta against Hudson Contracting. And that left a bad taste in Josh’s mouth. The only person he’d pissed off recently was a petite brunette. Though she had a spitfire temper, she didn’t strike him as the criminal type.

“Hot mama on a rampage!” one of his guys hollered from the front of the house and Josh glanced up from his crouched position in the study to see the little devil herself burst through the heavy mahogany doors in a cloud of sexy-as-hell rage.

He checked his watch. Three o’clock. Damn. He’d expected her sooner.

She scanned the foyer until she spotted him in the adjoining room. Then she lowered her chin, her eyes flaming like fire balls, as she began a purposeful, arm-pumping trek in his direction.

Her ponytail swung from side to side, grazing her shoulders, and it was kinda hard not to notice how each determined stride made her breasts bounce deliciously beneath her pale pink tank top.

But it was her legs, in clingy, black cotton shorts, that really caught his attention. Sweet Jesus. What she lacked in height, she made up for in curves and definition. She easily had the sexiest calves and thighs he’d ever had the pleasure of parting.

“You just cost me my contractor.” One hand on her hip, she planted a fingertip from the other square in the center of his chest.

He couldn’t help but laugh at her attempt to be tough. “Oh, I’m pretty sure Kelly did that all on his own.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I told you to mind your own business. If I wanted your input, I would have hired you.”

Ouch.

Preferring not to share this particular conversation with his crew, he wrapped a hand around her elbow and started out of the room for some privacy. She jerked away.

“Don’t touch me.”

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, happy that she at least continued after him, her flip flops slapping against the unfinished floor like pissed off little penguin feet.

Knowing the kitchen would be vacant, he led her to the opposite side of the house and closed the French doors behind them. “Tell me what happened.”

She pinned him with an incredulous glare. “What do you mean ‘tell you what happened’? You sent Reed to check up on me, that’s what happened.”

“If that’s what you want to call it, yeah, I guess I did. But it’s Kelly I have issues with, not you.”

“‘Because no one wants to see you get shafted, Carissa’.” She pulled a sarcastic, wrinkled nose face and made little quote signs with her fingers, apparently having already heard what he was about to say. “What kind of shit is that anyway? I’m a big girl. I don’t need anyone looking out for me. I mean, really, Josh. I get that you meant well, but this was none of your business. I don’t have a contractor now, thank you very much.”

“And you’ve yet to tell me why that is,” he reminded her.

She shot him another disbelieving look. “I let him go. What other choice did I have? Let him go postal and trash the place?”

She fired Kelly? Not what he expected. “I need a little more than that, Car.”

“He refused to show Reed the wiring he was in a big hurry to wall up today and…” She gave him a play by play of the day’s confrontations, including Kelly’s typical two-year-old style temper tantrum. “So I told him to leave. I can’t afford to pay for his mistakes and I certainly don’t have time to play his games. And why am I even telling you this?” She fisted her hands at the top of her head and groaned. “I swear to God, Josh, if you so much as look at me with ‘I told you so’ in your eyes, I will not be held accountable for what I do to you.”

What the hell? “I never said a word about you hiring Alex. In fact, up until now, I think I’ve done a pretty damn good job keeping my mouth shut about it.” Yes, he’d been concerned and a little disappointed when he found out she’d given Kelly the contract on her flip. Not that he’d honestly expected her to come to him with the project either. He hadn’t even bid, because frankly he didn’t do small renovations like hers anymore. And the reality was, even if he did, he and Carissa would never be able to work together, all things considered.

“You didn’t need to say anything. At least not to my face. Going behind my back to Reed was enough.” She gave a heavy sigh and she suddenly looked completely defeated, which had him feeling like a schmuck. “You really don’t understand what this means for me, Josh. I don’t have the luxury of time right now.”

“I get that. I’ve worked flips before.”

“It’s not just a matter of finishing so I can put the house up for sale.”

Again with the alluding. “What aren’t you telling me?”

She held his gaze for several moments, before glancing away, reluctant. Like she wasn’t sure she could trust him with what she was about to say and, despite knowing where he stood with her, it hurt a little. “I’ve been evicted from my apartment,” she finally blurted out.

Shit.

“I’m not on the streets yet. But I will be thirty days from now if the flip isn’t livable.”

“Why?” He couldn’t imagine her doing anything to warrant eviction. She was a school counselor, for chrissake.

“My building was bought out by some non-profit from Omaha. They’re gonna demo it and put a youth center in its place. Big shot businessman you are, I’m surprised you didn’t already know.” She eyed him suspiciously, then shook her head. “Anyhow, I found out this morning and I started looking for another place right away. Problem is everything I’ve come across is more rent than I’ve been paying and I can’t swing an increase and a mortgage payment. I’m going to have to live in the house until it sells.”

“Car, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

She sighed. “How did you know about Alex?”

“Dan called me. Told me you’d been talking to Maddie about the money Kelly’s been spending. Didn’t add up to what Dan had seen when he stopped by last week.”

She held a hand to her forehead. “Of course.”

“We’re just looking out for you, Car.”

She glowered and propped her hand on her hips again. Her tits jiggled accordingly and it took a concerted effort to be a professional and not stare. “If I hear those words one more time, I swear I’m gonna blow. I’m a grown woman, Josh.”

Yeah. He got that loud and clear. So did the semi in his pants. “I’m well aware of that.”

“Why? Why couldn’t you just leave well enough alone?” she asked, exhaustion weighing down her words and her pretty face once again.

He sensed the opening to try and assuage what he’d done, so he took his time answering, hoping he didn’t screw things up even more.

“I acted like a prick at Dan and Maddie’s party. I made assumptions and I embarrassed us both. But, honest to God, Carissa, I was just trying to keep you from getting hurt. I know things with us are messed up, but I consider you a friend. And I don’t let bad shit happen to my friends.”

She gave a tired sigh, pinched the bridge of her nose, and clenched her eyes shut. “Your timing sucks, you know that? Why couldn’t you have done this a week ago? When I wasn’t already on the verge of a nervous freaking breakdown?”

He gave her a sympathetic smile and instinctively reached out to touch her arm. As soon as his fingers grazed her warm, soft skin, he realized his error. But damn if he could pull away. The connection, however small, sent shocks of electricity zinging through him. Just like every friggin’ time he touched her.

A friend? Really, Hudson?

Carissa’s eyes opened slowly, casting downward to where his fingers lingered. She wet her lips and carefully met his gaze. “Josh?”

“It was never my intention to make trouble for you, baby girl.” His fingers closed around her slight wrist, his thumb sliding down to stroke the inside of her palm. Vaguely he realized he’d used his intimate nickname for her, wondered if she’d call him on it…

“No? What about Saturday?”

“I was definitely looking to cause trouble on Saturday.”

“So you’re sorry?” She bit at her lip and looked up at him from beneath her lashes.

“For breaking up your party with Tony? Hell no.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

“I’m not, am I?” He shrugged and shifted closer, his feet moving of their own accord until he was close enough to wrap his arms around her shoulders and bury his face in her hair.

For a moment, she didn’t move, but slowly he felt her relax against him, her hands light and featherlike at his waist. Then she slid them to his lower back, fisted his t-shirt, and…trembled?

He pulled back and brushed loose strands of hair from her face, watching a storm of barely contained emotion gather in her eyes. His chest ached, a deep, bone crushing pressure that made him want to take it all away for her and promise to make it right.

Gently, he swept his thumb over her quivering bottom lip, his gaze trained on the soft pink pillow and, just like that, the wall he’d tried so hard to keep between them crumbled.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

He shook his head, his gaze unwavering from her lips and what he wanted, and when he spoke his voice was hoarse with longing. “I don’t know. Maybe something I should have done a long time ago.”

Her eyes went wide with panic, but she didn’t try to escape his procession. “Don’t you dare kiss me. Josh. Don’t. You. Dare.”

Chuckling, he reached up to cup her jaw while the other hand pulled her even tighter against him. He felt out of his own body, like he was watching the moment unfold from behind a thick glass window. His mind warned him to stop—Don’t do it, man, you know the rules!—but his ears couldn’t hear.

He leaned down, crowded her. Took a deep breath and…kissed her.

He let go of her waist to hold her face with both hands and, despite her warning, she pushed up on her toes to meet him. She pressed her hands against his chest as his tongue teased the seam of her lips, begging entrance and needing to taste her, to know if she was still as sweet as he remembered.

She obliged with a soft moan, and the husky sound compelled him to back her up against the counter as they fell into a lingual game of cat and mouse. Velvet tongue against velvet tongue, chasing and teasing. Her hands slid up to his hair, tugging at what she could to bring him even closer.

Peaches. She still tasted like peaches. And honey. Thick and sweet and addicting.

He wedged a knee between her legs and went for the hem of her tank top, needing more. When his fingers dipped beneath, she shuddered and nipped hard at his bottom lip.

He slid his hand upward, over the flat of her belly to her ribcage and…

Slap!

“No!” She shoved him away, his hands still curved as they’d been on her body as he staggered backward, the side of his face stinging.

“You are one arrogant man, thinking you can use my attraction to you to make me forget what you’ve done.” She righted her shirt and pushed her hair back from her face. “You might have been able to bring me down with that wicked tongue three years ago, but I won’t be played so easily this time.”