Deep in the pit of Josh’s stomach, rage bubbled up. Rage that he had never felt before. It was protective, it was possessive, and his instinct to react on Caroline’s behalf almost overcame his reason. Jesus. He couldn’t beat his own father to a pulp, could he?
He had to leave. He had to leave before his father said something else and Josh couldn’t be held responsible for what he did.
Holy shit. When did he get this way?
Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands palms down on the table before he leaned in. “I’m going to call the engineering firm and get a meeting with the project director who let this shit slip through the cracks. Then I’m going to get the tests scheduled.”
“You’re wasting time.”
“Maybe, but we will be thorough. You’re leaving for Australia in a few days, so let me handle it.”
“I don’t like being countermanded. You should have come to me first, not the girl you screwed.”
He had to get this conversation back to what mattered, the timing and the sale, before he flattened the old man. “If I’d done that, you’d have found a way to get around me. This is too important.”
“Because the girl you’re sleeping with says so.”
Josh straightened and tried not to tip his hand. If his father sensed even a little weakness, he’d use that to his advantage. No matter how bad he wanted to kick the crap out of him, Josh had to walk away. “Have a good trip, Dad.”
He didn’t hesitate getting out of there. Once he got back into the hall and was a safe distance from the conference room, Josh leaned against the wall and exhaled.
Holy hell.
His heart was pounding and heat was ricocheting around his body. He’d gotten the better of his old man, for now, and his first thought after realizing he’d taken control of this project was that he wanted to see Caroline. He wanted to hold her and this need to protect her was overwhelming him. Jesus, he had to get his shit together.
It was crazy.
Completely crazy.
Chapter 8
Josh’s car arrived at the building housing Roberts and Michaels Engineers, Architects, and Planners. The firm was large, with offices all over the country, but even though it had international reach, it supposedly handled local projects really well.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t his experience. The more he researched the kinds of land assessments that were supposed to be done, the more he realized the firm was cutting corners. What he wanted to know was why. He knew his dad was pushing for quick completion of the site survey, so just like he’d planned, he waited to schedule the meeting until his father was out of the country and pretty much unreachable.
He hadn’t seen Caroline since she stormed out of her sister’s house last Sunday. He’d thought about calling or stopping over. Maybe checking out a restaurant in her neighborhood, hoping he’d see her.
It wouldn’t be hard to run into her, but one wrong move and he’d be on the receiving end of a restraining order and a sordid headline in the Post. He was totally out of his element. Unlike other women he’d taken out, Caroline stayed on his mind.
All the damn time.
His reaction to his father’s jabs the other day confirmed that there was nothing about their relationship that would fit into his normal pattern, and that had him more spooked than anything. Entering the elevator, he pressed the button for the twenty-ninth floor, and the first thing he wondered was if he would see her. If he could persuade her to go to lunch with him. That would be safe. Controlled.
Then he thought about touching her. Would he be able to touch her? The feel of her was embedded in his brain. He was addicted.
God, he was a fucking mess.
He didn’t even know who to talk to about it. His best friend was Caroline’s brother, Kevin, and he was flying into town in a couple of weeks. But Kevin would probably kill him, so talking to him was out. He couldn’t talk to Jason because he would tell Meg, and she would definitely kill him.
No, Josh was on his own with this. The elevator opened and he stepped into the reception area. It reflected the firm... old and venerable... Josh could see why his father would gravitate toward these people. The walls were covered floor to ceiling with dark wood, the furnishings were large and luxurious, and the woman at the desk looked pinched and formal. Great.
“May I help you?” Shit, she sounded pinched.
Maybe if he turned on the charm. He could be charming. “Good morning. Josh Campbell to see Mark Strickland.”
He flashed his best smile for good measure.
“I’ll see if he’s available.” She picked up a phone and then snarled at him. Josh wondered who the hell she was.
“We have an appointment,” he added.
Holding the black handset to her ear, she sniffed. “Yes, well, I’m checking.”
Checking? Fucking hell. There should be no checking. Campbell Holdings was paying them over six figures to run a site analysis. There was no checking.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Campbell. Please wait over there. He’s on a call with London.” She pointed to a heavy leather sofa, very much like the one in his parents’ library. It appeared the place was as pretentious as it was inefficient.
“I don’t have time to wait. Please tell me where I can find Caroline Rossi, if you don’t mind.”
“Mr. Stickland asked you to wait here.”
“Mr. Strickland should not be wasting my time.”
The woman finally had the good grace to look at least mildly chastised. “Miss Rossi’s cubicle is down that hallway. It’s one of the first ones you’ll see.”
Josh smiled and went in search of the girl who was probably going to rip him a new one, but he had to see her.
He followed the receptionist’s directions and after two turns he found himself facing a very nicely designed cubicle farm. And while he wouldn’t normally consider cubicles nice looking, this area was workable. Most of the front walls were low, so there was line of sight, and it looked like windows were built into the side walls. The colors were subdued and earthy. It wasn’t a bad workspace for what it was. He asked a woman who was passing where he’d find Caroline and she pointed him to the cubicle that was three away from where he was standing. She was at her desk, glasses on, hair pulled back tight, punching something into a computer. She was looking at the screen and jotting things down on a big legal pad. She looked brainy and intimidating and hot as hell.
He knocked on the low cubicle wall and she snapped out of her trance. “Josh!”
“Hey,” he said.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m supposed to have a meeting with Mark, but he was busy so that gave me an excuse to see you.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip and Josh tried to gauge if she looked happy. He thought she did. He hoped she did. “You had an appointment?”
“Yeah, he’s held up.” He wanted to say he was an asshole, but he didn’t know if everyone within earshot would appreciate his assessment, so he kept his opinion to himself.
Caroline’s brows knitted together and she shook her head. “When will he learn? If you make an appointment with a client, you keep it.”
He stepped into her space and Caroline tilted her face toward his. She was twisting her fingers uneasily and Josh wondered why she was nervous. He was the one who’d fucked up. Her eyes were liquid, like melted chocolate, and he hated that he’d betrayed her trust and wanted more than anything to fix it. The silence stretched out and it crossed over into awkward. He didn’t say anything, but watched as she turned toward her desk. The opening and closing of the drawer caught his attention, and Josh didn’t know what to say when he saw Caroline stand with her gigantic purse. Yeah, this wasn’t going well. Was she making a run for it? Maybe she was going to hit him with the bag.
“Going somewhere?” That was smooth.
Not
.
“I usually go to lunch around now.”
He glanced at his watch. He’d have to remember that bit of intel. “Oh, okay.”
“Want to join me?” she asked. And just like that, Caroline had made things better.
He saw the corner of her mouth tease up. Damn, she looked good enough to eat, and it looked like he might be forgiven. “That should teach Mark.”
Caroline smiled and nodded. “It’s going to make him crazy,” she said.
“I’m counting on it. He’s trying to get the upper hand. I’m not giving it to him,” he responded. “So what are you up for?”
Caroline smiled up at him and shrugged. “Whatever you want.”
Josh raised an eyebrow and thought about that response. What he wanted was to find a bed and make her scream his name, but he’d settle for being able to look at that million-dollar smile of hers. Caroline must have read his mind, because her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. Yeah, it was time to think about lunch.
“Ah, sushi?”
“Bait?” she asked with a look of shock and disgust.
“I guess not. I though women always wanted sushi. Or a salad.”
“Do I look like I should be living on salad? Or bait?”
She looked perfect. He didn’t care what she ate as long as she was happy. “No.”
She smiled. “Good. How about a burger?”
He rested his hand on her back, between her shoulders, and kissed the top of her head, drawing glances from a number of people in the office. When they walked out, he figured they’d give Pinchface something to really snarl about. “I knew there was a reason I liked you, Rossi. Burger it is.”
***
Caroline didn’t think she ever wanted to see Josh again. Until today, when he showed up at her office and stood close enough for her to catch his scent, feel his warmth. When he smiled his eyes crinkled at the corners, and Caroline could swear her toes curled. He was so much more than she ever expected, and her reaction to him was downright scary.
They left the building and as soon as they were on the sidewalk, and had walked a little, Josh stopped and took her hand. “I’m sorry about everything that happened at Meg and Jason’s. You trusted me with something personal and I had no right to blurt it out the way I did.”
“It’s okay. You had a point, about my writing, and I appreciate the way you took my side. I don’t usually have an ally.”
“I shouldn’t have told them, though. Your writing is yours and that was out of line.”
She wasn’t going to disagree with him, and he squeezed her hand to emphasize that he meant what he said.
“So, we’re good?” he asked.
Caroline chuckled and nodded. “Let’s go. I’m hungry.”
The street was crowded, which was not unusual for this time of day. People were out and about doing what Caroline would normally be doing—grabbing something at a nearby deli to eat at her desk. It was a bad habit, and she was glad Josh had come by and gotten her out of the office.
He draped his arm around her shoulder. It was casual, friendly—and he did it without hesitation. The familiarity, the closeness, were part of them now. He’d touched her in places no one else had and it had changed things. “I was such a horse’s ass over the weekend.”
“It’s over,” she said. “Just forget it.”
“I’ve been thinking about your suggestion.”
“What suggestion?’
“The friends-with-benefits thing.”
“Oh.” Caroline died a little inside. “That.”
“It’s probably not a good idea,” he said. “I mean, we both know that.”
Why was he doing this? He didn’t have to bring it up. It’s not like she was going to mention it. Good grief, if it was never brought up again, she’d be thankful. “I understand,” she said. “It was a bad idea. I’m embarrassed I said it.”
“Don’t be embarrassed. I like hanging out with you,” he said. “And it was good in bed. Very good.”
Whoa. What? Were angels singing? She thought she heard angels. He liked being with her in bed? She could hold on to that
. Like forever.
“Yes, it was.” There was no way in hell she could tell him what she really thought. No way she could let him know how much he affected her. How she hadn’t been able to think about anything else. “But I don’t know what you’re driving at.”
“I like you and I guess I thought we could leave the possibility open. See what happens.”
It seemed that every nerve ending fired up at the thought of being with him again.
Stay cool, Caroline. Control yourself.
“Leave it open? What changed your mind?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure, exactly. I felt shitty when you left the other day. Like I’d let you down. You deserved better from me. Even if it is just friends with benefits, you deserve better.”
Caroline was stunned and she knew she should say something, but she couldn’t.
“I mean,” he said, “if that’s what you still want.” They stopped outside a restaurant known for great burgers and faced each other.
“I’d like to be friends,” she said. His response was immediate. As soon as she answered, Josh’s face broke into a huge grin and Caroline almost collapsed at the sight of how handsome it made him look. “I’ll advise you on the project if you need me.” Her heart squeezed a bit, and she remembered how ridiculous her original proposition was. “Obviously, sleeping together doesn’t have to be attached to that.” Giving him an escape hatch was a good idea. This would hurt less if she lowered her expectations. But was he saying they could also have something more? It was nice to have a new friend, of course, especially since she didn’t know when this new relationship with her sister might head south, but still.
“Keeping the work and play separate is a generally a good idea. So let’s just see where this goes, okay?”
“I hope I’m not too boring for you,” she added.
He laughed, full and deep, and then leaned in to kiss her. It was soft, sexy, and she melted. His kisses were perfect. Just perfect. “Sweetie, not a chance of that happening. You are a lot of things, but boring isn’t one of them. I don’t think you’d know how to be.”
“Oh, okay.” How could he think that? How could someone like Josh, who was used to beautiful, refined women, think that about her? If she broke into a happy dance, would he be scared off?
“Don’t look so surprised.” He shook his head. “We really need to work on that confidence issue of yours.”
***
Caroline was still wrapping her head around the Josh she was getting to know as opposed to the Josh she’d had in her head all these years. On one hand he talked about possibilities and keeping their options open, and on the other, he still treated her like she was just a friend. The situation was making her head spin and her initial excitement was waning because his old life kept intruding on their lunch.
She picked at her french fries, distracted by her daydreams. A necessity, since Josh was holding court. The meal had been interrupted by his fan club. Their table was visited by women who had everything going for them. Looks, brains, and beauty, and not one of them even acknowledged Caroline’s existence. Josh barely had the opportunity to introduce her because she was boxed out. The conversations ranged from mutual acquaintances to events they’d gone to, or restaurants or clubs that were new and hot. For a moment, Caroline felt like the geek she was, wondered where she stood—but then forced herself to remember that he’d come for her. She didn’t chase after him; he came for her.
Caroline nibbled at her burger and tried not to stare at the latest gorgeous portfolio manager who’d stopped by. Lunch wouldn’t last forever. Next time she wanted to have a meal without the disruptions; they’d have to stay in or go to cheap dives because lunch with Josh was like hanging out with a rock star. When the latest woman left, Caroline leaned back in the chair and examined Josh, who took a healthy bite of his, at best, lukewarm burger. Then he caught her eyes and smiled, and Caroline was his all over again. Her heart hammered and her girly parts sang and she realized that he couldn’t help it. And all the women? It was no wonder the women hovered; the man was prime breeding stock. He would make beautiful babies.
You could have his babies
, her ovaries screamed. No questions asked.
Josh took a sip of iced tea and then ran his finger up and down the glass, leaving a track in the condensation. All she could think about was his wet finger. She had vivid memories of those talented fingers. “You’re angry,” he said.