“Yep. I need to see what all the fuss is about with these so-called book boyfriends you have. You never know, I might find myself a book girlfriend if I’m lucky.” He winked and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Oh my god, he was hilarious. I burst out laughing and, before I could stop myself, I clicked onto the next chapter and we fell into silence. Josh grabbed his bowl of spaghetti from the coffee table and ate while we read.
After he finished, he took his empty bowl and left the living room. I locked my kindle and placed it on the coffee table, before shifting on the couch until I had a good view of the kitchen. I watched as he put the leftover spaghetti in containers, packed the dishwasher, and made me a hot chocolate in my favorite mug. His eyes flashed to mine, and he offered me a divinely sweet smile as he held up the packet of marshmallows in silent question. All I could do was nod and watch him pop three into the mug. This Josh Crawford—the sweet, considerate, hot-chocolate making, kindle-reading guy—was extremely dangerous to my plans of putting a halt to my ever-growing feelings for him.
Right at this second, he could have asked me to do absolutely anything, and I would have.
The light from the kitchen disappeared, and the only light filling the apartment was coming from the lamp in the far corner of the living room. Josh returned to the couch and pulled me against his chest. The warmth his body provided had an instant effect on me. I curled into him, and got lost in the scent that was all Josh: musk and sandalwood, with a hint of vanilla.
“Can we stay awake all night?” I whispered against the fabric of his shirt.
“I don’t plan on leaving, so we can do whatever you want,” he said softly while his breath caressed my cheek.
My mind was a crazy mass of emotions. I couldn’t stop thinking about Lachlan being in my apartment. Was this the first time he’d snuck in, or was it something he did regularly? Shit, had he sat on this couch? When did he become so damn creepy?
A shiver ran down my spine, and instinctively I tightened my arm around Josh’s waist. The warmth of his body and the rhythm of his heartbeat below my cheek was exactly what I needed, and the thought of losing it was something I couldn’t comprehend.
“What’s going through that head of yours?” he asked quietly.
The screaming of my head to stay away from Josh had been silenced, because it was him that was here, and it was his arms that were comforting me. My body was a traitorous whore when it came to Josh Crawford—a whore who wanted to deliver herself to him on a platter and say take me however and whenever you want. My heart, however, felt like it was wearing a chastity belt with the key thrown away, never to be found. But right now, in the dim lights of my living room, I wished I had a map to find the key, because I’d be handing it to Josh and telling him to keep it forever.
I took a deep breath and divulged my tormented thoughts. “He was in here, Josh. He came into my safe place, and that freaks me out. All I can think about was that this might not have been the first time. When did he become this person? Was he always like this and I just had no clue, or was I that oblivious with the thought of having a boyfriend that I didn’t see his true colors? I’ll be okay, though. I have new locks, thanks to you. You are just down the hall, and I’m going to call Austin and chat with him about it to see what he says.”
His face was impassive, as his eyes ran over my features. With light fingertips, Josh tucked a loose piece of my hair behind my ear and traced my jaw with his thumb. The slightest of movements set my heart a flutter.
“I think calling Austin would be a great idea. As for tonight, I’m going to stay here. We will stay up all night, or we can sleep. Whatever you like. I know you won’t want to hear this, but I am going to find Lachlan and tell him to fuck off. He doesn’t get away with this shit.”
No! No! No! Not again.
“Josh, pl—”
“Ashlyn, this isn’t up for discussion. He fucked with something that is important to me, and I will not tolerate that, especially when it comes to you. He put fear in your eyes, and that pisses me off. I am barely containing how fucking angry I am, because you don’t need to witness that, but I will be having words with him.”
“Okay, Tarzan,” I whispered, deciding that there was no point in arguing with him. He had his mind set, and I was quickly learning that when Josh decided on something, nothing or no one had the ability to change his mind.
Eight hours later, I woke to the sound of thunder and the feeling of comforting warmth against my back. With heavy eyes, I looked around the space and found my bedroom. I had no recollection of coming to bed. When my senses shot to life, I felt a pressure over my stomach. My hand was resting over Josh’s arm, which lay over my stomach. His fingertips had crept up the bottom of my tank top and caressed my skin. We were officially spooning, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling at that thought.
Josh’s arm tightened around my waist and pulled me closer to his body, and I gasped as his morning erection dug into my ass.
“Morning, Ashy,” he mumbled against the back of my head, his voice thick with sleep. “Fuck, you are the best spooning partner.”
“I have no clue how I got to bed,” I whispered, trying desperately to ignore his cock, which was making itself very well-known, and my needy heat.
“I carried you.”
“What?” I shrieked, and attempted to roll to my back, but my efforts were halted. My concentration was entirely on his fingers that were now tracing the top of my panties. Holy shit, did he undress me? “Why am I only wearing my panties?”
“You passed out on the couch just after midnight, so I brought you to bed. I took off your sweat pants, and then we went to sleep. I didn’t touch you, if that’s what you are wondering.”
“I wasn’t thinking you did.”
“That doesn’t mean I didn’t want too, though.”
My eyes fluttered shut as his fingers traced over my now highly-alert skin. My breathing changed from calm to completely ragged. All he was doing sweeping my stomach with soft strokes, and I was on the brink of panting. His effect on me was out of this world, and I was like his unsuspecting prey.
“So these rules you have stipulated . . . you said no sex?” he asked, and his breath danced over my ear as he spoke.
“Hmm.”
“What about touching? Kissing? Are they included in your silly rules?”
“They aren’t sil—” My ability to put two words together disappeared, and my need to remind him why I came up with the rules to begin with was nowhere to be found. That’s what his tongue hitting the skin near my ear did. It caused me to lose all sense of reason. Having Josh in my bed and it being so intimate did something to my body that I couldn’t explain. I wanted more of this. Waking up beside him was irresistible. Having his hands on my body and his lips devouring me was exceptionally delightful.
I twisted in his arms until we were almost chest to chest. His hand moved to rest just near my ass.
“I can’t stop thinking about the other night,” he whispered heatedly. His eyes were like pools of chocolate delight gazing longingly back at me, and I felt myself slipping under at a fast rate. “I’m trying really fucking hard to behave, but you make it incredibly hard, Ashy.”
“Are you calling me a tease, Joshua Crawford?” I asked softly, knowing full well that I was encouraging him.
Josh’s eyes darkened, and he bit that perfect bottom lip. I knew that look. I had witnessed it just a few nights ago, and I knew what it meant and where it would lead if I didn’t get control of it.
“It would be so easy for me to push your panties aside and slide into your pussy.”
Please do. Forget the rules. Fuck the rules. Shut up, Ashlyn. Keep your god damn legs closed.
The battle between my brain and my body had officially begun.
“And you call me impossible,” I said with a short laugh. My eyes found his mouth, and all I wanted to do was lean in and nibble on his bottom lip.