he had taken two hours off this afternoon for extracurricular activities, and now, it was coming back to bite him in the ass.
Standing in the building adjoining Exquisite, he listened carefully as she seemed to make her way through the restaurant. He couldn’t see her. But he could hear her talking, and occasionally, that sexy laugh of hers would echo through the air. Josh could swear he felt it stroke right down his arm, causing the hair at the back of his neck to stand up.
He was about to call it a day and leave without going next door when he heard a deeper voice fill the silent space. Moving closer to the connecting walls, Josh crept past the sawhorse and stood still as a statue.
“Dr. McKinney! It’s so good to see you again.” Josh heard his friend Mason say,
Listening carefully, Josh heard who he assumed was Dr. McKinney.
“Thanks, Mason. You, too. I was thrilled when Shelly told me we were coming here tonight.”
Now, that got Josh’s attention. Standing straight up and inching backward, he accidentally stepped into the wooden sawhorse, sending it falling over with a loud crash. Shit! Looking around for a quick exit, Josh made a beeline for the door. He almost made it.
“Josh?” He heard from behind him.
Shit, shit, shit! Turning slowly, he saw Lena standing in the makeshift door.
“Yep. Hi, Lena. Sorry about the noise. I was just leaving.”
Please leave it at that and let me leave, Josh thought as he inched his way toward the main door.
He did not want to spend the next two hours sitting at a dinner table across from a woman who had been on her knees in front of him several hours ago and who was now entertaining her rich, smart Dr. Date.
But no, luck was definitely not on his side because Mason chose that moment to stick his head through the door.
“Josh! Come eat with us, man!”
Josh groaned, seeing no other way out, and made his way over to his friends. Shit.
***
Shelly watched in horror as Josh Daniels stepped through the makeshift door where Lena and Mason were now standing. He was dressed as he had been earlier, but now, he had a tool belt— oh god —wrapped around those amazing hips.
Lena must have noticed it, too.
Let’s face it. Who wouldn’t look at his crotch when that damn belt was designed to display it?
“You were leaving with your tool belt on?” Lena pointed out with a small laugh.
Shelly noticed Josh’s eyes glance over to her quickly, and then they moved directly to Roger where they zeroed in with an assessing gaze before returning back to Lena.
“Ah, yeah. I was on my way out and was going to put it in the back of my truck.”
Mason clapped him on the shoulder. “What’d you do? Trip over in the dark?”
Josh glared at his friend, and then nodded slightly. “Shut the hell up.”
Laughing, Mason moved to go back into the kitchen. Shelly kept her eyes on Josh as he moved around Lena. He then started to unbuckle his tool belt as he and Lena both walked over to a table across the room.
Shelly felt Roger nudge her arm. Moving her eyes to his, he asked, “Who’s Bob the Builder?”
Shelly almost winced at Roger’s condescending question. Then, she thought to herself, Am I just like that?
Dismayed at herself and feeling almost protective of Josh for some inexplicable reason, she answered softly but firmly, “That’s Josh Daniels. He’s one of Mason’s longest friends and his Best Man. He’s renovating next door.”
“Ahh, I see,” Roger answered, nodding. “I’ve never really understood the need to build things. Don’t really have the patience for it.”
Or the muscle, popped into Shelly’s head.
She smiled and answered, “Yes, it seems like hard work.”
Turning in the direction Josh had gone, Shelly looked across to where Lena stood chatting with him. She found herself making excuses, moving away from Roger, and headed toward her friend and DD.
***
Did this woman ever look anything but perfectly put together? Josh thought as he saw
Standing in the building adjoining Exquisite, he listened carefully as she seemed to make her way through the restaurant. He couldn’t see her. But he could hear her talking, and occasionally, that sexy laugh of hers would echo through the air. Josh could swear he felt it stroke right down his arm, causing the hair at the back of his neck to stand up.
He was about to call it a day and leave without going next door when he heard a deeper voice fill the silent space. Moving closer to the connecting walls, Josh crept past the sawhorse and stood still as a statue.
“Dr. McKinney! It’s so good to see you again.” Josh heard his friend Mason say,
Listening carefully, Josh heard who he assumed was Dr. McKinney.
“Thanks, Mason. You, too. I was thrilled when Shelly told me we were coming here tonight.”
Now, that got Josh’s attention. Standing straight up and inching backward, he accidentally stepped into the wooden sawhorse, sending it falling over with a loud crash. Shit! Looking around for a quick exit, Josh made a beeline for the door. He almost made it.
“Josh?” He heard from behind him.
Shit, shit, shit! Turning slowly, he saw Lena standing in the makeshift door.
“Yep. Hi, Lena. Sorry about the noise. I was just leaving.”
Please leave it at that and let me leave, Josh thought as he inched his way toward the main door.
He did not want to spend the next two hours sitting at a dinner table across from a woman who had been on her knees in front of him several hours ago and who was now entertaining her rich, smart Dr. Date.
But no, luck was definitely not on his side because Mason chose that moment to stick his head through the door.
“Josh! Come eat with us, man!”
Josh groaned, seeing no other way out, and made his way over to his friends. Shit.
***
Shelly watched in horror as Josh Daniels stepped through the makeshift door where Lena and Mason were now standing. He was dressed as he had been earlier, but now, he had a tool belt— oh god —wrapped around those amazing hips.
Lena must have noticed it, too.
Let’s face it. Who wouldn’t look at his crotch when that damn belt was designed to display it?
“You were leaving with your tool belt on?” Lena pointed out with a small laugh.
Shelly noticed Josh’s eyes glance over to her quickly, and then they moved directly to Roger where they zeroed in with an assessing gaze before returning back to Lena.
“Ah, yeah. I was on my way out and was going to put it in the back of my truck.”
Mason clapped him on the shoulder. “What’d you do? Trip over in the dark?”
Josh glared at his friend, and then nodded slightly. “Shut the hell up.”
Laughing, Mason moved to go back into the kitchen. Shelly kept her eyes on Josh as he moved around Lena. He then started to unbuckle his tool belt as he and Lena both walked over to a table across the room.
Shelly felt Roger nudge her arm. Moving her eyes to his, he asked, “Who’s Bob the Builder?”
Shelly almost winced at Roger’s condescending question. Then, she thought to herself, Am I just like that?
Dismayed at herself and feeling almost protective of Josh for some inexplicable reason, she answered softly but firmly, “That’s Josh Daniels. He’s one of Mason’s longest friends and his Best Man. He’s renovating next door.”
“Ahh, I see,” Roger answered, nodding. “I’ve never really understood the need to build things. Don’t really have the patience for it.”
Or the muscle, popped into Shelly’s head.
She smiled and answered, “Yes, it seems like hard work.”
Turning in the direction Josh had gone, Shelly looked across to where Lena stood chatting with him. She found herself making excuses, moving away from Roger, and headed toward her friend and DD.
***
Did this woman ever look anything but perfectly put together? Josh thought as he saw
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