chapter Nine
The dinner wrapped up fairly quickly after the disaster in the kitchen. Shelly had barely glanced at Mason or Josh the whole way through dessert, and once that was gone, she stood, grabbed Roger’s arm, and pulled him out the door. Lena had watched her carefully but kept quiet, and Shelly had to wonder just how long it would take Mason to share his juicy gossip.
As Roger walked her to the lobby door of her condo, she was so preoccupied with thoughts about Josh and how she’d been looking forward to finally getting into bed with him. Now that the opportunity was gone, she totally missed the cue that Roger McKinney was leaning in for a good night kiss.
Completely blindsided, Shelly froze and clamped her mouth shut. Feeling her tension, Roger stepped back, giving her a regretful look.
“This,” he said, motioning between them, “isn’t going to happen, is it?”
Shelly sighed and shook her head with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Roger.”
He smiled at her and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Nah, don’t be. It’s okay.” He paused and then asked, “You and Bob the Builder—there something going on there?”
“No!” she answered a little too quickly for her own good.
Roger nodded, reaching out to stroke a hand down her cheek, “Well, maybe there should be.”
Shelly felt her mouth open, and then shut without saying anything.
What can I say?
She didn’t want to date a man that was unreliable, especially in this economy. Been there, done that. “Not going to happen.”
“Hmm. Well, I’m going to leave you to it.”
She watched as he started to walk down the path back to his car.
Then, he stopped and turned to her. “Shelly?”
She looked at him and smiled. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for taking me tonight. I had a good time.”
Giving him a genuine smile, Shelly nodded, wishing there was something there.
“You’re welcome, Roger. Drive safe.”
He waved, walking back to his car. “Sure will. Have a good night!”
***
Josh just walked through the door to an excited ninety-pound Mutley, who was currently jumping up on his hind legs and placing his huge paws on Josh’s chest. Reaching up to scratch his dog’s head, he smiled as Mutley ran a huge tongue up his cheek.
“Hey, boy. How you doing?”
Mutley’s tail wagged as his mouth fell open, letting the same wet tongue loll there as though he was grinning. Pushing him down, Josh watched the dog circle him, and then he made his way through the hall down to the kitchen.
“Want some dinner, buddy?”
Sitting by his bowl patiently, Mutley looked at him as if to say, Well, yeah, genius.
Moving to the pantry, Josh pulled out the dog food and went over to grab Mutley’s bowl.
He was still thinking about the evening and Shelly’s quick departure after the scene in the kitchen.
He didn’t understand why she was so upset about Mason knowing they were involved. No, not involved. That implied they knew one another, which they certainly didn’t. Fooling around—those were the words he was looking for.
For some reason, she wanted to give off the impression that she was interested in men who were, as far as Josh could tell, so boring they could put her to sleep.
Why? That’s what he wanted to know. What did she mean she didn’t want to get involved with someone like me because she’d get too distracted?
The woman baffled him. She was such a firecracker, yet she wanted to settle down with someone like Paul the Bore or Dr. Douche Bag.
After feeding Mutley, Josh walked over to the sliding door, leading to his back porch. Opening it, he walked outside and looked up at the stars. It was so beautifully clear tonight. It was a perfect evening to take a walk with a hot woman. However, the woman he wanted to walk with had instead walked out the door tonight with another man.
He was such an idiot to still be thinking about her. That’s it, he thought as he pulled out his cell, intending to delete Barbie the Man-Eater from his phone and life. But, when he got to her number, he found himself dialing it instead.
***
Shelly’s phone buzzed right as she climbed into bed. Looking at the cell, she leaned over and saw DD displayed on the front. Picking it up, she shook her head, telling herself she shouldn’t. Like that ever worked.
She answered and put it to her ear. “What do you want, Josh? I told you tonight. The deal is done.”
“Well, hello to you, too, Shel.”
Closing her eyes, Shelly slid down, laying her head on the pillow, and allowed herself a minute to fantasize that the deep sexy voice on the other end of the phone was instead coming from beside her on the bed and not through the earpiece.
“I want to keep the deal,” the voice told her.
Shaking her head and keeping her eyes closed, Shelly relaxed. “You broke it. The deal was sex, no strings, and definitely no Mason. You broke all three rules.”
She heard him sigh, and if she had to guess, she figured he was running his hand through his hair.
“I want a new deal.”
Laughing, Shelly asked, “A new deal? Just like that? What else can there be, Josh? I told you that I don’t want to get involved.”
“With me,” he interrupted.
“Huh?” Shelly asked, confused.
“You don’t want to get involved with me. You’re quite happy to parade around a string of completely wrong choices, yet you won’t even give me a five-minute date.”
He paused, and Shelly knew what would be the next word out of his mouth.
“Why?”
Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. She started to count the little boxes that were painted in checkered black and white across it, which she loved.
“Because you’re not my type.”
“Excuse me if I don’t believe you. You fall apart all over me.”
Letting out a frustrated sound, she replied, “Not sexually. It’s pretty obvious that part works. It’s everything else.”
There was a pause, and then he asked, “Like what? I’m not in the health industry? Because that’s ridiculous.”
“No! Geez, Josh, why do you care? You told Mason you didn’t even want to date me. I believe ‘hell no’ was the answer he said you gave him.” Moving to sit up, Shelly leaned back against her pink headboard. “Look, I just think it would be better to forget all of this. Nothing really happened—”
“I beg to disagree. Something most definitely happened. You’re just being stubborn. Give me a new deal.”
He paused, and Shelly heard a bark in the background.
“Do you have a dog?”
“Huh?”
“A dog? I heard a bark. I asked if you own a dog.”
“Yeah. His name’s Mutley. Stop changing the subject.”
“I’m not a fan of dogs. They’re too slobbery.”
Shelly could almost hear his eyes roll.
“Of course, you’re not. Are you always so perfectly put together?”
Feeling a grin on her mouth, she lowered her voice. “Do you always look like you just got out of a woman’s bed?”
The phone went quiet, and the silence was so thick that it was hard to hear his words as they slid through the phone and into her ear.
“Is that how I look?”
Groaning softly, Shelly let her eyes close, thinking about how sexy Josh Daniels was. Everything about him appealed to her, and right now, she wished he was in her bed on top of her.
A new deal? Do I really want to do this?
“Shelly?” he asked in a voice that was designed to seduce.
“Yes, that’s how you look. You always look like you just rolled out of some woman’s bed—as if her hands tunneled through your long hair, hanging on for dear life.” She paused, and then tacked on the end, “And, to answer your question, no, I’m not always perfectly put together. I’m not right now.”
***
Josh knew there had never been a better opening for phone sex—ever.
That, however, was not what he wanted.
Knowing exactly what he wanted, he said, “A new deal, Shel. Stop trying to distract me. Give me one.”
He moved to sit in the reclining chaise lounge he had on his deck, waiting patiently for her answer. Mutley had laid down beside him, resting his big head on his paws as he watched him with a raised eyebrow. He swore his dog understood everything he was saying.
“Okay, I have one,” she announced.
Josh had to remind his cock it was not coming out to play tonight.
“I’m waiting,” he told her.
He heard her take a breath as though she was unsure, and then she asked, “What are you doing next weekend?”
Josh hadn’t seen that question coming. He thought about the barbecue he was supposed to have with his brother, and then shrugged. It isn’t like I have to go to that.
“Nothing. Why?”
There was complete silence.
Then, as though she’d change her mind if she didn’t get it out, she asked quickly, “Want to go on a road trip? Can you ask your boss for some time off? I was thinking I could leave Friday morning and make it home by Monday night.”
“Hey, Doc?” Josh interrupted.
“Yeah?”
“Where are we going?”
There was another stretch of silence, and then, “You’ll come with me?”
Josh chuckled, wondering what the hell he was doing. But, deep down, he knew. He was getting involved. He was just hoping she’d take it easy on him.
“I’d like to say I already have.” He heard her take a deep breath. “But that’s a different conversation. Yes, I’ll come. Are you going to tell me where?”
Josh looked down at Mutley, who had raised his head with his ears perked.
Yep, you’re coming, too, bud. Josh thought with a grin, knowing Shelly would freak out.
***
Shelly was biting her lip, gripping the cell phone tight.
What the hell am I thinking, inviting him home with me?
In all honesty, she knew her plan was genius. Her father would have a fit when she walked through the door with Josh, but on the other hand, she found the idea of having him with her more and more appealing for other reasons.
“Savannah, Georgia.”
“As in your hometown?” he asked quietly.
Shelly thought about what she was doing for one second more before she blurted, “Yeah. My mom wants me to come home, and I told her I’d come this weekend.” She paused, having a rare moment of nerves.
“You want me to meet your parents, but you didn’t want Mason and Lena to know about us?” he asked. “I don’t get it, Doc.”
She didn’t get it either. All she could come up with was she didn’t want to disappoint or hurt Mason and Lena.
Whereas, her father was already disappointed. And her mother? Well, she pretty much thought as he did. So, what the hell?
“Look, Josh, you’re either in or out. My new deal is you come home with me for four days—”
“In what capacity?”
“What? Man, what is it with you interrupting me?” Shelly chuckled, feigning exasperation.
“Well, I’m trying to nail down the facts because last time we made a deal you blindsided me by using all that sex magic you have.”
Shelly couldn’t help it then. She burst out laughing. “Sex magic?”
“Yeah. You get around me, and I lose my mind. So, you must be casting spells.”
“No secret spells here, Mr. Daniels.” She paused, and then stated, “I want you to come home with me as my friend. However, when we’re alone together, I don’t see why we can’t have added benefits.”
“Such as?”
“You know what I mean, Josh.”
“I know, but I love it when you talk dirty.”
Closing her eyes, she had to bite back a moan. Then, she told him what he wanted to hear. “Benefits such as hot, sweaty, back-scratching sex.”
“Hmm. We haven’t done that yet,” he pointed out in a voice smooth as whiskey.
“No, we haven’t,” she managed through clenched teeth.
“But we will. Won’t we, Shel?”
She took a deep breath and stated plainly, “I really hope so.”
There was another quiet moment, and then he asked in a most scandalized tone, “In your parents’ house?”
Laughing, she replied in the most Southern accent she could dig up, “Oh, you naughty man, Joshu-ah Daniels. Well, I did always want to be ravished in my old bedroom. Think you could manage that, big boy?”
“You keep talking like that Man-Eater, and you can count on it.”
“What did you just call me?” she asked, still chuckling.
“Man-Eater. Damn, you’re sexy as hell. You know that, right?”
Choosing to ignore him, she asked, “Will your boss give you the time off?”
***
Josh was about to explain that he was the boss. Then, it occurred to him that she thought he was a construction crew worker.
Ha, imagine that.
In all fairness, he was a construction worker. He just happened to also own Creative Construction and Remolding Co., but he wasn’t going to let her in on that just yet.
It was nice actually—not to be looked at as though he was just a bank and would always foot the bill. Melissa had treated him like that, but he wanted Shelly to be with him just for him.
“Sure, he will. It’s this weekend, so that should be enough time for me to finish my work for the week.” He paused, and then asked, “How long does it take to get there?”
“Usually, I fly, but this year, I felt like a road trip. I looked it up, and it said eleven-and-a-half hours.”
Josh nodded, reaching down to pat Mutley on the head. “Okay, so you want to leave early Friday morning then?”
She let out a breathy sigh and answered quietly, “Uh, yes. I was thinking early—around 4:00 a.m.”
“Damn, Doc, that is early.”
“It’s a long trip.”
“It sure is.” He paused. “Are there any rules to this deal I should know about?”
There was silence, and then he heard a whisper so quiet he almost missed it.
“Don’t make me want to keep you.”
Josh felt a huge grin spread across his face. “Well then, don’t make me want to be kept.”
He was about to wish her a good night.
Then, she asked, “Josh?”
“Yeah, Shelly?”
“I’m breaking all my rules for you.”
“Are you? How’s that working so far?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll let you know.”
He closed his eyes, imagining her beautiful blue ones. “Get some sleep, Man-Eater.”
He swore he could see her smile when she answered in a breathy voice.
“Will do, Delicious Daniels.”
Before he could comment on that nickname, she’d hung up.