“Baby, I’ve always had moves or have you forgotten?” Josh teased, shifting the conversation into a more intimate footing.
The color that rushed into her face was enough for him to know his comment had found its mark. She’d been doing her best to ignore him and their past, but he wasn’t about to allow it.
“Are you ready to show me what you’ve got, American boy?” Lux asked throwing the gauntlet back at him.
“Lead the way, Peaches.”
Josh watched as her nostrils flared at the use of his old endearment for her. He wanted her to remember their every intimacy, and his pet name for her was only the beginning of the onslaught he intended to unleash. He was going to break her down, and the directness of his gaze, he hoped, left her in no doubt of his intent.
Tossing the now empty water bottle into the trash; Lux made ready to climb down from the float. Josh beat her to it. Bracing his hands against the railing, he vaulted from the moving vehicle. Keeping pace with it, he held up his hands in a blatant invitation that she should trust him to see her safely to the ground.
She hesitated as he knew she would. Without warning she too vaulted over the barrier and landed in his upstretched arms. Tossing her once, he settled her onto the ground. With a smile, he indicated that she lead the way.
Without comment, Lux looked at him from the corner of her eyes as she moved towards the front of the procession. To his consternation she didn’t just walk, she began a series of fast hip swaying moves that nearly caused him to bite his tongue. So rapt was his attention on the way her body moved, he forgot he should be following her.
When Lux was back at the head of the procession, two men from the crowd joined her. As far as Josh was concerned they both acted as though they wanted him to break their arms.
The rumble that came from deep within him couldn’t be heard over the sound of the music as he moved forwards. Not giving his actions a second thought, he caught an arm of each man and twisted them into an unnatural position. Everything within him told him to keep the motion going until their arms snapped, but good sense stopped him short of doing any real damage.
That Lux paid little attention to the men and their actions angered Josh even more. Giving them an almighty push he shoved them back into the milling crowd. For a moment, his anger at the drunken men’s actions was focused towards Lux. That she hadn’t noticed anything untoward made him realize he’d acted out of jealousy rather than her being in any real danger.
Coming to stand beside her, he looked down at the woman who was never far from his thoughts. The smile she gave him, told Josh she was enjoying herself, and it immediately dispelled all thoughts of picking her up and removing her from the wandering hands and eyes of so many men.
Within moments, Lux the consummate professional was soon a few steps in front of him, and this time he managed to keep his wits about him as he drew abreast with her. Her sideward glance told him that she was waiting for him to loosen up and get into the carnival spirit. His sunglasses covered his eyes, and with a smile that showed his dimples, he did exactly that.
Hanging back, Josh looked out at the number of people crowded into the park. Now that evening had fallen the party that was carnival had yet to abate. Standing alongside the stage, he watched as Lux and her troupe put on their dance routine as they passed. Passing was the Trinidadian terms for performing on the stage in what was the final phase of judging who was the best troupe of carnival. This competition always took place on the last day of the activities.
It was a spectacular, the likes of which he’d never seen before. If he were forced to describe what was laid out before him, Josh knew he would be hard pressed to find the superlatives to do it justice.
Every color of the spectrum was on display. Costumes and headdresses more resplendent and grander than the one that proceeded it swayed as they passed before the judges. There was something about the smell and atmosphere of the Caribbean that one had to experience to describe.
While the performances were a spectacle; they also put him on edge. As she danced, Lux was too exposed. Josh knew Sam was nobody’s fool and had worked hard to keep her existence a secret. That her brother asked him to come to her spoke volumes.
Until recently his senses detected nothing to cause him concern. That feeling was now changing by the minute. Everything within him was tight, screaming that he pull her off the stage and leave.
His eyes darted around in an impossible attempt to determine from which direction the threat would come; because he knew it was on its way. The minutes ticked by and Josh felt the release of his too tense muscles as Lux and her dancers finally made their way off the stage.