Jake spared her a brief glance as he extended his arm to indicate the direction Sam should take. For some reason as Sam walked away, Lux was reluctant to take her eyes off him until he disappeared from sight. A coldness settled over her and try as she might, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this might be the last time she saw her brother.
Lux turned back to the room, and let out a yelp of surprise that Josh was standing directly behind her. If she was any judge of his expression, he was majorly pissed. Why, she had no idea. After all, he was the one who invited Sam without telling her, so what did he expect her reaction would be.
Recognizing trouble was brewing, Lux went on the offensive. Taking a couple of steps back, she looked him up and down. “I’ve told you before, stop sneaking up on me; you know I don’t like it!” Mentally crossing her fingers, she executed the perfect turn ready to flounce off.
Being yanked back inside the library and the slam of the door didn’t surprise her. Her bravado had been a last ditched attempt at leaving without having to explain why she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
“Didn’t I tell you to keep quiet?” Josh asked as he spun her around to face him.
Sucking her teeth at his manhandling of her, Lux tossed her braids over her shoulder and shrugged his hand off her arm. Then she popped her hip, folded her arms and looked him up and down. She knew she had to play this out with an attitude because she’d get nowhere by backing down when he was in Kingdom mode.
“If you want to kiss my brother’s ass, good luck to you. Know now that I’m not going to join you, so deal with it,” Lux threw out having said her piece. The old Josh would have let her go if he thought she was vexed with him. The new Josh it seemed had other ideas.
Grabbing her arm, the new Josh was none too gentle as he pulled her into his chest. Lux was pissed at him, but she couldn’t help thinking it was an extremely nice chest.
That was the understatement of the year. It was a magnificent chest. It was also probably the best chest she’d ever encountered. In all honesty, it was the only chest she’d ever been interested in. And living on a tropical island for the last seven years, she’d seen a lot of naked chests.
“When I tell you something this important, I want you to do as I say,” Josh spoke through tight lips. “I want you to obey me without argument or comment, do I make myself clear?”
His chest forgotten, her mouth hung open in astonishment at what he’d just said. Who the hell did he think he was? The idea that she should carry out his wishes without comment or thought was ridiculous.
As a young girl, she’d witnessed her mother deferring to her father and then her brother. Although she loved her mother, she refused to be that type of woman. The kind of woman who thought because a man had a dick he could dictate her every move.
“You don’t get to tell me what to say and how to behave, Joshua Kingdom. No man does. I’m not an extension of you. I have my own mind, thoughts and reactions. I will do as I think best!” Lux had no idea that with every word she spoke her voice increased in volume until she was shouting in his face.
When he finally replied, Josh did so with a quietness that took a few moments to register with her.
“I know you’re not an extension of me Luxie. I love your independence and that you know who and what you’re worth. All I want to do, all I have ever wanted to do was keep you safe.”
The sincerity of his words extinguished her anger. “I’m a grown woman and I don’t need you or anyone else to look after me!”
“Is that right?” Josh paused as he looked down at her. “So tell me, Lux, when was the last time you relinquished enough control so that you actually felt like the woman I used to hold in my arms all those years ago?”
At her silence, he released her, walked behind her and came to a stop. Running a hand along her braids, he gathered them up and placed them over one of her shoulders. Lux held her breath in anticipation of what he’d do next. When he plastered his body against her back, she released a sigh and ran her tongue over her lips. The feel of his warm breath against her bared neck sent shivers down her spine.
“Ahh, Luxie, I love the way you tremble when I’m near you.”
It was true, his closeness was all it took for her to react and forget her anger towards him.
“This feels so good, Luxie. You and I together again after all this time.” His words pulled up memories of how his big hands felt as they roamed her body. Resting her head against his chest, Lux closed her eyes and allowed the seduction of his voice to wash over her.