“With pleasure, Peaches. You already know how much I love your ass.”
Rolling her eyes, Lux didn’t stop. She wasn’t touching that comment with a barge-pole or the conversation would spiral out of control.
“You’re right, of course, Peaches. Dinner first, dessert later.”
The fast food was everything she remembered and then some. Of course, he was right, she’d had her fair share of burgers in Trinidad, but they in no way compared to the ones in the United States.
Replete, Lux reclined in her seat as Josh drove them back to the house. At some point, it had started to rain. For some reason, her eyes latched on to the back and forth movement of the windshield wipers and she soon became lost in thought.
The first time she realized something was amiss was when Josh pulled the car to a stop at the side of the road.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think we’ve got a flat,” Josh replied cutting the engine and reaching over to open the door. Muttering something or other about flats and where he wanted to shove them. Still speaking to himself he ducked out into the downpour.
From what she could see, the rain was coming down in torrents that almost fell diagonally due to the force of the howling wind.
“Can I help?”
“Just stay put, I’ve got this,” he assured, slamming the door closed.
Lux wanted to get out and help but knew she would probably be more of a hindrance than any real help. She could hardly see him as she peered out the window. As he went through the motions of changing the tire all she could do was wait; feeling a little guilty as it was her suggestion they go out to eat.
Soon, the door reopened and Josh folded himself into the driver’s seat. Hair plastered to his head, rain water literally dripped from the end of his nose. Pulling her scarf from around her neck, Lux reached over and placed it across his shoulders. With infinite care, she set about first wiping his face dry and then rubbing the wool across his hair.
Josh allowed her to administer to him. Lux was so engrossed in her task she didn’t realize how still he’d become. When she finally looked at him, his face showed so much passion it stunned her. Licking her suddenly dry lips, she left the wet scarf where it was and shuffled back into her own seat.
The man was dangerous. How someone of his size managed to be so cute she had no idea. Yes, he was huge, strong, handsome and so many other adjectives. But to her, he was one of the cutest men she’d ever come across. It probably had something to do with the way he looked after her. Or maybe it was just the way he always appeared to relish her touch. He was like a big cat that loved to be stroked and petted. Whatever it was, in her book it equated to cute and it never failed to pull at her heart.
“There, that’s better.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t even give it another thought. I would have done the same thing for anyone; even a complete stranger that I’d never met before.” If she had the room, Lux would have put her foot in her mouth to shut herself up.
Josh didn’t respond to her ramblings. The look in his eyes intensified and that’s when Lux knew she was in big trouble. It was also at this point, her mind devoid of rational thought began to analyze the emotion that was slowly making itself know. It was a feeling of contentment. With awareness of the direction of her thoughts, she stiffened.
“Are you okay, Lux?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t I be, I mean why would you ask me that?”
“Relax,” Josh said with a frown. “It’s just that one minute you seemed so at ease and the next you’re as stiff as a board.”
“Well, I’m fine,” she snapped. “If I were you, I’d concentrate less on me, and more on getting us back to the house in one piece!”
“What were you thinking?” He persisted.
Lux said the first thing that sprang into her mind. “If you must know, I was thinking it was time we had a conversation about a divorce.”
“I see,” was his noncommittal response.
Lux pressed on with an almost desperate need to elicit an emotional reaction. “I’m sure you agree it’s more than time we started proceedings.”
“I’m not about to have this conversation with you right now,” Josh said as he started and pulled the car back onto the road.
“If not now, when?”
“After seven years, I think we can at least wait until we get back to the house.”
The inflection in his voice remained the same, but peering through the darkness of the moving vehicle, Lux saw that his hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.
“Josh–”
“Not now, Lux!”
Wanting to protest but knowing when she’d pushed far enough, she said no more. She hadn’t meant to say those words, but her feelings frightened her. In his company again for only a short time, already it felt as though their years apart never happened.