Goody Two Shoes (Invertary 2)

“Well do it somewhere else.”

“I also need to live. You’re ripping out all the comfort in the place.”

“I’m putting the character back in.”

“Character is a pain in the ass. I want to be able to relax.”

“Relax somewhere else.”

He studied her for a moment, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “You want me out of the castle, don’t you?”

Caroline thought about it. “No. I just want it to be perfect. You can stay there as long as you don’t interfere.”

With an amused smile, he shook his head. “There needs to be compromise in a marriage. Your husband needs to be able to work and relax.”

“My husband should have thought of that before he proposed to me.”

Josh threw back his head and laughed. The sound rumbled through her as a wave of vibrations, setting off sensations she wasn’t used to dealing with. Caroline stood and inched around the desk to get away from him.

She positioned herself beside the door to her office, and folded her arms. Josh took the hint and walked towards her. He stopped between her and the door, standing far too close for comfort.

“You need to stop jumping every time I come near you.” His words were a whisper against her hair.

Caroline’s head shot up to look at him. “I do not jump when you’re near.”

He quirked an eyebrow. Slowly, he reached out and ran his fingers gently down her upper arm. Caroline jerked away from him. Her whole body flushed with embarrassment. The man was right. She did jump when he touched her.

Josh took a step closer to her. “Close your eyes.” His voice was barely a whisper.

Caroline looked up at him and shook her head. What? Did he think she was crazy? She barely knew him.

“Trust me. The building is full of people. You’re safe here. Now close your eyes.”

Trembling, Caroline wrapped her arms tightly around herself and reluctantly did as she was told. She stopped breathing. Even though he wasn’t touching her, she was completely aware of him. She felt his body heat engulf her, and the musky scent she’d come to know as uniquely his toyed with her senses.

“You need to remind yourself”—his voice was a vibration against her cheek—“that I’m not a stranger.” His breath brushed her ear. She felt herself sway. “I’m the man you’re going to marry.” Gently, slowly, his fingers brushed her hair back behind her ear. “I plan to touch you.” His words were a warm breath against the curve of her neck. “And taste you.” His lips gently nipped at her skin. A tiny whimper stole through her lips. “Trust me.” He whispered in her ear, “You won’t want to run away. You’ll want to experience every single second.”

Suddenly his presence was gone, and Caroline felt cold. She heard her office door click shut. Her eyes fluttered open. She put out a hand to steady herself against the bookcase beside her. For a moment she just blinked, then she threw open the door. Josh was halfway out of the building.

“You’re still not getting a studio,” she called after him.

He flashed a knowing smile before disappearing into the sunlight.

Caroline leaned against the doorjamb and tried to breathe steadily. She had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach that Josh wasn’t playing by her rules. Unlike everyone else around her, he didn’t seem to realise that she was in charge.

With a deep breath, she turned back to her office, only to see Beth standing in the doorway to the library, glaring at her.

“Can I help you with something?” Caroline asked her assistant.

“Ha!” was all Beth said before storming back into the library. She slammed the door behind her.

As soon as Caroline entered her office, there was a knock at the library window. Hamish was on the other side.

“What colour do you want for your wedding?” He waved a magazine at Caroline. “It says in here that you need a colour scheme. Going by what you usually wear, we’re thinking grey. Is that right?”

Caroline shut the window and went in search of some aspirin.

CHAPTER FIVE