Goody Two Shoes (Invertary 2)

“It was really bad. Cheesy, even.”

“Good to know.”

He placed his mug on the table in front of him, and Caroline peeked into it hopefully. It was still full. She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re not even drinking it, are you?”

He shrugged. “I hate tea.”

“Then why on earth did you ask for it?”

Josh reached across the table to take her hand. “I wanted to come in.”

Caroline pulled her hand from his. The air in the room seemed thicker somehow, and she felt like she was swallowing each breath rather than inhaling it. “I think it’s time for you to go. I have work in the morning and it’s getting really late.”

She snatched the two mugs and took them to the sink, tipping the contents down the drain.

Her breath stuck in her throat as she felt strong hands at her waist. “Dance with me,” Josh whispered against her neck, making her shiver. Yes, her body screamed. No, her mind answered. Too risky. Touching led to talking. And she really didn’t want to talk. Not tonight. Maybe never.

“There isn’t any music.” Her words were a rasp.

She felt him smile against her skin. It was a tease to her senses. Her eyelids were heavy, and the urge to sink into him was so strong she almost couldn’t resist.

They couldn’t dance. He had to leave. She had an excuse. What was it? Oh yeah. “We can’t dance without music.”

“I can fix that.”

He turned her in his arms, curving one hand around her shoulder and spanning the other across the small of her back. He pressed his cheek to her temple and started to sing. His voice reverberated through her body; it melted her anxieties and soothed her fears. The sound wove a cocoon around them. Caroline’s hands trailed up Josh’s sides and around to his chest. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. She felt hidden. Sheltered. Precious. It was heady.

They swayed together. Caroline didn’t know the song. It didn’t matter. She barely heard the words. It was the melody and his deep voice that undid her. There was only Josh. Only them. Nothing else mattered but the two of them together. The delicious sensation of their bodies moving as one. Josh’s musky scent mingled with her floral one, making her mouth water. She pressed her cheek against his chest and felt the vibrations of the song work through her. His hand stroked her hair, and Caroline was floating.

She didn’t know how long they stayed like that. One song bled into another. With each note Caroline fell deeper into Josh. With each word her need for him grew. When there was suddenly silence, Caroline felt like she was waking from a deep sleep. A beautiful dream. Her eyes flickered open. She was surprised to see that it was dark and they were no longer in the kitchen. Josh had danced them into the living room. The moonlight filtered through the trees outside, creating soft shadows and an

intimate longing within Caroline.

Gently, Josh tipped her chin up towards him. His eyes were dark. The desire in them raw and intense. “Stunning,” he whispered before his lips touched hers.

It all flowed together in one perfect harmony. His touch, his taste, the scent that was just Josh. Caroline whimpered as his kiss deepened. He clasped her face in his hands and angled her mouth, making it easier for him to control the kiss.

She groaned in complaint as his lips left hers. He kissed and licked and nipped his way down her throat to her shoulder. She let her head fall back, allowing him better access. The room shifted and spun around her. She clung to Josh. Her anchor.

When Josh led her to the sofa, Caroline pulled back to look at him. His eyes had turned black with need. She licked her lips. He let out a tiny strangled groan.

“I’m not ready to go further.” Her tone bled desire; she hoped Josh listened to the words instead, because she didn’t have any defences against the man.

“That’s okay, baby. Let’s sit a while and I’ll hold you.”

Caroline found herself snuggled in Josh’s lap. Her head drifted to his shoulder as he gently caressed her thigh.

The shadows of the room lulled her into a dreamlike state. Josh’s heartbeat pulled her further under. She rubbed her nose against the curve of his neck and breathed him deeply. Everything within her melted as she sank into him. Josh’s strong arms gave her a safe place to just be. There were no expectations of her here. No responsibilities. No condemnation. It was paradise.

Her eyes fluttered shut as Josh began to sing. She heard and felt the song as it worked its way through her. She didn’t know how long she sat there wrapped in Josh, lulled into a state of bliss by his voice and his wickedly sensual kisses, but it was a time she never wanted to end.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Caroline woke the following morning to find herself fully dressed and wedged into the back of her sagging old couch. The first thing she noticed was that her body ached from sleeping on the sofa instead of her lovely, soft bed. The second thing she noticed was that Josh was nowhere in sight. Tingles raced through her body at the thought of the night before. He’d transported her to another world. One where she didn’t have to be strong, or in control. And Caroline had loved every single minute of it.

She rolled over to find a note on the floor beside the couch. Have a meeting with Mitch that I can’t blow off. Otherwise I’d be here with you, beautiful. Caroline felt her heart stutter at his words. She glanced to the clock on the mantel and squealed. She was late. Very late. Damn Josh for not waking her. She set out at a run for the stairs and the bathroom.

When Caroline arrived at the community centre, the local newspaper editor was waiting for her.