Goody Two Shoes (Invertary 2)

“Yeah.” Danny grinned Josh’s grin back at him. The one he’d once told Josh he’d spent four months in front of a mirror perfecting. “She says I’m fine. She liked it when I sang ‘My Way’ for her. Did it every session. Cool lady.”

Josh gave Mitch a look and saw him nod slightly. As Josh turned back to his stalker, Mitch pulled his phone out of his back pocket.

“So, we adding a kilt to the act?” Danny said.

“No. There is no we. You need to leave Invertary.”

“I can’t leave. We’re marrying Caroline. I like Caroline. She’s pretty and smart. Got great legs. She looks like a fifties movie star. One of the girl-next-door ones, not the vamps.”

Josh stilled. He felt, rather than saw, Mitch, who came back to stand close to his side.

“You’ve seen Caroline?” Josh’s tone was a threat. Danny didn’t hear it.

“Serenaded her the other night. She was sweet. Sang ‘Sweet Caroline’ until she called the cops.” He leaned in towards Josh. “You picked good, man. We’re going to like her.”

Josh felt the muscle in his jaw twitch as Mitch’s hand rested on his shoulder.

“Two minutes,” Mitch said. “Cops on the way.”

“So,” Danny said, “what are we wearing to the wedding?”

Josh took a deep breath, counted to twenty this time and told himself not to punch his stalker. Well, not while the cops could catch him doing it.

Caroline was exhausted by the time she left work. Without Beth, she had to do twice the workload at the centre. The domino boys had helped out, getting the rooms cleared and ready for the people who booked them, putting away library books and even answering the phones, but it was still a lot of work to pack into a day. Not to mention the press had gotten wind of Caroline’s place of work, and every second phone call was someone poking into her business. The last woman hadn’t even said hello, she’d just launched right into asking Caroline what lingerie she was taking on her honeymoon. In the end Caroline had put James on the phones. He’d forgotten his hearing aids again and spent ten minutes with each caller shouting, “Can you repeat that?” It cut down the messages by half.

Now it was almost four o’clock, and she’d ducked out of the centre an hour earlier than normal so she could get to the church for their weekly meeting with the vicar. Caroline charged into the church foyer and straight into Josh. He was leaning against the wall. His arms were folded and his ankles were crossed. He seemed perfectly relaxed, but there was nothing casual about the look in his eye. Without even thinking about it, Caroline took two steps back.

“Heard you met Danny Costanzo.” He was intense. Josh didn’t do intense. Did he?

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“He was the guy singing for you in the middle of the night.”

Caroline swallowed hard and took another step back. Maybe they should meet with the vicar another day? She eyed the door. Maybe she should run?

“When were you going to tell me? I had to hear it from the cop when he came to escort Danny out of town.”

Caroline stopped retreating. “That was very wrong of him. He promised he wouldn’t tell you.”

Josh paused, and a muscle in his jaw pulsed. “He promised not to tell me?”

Caroline lifted her chin. “I handled the situation. There was no need for you to be informed.”

Josh leaned away from the wall and prowled towards her, his usual lazy saunter gone. Caroline retreated and felt her back hit the wall behind her. He placed his hands on the wall either side of her head. She felt the heat from him throughout her body.

“Caroline.” His voice was a husky whisper. “Any guy gets in your face in any way, you tell me. Am I clear?” Josh trailed a gentle finger across her jaw to her cheekbone. “Are you listening, baby?” He was so close she could feel the air from his words hit her mouth. Her very dry mouth. “You can call the cops, but you call me too. You always call me. We talked about this in London. There are some scary people out there that will try to get to me through you. I need to know you’re safe.”

Caroline blinked hard. She fought to clear her mind as her body registered the hard length of him. “It wasn’t a big deal. I wasn’t afraid or anything. I think you’re overreacting.”

He pressed in against her. She felt his breath against her ear. “You always call me.”

“But…” She wasn’t even sure what else she was going to say.

“Always, Caroline. Am I clear?”

Sh

e didn’t trust herself to speak. Instead, she nodded. It was a mistake. Her cheek brushed against his, and she stilled. Josh’s right hand worked its way into her hair at the base of her head. His touch was gentle, but firm. Caroline stood frozen. She hadn’t seen Josh like this before. Sure, she’d gotten a glimpse when they were in Harrods. She knew he must be formidable to make it so far in his profession, but usually she only saw the laid-back side of him that laughed at the world. This Josh was something else entirely. She wasn’t sure what to make of him. Or the intensity that came off him in waves.