Josh & Hannah (Redwood Falls 1)

“What’s the problem?” As Josh asked the question of Ethan, that smooth dark voice sent ripples through Hannah’s midsection, causing heat to pool directly between her legs. It was totally disconcerting and caught her off-guard and she tried to stay balanced on her own two feet.

Ethan continued to glare down at Ava. “Anderson brought his little sister, that’s the problem.”

Even as Hannah continued to stand behind Ava, she could still plainly see the amusing reaction on Josh’s face when his eyes landed on her friend. “She’s not that little, man. Dude, don’t be so rude. I’m sure she can handle it.” In the stone cold silence of that statement, Hannah had a perfect view as Ethan and Ava continued to glare at each other, and then she saw Josh’s gaze move past Ava and land on her. Hannah sucked in a breath as his handsome face immediately soured into lines of disapproval and became menacing. Josh’s reaction was completely different when he saw Hannah standing behind Ava and it came quickly, “Oh, hell, no.”

Panicky tendrils slammed through Hannah as Josh shoved his way between Ava and Ethan and then grabbed her by the wrist and all but marched her back outside into the black of the night. Hannah had no choice but to follow him as he dragged her along, his fingers biting into her flesh. The moon was only a small crescent in the night sky, and Hannah could barely see where she was going as he pulled her behind him until they were at least fifty yards from the house and standing together in the dry Texas dirt, the only light coming from the moon and stars. Josh turned to face her, his hand never letting go of her wrist. “Are you here because of me?”

“No,” she denied. He held her tightly as if he had every right, and Hannah only just managed to answer as the feel of those long, callused fingers gripping her flesh played havoc with her brain cells.

“Then why are you here?” He snarled the question, glaring down at her, his eyes like chips of ice glittering in the night.

“Ty needed gas money and said we could come if Ava gave it to him.”

He stood silently for the tick of two or three seconds, his focus directed entirely on her. It was unnerving to Hannah who stood so close to his body that she could feel his mercurial anger and smell his irresistible male scent. “That doesn’t ring true, princess. Ty wouldn’t want his little sister around—” He cut off his own words and with one hand still holding onto her, he spread the fingers of his other hand through his hair in what looked to Hannah like pure, unadulterated displeasure. “Oh, okay, I get it now.”

“Get what?” she asked, because there was no other comment that she could possible make under the circumstance. And she wasn’t trying to play games with Josh, she really wasn’t. She wasn’t that naive. She’d be the loser in any game that went on between them. Oh, but she did get it. She got what Josh was saying. She’d been the recipient of Ty’s narrowed speculation more than once tonight.

“He wanted you here.”

“I think he wanted gas money,” she said softly.

“Whatever. It’s not happening. You’re not going inside that party. Did he touch you?”

“Hey. You’re not my boss—I’m sorry—what?” Hannah was having trouble keeping up with Josh’s rapid-fire change of subject. And totally floored by the question he asked.

“Did. He. Touch. You?”

Chapter Three

“Josh, listen,” Hannah began softly, trying to soothe him, or maybe distract him; she didn’t know which. “I don’t know what you’re thinking—or why you think you can act like my big brother, but Ty is just Ava’s brother. I’m spending the night with her and—”

He cut her off, his voice sharp as his hand tightened on her wrist even more. “You’re spending the night with her? At Ty’s house?”

“Yes.”

“No, you’re not.”

Hannah’s head was starting to spin. “What?”

“You can’t spend the night with her.”

“What’s wrong with you? Of course I’m spending the night with her.”

“Ain’t happening, princess.”

Hannah felt a dart of anger flare up and mingle with the panicky excitement she always felt when Josh was near and more recently, when he called her ‘princess’. She tried to suppress the pleasure and focus on her anger. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Is so happening, Josh Turner.”

“You don’t understand. Ty can’t be trusted.”

“Can’t be trusted? I thought y’all were friends? Ava told me that you come to the house a lot.” Was he jealous? Seriously? How could that possibly be? And if it wasn’t so, what other reason was there for what he was saying? Josh Turner was jealous. Unbelievable. Amazing and awesome and totally, totally, unbelievable.

“Been talking about me with the little sister, huh? Yeah, Ty and I are friends, and we need to stay friends. So you need to understand that your girl time with Ava needs to happen at your house, not hers.”

“Ava spends the night at my house, too. But I’m not going to quit going to her house because … because why? You think her brother might look at me the wrong way?”

“Trust me. The guy wants to do more than look at you, I promise you that.”

“You’re crazy.” Even as she said the words, the heated looks that Ty had given her infiltrated her memory once again. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to continue going to Ava’s house. Josh was crazy if he thought that was the way it would be.

“I’m crazy?”

“Ty ran off with that cheerleader girl. He dropped us at the front door as fast as he could. He doesn’t want to be around Ava or me.”

“That’s just because he’s horn—” Josh stopped himself just before he said something he didn’t want Hannah to hear. She didn’t need to know that Ty was fucking Kayla every chance he got. And just because his buddy had a ‘friends with benefits’ style relationship with the head cheerleader, didn’t mean that the dumbfuck wouldn’t try to put the moves on Hannah, as well. Josh was well enough acquainted with Ty’s method of operation to know that he’d try to get inside Hannah’s pants as soon as he possibly could. And that fucking shit wasn’t going to happen.

Goddamnit, this situation sucked shit. Even now, Hannah’s eyes were huge and she was staring up at him with a question radiating from them. Tenth grade, man. Learn it and remember it. And a girl who only a week ago, hadn’t even known how to kiss. Would she remember how? Or would Josh get to teach her all over again? He took a few stabilizing breaths. “Hannah, let’s just forget about this for now, and I’ll take you home.”

“Home? I’m not going home! I’m spending the night with Ava. Her parents are out of town—”

“Her parents aren’t home?” His voice became even harsher, more implacable. “No damn way, princess. Not happening.”

“Do you have any idea what my curfew is? My parents are ridiculous! I’ll never get a chance like this again in my life! Besides, I can’t leave Ava here alone. We promised we wouldn’t run out on each other, and I need to get inside and find her.”

He shook his head once, his legs braced apart as he stared her down. “You don’t need to be here. It’s not the place for you.”

“Why? Because I don’t fit in? Is Rebecca in the house?” Hannah asked, not able to keep the hint of pain from her voice.

“No, not that I know of. But that’s not it.” His fingers loosened just enough around her wrist to allow him to begin caressing her skin. Hannah felt the change in him all at once as he slowly began to draw her near. She stumbled once, and then her torso was against his, and he released her wrist as his arms moved around her back. His taut features loosened somewhat as the fingers that stroked her spine gentled. “You’re not old enough. There’s drinking and smoking and … other stuff you don’t need to be around.” His words were low as his lips hovered around her ear and Hannah’s insides began melting.

Butterflies took off in her stomach as Josh’s lips touched the side of her face, caressing her skin softly. He made no move to deepen the embrace and the longer it went on,

the more her legs trembled. She wanted to go inside the party, but she desperately wanted to stay out here with Josh, as well. Hannah felt pulled in two different directions. She knew deep in her heart that she should be mad at him; she should be angry and pulling back from him and telling him that he had no right to tell her what to do. But she wasn’t mad at him, and she couldn’t really even pretend to be. All she could feel was a small thrill that he was out here with her, and that after only that one kiss the other night, amazing as it still seemed to her, he thought he had the right to tell her what to do. It was wrong of him to think that way, and it was wrong of her to like it and to allow it, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was for him to hold her. Maybe it was wrong, maybe it was shallow or shortsighted, but by goodness, at this very moment in her life, she thought she’d die a happy girl if could do it in Josh Turner’s arms.