Stanton Box Set

He drops his head in shame. “Tash, it didn’t go down how you think it did. I was mortified. I stopped it halfway through. I will never forgive myself for doing that to us. But I needed you to forgive me, and at a time when I needed you to prove your words and love me unconditionally, you turned your back on me.”

I shake my head. “No baby, I was right there with you with a broken heart but I had to give you that choice and I knew that if you knew I was still in love with you, you would not have left. I never turned my back on you. I would never do that. I couldn’t speak to you because I knew if I did I would tell you that I loved you and that everything was going to be alright.”

He sits back again and frowns as he thinks.

I grab his hand in desperation. “I am still in love with you, Joshua … more than anything I want us to work at getting back together.” My eyes search his and he drops his head.

“Tash, I can’t.”

“Here we are.” The entrees arrive, and we both sit back in a rush. The waitress puts them on the table and leaves us alone.

“Baby, no pressure. I just want us to spend some time together, and see what happens.” I smile as I put my hand on his forearm.

He puts a spoonful of his crab into his mouth. “The only relationship I am interested in is a sexual one.”

I pick up a lemon from the table. My eyes widen. “What?” I whisper.

“I don’t want a relationship with you but I am happy to have some fun,” he says, void of emotion.

Horror dawns. “You’re happy to have some fun.” I repeat with my lemon in midair. “Joshua I’m not interested in that kind of relationship. I can get sex from anybody. I want love from you, not to be your fuck buddy,” I whisper angrily.

He sits back and shrugs as he shovels in another mouthful of food.

Of all the nerve, I’m here laying my heart out on a platter and he’s thinking about his frigging dick. What an asshole! He might just be wearing that soft shell crab in a minute.

“Take it or leave it,” he snaps.

“Leave it,” I reply angrily as I start to eat at double time.

“And while you’re pissing me off,” I snap, “why didn’t you tell me about the idiot that is trying to kill you?”

He narrows his eyes at me.

“Ok, while you’re pissing me off what has happened to make you have three security guards now?” he snaps.

I glare at him. “Well, if you must know, it could be a simple robbery or it could be some lunatic murderer Coby Allender from jail whose accomplice maybe broke into my house and stole my vibrator and underwear.” I stick my fork into my lemon so far that it squirts me in the eye. Fuck, I rub my eye as it starts to burn.

He chuckles at my misfortune. “Not funny,” I snap as I rub my eye.

“So how do you know this lunatic has your vibrator?” He takes a bite off his fork.

I fake a smile. “Because he told everybody in the jail and described it to me.”

He sits back in a rush and rubs his face. “Does Max know about this?” he frowns.

“Yes,” I answer as I start to eat again. I could be blinded tomorrow from that bloody lemon—my eye is burning like a flaming volcano.

I point my fork at him. “And while we are at it, you will be apologising to Max tomorrow for being such a wanker the other night.”

He throws his napkin onto the table. “I will be doing nothing of the sort. He should have brought you to me in America. He works for me.”

I roll my eyes. “Excuse me, Captain America, newsflash. He was helping me seeing he is my bodyguard. So do not start your shit with me. Apologise tomorrow.”

“I see you’re still on your medication,” he says dryly.

I hold my head to the side. “What medication?” I snap.

“Bitch pills.” He smiles.