JULES
My knees weakened with relief.I never thought I’d welcome the sound of that voice, but in that moment, I could build a shrine to it and worship at its altar.
I looked over Max’s shoulder, oxygen creeping back into my lungs at the sight of Josh’s tousled hair and lean, powerful frame.
“Josh.” I breathed his name like it was my salvation.
In a way, it was.
Max’s eyes sharpened before he dropped his hand and turned, giving Josh a polite nod that the other man didn’t return. “Not interrupting. I was merely saying hi to an old friend.” Curiosity touched his gaze as it flicked between us, but he didn’t address Josh further. “Good seeing you, J. Remember…” He tapped his phone with a smug smile and walked away.
I waited until he disappeared around the corner before I slumped against the wall, my heart racing and my dinner threatening to make an ugly reappearance.
Josh crossed the distance between us and gripped my arms. He swept his eyes over my face, concern etching tiny grooves in his brow. “You look like you’re about to throw up.”
I forced a smile. “That’s my natural reaction whenever I see you.”
The insult fell flat without the conviction to back it up. In truth, I wanted to bury myself in Josh’s chest and pretend the past half hour never happened. He wasn’t my friend, but he was a pillar of stability in a world that had suddenly flipped on its axis.
He didn’t bother acknowledging my pitiful attempt at snark. “Was he hurting you?” A dark current rippled beneath his voice and warmed my icy skin.
“No.” Not physically, anyway. “Like he said, he’s…someone I used to know. We were catching up.”
I couldn’t let anyone know the truth about Max or my past. Josh already thought the worst of me. I didn’t want to imagine his reaction if he found out I used to be a thief.
“In the biblical sense?” The current went from dark to pitch black.
“Careful, Josh,” I warned, ignoring the small flutter in my chest despite everything that’d happened. “Or I’ll think you’re jealous.”
A harsh smile carved his mouth. “I don’t get jealous.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” I straightened, basking in Josh’s concern more than I should’ve. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“For the same reason as you, I imagine,” he said sardonically. “I wanted to check out the club, but I wasn’t feeling it and was about to leave when I saw you.”
“Right.” We were near the exit, so that made sense.
Although Max had left, his presence lingered like a rotting smell, as did his ultimatum.
Did he already have a favor in mind, or would he make it up as he went along? He said no sex, but it could be something illegal. What if he wanted me to steal for him again? That being said, why was Max asking for only one favor? He’d spent seven years in jail. I would’ve thought he’d ask for more. Did he really want a favor, or was he using it as a coverup for something else? If so, what?
My brain pounded with a thousand questions I didn’t have the answer to.
Breathe. Focus.
I would deal with the Max situation later, when my shock wore off and my brain cleared. There wasn’t much I could do about it now.
I blinked, forcing thoughts of my ex aside no matter how hard they tried to claw their way back to the forefront of my mind.
If the Olympics gave out gold medals for repression, I’d win one every four years.
“You said you were busy tonight.” Josh leaned his forearm against the wall above my head. His eyes pierced mine.
“I am.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder and pasted on an impudent smile. “Or maybe I just didn’t want to meet up with you. I guess you’ll never know.”
“You trying to provoke me, Red?” His dark warning snaked through me.
Yes.
“I only provoke people I care about.” I blinked up at him, the picture of innocence. “That doesn’t include you, Joshy.”
Anticipation climbed in my chest when a soft snarl rose in his throat. “It’s not care I want from you.”
He claimed my lips in a punishing kiss. My blood burned at the onslaught, and when his tongue forced mine into submission, I yanked a fistful of his hair in retaliation until he hissed out a pained growl.
“Oops,” I mocked. “Forgot how soft you were. I’ll try to be gentler next time.”
Josh straightened and licked the spot of blood on his lower lip. I’d nipped him so hard during our kiss I’d broken skin.
“Don’t worry, Red,” he said, his smile a vicious slash across his face. “I’ll show you just how soft I can be.”
He closed his hand around my wrist in an iron grip and yanked me toward an unmarked door across the hall. Surprisingly, it was unlocked.
Josh pushed me in.
It was some sort of supply closet slash overflow room. Paper goods and utensils crowded the black metal shelves, a fog machine sat in the corner between a rolled-up rug and a broken-down chandelier, and a mirror hung on the wall opposite the door above a small table.
The click of the door locking behind me brought my attention back to Josh. His presence filled every corner of the room, making the small space feel even smaller, and I could feel the heat radiating from his body across every inch of my skin.
Or maybe the heat was from the way he looked at me, like he wanted to devour me whole.
Sparks danced through me.