He released me and smiled at the man approaching us. “Hey, Micah,” he said, like he hadn’t just threatened to make me come my brains out in front of a thousand people a mere second ago. “How’s it going?”
After they greeted each other, Josh introduced me to Micah, who offered me a perfunctory smile.
“So, Jules, what do you do? Are you a student?” The other resident was around Josh’s age, but he oozed pretentiousness in a way that was completely at odds with Josh’s easy charm. Josh may be arrogant, but at least he was self-deprecating about it. Micah looked like he believed his own hype a little too much.
“Yes, at Thayer Law. I graduate in a few weeks.”
Micah’s eyebrows popped up. “Law? Really?”
I stiffened at his obvious skepticism.
“Yes, really.” I dropped my polite tone and adopted one so icy I hoped it froze his balls off. Some people might give Micah the benefit of the doubt, but I recognized judgment when I saw it, and I had zero obligation to be nice to someone who didn’t bother hiding his condescension. “Surprised?”
“A little. You don’t look like a law student.” Micah’s eyes dropped to my chest, and tiny prickles of humiliation stabbed at me.
Beside me, Josh stilled, his easygoing manner giving way to a dark, volatile tension that roiled the air around us.
“I didn’t realize law students had a universal look.” I resisted the urge to cross my arms over my chest. I wouldn’t give Micah that satisfaction. “How are they supposed to look?”
He laughed, not even having the decency to look embarrassed by my callout. “You know what I mean.”
“I don’t.” Josh spoke up before I could respond, his tone deceptively light. “What do you mean, Micah?”
Discomfort crossed his coworker’s face for the first time as Micah finally realized the conversation wasn’t heading in the direction he’d intended.
“You know.” He waved a hand in the air, trying to play it off. “It was a joke.”
Josh’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Jokes are supposed to be funny.”
“Lighten up, man.” Micah’s frown of discomfort morphed into annoyance. “Look, all I’m saying is, I was surprised, okay?”
“That’s not what you’re saying. What you’re saying is you made assumptions about her intelligence based on her appearance, which is quite unfair, don’t you think?” A lethal edge ran beneath Josh’s otherwise pleasant voice. “For example, if I were to make an assumption about you, I would think you were a pompous jackass based on the Harvard-branded clothing you wear at any opportunity despite the fact you only got in because your last name is engraved on their newest science building. But I’m sure that’s not true. You did graduate from Harvard Med—near the bottom of the class, but you graduated. That counts for something.”
Micah’s mouth fell open while a ball of emotion curled up in my throat and refused to budge.
I couldn’t think of the last time someone stood up for me. It was a strange feeling—warm and thick, like honey sliding through my veins.
“Regardless, I do not appreciate your rudeness toward my date.” Josh’s voice hardened.
“This is a work event, so apologize, walk away, and we’ll leave it at that. But disrespect Jules again, and I’ll put you in the emergency room myself.”
Micah’s nostrils flared, but he wasn’t dumb enough to argue. Not when Josh looked like he was activelyhoping the other man would step out of line so he could deck him.
“I’m sorry.” Micah’s stiff apology contained as much sincerity as a crocodile’s tears. He spun on his heels and stalked away, his reedy body quivering with outrage.
A heavy silence descended in his wake.
Some of the tension drained from Josh’s body, but the line of his jaw remained a hard slash.
I tried and failed to swallow the persistent lump in my throat. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Do what?” He unscrewed the cap of his water bottle and took a sip.
“Defend me.”
“I didn’t defend you. I called out an asshole for being an asshole.” He slid a sidelong glance at me. “Besides, I’m the only one who gets to be a jerk to you.”
I huffed out an embarrassingly watery laugh. I was so used to fighting my own battles I wasn’t sure how to handle having someone by my side.
Josh was supposed to be my nemesis, but he turned out to be my ally. In this particular instance, anyway.
“Well, if there’s one thing you excel at, it’s being a jerk.” I rubbed my skirt between my fingers. The smooth cotton calmed my racing nerves.
“I excel at everything, Red.” Josh’s languid drawl settled over me like a warm blanket.
Our eyes locked and held. An electric charge flared in the air between us and buzzed down my spine.
I’d known Josh for years, but this was the first time I saw him in such bold, painstaking detail.
The sharp curve of his cheekbones tapering down to a strong jaw. The rich, dark eyes like melting chocolate, fringed by lashes so long it should be illegal for men to have them. The arch of his brows and the firm, sensual curve of his lips.
How had I never noticed how incredibly, devastatingly gorgeous Josh Chen was?