Goody Two Shoes (Invertary Book 2) (29 page)

“Can I go in the police car?” someone shouted.

“No, I want to go in the police car with officer hotpot,” Kirsty’s mum said.

“It’s not hotpot, it’s hotshot. Hotpot is a casserole,” Kirsty told her.

Josh watched as an argument broke out amongst the women.

“It’s not fair,” his mother mumbled. “I don’t get to go in the police car.”

Josh rolled his eyes, grabbed his mum and Caroline by the elbows and marched them towards the house. He wasn’t sure the other two could cope with the rest of the women, but they were on their own. He had enough to deal with.

Caroline’s head was swimming. Everything seemed interesting and fresh. The stars were so sparkly. The grass crisp beneath her feet. The air brisk against her skin. What little skin was on show. She was overdressed. What she really wanted was to feel the cool night air all over her body. She reached up and popped open a couple of buttons on her blouse. That was better. Vaguely, she wondered if there was a pool at the castle. She didn’t think there was. They needed a pool. When she was queen of the castle, she’d put in a pool. She started to giggle again.

Josh looked down at her. He wasn’t smiling, but he didn’t seem angry, either. His eyes dropped briefly to her blouse, and he shook his head with a resigned smile. Caroline suddenly felt even warmer. She reached up and popped another button open. Josh’s eyes went dark.

When they reached the kitchen door, Josh ushered his mother inside.

Caroline stopped dead outside the door. “I don’t want to go in there. I want to stay out here with all this lovely fresh air.”

Josh frowned at her. “You need to eat.”

“I’ll eat here. Get me some food.” Caroline plopped onto one of the reclining wooden chairs on the patio, grateful that no one had taken the thick blue cushions in for the night.

“Yes, ma’am, right away, ma’am,” Josh muttered as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Caroline tugged her blouse off. She still felt too stuffy. So she removed her skirt too. That was better. With a sigh, she lost herself in the vista overhead, unaware of just how long she’d spent staring at the sky until Josh appeared beside her again. He crouched down and held out a plate with crackers, cheese and grapes.

“I see you lost your clothes.”

“I was too hot.”

His lips twitched. “Nice underpants.”

Caroline lifted her head to look down her body. Minnie Mouse stared up at her. “They were on sale. There’s nothing wrong with Minnie Mouse.”

“Nothing at all,” he said solemnly.

It was so unfair that his lips were fuller than hers. She wanted to reach out and trace his upper lip, feel the curve of the bow dip against her finger. Feel his breath on her skin. Her gaze skimmed along the strong line of his jaw, over cheekbones most models would kill for and up to those electric eyes. They crinkled at the edges, letting her know that she was amusing him again. She sighed heavily. Just when had she become so darned funny?

“Do you wear coloured contacts?”

He blinked hard before giving her a lazy grin. “No, baby, my eyes are real. Like the rest of me.”

She was pretty sure that there was innuendo in there somewhere, but it went over her head. Her hand reached out and skimmed over his shoulder. She felt the muscles ripple and tense under her fingertips. It made her shift restlessly in her seat.

“Eat.” He pressed a grape to her lips.

She did as she was told, opening her mouth for him to feed her. She ran the tip of her tongue over his thumb before he released the grape. Josh let out a low groan. Caroline’s breath quickened. “Would you take off your T-shirt if I asked you to?”

Josh chuckled.

“I won’t do anything to offend you,” she said haughtily. “I only want to look at your muscles. You have more than you deserve, seeing as you live on burgers and only run when you’re being chased.”

Another chuckle. “I’m not stripping for you, Caroline.”

She pouted, pulling herself up from her reclining position to sit on the edge of the chair. Her knees bumped Josh’s, and he put the plate he was holding down on the tile beneath them.

“Why not?”

“Because stripping will lead to touching, and you’re in no state for touching.”

She poked him in the chest. Ooh, it felt good. She flattened her palm against him and smoothed it over his pecs and down to his stomach. The frustration of the past few days grew within her. “Touching is a good idea. I like it. Let’s touch some more.”

Her other hand joined the one that was on Josh’s stomach. She watched as the two of them made their way up to his shoulders. How was it possible to get so excited about shoulders? She’d read almost all the sex books she’d stolen—sorry, borrowed—from the library, and not one of them mentioned shoulders. Mainly they mentioned…

Her gaze dropped to the front of Josh’s jeans, which were looking very tight. She’d slept beside him for three nights now and she still hadn’t seen him out of his underwear. Maybe he didn’t want her to see him? Maybe something was wrong?

Josh’s shoulders started to shake under her fingertips. She looked up to find he was silently laughing at her. She frowned. “It’s not nice to laugh at me.”

“Baby,” he said in that deep voice of his. The one that rumbled through her body. “You’re staring at my—”

She pressed a finger to his lips. “Don’t say that word. It’s a rude word.”

He laughed against her finger. Caroline ignored him, once again distracted by the bulge at the front of his jeans. She’d felt it against her, but she hadn’t seen it. Or touched it. Surely if there wasn’t a problem he’d want to show it to her?

“Is there something wrong with you? Something you don’t want me to know?”

Her eyes went wide. She’d read the chapters on sexual dysfunction, so she knew what could go wrong. She leaned closer to him so she could whisper. “Are you having problems
down there
?” She took one hand off his shoulder and pointed at his crotch. She blushed. “I read about this. There are things you can do if your, um, uh,
equipment
isn’t working properly. I can lend you the books.” She cringed. “Once I’ve taken them back to the library.”

She felt inordinately proud of herself. There. She’d done it. She’d talked about sex. She beamed at Josh. He shook his head slowly as a huge grin lit up his face. “I don’t have any problems with my
equipment.
It’s functioning perfectly fine.”

“Then what are you worried about?” She took a deep breath. “Are you worried I won’t like it? I have to tell you, Josh, I haven’t seen any real…equipment. Only the ones in books. So you don’t have to worry; my expectations are really low in that department.”

Josh threw back his head and roared with laughter. She smacked him on the chest.

“I’m thrilled to hear you have low expectations, baby.” He wiped his eyes.

Caroline didn’t see what was so funny. She thought she was bending over backwards to be understanding and considerate. “If there isn’t a problem, why don’t you take off your T-shirt.” She licked her lips. “In fact, why don’t you take off everything.”

He put his hand softly on her cheek, and she rested into it. “I’d love to get naked with you. But now isn’t the right time. You’re plastered, baby.”

“I am not.” Caroline shot to her feet, making Josh wobble before landing on his backside. “I only had a few glasses of champagne. There’s nothing wrong with me.” She swayed slightly, her head suddenly full of the stars in the sky. It was distracting. And then a thought occurred to her. “Unless there is something wrong with me?” Horrified, she looked down at Josh. “There’s something wrong with me, isn’t there? That’s why you don’t want to touch me. I thought you liked touching me. You had your hand down my pyjamas this morning.”

Josh shook his head slowly as he stood up. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“Is it because I’m so inexperienced? Or is it because I’m so plain? I thought you liked my breasts.” She cupped herself, trying to decide what she thought of them. “They’re not that big, but they stay where they’re supposed to. I thought they were okay. They’re not big enough, are they?”

She looked up to find Josh staring at her chest, a pained expression on his face. She was right—she wasn’t good enough. She let her hands drop and started to turn away.

“Baby.” Josh’s hand shot out and wrapped around her upper arm. “There is nothing wrong with your breasts. You are beautiful.”

She looked up at him. Oh, but he made her giddy. His height and width seemed to engulf her. It should have overwhelmed her, but instead it made her feel precious.

“Then take off your shirt and let me touch you.”

Josh swore under his breath before he reached over his shoulder, grabbed a handful of T-shirt and yanked it over his head.

“I’m all yours.”

Caroline ran the flat palms of her hands down his chest, tracing muscle, feeling him respond to her touch until she met the waistband of his jeans. For a second she frowned, before she solved her problem by delving under the fabric.

“Caroline, you keep exploring like that and things are going to take a turn you’re not ready for.”

Caroline felt her need morph to anger. “But I am ready. I’m ready for all of it. I’m thirty-one. I’ve been ready for a very long time. I know I said we should wait until the wedding. At least, I think I said that. It doesn’t matter, because I’ve changed my mind.” She pointed at his jeans. “Get them off now.”

“I don’t want to make love to you for the first time when you’re drunk. I want you to be in the moment with me. And I don’t want you to regret it afterwards.”

“I won’t regret it.”

He ran a hand through his silky, dark hair. The sight of him, in the soft night light, made her ache in places she couldn’t even name.

“Baby, we’re getting married in a week. We’re going to do this. We’re going to have sex. Trust me. It doesn’t have to happen tonight.”

She stamped her foot like a child, because that was exactly what she felt like. That was what he was treating her like. Wasn’t she a woman? Didn’t she know what she wanted? Didn’t she have a right to ask for what she wanted? Damn right she did. She pointed at the big lout, momentarily distracted by the way the moonlight rippled over his chest and caught in the dip at his stomach. “I demand that you get naked right now, Josh McInnes.”

“Not tonight, baby.”

She strode towards him. He backed up, a huge grin on his face.

“If you won’t take them off, then I will.”

Josh started to laugh. He held out his hands in front of him. “Caroline, you need to sit down and eat something. Then we’ll talk about this.”

She marched towards him. He retreated faster than she could move. It was annoying.

“Stop running away. Man up. I demand we have sex.”

Josh’s laughter made his shoulders shake, which in turn made the muscles move. Caroline was momentarily distracted.

“Let’s wait until you’re sober,” he said through his laughter.

“Josh McInnes, you are a big fat coward.” She pushed him on his chest.

She’d only expected him to take a step back. Instead his legs caught on the back of the low wall behind him, and Josh toppled head first into the garden. Caroline was left staring at his feet, which were now pointing up to the sky.

“Oh my goodness, Josh.” She ran for the steps that led down into the garden.

She couldn’t see Josh’s body. It had been swallowed by a lavender bush.

“Help. Somebody help,” she shouted.

“I’m fine.” Josh didn’t sound fine. “Just give me a hand to get out of this bush.”

Caroline reached for the hand that had appeared through the lavender. She yanked hard, but nothing happened. “Help,” she shouted again.

She almost sank to the ground in relief when Mitch ran around the corner of the building. He came up short when he saw Caroline standing in her underwear.

“Is that Josh’s feet?” He pointed at the shoes in the air.

Caroline nodded. “We had a little accident. Josh was too scared to have sex so he ran away and fell into a bush.”

“Don’t say a word,” the bush warned Mitch. “Just get me out of here.”

“I think he has concussion,” Caroline told Mitch.

Mitch dissolved into hysterics. He wiped his eyes as he pulled his cell phone from his pockets. He aimed it at Josh. “This is one for Facebook.”

“You better not be taking photos.” The bush shook as it threatened Mitch.

“Would I do that?” Mitch grinned at her.

“Get me out of here.” Josh didn’t sound happy.

Caroline suddenly ran out of steam. She sat down on the grass beside Josh’s bush. It was lovely and cool on her skin, so she lay out flat on it. Josh and Mitch were a dull noise in her head while she looked up at the stars.
Perfect
, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

By the time Josh was freed from the bush, Caroline was out cold. Spread-eagle on the grass.

“Don’t even think about taking a photo of this,” he warned Mitch.

“You don’t want it for the family album?”