Can’t Hurry Love by Nadine Millard (little red riding hood ebook TXT) 📗

Oh Lord, I’m in trouble, was her last sensible thought before his lips descended, and her entire body went up in smoke.

Damn, but he’d forgotten how good she tasted. How right she felt in his arms.

Josh had had no intentions of kissing Beth when he’d followed her out here.

But it had been a year since she’d let him get this close, and he was as tempted as ever by her.

Maybe it was sheer masculine ego that had made him ignore all the reasons he had for not kissing her again after that first night. Made him want to prove to her that their night together had been unforgettable. That his kiss was worth remembering.

But the second she opened her mouth beneath his on a sigh, sending desire shooting through him, he forgot all the reasons for kissing her and concentrated instead on just enjoying the experience.

He felt her arms reach up and tangle in his hair, and he pulled her body against his own, groaning into her mouth at the contact.

Josh could feel his self-control slipping from his fingers. Something that hadn’t happened since he’d been a randy teenager.

What was it about the tiny, blond ball of sass in his arms that made him forget all the reasons that this was a bad idea?

He dragged his lips from her own and pressed them to the pulse fluttering wildly in her neck. “Come home with me?” he whispered, his voice hoarse with lust.

“I-I—“

She was going to refuse, and Josh was surprised by how desperately he wanted her not to.

“Beth.” He reached down and pulled her even closer, watching as her eyes darkened with a desire to match his own. “You want this. I want this.” He kissed her again before mumbling against her lips. “Just for tonight. Please.”

The second the words left his mouth; Josh knew he’d messed up.

Her whole body went rigid, and she pulled her mouth from his own. The fire was still in her eyes, but it wasn’t desire putting it there. It was sheer, unadulterated rage.

“Just for tonight?” she repeated through clenched teeth. “Are you kidding me, Josh?”

He could lie. He could make promises that he wouldn’t— and couldn’t — keep.

But Josh knew the pain that lies, and empty promises made, and even if he hadn’t, the idea of tricking her into his bed nauseated him. “Beth, I’m sorry, I’m just—“

She cut him off, raising her hand as if to ward off the words. “Don’t,” she bit out, “don’t even bother.”

Her laugh was brittle.

“I’m so stupid. I actually thought—“

He wanted to ask what she thought, but he valued his life too much to risk it.

“We clearly want different things,” she said.

“I want you,” he answered quickly, sincerely.

“And I want more than a one-night stand,” she answered back, just as quickly. “So, let’s just pretend this didn’t happen. It should be easy enough for you. You’ve had practise.”

He winced as her words hit their mark.

He knew what she thought he was, the type of man he was coming across as: a player who wanted one thing from her, and that was it. Someone who wanted a roll in the sack with no obligation.

How to tell her that that wasn’t true? That he could find that easily among the women of Rocky Valley who were up for a good, short-term time. That if he had it in him to offer more, she was the one he’d happily offer it to.

Josh had the urge to defend himself, but he stayed quiet. Because what was there to say?

I wish I could be what you want. But I can’t.

It didn’t stop him wanting her though. Selfish bastard that he clearly was. Maybe Elaine had been right about him.

“I’m sorry,” he said. Again. Just as sincerely. Just as uselessly.

She stared at him, waiting for an explanation that she deserved, but that he couldn’t give.

Finally, after an excruciating silence, she shook her head as if he was the biggest disappointment in the world.

And right then, he felt like it.

“Me too, Josh,” she said with quiet dignity. Then, without another word, she swept inside, leaving him on the patio alone.

Chapter Four

He could barely see.

Not just from the anger that was coursing through his veins — something he was used to by now.

But because the snowstorm that had hit earlier than anticipated was making conditions downright dangerous.

He shouldn’t have agreed to come tonight. He was exhausted, straight off a twelve-hour shift in the ER.

But Elaine had insisted that he join her, more out of a desire to keep up appearances than actually wanting to spend time with him. And things were so bad between them.

He needed to fix them. Fix their marriage before the baby came.

And so, he’d drunk a gallon of coffee and joined her at her boss’s Christmas party.

Joined turned out to be stretching it a bit though, since she disappeared from his side almost the second they’d entered the opulent home of Jeffrey Weller, CEO and owner of Weller Advertising.

Josh spent an hour engaging in the usual chit chat, fielding questions about the hospital and talking football with the men he only ever met at these things.

When his eyelids began to droop, he figured it was time to go home in case he fell asleep standing up.

He hadn’t seen Elaine for a while, so he subtly moved away from the group he’d been on the peripheral of and went looking.

He couldn’t find her among any of the other guests milling around the open plan space, and the kitchen housed only frazzled catering staff.

He was about to call her cell when a light in the pool house caught his attention.

Looking down, he noticed two distinct sets of footprints in the snow that led from the French doors to the pool house at the bottom of the garden.

And he knew. How he knew, Josh couldn’t say. But it was as though so many puzzle pieces slotted into place: the late nights, the distance from him,