CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

JOSH

I want to follow her out of the restaurant. I can’t because I have to finish this meeting. It’s the last place I want to be.

I put my game face on, so they won’t know I’m bored. It takes some effort, but I finally get them to sign a contract. Then I pay for the meal and make a hasty retreat.

I’d like to head straight over to Kim’s, but I have two more meetings I can’t put off.

I don’t know why I’m in such a hurry to see her. I promised myself I wouldn’t pursue her because I would only end up hurting her. That went out the window when I saw her in the restaurant. God, she looked hot.

The minute my last meeting is over, I call my driver to let him know he’s needed.

I grab my jacket and head to the elevators. Remi is at his desk. He looks up when I walk by.

“I have to run some errands,” I tell him. “Don’t know when I’ll be back. Once you get done with your work, you can go.”

From there I head to Kim’s. I’m going to surprise her by just showing up. I have to bribe the doorman to let me in and to not warn her I’m coming. I knock on the door, and she swings it open. Her jaw drops. I’m the last person she expects to see.

She wants to slam the door in my face, I can tell, so I hustle on by her before she can act.

“What are you doing here?” she asks.

Though I hoped she would be happy to see me, I knew she wouldn’t. She’s changed out of her dress and is now wearing tight-fitting yoga pants and a loose-fitting T-shirt. I was right. She looks good in everything.

Her place is cozy and not filled with knickknacks. I hate useless stuff in a room. Don’t understand how people can have so many needless decorations lying around. And don’t even get me started on pillows. Her couch has two on it, and they appear to be well used.

I look back at her. She’s standing by the open door.

“We need to talk,” I tell her.

A sketchpad is lying on the coffee table. I pick it up and flip through the drawings. These must be designs for jewelry she makes. Cool. I don’t know much about jewelry, but I know she makes a good living.

She snatches the sketchbook from me and lays it on the kitchen island, turns around and glares at me.

“Why are you here?”

Excellent question. I don’t really know why, but I can’t stay away from her. She’s different from the other woman I’ve been with. I could leave them without a second thought. But with Kim … The moment I saw her today, I knew I couldn’t stay away any longer.

“I’ve missed you.”

I don’t look at her because I’m afraid of what I’ll see in her eyes.

She doesn’t say anything, so I turn around. She’s blinking rapidly.

I continue, “I got scared that night with you. I didn’t want to leave, but I didn’t know if I could handle a relationship either. When I saw you today ...”

I shrug. Don’t know how to explain this to her. I’ve never been one to express himself.

I take a deep breath and continue, “I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed you until I saw you at the restaurant. Didn’t like the guy crowding you, either.”

I rest my elbows on my knees and drop my head into my hands. Fuck, I hope I made sense. I don’t know how to explain my feelings to her. I like her, a lot. Have since the first time I saw her. It’s not just her looks that captivate me, but how sweet and guileless she is. She’s the real deal.

She moves closer and takes my hand, sits on the coffee table in front of me. Doesn’t look mad, either, just a little shell-shocked.

I scooch forward on the couch. “Leaving you that night wasn’t one of my finer moments. You aren’t a one-night stand. You’re much more.”

Her lips tighten. “I was hurt when I woke up the next morning,” she says. “You didn’t even leave a note.”

A frown mars her beautiful face. I shouldn’t have slept with her, but I wanted her so badly. And I want her just as badly now. My dick is getting hard just being near her.

I pull her to me to where she’s straddling me, legs on either side of my lap. I hold her face between my hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Will you give me another chance?”

I lean in for a kiss, hoping she won’t reject me. She doesn’t.