Page 11 of All The Happily Ever Afters

This is not good.

As she closes the door behind her, the only thing I can think is that I am so fucked.

JOSHUA

Iexcel at reading body language. And right now my Cherry is looking to bolt, but more than that, she’s turned on. I have to resist the urge to smile. I want her. I want her badly. And it’s obvious that she wants me too.

“Do you want to try it out?” I ask her as she tries to right herself. She still hasn’t spoken and I can practically hear the questions on the tip of her tongue.

There’s a spark between us, a recognition of desire and want. But our past is in the way and all I want is for it to move aside so I can take her like I’m meant to.

“Joshua,” she finally says my name as I walk closer to her, standing at a safe distance, but close enough to talk easily.

“How are you Alena?”

She nods her head as her fingertips roll the hem of her dress nervously and she glances behind me at the door. Her cheeks are colored with a violent blush that looks beautiful on her.

“How did you-” she starts to ask, but she doesn’t complete the thought.

It could be one of many questions.

How did I get here?

How did I know she was here?

I decide to lay it all out for her and let her choose what to do with it.

“I knew you were coming.” I answer her. My heart races as her eyes widen. “In fact, I asked Madam Lynn to send you the invitation.” I spot the large wing back chair and decide to take a seat. It will be less intimidating for her if I’m sitting.

Her lips part with a question and then slam shut. She blinks several times.

“I saw you a few weeks ago in the city and I couldn’t believe you were here.” I sit back in my chair, “I thought this may be better.” I look her in the eyes and wait for a response. It may have been easier to stop her from leaving the coffee shop, to walk up to her at the elevator before she went to work. But that would have set the wrong precedent.

This is the relationship I want. And the one she needs.

Our needs have to be established. Without it, without her willing to give both of us what we need, this relationship will fail like it did before. This time I’m going to fight for it. I want her badly enough to convince her to give this a chance.

“I wanted to see you here. I wanted to offer you this.” I gesture around the room.

She blinks several times and then a small breath leaves her and her eyes gaze with lust.

“You want this?” she asks me as though she’s shocked by the truth. Her hands reach up to her collarbone and she looks at me with a raw vulnerability I’ve only seen in her eyes once. The night I first made her mine. All those years ago.

I nod my head once. “I want this with you.”

She seems to come out of the lust filled haze and realize she’s in a room with me, a man who she’s hardly spoken to in years. But I’m still a man she once loved. A man who knew her better than anyone.

“You don’t know me, Joshua,” she starts to say although she’s obviously bothered.

“I knew you well enough to know you’d want this.” I know she’s going to fight at first. She’s not used to submitting, but I’ll earn her trust, I’ll show her it’s worth it.

It’s quiet for a moment as she takes in my confession. “Do you come here a lot?” she asks, changing the subject.

“I’m a partner in the business.” Her mouth drops some and she looks around the room with more unease than before. Insecurity obvious on her face.

This is a turn for the worse and I don’t understand why. I wasn’t expecting it.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

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