Page 20 of Unraveling the Truth About Love
He drew back. His eyes said,I want you.His hands on her waist choreographed,I need you, and Riley wondered if he could read her desires just as easily. But her mindstruggled with a thought she tried to push away.
He’s my boss.
She swallowed hard, reaching for her voice, which was buried beneath a thick stream of lust. “I’m…sorry. Yes,” she managed.
He kissed her on the cheek. “I respect your decision.”
Josh took a step back, and Riley swore she felt her heart trying to claw its way through her chest to join him.
“Shall we?” He motioned toward the sidewalk.I want youlingered in his eyes.
Riley tried to ignore the battling voices in her head.Sneak around? Are you stupid? You don’t tell someone like Josh you want to sneak around. You don’t even want to! I have to. Claudia will make my life a nightmare. You’re insane. Point taken. I’m talking to myself. Stopitstopitstopit.
They walked along Times Square. Josh pointed out shops and talked aboutthe different districts in the city, and as he spoke, Riley’s mind wandered. The combination of high-rise buildings, neon lights, and the rush of cars should have held her transfixed. New York was everything Weston was not, but she was so taken with everything about Josh that the streets, which surely breathed life into the air, were muted by the bubble of romance that had formed around them. Thememory of her hand in his was so strong that when she made a fist, it was his palm she felt on her fingertips. She licked her lips and tasted Josh’s sweetness. The smell of his cologne was pungent, and with every shift of the evening air, it reminded her of how close their bodies had been only moments earlier. When she concentrated really hard, she could recall the faint scratch of his five-o’clockshadow as it grazed her cheek.
A cab blew its horn, startling Riley.
“You okay?” Josh asked.
“Yeah.” She shook her head to try to escape the dreamy state she’d fallen into. Times Square came back into focus. “This is beautiful. Does it go on all night? The people, the lights, the cars?”
“Pretty much.” He reached for her hand as they crossed the street and then quickly pulled it back. “Sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry. I know this must seem really stupid to you, but I don’t want Claudia to have anything to hold over my head, and I know New York is a really big city and the chances of her or someone she knows seeing us is probably slim, but—”
“Not as slim as you might think. When the media is in need of gossip, I’m definitely a target,” he said with a shake of his head.
“Just so you know, that’snot very comforting.”This is going to be harder than I thought.“I really want to have a chance in the industry, and I can’t do that if I start out with a reputation of dating not just the boss, but…well…you. Famed, iconic fashion designer Josh Braden.”I sound like a fan girl.
He slowed his pace. “I don’t think it’s stupid at all. I might not like sneaking around, but that’s just me being selfishbecause I haven’t wanted to hold a woman’s hand or take her face in my hands and kiss her until she forgets her name—” He stopped walking and stepped toward her.
Kiss him. Just do it.Riley was lost in the thought of what he wanted to do. She couldn’t move, could barely think past what that kiss would feel like.
“In forever,” Josh said. “And you spur all of that in me.” His eyes searched hers.“When we were together back home, I felt something, but I wasn’t sure if it was real or not.”
He looked away, and Riley’s breath caught. His profile was even more striking set against the backdrop of Times Square.
“I felt it, too,” she whispered. She wasn’t sure if he’d heard her, and she wasn’t brave enough to say it again.
“I understand why you want to be careful, and as I said, I respectyour decision,” he explained. “That doesn’t mean it’ll be easy, and if I stand here looking at your beautiful face, I’m liable to do something that in no way resembles sneaking.” Josh put his hand on the small of her back for a step or two. “Come on. I want to show you something.” He shoved his hand in his pants pocket.
It was all Riley could do to keep breathing. She followed alongside him insilence, the sounds of the busy street fading behind them. When they crossed Fifth Avenue, they were swallowed by an enchanting hush. Unlike Times Square, there were no neon lights or open storefronts. It was as if they had walked into a secret world, and in that peaceful hush, Riley’s pulse calmed and her mind cleared, and she was finally able to think clearly.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“It’s a surprise, but we’re almost there. This is one of my favorite stretches of sidewalk. Can you feel it?” He held his hands out to his sides as they walked.
“The peaceful, magical aura?” Riley asked.
“Yes. I never really knew what to call it, but that’s definitely spot-on.” He put his hands back in his pockets, and Riley wondered if it was to temper his desire to hold her hand—or more.
They came upon busier streets and bright lights, and the serene hush vanished like a thought in the wind.
“Is that—” Riley felt her eyes grow wide.
“Grand Central Station.” A smile stretched across his lips. “I’ve lived here for so long that I almost forgot how spectacular this place really is.”
“It’s brilliant,” she said. “Are we going in there?”
