Chasing Joshua (2 page)
"Okay.” Joshua extended his hands, and she gripped them. He pulled her quickly knowing slow would be agonizing. She weighed less than he thought, and she shot up like a spring into his arms.
"Owe.” Evelyn gripped his arms hard as they fell around her back. At five foot six she was petite compared to this man. He had to be six foot something and weigh over two hundred in muscle alone. And for some reason, even through the pain, she was aware of his muscles. How they felt. She could also smell his scent, soap, and a little sweat, probably because of her. And something not so pleasant, oh, that was her.
"My bad, I thought you'd be heavier, I mean you seemed heaver up the stairs.” Joshua knew that regardless the circumstances he had just made a mistake. Indicating a woman heavier is never a good idea. Now she had the right to kill him. “I mean, you're all muscle. It weighs more than fat, you know."
"Whatever.” Evelyn wanted to kick him in the shin, but she needed his support to stand right now. The fact that he seemed uncomfortable and barely blushing was the only thing that saved his ass. “Shower."
"Okay.” Joshua had never met a one word woman, but apparently that was because he had never met Evelyn before. She commanded; she didn't ask or request. “Hold on."
Joshua lifted her in his arms quickly before she could protest. He knew this woman was in pain, but he couldn't tell the extent until he could clean her up. If she wanted to muscle her way through the whole thing, she could try. But there was no way he could let a woman, even one who threatens his life every ten minutes, suffer like this.
"I can walk.” Evelyn breathed short choppy breaths because her chest ached so much. Or because being in his arms alarmed her.
Who was this man? Obviously he was stupid because if he knew her at all, he would fear touching her like this. No man touched her, not in years. Sure, she had used the suggestion of her body to get information now and then, but she never followed through. And the suggestion was verbal, not physical. Men were scum, abusers and losers in her opinion. It was a man who hit her with a two by four. Luckily, it caught her bulletproof vest or her ribs may have broken. She had taken the vest and her jacket off in the car, the weight was too much for the long drive.
"You need to save your strength for standing.” Joshua knew there was no way she would allow him to help her bathe. He wouldn't if the roles were reversed.
Joshua sat Evelyn on the commode seat and kneeled in front of her. He looked at her swollen lip and black eye and swallowed the fury that was growing inside him. Her big brown eyes were soft and innocent. Who would do such a thing to a woman?
"Okay, I'll help you get undressed. Turn my back, you can take off your underwear and use my back for leverage till you get in the shower.” He spoke gently. In his mind he started to worry that maybe she had been raped. He had seen rape victims. It made him sick, literally, he threw up. That's when they moved him to handle narcotics instead. “No one has touched you, right?"
"Touched me?” her words were like venom. “No. I did this to my own fucking face. Yeah someone touched me, but I touched them, too. Don't worry"
"No, I mean.” He took a breath. She was a hellion all right. Angry, confused. Maybe even a battered wife? “Touched you touched you."
Her laugh hurt. It was a relief though. This oversized bear was a big ole pussycat. He was worried about her virtue, like she had any.
"No. No one has touched me.” Evelyn tried not to snort but really. This was part of the job. Granted, she had never been beat up this bad on the job before, but she had when she was a child, worse. And then, yes, someone had touched her, or rather had her touch them. Where was prince charming when she was eleven? The buried memory took her by surprise, and she needed to get in the shower before she could fight the tears no longer. She was tough, but after a fight, when she was safe, she cried. “Pull."
Joshua grabbed the sleeves on the long black shirt she wore. Evelyn drew her arms back, and he could tell she was hiding her pain.
"I'm Joshua, by the way,” he said as he lifted the shirt over her head.
"My personal angel. I'm Evelyn. But you already know that. How long was I out? Did you touch me?” Evelyn snickered. Her sense of humor was crude, but that comes with the job as well.
"Hell No!” Joshua's voice was low and serious. She must be nuts. He didn't look a thing like an angel. A devil, yeah, he had been called that a time or two. “I'm no angel. Stand up. But no man should put his hands on a woman like this."
Evelyn pressed her hands on his shoulders and pushed up to her feet. She had made a mistake insulting him, but she always insulted men. It was a habit. Her ankle started to burn under the weight, and her fingers started to warm.
"I was just fucking with you, lighten up.” Evelyn realized something right then, as her hands touched smooth flesh. Joshua was almost naked himself. She looked down and watched him gently unfasten her black jeans which were covered in mud and realized he was muddy now, too. He had carried her upstairs. He had carried her into the bathroom.
Shit.
His black hair had mud in it. It was all she could do to keep from touching it.
"Your ribs look pretty red. You get hit with something?” Joshua knew she had been in one hell of a fight. He kept trying to force that out of his mind, but the longer he looked at her, the more he turned back into a cop.
"A two by four,” Evelyn said in a whisper. Then her eyes opened wide again. Why was she whispering? She was awfully comfortable to be getting naked in front of a strange man, but the heat from his shoulders was pressing through the palm of her hands. Up her arms. Around her shoulders. Through her abdomen. And down to her toes.
"Who did this?” Joshua pulled the wet jeans tugging one side and then the other. They were stuck to her hips, and that was distracting enough. Evelyn was lean. Her abs defined. She wasn't muscular like a body builder, but she had definite muscle tone all over.
What kind of job does this woman do?
"Some jerk in a bar.” Evelyn thought back to the hours before she ended up here. She was set up, and she knew it now. Of course hindsight was twenty-twenty. She couldn't go home. There was no home to go to, so she set out for safety. This was her safe house. Grace was more trusting than she was. But Grace had grown up with a loving mother. Evelyn's mother was murdered when she was eleven. She witnessed it.
Joshua had worked the wet pants down to her ankles. His mind was focused as much as he could keep it on the task at hand. This woman needed his attention and not the kind that kept flickering into his thoughts. Alone for over two years now, it had been a while since he'd been with a woman. Damned if she wasn't perfect, with a figure like an hourglass. He wanted to kick his own ass for thinking about it, but her body was too much to ignore completely.
"Three men actually.” Evelyn snickered at the memory. Three fucking men, and yet she still escaped. No wonder Nikolai hated her; he was always two steps behind in the chase. But never had she expected him to retaliate like this. And never the other two, she had helped them before. Something was wrong with the whole thing. Nothing made sense.
Joshua swallowed her words hard. A man had done this to her; men had done this. Hit her with a two by four and she seemed to take it on the chin like it happened every day. That seemed crazy. He looked up and realized she was watching him. Her eyes were lighter now, more relaxed but no less intent on him. She still didn't trust him. He couldn't blame her after that last disclosure.
"Do you know who they are?” Joshua held his tone low and gentle. He didn't want to scare her. He wanted to know because he wanted to go scare them. He had pulled her shoes off and set them aside. “Lift your foot."
"Nah, like I said. I was at a bar.” Evelyn lifted her left foot and then her right as he freed her from the wet jeans. His focus went to her feet as she moved, and suddenly she wanted his eyes on hers again. His eyes were mesmerizing, sincere. She saw something in them. Compassion maybe? She was now in her bra and panties. She couldn't remember the last time she was alone with a man. It had to of been at least three years.
"Where?” Joshua stood as promised. Evelyn still held his shoulders, and her hands slid to his bare chest as he stood. She didn't move them. “Where were you? Were you drinking?"
"No, I wasn't drinking, and my whereabouts are not your business.” Evelyn couldn't believe how many questions he asked. Sure she was a stranger, beat up and in his house, but damn. Then she realized something; there was no way her arms would reach back and unfasten her bra without disclosing how bad she really felt. And there was no way she was going to look that weak in front of a man. “Can you unfasten me?"
"What?” Joshua was processing her belligerence when he realized what she was asking. Maybe she needed a shower and some rest; she could answer questions later. He would try to hold back. “Uh."
"What you never saw breasts before?” Evelyn had no choice. It was take a shower with it on or have him take it off. She wanted to be free of the strap and the pressure it was putting on her ribs, damn underwire bras.
"Only on T.V.” Of course he had seen breasts before, lots of them, multiple pairs at once. He was a dog in his youth. Joshua flipped the strap loose effortlessly with two fingers. His eyes were up to the ceiling, and all she could see was his long neck and the bottom of his chin. The material went loose. “I'm turning around now."
"Learn that from T.V. too?” Evelyn couldn't believe he had a shot at looking at her bare breasts, even permission, yet he didn't. She also couldn't believe he popped that strap with two fingers. She can't get the damn thing undone without both hands. It was an unexpected jolt that hit her right in the groin. How could she possibly think of sex at a time like this? Her hands slid around his chest to his back as he turned. His warm skin was like silk beneath them.
The feel of his body was like nothing she had ever felt before. Warm, soft, the silky hair that spread over his chest, well, that's how. She answered her own question. How could she not think about sex? He was gorgeous, tall, dark hair, green eyes, a body that went on for days.
"Tell me when to move.” Joshua hung his head low now and Evelyn's soft hands were on his back. He could see his own body dirty with mud and blood, and who knew what else was on her. He should have used gloves. Her hands seemed to press harder and then softer. It almost felt like she was trying to rub his shoulder blades rather than lean on him for stability. He could use a good back rub. He bit hard clenching his jaw, swallowing his thoughts. His boxer briefs would betray any wayward thoughts.
Think of your mother, think of your sister, think of any woman you would hate to see naked.
"Okay, I'm ready.” Evelyn had pushed her panties down as far as she could and loosened her legs so they would fall to the floor. She stepped out of them as she leaned heavily on his back and felt her ankle give under the pressure. She had forgotten about that till now. No doubt it was swelling now her shoes were off. “Shit. Shit. Shit."
"Ankle?” Joshua knew as soon as he took the boot off it would begin to swell. At this point he had two areas to bandage, one busted lip to disinfect, and an eye to ice. Hell, she reminded him of himself once upon a time. That was a scary thought. No woman would be out there fighting like that. He was a trained professional. She was, well, he didn't know who she was. But the women he knew on the force who really ran with the big dogs, well, they didn't look like Evelyn. That's for sure.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” She stepped into the shower and braced herself on the wall.
Joshua lowered himself with his back still to her and turned the water on. Sitting at the side of the tub he knew that ankle was killing her to balance on. He would have her put the towel around herself, and he would lift her out instead when she's done. He pulled the shower knob, and the water burst through.
"I'll get you some dry clothes and bandages.” Joshua left to Evelyn's cursing words, carrying her muddy shoes and clothes in his hands.
"Damn. Damn. Owe. Damn.” Evelyn cursed at every little pain. Now the water hit the busted lip and all the little scrapes and scratches she wasn't aware of until just now. She wanted to look in the bathroom mirror but thought better of it. Nikolai was a big name for such a little man. That's why he needed the two by four. He won this battle, yes, but not the war.
Joshua opened the laundry and dumped her clothes in. The phone rang.
"Hello?” It was about five a.m. now and Joshua was tired. Evelyn was in the shower, and Grace was on the phone.
"Josh, I'm sorry you have to deal with this.” Grace was sincere. “I never imagined she would show back up. For all I knew she could have been dead."
"Well, in all fairness I almost shot her. Then when I saw her, I just couldn't.” Joshua thought back to the moment he realized it was a woman in his kitchen. When he turned on the light, he was both startled by the gun pointing back at him and amazed that she was still standing. The woman looked like she had just walked through hell to be there, and he couldn't take the shot.
"What about you?” Grace asked with a knowing smirk. “Not many men would survive a surprise drop from Evelyn Blade."
"She's beat up, remember. Besides, I'm one of a kind.” Joshua wanted to know what this woman did for a living and why Grace knew she would have the drop on him.
She didn't have the drop on me.
It was weird. And he didn't like it. If Evelyn Blade was on the wrong side of the law, she would be out his door in a minute.
"How bad?” Grace sounded concerned.
"Still waiting, she's in the shower.” Joshua started the laundry and shut the door. He set the only thing in her pocket—a key, presumably a car key—on the washer. He would figure out what car later.
"She does some secret job that keeps her in danger. Tracks people down or something. She was a Marine, you know, military police. I receive postcards now and then letting me know she's alive, but..."
"Is that right?” Joshua understood a lot of things more clearly now. Her movements, her discipline. He wanted to know more. “Is she still in? How do you know her? I've received several blank postcards. No name just the address here. I thought it was an advertisement."
"No, that's Evelyn. She's been out of the military for a while, I think. I met her in college. We both hated art appreciation and were both redheads. Us redheads gotta stick together.” Grace made a weary laugh.
Joshua could hear his cousin remark about that last statement. Ethan was an artist, a well-known, well paid artist, and his wife just confessed to hating art appreciation in college.
"Well look I have to help her get out of the shower. I'll have her call later. I'm sure she's going to need sleep.” Joshua took a breath. “Don't come right now, Grace. Wait until she asks for you."
"She's letting you help her?” Grace sounded very skeptical.
"She has no choice.” Joshua grimaced at the way Grace asked that.
"No, I mean, that's good. I never thought I would see the day, but hey, if you say so.” Grace really needed to talk to Evelyn because apparently a lot had changed for them both in the past few years.
"Grace, if she's committed a crime, I can't keep her here.” Joshua felt awkward. It was still Grace's house, but he lived in it.
"It's your home, Joshua. You're my family. She's my friend. But she hasn't committed a crime. I wouldn't think.” Grace lifted a brow at that thought.
"That makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, Grace, thanks.” Joshua smirked. “I'll have her call you."