Close to Perfect (11 page)

Josh really hated that, and having to restrain himself, but he would because he wanted her to trust him.

He's a good man,
she had told her dad.

He would be with her, because she was special. He wouldn't push it, he wouldn't rush her.

She wouldn't allow it.

Shaking his head, Josh heard her moving around her room, and then the faint sounds of her voice. After a moment he figured she wasn't talking to herself, but to someone on her cell.

Her dad? Probably.

That man didn't want her here; that was painfully obvious. Not that it made a bit of difference. No matter how hard it would prove to be, Josh was determined to win Tess over—and her father, too. Whatever it took.

She was definitely worth it.

 

 

The following morning, Tess felt like the living dead. She had never been good at sleeping over at someone else's house, and the fact that she knew Josh was just down the hall, in bed, surely naked, hadn't helped matters.

Every time she heard the slightest noise, her heart had jumped to her throat, because she thought he might be coming down the hall to her room.

A part of her didn't want that, while an even greater part of her did.

By midnight, Tess had been so tightly wound she shut off the air-conditioning and opened the French doors. Her veranda was next to his, but the lights in Josh's bedroom were off so Tess couldn't see a thing past his open doors, not even when she hung over her railing.

Returning to her room, she put on the ceiling fans, stripped to skin, then lay on her bed and listened to the sounds of the night. Wind rustled through the trees, the ocean murmured against the shore, insects buzzed, she sighed again and again as she pictured Josh padding into this room, coming to this bed, watching her as she continued to explore her nudity, fondling her breasts, caressing her belly, then finally stroking her clit until she was breathless.

Only after Tess brought herself to completion for the third time was she able to catch some sleep. By then, it was nearly dawn and she felt like hell now as she sat in the kitchen.

Gulping her second cup of coffee, Tess swallowed hard, then bit into an English muffin slathered with butter and strawberry jam. At just that moment she caught movement in the corner of her eye. Looking up, she saw Josh.

Her brows lifted, while a dribble of that jam slipped over her bottom lip to fall on her chin.

Tess forgot to wipe it off as her gaze caressed Josh's broad, naked chest, those well-toned pecs, and his strong arms that were lifted as he pushed his fingers through his hair, while yawning loudly.

Her nostrils flared to his unrestrained manner. Her gaze drifted over his impressive morning stubble, then down to the waistband of his black pajama bottoms and lower—his long, hard shaft pushing against that silky fabric.

Tess swallowed her food, forgetting to chew. Her gaze lingered on his erection, it adored, before moving back up.

Josh was no longer yawning. His fingers remained in his hair, while his expression said he just now noticed her. Glancing down to her mouth, he next looked at that jam on her chin.

Tess swiped at it with the back of her hand.

Josh warned himself not to smile even though he had never seen a woman look more adorable or inviting. Her hair was bed-mussed, her features still plump and dewy from sleep, while the smear of jam that remained on her chin just begged to be licked off.

Not that she would allow him to do that. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't join her. Josh lowered his hands and was crossing the room when a shrieking alarm went off.

“Holy shit!” he hollered, stopping dead. His hands flew to his ears. “What in the fuck is—hey!” he shouted to an older man who just came inside, “Who in the hell are you?”

Ignoring him, the man reached past Josh to a keypad on the wall where he easily punched in a code that stopped the alarm.

Despite the blessed quiet, Josh's ears were still ringing. “Damn.”

“Watch your mouth,” the guy ordered. “There's a lady present.”

“I've heard worse,” Tess said, serene as could be.

Josh turned his head to her.

“I'm sure you have,” the old guy said, “but you won't from him.”

Huh? Josh looked at the man who was now glaring at his naked chest.

“You don't own clothes like normal people?” he asked. “You never think to get dressed?”

This couldn't be her dad. If it was, Josh figured he'd be dead by now. He glared back. “Not in my own home where you haven't been invited.” He looked at Tess. “You know this guy?”

She lifted her gaze from his chest. “Yup.”

“Yup?” he asked when she added nothing more.

Tess lifted one finger, asking for a moment, as she finished chewing her food. After swallowing, she moved her finger between him and the old guy. “Hank Rogan, Josh Wyatt. Josh Wyatt, Hank Rogan.”

Josh looked at the man. Despite his fifty or so years he was a freaking tank with a barrel chest, fists as big as grapefruits, dyed black hair, a full mustache, and a broken nose.

“Josh,” Tess said, “where are your manners?”

He looked at her. “What?”

She mouthed,
Shake Hank's hand.

Josh frowned. “You expect me to shake his hand?”

Hank leaned over to Josh and said in a normal voice, “I don't think she wants you to give me a kiss.” He straightened and looked at her, “Right, Tessie?”

She lifted her shoulders in a
who-cares?
shrug. “Up to him. Josh?”

He pressed his fingers to his forehead. “Who in the—” He abruptly paused before he swore, inhaled deeply, then dropped his hand as he turned to Hank. “Who exactly are you?”

“Hank's a retired cop and a friend of my dad,” Tess said.

“A really devoted friend to both Freddy and Tessie,” the man added.

Figures. Josh put out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Hank muttered, “Uh-huh,” which sounded more like
drop dead,
then took Josh's hand and really squeezed.

Fuck that. Josh squeezed right back.

“Ah, guys,” Tess finally said, “play nice.”

Hank grunted out his words. “Don't you worry. I won't break his fingers.”

Josh clenched his jaw as he tightened his grip.

“I'm not worried about his fingers,” Tess said. “Josh used to work in construction. He's very strong.”

He looked at her. Her gaze was on that tattoo between his shoulders, before moving to his ass. Her delicate nostrils flared as she took a very deep breath.

Josh figured if she kept doing that with Hank in the room, she'd get him killed for turning her on.

At last, Josh loosened his grip and yanked back his hand.

Hank's chest continued to pump as if he was in real pain, though he kept that out of his voice. “Didn't hurt you, did I?”

“If we don't count your alarm puncturing my eardrums, then no.”

“Alarms are supposed to be loud.” Hank rolled his eyes as if Josh was a moron. “That's what makes them alarms.”

Tess giggled.

Josh looked at her, then back at Hank. “Did you install a new alarm system in my house?”

“You needed a better one,” Tess said, then continued when Josh frowned. “Hank came out here very early just to upgrade it. You should thank him.”

“For roaming around my house and changing everything while I was out cold?”

“Tessie put you in your place last night, huh?” Hank asked.

Josh swung his head to him.

“He was a perfect gentleman,” Tess said.

Josh turned to her. His expression said it all—she sure as hell better not get used to his being a perfect gentleman, not when she looked so fucking luscious. He wasn't that good of a man.

She knew. Her cheeks flushed pink.

Josh was pleased, but hardly finished. His gaze traveled her silky throat and chest to that unbelievably sexy camisole. It was a delicate green, there were tiny bows on each of the thin straps, and best of all, she wasn't wearing a bra.

Her nipples were as hard as his cock as they pressed against that stretchy fabric.

Josh smiled, then frowned as Hank punched his arm.

“Don't hit me again,” Josh growled.

“Then pay attention,” Hank growled.

Josh flicked his gaze at Tess, before addressing Hank. “To what?”

“Your new code.” He jabbed his thumb towards the keypad, then punched in the numbers five, four, three, two, one. “There. Got it?”

“You might have to write it down.”

“We could put it on your chest,” Tess said.

Josh turned his head to her.

“So you don't forget it,” she added in a strangled voice as her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

Josh arched one brow at her making fun of him, but couldn't have been more pleased. That suppressed laughter was causing her breasts to quiver very nicely.

He looked lower, and immediately approved of her silky boxers that were also a delicate green.

Her arms and legs were bare, her skin moist with the morning heat and desire. Josh saw that in her eyes as her laughter finally wound down and her gaze became slightly glazed.

Hank punched him in the biceps again.

Damn. Josh glared at the man.
“What?”

Hank worked his jaw as if to say—
What else? Keep your damn eyes off of her.
At last, he opened his left hand and held it out to Josh, palm up.

Josh looked down and saw a black piece of plastic, no bigger than a key chain alarm.

“Take it,” Hank ordered.

Not a chance. “What is it?”

“A panic button,” Hank said, his tone dry. “It transmits a panic alarm.”

Josh looked at him.

Hank arched one bushy black brow. “Just in case you need my help in fighting off the babes.”

Tess made a strangled sound from behind.

When Josh looked, he noticed her shoulders were really shaking as she tried not to laugh.

Hmmmm.
He turned back to Hank. “Why do I need that—or you—to fight off the babes? I have Tess for that. You should have been here last night. She did a great job when Libby—”

Tess interrupted. “What?”

Josh noticed she wasn't laughing now. In fact, she seemed kind of stunned. Still, he gave her an innocent look. “Huh?”

She frowned. “You heard?”

“Libby?” he asked, then shrugged. “Well, yeah, that's why I have an intercom out there.”

“Really.” Tess's brows continued to draw together. “You didn't answer when I announced
my
arrival.”

“Why not?” Hank asked.

Josh ignored him so that he could play with her a little more as she was always playing with him. “Tess, you know why. I was busy scr—” He was about to say
screwing,
but thought better of it. “I was busy,” he repeated, then pointed to the ceiling fan, the screws he had put in. “Remember?”

Tess took a sip of coffee as her gaze remained on him.

Josh gave her a sweet smile, then turned to Hank. “I don't think I'll be needing you.”

The man crossed his arms over his chest. “That's for Freddy to decide.”

“Aren't I the customer here?”

Ignoring him, Hank spoke to Tess. “About those intruder sensors in the lawn, I—”

“Whoa,” Josh said. “You want to put sensors in my lawn?”

Hank took a deep breath, then leveled his gaze on Josh. “You want to be safe, right?”

“Safe, not paranoid. Sensors in my lawn seem a little extreme.”

“Land mines are extreme,” Hank countered. “Traps are extreme, especially those with metal teeth that clamp down as soon as you—”

“I get the picture.”

Hank turned to Tess. “About his car.”

“What about it?” Josh asked.

Hank lifted his gaze to the ceiling as if his patience was really being tried. “We're thinking about putting a safety release inside your trunk.” He looked at Tess. “Just in case one of those babes wants to kidnap him.”

Tess lifted her brows.

Josh frowned.

Hank ignored him as he talked to Tess. “You want anti-passback for any of the employees?”

She swallowed her sip of coffee, then shook her head. “No need. I've already checked out the maid service, and Josh doesn't have a cook or a chauffeur or even a pool person, just an intercom he doesn't answer.”

He lowered his head and shook it.

Hank continued, “I've set up five zones to make this easy.”

Easy? Josh was getting dizzy as Hank went on and on about access controls, arming levels, video motion detection, and whatnot. The guy was making it sound like he was arming Fort Knox against an inva—

“Whoa,” Josh said, interrupting Hank and his own thoughts. “Did you just say closed-circuit TV?”

“That's right. You want me to explain to you what that is?”

Josh frowned. “No. I know what it is. You've got cameras in here?” His gaze darted around this room looking for those cameras that were probably being monitored at her father's place to see if big, bad Josh was doing anything naughty to little Tessie, who knew Krav Maga and just about everything else to make him non-ambulatory so that he behaved.

“On the outside,” Hank said. “Around your pool, where you seem to be having the most trouble with paparazzi, because you don't swim dressed.”