Reason to Stay
5
Tracy jumped then glanced up at Josh’s amused gaze and slightly smirking lips. The mischief dancing in his eyes annoyed her. Her heart hammered against her chest reminding her that he had startled her. Anger rushed in and easily drowned her fear. Tracy immediately scowled, turning away from Josh. Her shoulders hunched like a protective barrier between them.
She hated that Josh somehow managed to get under her skin once again. Just once Tracy wanted to best him. But she never did find an opportunity.
“Aw, Tracy, don’t be like that,” Josh said softly, voice dropping to its familiar teasing tone.
She shot him a dark look and moved away. “Fuck off.”
Rolling his eyes, Josh stepped closer and snatched her wrist in his hand. Growling, Tracy found herself trapped in his unexpected embrace. His arms tightened their grip and her head fell back against his chest. Josh stroked her arm for a moment then kissed the shell of her ear.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Okay, Tracy? I’m sorry.”
She stiffened then slowly turned her head to see his face. Tracy kept her expression blank as she regarded his eyes. “Are you?”
Josh snorted and she grimaced hating to imagine what might be in her hair now. Honestly, Tracy thought she broke him of that habit. Of course, he had to prove her wrong. Josh pressed another kiss to her ear, pulling her closer with a gentle tug. She shivered at the breath against her neck.
Tracy felt Josh’s lips pull into a smile against her skin. “Of course. Why shouldn’t I be?”
His hands glided down to rest on her hip. Fingertips gently rubbed the exposed skin, absently playing with the hem of her shirt. Tracy leaned back, tilting her head to the side and felt his lips brush against her neck. Her soft gasp caused Josh to smile again. His teeth teased the skin before he straightened and released her.
Turning around, Tracy draped her arms across his shoulders and looked up into his eyes. Josh’s hand came up to gently clasp her wrists as he stared at her. Her breath almost caught when she saw the sincerity in his gaze.
“I am sorry,” Josh whispered, leaning forward. “Very.”
Tracy studied his determined expression. A furrow appeared between his brows while he watched her. She absently wondered how she never realized that shade of green brought out the color of his eyes. Josh’s lips curled into a faint smile almost like he heard her. Tracy would have been irritated if it wasn’t for that sense of intentness directed at her. She had never found herself as the sole focus of one person; it seemed unsettling and intriguing to know she could be.
She looked away and nervously darted a tongue across her lips. Lowering her chin to his shoulder, Tracy nodded once. “I know.”
Josh’s expression softened and he dropped his hands to her waist pulling her firmly against him. “Okay.”
She hated that Josh somehow managed to get under her skin once again. Just once Tracy wanted to best him. But she never did find an opportunity.
“Aw, Tracy, don’t be like that,” Josh said softly, voice dropping to its familiar teasing tone.
She shot him a dark look and moved away. “Fuck off.”
Rolling his eyes, Josh stepped closer and snatched her wrist in his hand. Growling, Tracy found herself trapped in his unexpected embrace. His arms tightened their grip and her head fell back against his chest. Josh stroked her arm for a moment then kissed the shell of her ear.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Okay, Tracy? I’m sorry.”
She stiffened then slowly turned her head to see his face. Tracy kept her expression blank as she regarded his eyes. “Are you?”
Josh snorted and she grimaced hating to imagine what might be in her hair now. Honestly, Tracy thought she broke him of that habit. Of course, he had to prove her wrong. Josh pressed another kiss to her ear, pulling her closer with a gentle tug. She shivered at the breath against her neck.
Tracy felt Josh’s lips pull into a smile against her skin. “Of course. Why shouldn’t I be?”
His hands glided down to rest on her hip. Fingertips gently rubbed the exposed skin, absently playing with the hem of her shirt. Tracy leaned back, tilting her head to the side and felt his lips brush against her neck. Her soft gasp caused Josh to smile again. His teeth teased the skin before he straightened and released her.
Turning around, Tracy draped her arms across his shoulders and looked up into his eyes. Josh’s hand came up to gently clasp her wrists as he stared at her. Her breath almost caught when she saw the sincerity in his gaze.
“I am sorry,” Josh whispered, leaning forward. “Very.”
Tracy studied his determined expression. A furrow appeared between his brows while he watched her. She absently wondered how she never realized that shade of green brought out the color of his eyes. Josh’s lips curled into a faint smile almost like he heard her. Tracy would have been irritated if it wasn’t for that sense of intentness directed at her. She had never found herself as the sole focus of one person; it seemed unsettling and intriguing to know she could be.
She looked away and nervously darted a tongue across her lips. Lowering her chin to his shoulder, Tracy nodded once. “I know.”
Josh’s expression softened and he dropped his hands to her waist pulling her firmly against him. “Okay.”