Harlequin Desire June 2020 - Box Set 1 of 2

by Maureen Child

  “How’s your father?” she asked as she set her mug down. “Still doing good?”

  His father. Those two words sounded so odd now, so foreign. He had no idea how he felt about the changes in his family, except maybe a little deceived that the people he’d loved his entire life had lied to him from the beginning.

  “Reese?”

  He blinked and focused on Josie. “He’s fine,” Reese replied. “His doctor has checked on him every day since they’ve been gone.”

  “That’s great. Your mom and dad have worked so hard and then for him to have heart surgery right after retiring—he deserves some downtime.”

  Which was one of the reasons Reese had been holding on to this letter, this secret. When the letter came, it had been with a stack of mail that Reese hadn’t gotten to immediately. He’d been so swamped with taking over the Conrad restaurants, plus working on the launch of the new one, that if something didn’t seem pressing or like an emergency, he’d put it on the back burner.

  Josie sighed and came to her feet, bringing his attention back to her.

  “I have to finish my article before my noon deadline,” she told him. “I’m just going to grab a quick shower first. Feel free to use the guest bath or head on home and get ready there. We can meet up for dinner later if you’re free.”

  She sashayed out of the room…and that was the best way he could describe those swaying hips beneath that flimsy material. It was driving him out of his mind.

  He was going to need a shower, too. A very, very cold shower to get control of this new reaction to his best friend, one he should ignore.

  Reese cleaned up the few dishes in the kitchen and headed to the spare room to throw on his clothes from yesterday and head to his house for a few things.

  As he moved toward his room, he heard a thump from one of the other guest bedrooms. Then a string of muttered curses followed and Reese let his curiosity get the best of him. He circled back to the nearly closed door and tapped his knuckles on the frame.

  “You okay?” he called.

  The door flung open and Josie seemed even more frazzled than earlier. A strand of inky black hair fell across her face and she blew it away.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, trying to peek over her shoulder.

  “Nothing.”

  Because she tried to slip out the door, Reese took it upon himself to put a hand on the wood and ease it back open.

  “You know you’re a terrible liar.”

  He stepped around her and into the room. Simple furnishings with whites and neutrals, a white rug on the hardwood, a sturdy white chair in the corner with a black-and-white-striped pillow.

  “Is this where you keep all your journalism secrets?” he joked. “Cocktail recipes or dinner party themes? Am I close?”

  “Funny,” she mocked, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t have secrets and even if I did, you would already know them.”

  The closet door was open just enough for Reese to see a slash of red. Interesting, considering he never saw her in an actual color, let alone something so vibrant.

  He moved to the closet and revealed a walk-in space full of the widest variety of colorful clothes he’d ever seen. There were two rows of hanging clothes…all with tags dangling from the sleeves. Boxes of shoes lined the perimeter of the floor and the most insane number of designer handbags in all colors and patterns topped off the high shelves.

  Reese glanced over his shoulder, turning his attention to Josie, who glared back at him.

  “Opening a department store, Jo?”

  She tipped her chin in that defiant way of hers. “No.”

  “What’s with all the brand-new clothes?” he asked, glancing back to the closet that clearly held thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise. “And all this color? Are you giving yourself a makeover?”

  Josie’s eyes darted to the open room, then down for just a second, but enough for him to see her vulnerability.

  “Want to talk about this?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Nothing to talk about. I come in here every morning before I get ready.”

  “Trying to find something to wear?”

  Why was she not just saying whatever she was thinking? For someone who wore black like it was her job, she certainly had a hell of a lot of funds tied up in a brand-new, not-black wardrobe.

  “I can’t be her,” she murmured.

  What? What did that even mean? Who couldn’t she be?

  Forgetting the lame joke he’d been going for when he first saw this shocking surprise, Reese took a step toward her, wondering what she’d been hiding and why she seemed so sad, so…almost helpless.

  She’d just told him she didn’t keep any secrets, but that had clearly been a lie because all of this was obviously something she wanted to keep to herself. How long had this closet full of color been here? And who couldn’t she be like?

  “Jo—”

  An alarm went off from somewhere in the house. Josie immediately turned from the room. Confused as to what had just happened and what the annoying noise was, Reese followed her. He was tempted to grab something from the newly discovered closet to throw over her excuse for pajamas to conceal that dark skin of hers. Granted, he wasn’t covered much, either, but she was a temptation he was having a difficult time resisting.

  There was only so much a man could take, but the risk of taking what he suddenly wanted was too much. Their friendship was too special, too perfect the way it was. He couldn’t afford for his life to get any messier.

  Reese found Josie back in the kitchen tapping away on her phone and thankfully killing that annoying alarm.

  “Sorry,” she stated with a smile. “That was my reminder to check my planner.”

  Reese stared at her as she continued to scroll. “You need a reminder to check your schedule? Isn’t that just a given?”

  Her eyes darted to his and for the briefest of seconds, that heavy-lidded gaze dipped to his chest. Well, well, well. Even with the caffeine and a somewhat better mood, she wasn’t immune to his nakedness.

  So now what? There was a sudden sexual pull that confused him, intrigued him…challenged him.

  “I have an alarm to remind me about nearly everything,” she informed him, setting her cell back on the table and turning to face him fully. “A reminder to drink all my water, feed my plants, check in with my new assistant because she seems a little overwhelmed at times, and—”

  Reese held up a hand. “I get it. I knew you were structured, but I had no idea it was to this extent.”

  Josie smiled. “I can set up your phone so you are more organized with various reminders if you want.”

  “I’ve got it all up here,” he said, tapping his head. “And my assistant is on everything before I can even think, so I’m good. I wouldn’t know what to do with that annoying alarm going off all the time.”

  “Oh, I have different alarms for different reminders,” she countered with a scoff. “I can’t have one alarm, Reese. That wouldn’t make any sense.”

  “Of course,” he mumbled, then shrugged. “What was I thinking? I guess it’s true that you never really know someone until you live with them.”

  Josie shook her head as she rolled her eyes. “We’re not living together. You can go to your place at any time.”

  “You coming with me?” he asked.

  “I’m good here, and Chris is going to be a nonissue,” she stated with more confidence than she should have.

  Why would Chris give up? Reese sure as hell wouldn’t. Josie’s ex had had the best woman in the world and he’d let her slip away.

  “I’m really going to get a shower now,” she told him. “I’m already behind on my morning routine.”

  As Josie started to pass, Reese took a step to block her. Her hands flew up and flattened on his chest, those dark eyes flash
ing up to his.

  “What’s with the closet, Jo?” he asked, really needing to understand what she was hiding, because he’d seen that flash of vulnerability and hurt and he hated knowing she experienced both.

  Though it was damn difficult to concentrate with their clothes nearly nonexistent and her hands on his bare skin. Reese had to respect her, respect their friendship and remain in control.

  Crossing that invisible barrier into something more intimate would be a mistake. Where had this damn attraction come from? Sexy was one thing, but the ache, the need was frustrating.

  “Don’t worry about the closet,” she murmured with a flashing smile. “Why don’t you worry about your upcoming restaurant opening instead of me?”

  Reese smoothed her hair back from her shoulder, once again torturing himself with the touch of her satiny skin.

  “Oh, Conrad’s Manhattan is in the forefront of my worries, but what kind of fiancé would I be if I didn’t add you to the list?” he joked.

  Josie laughed, just as he thought she would, but her eyes dropped to his lips a fraction of a second before she took a step back and sighed.

  “You’re not my fiancé, Reese. We’re just friends.”

  She licked her lips and blinked as if those last two words were painful to say.

  “Just friends,” she reiterated beneath her breath as she walked away.

  Reese didn’t turn to watch her disappear down the hallway. He needed a minute because this morning had been so bizarre. Did Josie have stronger feelings for him than she was letting on? Would she be interested in exploring more with him? And what the hell was up with all of those colorful clothes hanging in the closet with tags?

  One thing was certain: now that they were temporarily living together, Reese had to evaluate his feelings and try to figure out what the hell was truly going on between him and his best friend.

  THREE

  Rain pelted down in sheets, right onto Reese. He seriously missed his garage for this very reason. He ran from his SUV to the porch of Josie’s beachside home. The second he stepped beneath the shelter, he raked the water from his face. He was absolutely drenched and his overnight bag with dry clothes was in the car because he hadn’t wanted to get that soaked as well. He’d just have to dry off and wait out the storm.

  He rang the doorbell and glanced in through the sidelight. He didn’t see any movement, but surely she was home. He really should’ve taken that key she’d offered him a long time ago, but why would he have ever had a reason to be here without her?

  He rang the bell again and waited. Finally, the lock clicked and the door flew open. Josie stood before him in a black tank and a pair of black shorts, but her hair dripped water droplets onto her shoulders and face and she swiped moisture from her cheeks.

  “What the hell happened to you?” he asked.

  “There’s a leak above my closet,” she growled as she turned to race back toward the guest room. “This damn storm.”

  He closed the door and slid out of his wet shoes so he didn’t slide on the tile leading down the hallway. Reese followed her and realized the closet in question was the one with the hoard of colorful clothes. The contents were strewn across the room. Boxes of shoes lay haphazardly along the floor; dresses were in heaps over the chair in the corner and all over the bed. Handbags littered the space around the shoes.

  Good grief, there was even more than he’d first realized. How had all of this fit in that space? Granted it was a walk-in closet, but still. Josie really could open a boutique with all of this variety.

  Her muttered curse filtered out from inside the closet. Reese stepped in to find her strategically moving buckets beneath the drips.

  “Every time I think I have it, another area presents itself,” she told him. “I do not have time for this.”

  “Do you have more buckets?”

  She shook her head. “I have vases. There are several on the kitchen island. Just dump the flowers in the trash.”

  Reese raced from the room and headed to the kitchen where he came to an abrupt stop. The most obnoxious display of flowers covered her entire island. A wide variety of colors and blooms…all fresh and nothing Josie would ever purchase for herself.

  No surprise to find cheesy notes attached. Reese made quick work of getting rid of the flowers, then he took armfuls of vases back to the closet.

  “Want to discuss this?” Reese asked, holding a vase up and wiggling it.

  “Nope.”

  “You have thousands of dollars’ worth of flowers spread across your island.”

  “Not my money,” she said, taking one vase at a time and looking at the ceiling for where to usefully place it. “And before you say anything else, I definitely realize Chris is an issue now.”

  Well, at least that was something. Chris wasn’t going to just slink away. Reese truly believed the man thought he stood a chance at getting Josie back, but that wasn’t happening.

  “Why did you marry him to begin with?” Reese asked, his thoughts coming out before he could stop himself.

  Josie reached for another vase, her dark eyes locking on his for the briefest of moments. “That’s a conversation for another time.”

  And definitely one he would circle back to, because he’d wondered this since the moment she’d dropped the bomb that she’d eloped at the courthouse. The courthouse, for crying out loud.

  Josie deserved more than a quickie wedding. He remembered her always talking about wanting a ceremony on the beach, small and intimate. Her love of the beach was just another thing they had in common…granted, he wasn’t looking for marriage.

  That engagement of his had been a mistake and one he’d likely have to answer for when they circled back to the topic later. Josie deserved an explanation, too.

  Reese took the last two vases and looked around, but didn’t see any more leaks. He sat them aside and pulled out his cell. Getting his contractor out here as soon as this storm passed was imperative, before any more damage was done.

  Minutes later, he disconnected the call and focused back on Josie.

  “My guy will be here as soon as he can.”

  Josie glanced from bucket to bucket to vase. “This place is a mess.”

  “Have you seen any other leaks?”

  Josie’s eyes widened and she pushed passed him to exit the closet. In her hurried, frantic state, he assumed that was a no. Whatever room she went into, he looked in another. It didn’t take long to find that there were two other small leaks, both in Josie’s bedroom.

  “This is an absolute nightmare,” she sighed once the other vases were in place and they’d gone back into the kitchen.

  “It can all be fixed,” he assured her. “My guy is the best and once this storm passes, we’ll get it taken care of.”

  Josie pushed her hair from her face and stared at the mess of blooms and greenery. “I do feel bad putting them all in the trash.”

  “Then don’t.” Reese reached for one stem and picked it up, examining it before glancing back to Josie. “We can make smaller arrangements and take them to the cardiac unit where Dad was. We could give some to the nursing staff and some to the patients.”

  Josie granted him the widest, sweetest smile. “I would have never thought of that. You’re sweet sometimes, you know.”

  Reese shrugged, not really needing compliments for just trying to find a solution to this mess.

  “He had excellent care there, so maybe these would brighten their day. And I know they always have patients with no family.”

  “Always thinking of others.” Josie reached up and rested her hand on the side of his face. “One day you’re going to find the right woman. She’s going to be damn lucky.”

  “You’re the only woman who puts up with me,” he joked.

  She dropped her hand and glanced to the flowers. “Well, you keep up with those swe
et gestures and you’ll be taken in no time.”

  Taken. The only place he wanted to be taken was to a bed with Josie. Or here in the kitchen would work.

  But Josie had everything and everyone in a particular slot, and he was in the friend zone, which hadn’t been an issue…until now. The structure in her life stemmed from her retired military father. Her mother had passed away when Josie was a toddler, so she didn’t remember her and Reese had never met the woman.

  “I’m not looking for marriage,” he stated honestly. “Being engaged was enough of a scare to make me realize I prefer being married to work. That’s a relationship I can feed into and grow, not to mention control.”

  “Ah, yes. Control. Well, that is why you’ll always be alone. Women don’t want to be controlled,” she scolded. “Don’t you want to have someone to come home to? Someone to share everything with? Someone to grocery shop with?”

  Reese laughed. “First of all, I don’t grocery shop. Second, I tell you everything. And when I come home, I have a glass of bourbon. All my bases are covered.”

  Josie rolled her eyes. “That sounds so lonely.”

  “And in my defense, I’d never want to control a woman,” he told her. “I know not to fight a losing battle.”

  “You really are a great guy,” she stated again.

  “Are you vying for a new position?” he asked. “We are engaged, after all.”

  “We’re not engaged,” she laughed. “Though I might need to convince Chris you were telling the truth because clearly he didn’t believe us or he just doesn’t care.”

  “Or he’s an idiot, which is my vote,” Reese added. “Pack a bag and come to my place.”

  Josie’s eyes widened. “What? I’m not just coming to your place. My house is falling in, if you haven’t noticed.”

  “Your house isn’t falling in. My guy will be here to fix everything and you don’t want to be here during that construction anyway.” Reese reached for her and raked his thumb over her ring finger. “We need to get a ring.”