"Josh, what the hell are you doing?" Gia asked.
The words were more growl than speech, but Josh managed to reply. "I could ask you the same thing."
"I was dancing. You, on the other hand, are acting like an ass."
"I'm an ass? This fuckhead had his hands all over you, but I'm an ass."
Some piece of Josh's brain acknowledged that they were drawing quite a crowd with their little argument. The idiot lying on the floor just made matters worse.
"Joshua Taylor, just what do you think you're doing?"
The sound of his mother's voice behind him was just the push he needed to get the hell out of there. But there was no way he was leaving Gia.
In a move that would have made his football coaches proud, Josh swooped low, tossed Gia over his shoulder and shoved his way through the crowd before anyone else really had time to react.
He didn't have a clue what Gia might be thinking since he couldn't see her face, but for whatever reason she was oddly still. He had expected screams, or wiggles, or fists beating at his back. Instead she was just hanging there, gripping the back of his jacket in her fists.
* * * *
Gia was in shock. Her brain simply refused to process what she'd just witnessed. Josh had decked some guy. For dancing with her? That wasn't even possible.
As he set her down, in the passenger seat of his car, she still couldn't seem to form any coherent thoughts. When he finally sat down in the driver's seat, she managed to ask, "Where are we going?"
"My house."
His voice was still deep and raspy, the anger that had driven him to such reckless behavior was still quite evident.
"Josh..."
He cut her off before she could get any further. "Don't, Gia. Just don't. We'll talk later."
The ten minute drive to his house was made in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Gia hoped that the drive, the quiet, would help to calm his temper a little. This was a side of Josh she'd never seen. Never even imagined it could exist beneath that cool exterior, if she were being completely honest. Even back in college, when they had first met, she never would have suspected he was capable of this type of emotion.
Humor, sarcasm, and a lot more fun than he had become a few years later, but still not this extreme. She felt like she should maybe be afraid.
She wasn't.
As he pulled into his garage, he shut off the engine and actually came around to open the door. The gesture was very gentlemanly, more typical of the Josh she had come to expect. Only his eyes gave away the truth. He was still furious.
She tried again to ask, "Josh, what's..."
He turned away from her, grabbing her hand and pulling her roughly behind him. She could either rush and keep up, or fall flat on her face.
This was not what she had expected at all. She had planned on him seeing her there, maybe being a little peeved that she hadn't come with him, but quickly making note of how different they were. Noticing that Gia didn't fit with the crowd of people he had known his whole life. Instead he was absolutely irate and she had no idea why.
As she tripped over the carpet edge, he stopped only long enough to let her get her feet underneath her, before walking even faster than before toward his bedroom.
Once she determined his destination, she got a glimmer of his plan. Her body responded as if he'd plugged her into an electric outlet. She couldn't stop the shiver of anticipation that ran through her.
She shouldn't do this. She should tell him to take her home. Despite his anger, she had no real fear. She knew that if she told him no, he would take her home immediately. Pissed or not, he would never force her.
As she crossed the threshold of his bedroom, she knew she wouldn't say no. Tomorrow... tomorrow she would be strong enough to let him go. For tonight, she wanted this.
Chapter 37
Gia tried one more time to ask why Josh was so upset, but before she even managed to get his name out this time, he had her pinned against the wall, his lips hard against hers.
Her heels gave her some extra height, bringing her five foot six frame much closer to his six foot three. He managed to lean in at just such an angle as to bring them together, body to body almost full length. At least, all the good parts were pressed together.
She tried to wrap her arms around his neck only to have him grab her hands and push them against the wall beside her head.
He pulled back and finally spoke to her. "You said you wouldn't go to this 'shindig'."
"No, I said I wouldn't go with you."
That was the wrong thing to say.
His blue eyes, normally so bright and clear, darkened turning an icy steel color, the blue almost obliterated in his anger.
"I see. So, you'll go with Kelly, but you still won't be seen with me in public."
"No, Josh... that's not what happened at all..."
He shook his head, cutting off her explanation. "Doesn't matter, Georgia. You don't owe me any explanations. You've never lied to me. Never intimated that there was anything between us outside the bedroom."
He stepped completely away from her, looking her up and down, his expression settling into one of decision, he said, "So, you said that there were no boundaries, right? You were up for anything?"
She had no idea what he had planned, but her body was ready. For anything. She nodded her agreement.
He backed away another few steps, crossing his arms over his chest. She watched the pull of his tuxedo jacket, stretching tight around his arms, showcasing the muscles she couldn't wait to sink her teeth into.
After a time, he said one word. "Strip."
* * * *
Josh watched as Gia began to undress. He saw the slight tremor in her hands as she undid the buckle of the bright red belt. She kicked off her shoes, tossed the belt on the floor, and reached behind her to unzip the satin dress that emphasized every luscious curve of her body.
When she slipped the shoulders off, the satin fell in a pool at her feet. Josh sucked in a breath at seeing the red satin bodice she wore with tiny matching panties. As much as he enjoyed the sight of her clad in satin, he wanted her naked for what he had in mind.
"The bra and panties too, Gia."
Once she was completely bare to him, he told her to go and lie in the middle of the bed. Still fully dressed Josh shucked his jacket and tie, toeing off his shoes and socks, leaving her to lie there and watch.
Once he was down to just his shirt and slacks, he walked around to the far side of the bed, reaching beneath the mattress to pull out the leather cuffs that attached to the restraint system.
As he slipped the first cuff around her wrist, he took just a moment to admire the look of shock she wore. He moved down to the foot of the bed, pulling out the ankle cuff and strapping it around her leg.
As he walked past the foot of the bed, he decided he would give her one chance to get out of this. "It's now or never Gia. If you don't want to do this, just say the word and I'll take you home."
With what looked to be a very deliberate move, she clamped her lips together before shaking her head violently. He swore he saw a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.
When he reached the ankle cuff, she spread her legs, bringing her foot out to meet him. Despite the anger, he couldn't help but smile at her willingness.
He strapped the last cuff around her wrist. Now that she was tied up he voiced his intent. "It is my intention to tease you mercilessly tonight, Gia. I will have my way with your body, anything and everything I choose. I will bring you to the edge of orgasm, many times, but you are not allowed to come until I give you permission. Nod if you understand."
A silent nod was all the confirmation he needed. He was done with words.
Crawling on his knees, he moved in between her spread legs, noting the moisture already pooling there, before sinking forward to bury his mouth into her folds.
* * * *
Gia had lost all track of time. She wasn't sure if she'd been lying there for days or merely hours
, but her body was so aroused that every nerve ending was screaming for release. Josh had done exactly as he'd said he would, bringing her right to the edge of release only to stop, pulling away and leaving her writhing against the sheets.
At some point he had removed the rest of his clothing and was now moving around the room completely nude, the sight of his body adding to her need.
If his body was any indication, he was just as close to the edge as he was. Every muscle in his torso was straining, more defined than she'd ever seen them. His whole body was covered with a fine sheen of sweat. His cock was rock hard, not even bouncing with his movements any longer, just straining upward, the head so swollen it was purple.
And still he wouldn't let either of them find the release they both wanted.
Once again he climbed up onto the bed, running that engorged head between her sopping wet folds. He teased at her entrance, brushing by the opening only to continue on until he brushed by her throbbing clit.
She couldn't stop the long cry that escaped her lips. It felt so good it bordered on pain. Another brush, this time dipping into her wet sheath before slipping upward.
Oh, God. If he did that again she was going to come no matter what he said to her. "Josh, oh fuck. I need to... I'm gonna..."
He sat back on his knees, reaching behind him to unsnap the cuffs freeing her ankles. With the freedom of her legs, Gia should've been able to relax, but the orgasm that he'd denied her wouldn't subside this time.
"Josh, please... I can't stop this time." She was thrusting her hips against the air, searching for any sort of friction. One little touch would send her over the edge.
"Don't you fuckin' dare, Gia. You will not come until I say you can!"
He reached forward and unsnapped her arms, his erection brushing against her engorged folds as he moved.
She writhed beneath him, all thought lost as the pleasure crept ever forward.
The second she was free, she wrapped both arms and legs around him using all her strength to pull him into her body.
As his length sank all the way in on one deep slow stroke, she felt her internal muscles begin to clench and tighten around him.
"Oh hell, Gia. Let go... just let go. You can come. Come now!"
His words were the last catalyst she needed, her body responding to his command. She exploded around him, felt him thrust harder into her body before his movements stopped completely for one, long breath, only to resume with more force as he rode out his own release.
As their pleasure began to subside, he pressed kisses into her hair, murmuring sweet words, telling her how good she felt, how happy she made him.
How much he loved her.
* * * *
The next morning when Josh woke up, Gia was gone. She hadn't left him a note, hadn't even made a pot of coffee. There was no sign that she had even been there last night. If it weren't for the cuffs hanging off the sides of the bed, he'd be inclined to think he dreamed the whole thing.
He knew that he wouldn't get a phone call later this morning. Just as he knew that if he called her she simply wouldn't answer. Gia was gone, just as surely as if she'd left the state. She wouldn't be back.
He'd somehow known that last night had been an ending. Known that he had ruined what they'd had with his actions at the club. He had no one to blame but himself.
He had at least gotten one more night with her, one more fantasy fulfilled, one more chance to hold her in his arms. He'd had two months with her, more or less. That was two months longer than he'd ever expected.
He tried to convince himself that it was enough. It had to be enough. She had wanted a strictly physical relationship and he had screwed that up last night. In a large scale fashion.
So, it was over.
He would be fine. He had managed to keep his distance for eight years, he would do it again. He would be fine. He figured if he just repeated that often enough, he could force it to be true.
His heart, shattering into pieces within his chest, told him he was wrong.
Chapter 38
Over a month. It had been five weeks since she had walked out on Josh. They had only been together for seven weeks. That barely counted as a relationship. Wasn't it supposed to take less time to get over someone than the amount of time you were together? She thought it only took half as long to get over them.
So, then why was she still so miserable?
She hadn't even seen him since the night of the ball, so it wasn't even like she had a constant reminder being thrown in her face. Their friends had all seemed to make a silent pact that they would make sure the two were never in the same place at the same time.
Deb had turned out to be remarkably supportive, bringing by coffee, offering an open ear if Gia ever wanted to talk about it.
She'd merely smiled, told Deb she appreciated the offer, but she was fine. She was always fine. When someone would ask what happened, she would simply shrug and tell them they just hadn't worked together.
When their friends would try to argue that they were perfect together, that she was wrong, she would simply shrug her shoulders and remind them of the Black and White Debacle, as she had come to call it. If she and Josh had truly belonged together, there was no way she could have caused him to act so irrationally. To embarrass himself in front of everyone he knew. To act so out of character.
Since there was really no argument for her reasoning, they would all just kind of shrug and look sheepish. So she would smile at them, once again assuring them that she was fine.
And she was fine. Mostly. She couldn't think about him, talk about him, or even go to certain places without a strange ache in her chest. A weird tight feeling that would hit in waves. If she did enough deep breathing, it would eventually go away, and then she was fine again. At least she wasn't spending all day crying in her tequila.
Nope, no crying... and very little tequila. Instead she did what she had always done. She stayed busy. Work was going well, so she worked as many hours as she could fill with appointments. She had also continued going to the gym she had joined. Her house was spotless. She had even gone out with Aaron and some of his friends a couple times.
So what if she hadn't seen much of her normal circle of friends.
A knock sounded on the front door, bringing a smile to her lips.
She opened the door to see Kelly standing there holding two cups of coffee. Gia knew one of them would be a mocha, her favorite coffee indulgence. Kelly had started showing up every Saturday morning since she and Josh had broken up. She was here to check up on Gia, which should be really annoying, but she had good intentions. The fact that she brought coffee probably helped.
At first, she had asked Gia what had happened. What went wrong, why weren't they still together. Gia had steadfastly refused to answer her questions, merely repeating the standard lines of 'they simply didn't belong together', and 'it was never intended to be permanent'. It had only taken a few weeks and Kelly had quit asking.
As Kelly strode in, walking breezily a cheerful smile on her face, Gia immediately became suspicious. She looked too happy. Even by Kelly standards.
"Spit it out, Kells," Gia said flopping back on the couch and holding her hand out for the coffee.
"Spit what out?"
"Whatever it is that has you smiling like you're taking a family photo."
"Oh... that. Well, we're going to The Tavern tonight."
Gia felt her muscles lock, holding her in position, her coffee halfway to her mouth. She hadn't been into the bar since...
"No. I have to work."
"Gia, you can't keep doing this."
"I'm not doing anything. I just have to work."
"Are we finally going to talk about Josh?"
"No, because there's nothing to talk about. I think I have an appointment scheduled for seven tonight."
"Uh huh. That's the problem. Sure, Gia. Whatever you say."
Lifting one eyebrow, Gia said, "Sarcasm doesn't suit you."
That set
Kelly off laughing. "I forgot you had the market on sarcasm cornered. My bad."
"Ha ha. You're just a laugh riot this morning."
"Yes, well... if we're done tossing insults around, you have two choices. One, tell me what actually happened with you and Josh. Two, you come to The Tavern tonight."
"If I go to the bar, you'll back off about Josh?"
"Absolutely."
Gia thought about it for a moment. Maybe she should go. Maybe it could be cathartic, helping her get back to her normal routine. She couldn't avoid her friends indefinitely, nor could she avoid the places that reminded her of Josh. If she went tonight, it would also prove to everyone that she really was fine.
Decision made. "Sure. I'll be there. I really do have to work, so I have no idea what time I'll get there, but I will come by."
"Promise?"
"Yes, pushy. I promise."
"Good. Then I should probably tell you that Josh may be there."
Despite the little shiver, it wasn't really too much of a surprise. "I sort of expected that."
"Okay. Did you also expect that he might have a date with him?"
The little shiver expanded, turning her blood to ice. Josh had a date. Josh had a date. "And why should that matter to me? I'm not with him anymore."
Kelly said nothing, but the look on her face spoke volumes. After a moment she finally said, "Gia, come on sweetie. I know you better than this."
"You're right. You do know me. Which means you should know that I don't do relationships. Josh is no different. The sex was great, I won't deny that, which is probably why you guys all thought there was more between us than there really was. But that's all it was. Sex. Now it's over, and Josh is free to date whomever he chooses."
"Georgia Ann McClellan, you are a terrible liar. Nobody breaks off their wedding to a girlfriend of four years, to be with a woman for 'just sex'."
Forcing a smile she hoped would look convincing, she said, "I did mention it was really good sex, didn't I?"
Kelly simply raised her brows, pursed her lips and waited.
Hidden Depths Page 20