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Lara bounded up, interrupting me, “Hi, I’m Lara.”
“Josh,” he said, accepting her energetic shake. “Nicole tells me she’s very proud of you.”
A bright blush rose across Lara’s face as she cast me a look of kindness I didn’t deserve. “Really?”
“We should get going,” I told Josh, returning his smile.
“Really proud,” Josh assured Lara. He extended a hand to me. “Hungry?”
I moved to the door. “Not really.” I couldn’t remember a single thing I’d told Josh about Lara that fit in the ‘proud’ category.
Josh opened the door. “Nice meeting you, Lara.”
She put on a wicked grin. “Have a fun date.”
I shot her a keep-your-mouth-shut glare before walking down the steps to escape my prying cousin’s eyes.
Josh caught up to me.
“Proud of her?” I asked under my breath as we walked to the street.
“She’s family. She deserves your support—our support,” he said as he opened the car door for me.
My heart swelled up at the kind spirit of his words.
I lifted up on my toes to brush a kiss against his cheek as I climbed up into the car. “Thank you for that.” He’d done me and Lara several kindnesses.
He touched his cheek. “For that reward, I’ll do it every day.” He waggled an eyebrow at me as he closed the door.
I watched him walk in front of the car to his door. Barbados Josh was back in spades, and his pull was undeniable.
He climbed in and buckled up behind the wheel.
“That was very nice of you,” I said, adding to my thanks.
His smile was magnetic. “Don’t act so surprised. I told you, we’re a team.”
He extended his hand across the console. “Team?”
I took it. My body’s reaction to his simple touch and gentle squeeze short-circuited my brain. “Team,” was the only response I could muster.
But Team Rationalizer was not a label I wanted.
He took back his hand to steer the car.
I settled into my seat, already missing his touch. The tingle that lingered in my fingers had me wondering how his hands would feel if they roamed elsewhere. I closed my eyes and imagined us by the pool back in Barbados, dancing in the moonlight. What would it have felt like to have his hand roam up my side to my breast. My nipples hardened at the thought…
“Is Italian okay?” he asked.
Jerking my eyes open, I realized my mistake. Barbados Josh had been a mirage, and I couldn’t date Josh the Rationalizer. “I’m not up for a meal. How about just coffee?”
“Playing hard to get? I guess I deserve that.” His eyes twinkled with naughtiness.
I didn’t have the words to describe it. “I don’t think I can…”
Barbados Josh hadn’t taken over our company, Mr. Rationalizer had, and I needed to keep that in mind.Distance. I needed to keep distance and perspective to protect my employees.
“Coffee it is,” he said, ending my search for further words.
