his hands. “I knew it! I never forget a face! You’re that Lee Child, right? Jack Reacher? I love that shit, man!”
He frowned, his dislike for this character increasing. “Um, not exactly.”
He couldn’t help notice Chloe giving a little giggle at this. She then elbowed her friend in the ribs. “He’s Joshua Poole, silly.”
Kiki’s face fell. “Huh? Who?”
Josh glared at the man. “Never mind.” Suffering a major bout of writer’s block had done much to diminish his rather voluminous ego, but he still didn’t like to be confused with a fellow writer.
“Don’t mind Kiki,” said Chloe. “He’s not so smart.”
“Hey. I’m sitting right here!” vociferated Kiki. Then his wide face spread into an even wider grin. “She’s right, however. I’m not the smartest blub in the blub shop.”
“Bulb, Kiki. Not blub,” corrected Chloe with an eye roll. She gave him another playful shove, and in return he mussed up her hair.
Josh watched the scene with rising alarm. So this guy was some sort of boyfriend of hers, right? Then what the hell had she been doing with him? Playing around? Immediately, he felt the green-eyed monster of jealousy gnawing at his bosom.
“Let’s go, honey,” urged Kiki. “The guys can’t wait to see you.”
And before Josh had a chance to wonder who these guys were, Kiki had shifted his car into gear and peeled away from the curb with screaming tires and a cloud of exhaust fumes that had Josh coughing and his eyes stinging.
As he stared after the disappearing car, he had the same sinking feeling Jacqueline Spark had felt so many times when Frankie Knox ignored her carefully planned come-ons and disappeared on the horizon with yet another one of the dubious bimbos he seemed to favor over his trusty partner.
Perhaps, he thought, Jacqueline should simply get a life and find herself a good man instead of pining for that no-good wastrel Frankie Knox.
And perhaps he should do the same.
He shook his head sadly. How could he have been so wrong about Chloe?
That girl wasn’t the sweet-natured soul he’d taken her for. She was a real man-eater!
CHAPTER 17
Arriving back at her old place inspired Chloe with mixed emotions. Happy to be home on the one hand, and finding all the stuff she’d left exactly where she’d left it, but a pervasive sensation of sadness for the things she had left behind. Not things, she corrected herself. Josh. She’d left Josh behind, and she was surprised how sorely she missed him now.
She knew, of course, that he was only a phone call away, and she planned to get in touch with him as soon as she had settled in, but still… Knowing he’d be back at work, taking up his old life again, meant that things between them would never be the same. Already at the airport, she’d noticed a shift in the way he treated her. Gone was that easy smile, that laid-back attitude she’d grown to expect and love.
The writer she’d left at the heliport was the same one she’d met on that first day out on the island: stiff and suspicious. The way he’d looked at her, the way he’d jerked back his head when she’d leaned in for a kiss… Things were right back where they started, and watching him erect that wall added to the feeling of melancholy that now hit her full force.
She flopped down onto her bed and lay staring up at the ceiling. The moment she closed her eyes, all of the sights and sounds of last night came flooding back into her mind. For a moment, she was back on the beach, feeling Josh’s strong arms around her, his hands touching her, his lips insistent on hers. They’d made love for the first time, and it had been glorious. Josh was all the man she’d hoped he’d be and more.
On an impulse, she reached for her cell and dialed his number.
He picked up on the first ring.
“Josh?”
“Chloe,” he breathed as if he’d been running. “So good to hear your voice.”
She relaxed, and a smile spread across her features. So things were
He frowned, his dislike for this character increasing. “Um, not exactly.”
He couldn’t help notice Chloe giving a little giggle at this. She then elbowed her friend in the ribs. “He’s Joshua Poole, silly.”
Kiki’s face fell. “Huh? Who?”
Josh glared at the man. “Never mind.” Suffering a major bout of writer’s block had done much to diminish his rather voluminous ego, but he still didn’t like to be confused with a fellow writer.
“Don’t mind Kiki,” said Chloe. “He’s not so smart.”
“Hey. I’m sitting right here!” vociferated Kiki. Then his wide face spread into an even wider grin. “She’s right, however. I’m not the smartest blub in the blub shop.”
“Bulb, Kiki. Not blub,” corrected Chloe with an eye roll. She gave him another playful shove, and in return he mussed up her hair.
Josh watched the scene with rising alarm. So this guy was some sort of boyfriend of hers, right? Then what the hell had she been doing with him? Playing around? Immediately, he felt the green-eyed monster of jealousy gnawing at his bosom.
“Let’s go, honey,” urged Kiki. “The guys can’t wait to see you.”
And before Josh had a chance to wonder who these guys were, Kiki had shifted his car into gear and peeled away from the curb with screaming tires and a cloud of exhaust fumes that had Josh coughing and his eyes stinging.
As he stared after the disappearing car, he had the same sinking feeling Jacqueline Spark had felt so many times when Frankie Knox ignored her carefully planned come-ons and disappeared on the horizon with yet another one of the dubious bimbos he seemed to favor over his trusty partner.
Perhaps, he thought, Jacqueline should simply get a life and find herself a good man instead of pining for that no-good wastrel Frankie Knox.
And perhaps he should do the same.
He shook his head sadly. How could he have been so wrong about Chloe?
That girl wasn’t the sweet-natured soul he’d taken her for. She was a real man-eater!
CHAPTER 17
Arriving back at her old place inspired Chloe with mixed emotions. Happy to be home on the one hand, and finding all the stuff she’d left exactly where she’d left it, but a pervasive sensation of sadness for the things she had left behind. Not things, she corrected herself. Josh. She’d left Josh behind, and she was surprised how sorely she missed him now.
She knew, of course, that he was only a phone call away, and she planned to get in touch with him as soon as she had settled in, but still… Knowing he’d be back at work, taking up his old life again, meant that things between them would never be the same. Already at the airport, she’d noticed a shift in the way he treated her. Gone was that easy smile, that laid-back attitude she’d grown to expect and love.
The writer she’d left at the heliport was the same one she’d met on that first day out on the island: stiff and suspicious. The way he’d looked at her, the way he’d jerked back his head when she’d leaned in for a kiss… Things were right back where they started, and watching him erect that wall added to the feeling of melancholy that now hit her full force.
She flopped down onto her bed and lay staring up at the ceiling. The moment she closed her eyes, all of the sights and sounds of last night came flooding back into her mind. For a moment, she was back on the beach, feeling Josh’s strong arms around her, his hands touching her, his lips insistent on hers. They’d made love for the first time, and it had been glorious. Josh was all the man she’d hoped he’d be and more.
On an impulse, she reached for her cell and dialed his number.
He picked up on the first ring.
“Josh?”
“Chloe,” he breathed as if he’d been running. “So good to hear your voice.”
She relaxed, and a smile spread across her features. So things were
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