reaction, so he gave her one. But she was reacting to him, too. The difference was he knew she was just emotionally charged and he was the release.
Her feelings weren't real. It reminded him of Candace; they grieved together. Then when she stopped grieving, she realized she didn't want him after all. Evelyn would be no different. She needed a friend. She had confessed an enormous secret; she had been beat up and almost shot. Her emotions had to be on full throttle . A friend , he thought again. He would be that for her, nothing more.
"We're not fighting.” Evelyn narrowed her eyes on him.
"No?” He laughed.
"You don't feel my foot in your ass, do you?"
Joshua laughed loud and opened the door. He exchanged the bills in his hand for the pizzas. Stepping back inside, he closed the door, locked it, and headed for the kitchen. “How many?"
"Two, three, no two.” Evelyn wanted four but didn't want to seem like a pig. Breakfast was cut short by the mental breakdown, and she was still making up for lost eats.
"I'll give you four, so you don't have my ass running back and forth all night.” Joshua shook his head. “And to drink, my lady?"
"Coke, water, no, coke.” Evelyn had never been so indecisive. She was turning into a woman. Not that she wanted to be a man, but she thrived on her masculine qualities, her ability to think without emotion, act without fear, make a decision and stick to it.
"Okay, coke and water for the lady.” Joshua set her plate on her lap and the drinks on the end table close to the chair.
"Anything else while I'm up?” He grabbed his own pizza and a beer and settled in on the couch. Of course as soon as he took the first bite she spoke.
"Napkins?” Evelyn said it softly. The pizza was dripping all over her.
"Woman.” Joshua bit his tongue and stood. He was worried that he would miss his daily exercise because he had told everyone he had the flu. He couldn't very well go jogging around the neighborhood. Not a chance, Evelyn had him hopping. If she wasn't injured, well ... she was, so he got the napkins.
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Chapter 4
Evelyn accepted the napkins, but he didn't let go. She tugged again. Still he held. Her brown eyes moved up his arm and across his throat and, oh, past his lips to his green eyes. His brow was lifted in a gaze of expectation.
"Thank you.” Evelyn blushed, and she felt it warm her cheeks. He let go. “I had food in my mouth."
"You have bad manners.” Joshua sat down, took another bite, and got it down. He eyeballed her.
"What?” she said innocently.
As soon as he lifted the beer, the phone rang. His head started shaking. He did that a lot. She could see him towering over children, his stance wide and his hands on his hips, shaking that head back and forth. It was a natural expression for him. She liked it, made him softer, more accessible.
"What?” Joshua answered the phone on the third ring.
"What? You were supposed to have Evelyn call me, that's what.” Grace looked at the phone in her hands with disbelief. What's going on down there?
"My bad, I thought you were Ethan.” Joshua let out a long breath. “She's a real pain in the ass you know."
"Who is that? Is that Grace?” Evelyn was all but climbing out of the chair.
"As soon as she heals I'm taking back my underwear and kicking her out.” Joshua talked as he walked. “Here the diva is."
Grace really was shocked at what Joshua just said. Maybe it wasn't Evelyn in her house after all. That made her nervous and anxious to talk to the woman. Evelyn was a tough chick not a diva by any means.
They met by chance in art class. Evelyn sat next to her and said, “You're a real redhead, and us redheads gotta stick together.” Grace laughed, and from then on she was delighted, intrigued, and horrified by the woman's life. One thing she knew for certain. Evelyn hated men, all men. She expected Joshua to have put her out by now, but he seemed playful, and that seemed strange. Grace had
Her feelings weren't real. It reminded him of Candace; they grieved together. Then when she stopped grieving, she realized she didn't want him after all. Evelyn would be no different. She needed a friend. She had confessed an enormous secret; she had been beat up and almost shot. Her emotions had to be on full throttle . A friend , he thought again. He would be that for her, nothing more.
"We're not fighting.” Evelyn narrowed her eyes on him.
"No?” He laughed.
"You don't feel my foot in your ass, do you?"
Joshua laughed loud and opened the door. He exchanged the bills in his hand for the pizzas. Stepping back inside, he closed the door, locked it, and headed for the kitchen. “How many?"
"Two, three, no two.” Evelyn wanted four but didn't want to seem like a pig. Breakfast was cut short by the mental breakdown, and she was still making up for lost eats.
"I'll give you four, so you don't have my ass running back and forth all night.” Joshua shook his head. “And to drink, my lady?"
"Coke, water, no, coke.” Evelyn had never been so indecisive. She was turning into a woman. Not that she wanted to be a man, but she thrived on her masculine qualities, her ability to think without emotion, act without fear, make a decision and stick to it.
"Okay, coke and water for the lady.” Joshua set her plate on her lap and the drinks on the end table close to the chair.
"Anything else while I'm up?” He grabbed his own pizza and a beer and settled in on the couch. Of course as soon as he took the first bite she spoke.
"Napkins?” Evelyn said it softly. The pizza was dripping all over her.
"Woman.” Joshua bit his tongue and stood. He was worried that he would miss his daily exercise because he had told everyone he had the flu. He couldn't very well go jogging around the neighborhood. Not a chance, Evelyn had him hopping. If she wasn't injured, well ... she was, so he got the napkins.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 4
Evelyn accepted the napkins, but he didn't let go. She tugged again. Still he held. Her brown eyes moved up his arm and across his throat and, oh, past his lips to his green eyes. His brow was lifted in a gaze of expectation.
"Thank you.” Evelyn blushed, and she felt it warm her cheeks. He let go. “I had food in my mouth."
"You have bad manners.” Joshua sat down, took another bite, and got it down. He eyeballed her.
"What?” she said innocently.
As soon as he lifted the beer, the phone rang. His head started shaking. He did that a lot. She could see him towering over children, his stance wide and his hands on his hips, shaking that head back and forth. It was a natural expression for him. She liked it, made him softer, more accessible.
"What?” Joshua answered the phone on the third ring.
"What? You were supposed to have Evelyn call me, that's what.” Grace looked at the phone in her hands with disbelief. What's going on down there?
"My bad, I thought you were Ethan.” Joshua let out a long breath. “She's a real pain in the ass you know."
"Who is that? Is that Grace?” Evelyn was all but climbing out of the chair.
"As soon as she heals I'm taking back my underwear and kicking her out.” Joshua talked as he walked. “Here the diva is."
Grace really was shocked at what Joshua just said. Maybe it wasn't Evelyn in her house after all. That made her nervous and anxious to talk to the woman. Evelyn was a tough chick not a diva by any means.
They met by chance in art class. Evelyn sat next to her and said, “You're a real redhead, and us redheads gotta stick together.” Grace laughed, and from then on she was delighted, intrigued, and horrified by the woman's life. One thing she knew for certain. Evelyn hated men, all men. She expected Joshua to have put her out by now, but he seemed playful, and that seemed strange. Grace had
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