Entice

Chapter Eight

Seven o’clock rolled around, and Shelly found herself outside of Roger McKinney’s office. She knocked twice and waited until he called her inside. Entering, she noticed he’d changed out of his scrubs and put on a black buttoned-up shirt and some black slacks. While it was obvious he wasn’t in the same category as Josh and Mason, she found herself taking a second look at the older doctor.

She supposed for a well-educated man, Roger McKinney was exactly the way he should be. He was extremely smart, slightly stuffy, and according to Lena, arrogant, and obnoxious. All of these qualities were what made him an excellent doctor and director, and a man her father would be extremely impressed to call his son-in-law.

The only problem with that scenario was Joshua Daniels, who kept flashing through her mind with his unzipped jeans and his sexy, satisfied grin.

“Shelly. You ready to get going?”

Smiling over at the man currently moving around his desk, she looped her arm through his when he offered.

“I sure am.” Pausing, she looked him over, and then commented, “You scrub up pretty good, McKinney.”

He shot her a slightly embarrassed grin, which was in direct contrast to his usual cocky attitude in work situations, and replied, “Thanks. You look absolutely stunning as usual.”

Smiling sweetly at him, Shelly squeezed his arm tight against her side. “Come on. Let’s go eat.”

Josh heard her the minute she walked in. He hadn’t meant to be at the restaurant when she arrived. He knew Monday nights were the Langley family dinner, and he’d been working like a dog all afternoon, trying to get the heck out of there before she turned up. However, luck was not with him, and maybe it was his own fault. After all, he had taken two hours off this afternoon for extracurricular activities, and now, it was coming back to bite him in the ass.

Standing in the building adjoining Exquisite, he listened carefully as she seemed to make her way through the restaurant. He couldn’t see her. But he could hear her talking, and occasionally, that sexy laugh of hers would echo through the air. Josh could swear he felt it stroke right down his arm, causing the hair at the back of his neck to stand up.

He was about to call it a day and leave without going next door when he heard a deeper voice fill the silent space. Moving closer to the connecting walls, Josh crept past the sawhorse and stood still as a statue.

“Dr. McKinney! It’s so good to see you again.” Josh heard his friend Mason say,

Listening carefully, Josh heard who he assumed was Dr. McKinney.

“Thanks, Mason. You, too. I was thrilled when Shelly told me we were coming here tonight.”

Now, that got Josh’s attention. Standing straight up and inching backward, he accidentally stepped into the wooden sawhorse, sending it falling over with a loud crash. Shit! Looking around for a quick exit, Josh made a beeline for the door. He almost made it.

“Josh?” He heard from behind him.

Shit, shit, shit! Turning slowly, he saw Lena standing in the makeshift door.

“Yep. Hi, Lena. Sorry about the noise. I was just leaving.”

Please leave it at that and let me leave, Josh thought as he inched his way toward the main door.

He did not want to spend the next two hours sitting at a dinner table across from a woman who had been on her knees in front of him several hours ago and who was now entertaining her rich, smart Dr. Date.

But no, luck was definitely not on his side because Mason chose that moment to stick his head through the door.

“Josh! Come eat with us, man!”

Josh groaned, seeing no other way out, and made his way over to his friends. Shit.

Shelly watched in horror as Josh Daniels stepped through the makeshift door where Lena and Mason were now standing. He was dressed as he had been earlier, but now, he had a tool belt—oh god—wrapped around those amazing hips.

Lena must have noticed it, too.

Let’s face it. Who wouldn’t look at his crotch when that damn belt was designed to display it?

“You were leaving with your tool belt on?” Lena pointed out with a small laugh.

Shelly noticed Josh’s eyes glance over to her quickly, and then they moved directly to Roger where they zeroed in with an assessing gaze before returning back to Lena.

“Ah, yeah. I was on my way out and was going to put it in the back of my truck.”

Mason clapped him on the shoulder. “What’d you do? Trip over in the dark?”

Josh glared at his friend, and then nodded slightly. “Shut the hell up.”

Laughing, Mason moved to go back into the kitchen. Shelly kept her eyes on Josh as he moved around Lena. He then started to unbuckle his tool belt as he and Lena both walked over to a table across the room.

Shelly felt Roger nudge her arm. Moving her eyes to his, he asked, “Who’s Bob the Builder?”

Shelly almost winced at Roger’s condescending question. Then, she thought to herself, Am I just like that?

Dismayed at herself and feeling almost protective of Josh for some inexplicable reason, she answered softly but firmly, “That’s Josh Daniels. He’s one of Mason’s longest friends and his Best Man. He’s renovating next door.”

“Ahh, I see,” Roger answered, nodding. “I’ve never really understood the need to build things. Don’t really have the patience for it.”

Or the muscle, popped into Shelly’s head.

She smiled and answered, “Yes, it seems like hard work.”

Turning in the direction Josh had gone, Shelly looked across to where Lena stood chatting with him. She found herself making excuses, moving away from Roger, and headed toward her friend and DD.

Did this woman ever look anything but perfectly put together? Josh thought as he saw Shelly walking toward them.

The minute he’d come through the door he’d felt her eyes land on him. He’d made a conscious effort not to look in her direction until it was absolutely necessary, and even then, he’d made sure he’d kept his cool and not given anything away.

However, right at this moment, while Lena was facing her friend, Josh let his eyes roam all over her as she made her way toward them. She must’ve changed at work because she was now wearing a navy dress with white polka dots all over it. The sleeves hit her arm just above the elbow, and the pencil skirt of the dress landed an inch or so under her knee. The modest dress hid her body in the most sophisticated way, but to Josh, the fact that he couldn’t see anything just made it that much sexier. Damn, damn, damn!

Finally, she stopped in front of them and her eyes boldly latched onto his as she asked, “Playing with your tool so late at night, Josh?”

Feeling his mouth curve into a wicked grin, he was about to reply, but then Lena snapped at her.

“Shelly!”

Lena turned to face him quickly with apologetic eyes, and he saw Shelly behind her, giving him a thorough once over.

The woman is insane.How am I supposed to just stand here, letting her drive me crazy, and keep everything a secret? Hell, who knew, maybe she gets off on the thrill of being caught.

“Don’t worry, Lena. It’s okay,” Josh told her.

Looking back at Shelly, he returned her smug smile and replied, “I was cleaning up for the evening actually. I played with my tool a little earlier today.”

Lena shook her head and muttered, “You two are both idiots. Can we go and eat? Or are we going to start talking about secret gardens next like we don’t know that we’re alluding to a...” she trailed off, not brave enough to say it.

Shelly looked at her friend and asked sweetly, “Alluding to what, Lena? I don’t have a garden. Mine’s just a nice bare patch. What about you? Does Mason prune your garden?”

Josh choked on a strangled groan as Shelly looked at him with an evil smile full of pure mischief. That was when Lena threw her hands up and groaned, turning to stomp away. Josh looked at the sassy woman in front of him as she glanced quickly behind her to see that Mason had come out and was now talking to her Dr. Date.

“Did you do that on purpose?” he asked.

Josh watched Shelly’s eyes stray down to his mouth, and then come back up to meet his own.

“Do what? Embarrass Lena? She’ll be fine,” Shelly reassured.

“No. Run her away?”

She bit her bottom lip, and it immediately brought to mind other activities her mouth had been involved in earlier.

“Now, why would I do that?” she asked a little too innocently.

Leaning over a little closer so he could smell her—hmm, apples again—he said in a low voice, “So, you could be alone with me.”

Turning her head just an inch, he watched the corners of her mouth tilt up.

“And why would I want to do that?”

Josh stood back slowly and said in a soft whisper, “Because I owe you.”

He watched with complete satisfaction as her eyes clouded over.

She reached out to grab the back of a chair. “Do you?”

He moved around the table and was about to brush past her when she stepped in front of him. Looking down, he noticed her head tilted back, her eyes locking on his.

What kind of game is she playing with me?

She had a date here, and now, she was looking at him like she wanted to take him out the back and show him what was underneath her skirt.

Suddenly, Josh realized he didn’t like this deal anymore.

Leaning down slightly, he whispered, “New rule to our deal. You’ll get what I owe you, but first, you have to tell me something about yourself.”

He watched as her mouth fell open a little, and then she responded with a soft whisper, “That causes strings, Josh. I said no strings.”

He shrugged. “Then, I say I don’t owe you a thing.”

And, for the second time today, he walked away from her.

Shelly had just taken her seat next to Roger when Mason came in, carrying a huge bowl of pasta and a basket of garlic bread. He handed it to Lena who dished out her own, and then he sat down at the head of the table and started to pass the food around. The meal smelled absolutely amazing. The only problem, as far as Shelly could tell, was the immediate company.

To her left sat Roger, who was now chatting with Wendy and her husband, who’d arrived around fifteen minutes ago. Directly across from her was Lena, who was seated beside Josh, who was currently watching every single move Shelly made.

Oh, he’s being subtle, but she could feel his eyes tracking her like a predator tracking his prey. He needs to back off, or he’s going to get a punch in the gut—by me.

“Hey, everyone! Sorry I got held up,” Rachel said as she moved in behind Lena and Josh, taking the vacant seat beside him.

Shelly smiled over at her and asked, “Hot date?”

Rachel pulled her chair in laughing. “Ah, no. Not unless you call a flat tire a hot date?”

Shelly pretended to think about it, picking up her glass of wine. “Depends on who fixed it for you. Was it some hot, sexy mechanic in overalls?”

Lena snorted and asked, “Is this another one of your warped sexual fantasies?”

Mason decided to add his two cents in then. “Better watch out, huh, Roger?”

Shelly almost spat her wine everywhere as Roger chuckled and nudged her in the arm.

“I’m game. I may have to buy some overalls though.”

Shooting glares up the table at Mason, Shelly couldn’t help but notice Lena trying extremely hard not to laugh hysterically.

Shelly was about to say something quick and witty, she was sure, when a cool familiar voice asked, “Are there any other warped sexual fantasies you’d care to share?”

Shelly let her eyes lock with Josh’s, and she arched a brow. “Not with you, Daniels. I’ve heard all about you.”

Rachel took that opportunity to jab Josh in the side, letting out her own loud laugh. “Hell, yeah! Man, him and Mason use to clean shop back in the day.”

Lena sat forward to peer down the table at Rachel. “Do tell.”

Happy the discussion was off of her, Shelly looked at Roger and found he was laughing and smiling right along with everyone else. It appeared McKinney could still manage to surprise her.

“Rachel,” Mason warned with a low voice.

“Oh, Mason, come on. Are you trying to tell us Lena doesn’t know all the dirty details of your past yet?” Wendy asked as she cuddled into her husband’s side.

They both smiled over at Lena, and Shelly watched as her best friend turned to look up at her frowning fiancée.

“Worried?” Lena asked her Mason.

Mason shook his head. “Not overly. Josh was worse than I was, but I know how you like to get jealous.”

Lena grinned. “Do not.”

“Do to.”

“Ah, guys?” Shelly interrupted. “If you don’t mind, I want to know.”

Silence fell around the table as everyone turned to face Rachel, who was now looking at Josh with a huge grin plastered on her face. Josh shook his head and raised a hand to run it through his hair.

“You’re a pain in the ass, Rach,” he muttered.

“Why? It’s true. You and Mason had girls lining up to date you. Every weekend they had a different girl with them.” She paused, laughing. “They were all morons.”

When Roger turned to pass her the bowl of pasta, Shelly scooped some out, and then handed it back to Mason. She then looked at Josh, who was sitting silently shaking his head.

“Is that what turns you on in a woman, Josh?” she asked.

His eyes snapped up and locked on hers. “Not lately.”

The whole table went silent, and Shelly felt her stomach tighten. She was about to speak up to break the awkward moment, wanting to ask about what had changed, when Mason broke the tension instead.

“Nope. Josh told me he’s looking for a girl who is sweet and kind. A proper little angel.”

Shelly arched a brow. Really? Now, that is interesting.

Josh flipped off Mason. “Screw you, man. Is nothing sacred?”

“Not around here,” Mason finished, shoveling food in his mouth with his mischievous eyes now on Shelly.

That was when Roger asked very seriously, “Sweet is kind of boring, don’t you think?”

Everyone paused as seven pairs of eyes landed on him, including Shelly’s.

“Wow. I think I was just insulted and complimented all at the same time,” Shelly stated with mock amusement.

Roger laughed and shook his head, reaching out to put his hand over hers. Looking down at it, Shelly had to physically force herself not to remove her own hand. She glanced across the table, coincidentally catching both Lena and Josh looking at their joined hands, seeming to be equally appalled for completely different reasons.

“No, not at all. You’re amazing. I mean, look at you.” Roger explained.

Shelly heard a cough and noticed it had come from Josh. Looking at him with a pointed glare, she raised her eyebrow. You got something to add?

“You’re gorgeous, sexy, and smart. That’s rare these days.” He paused and stood. “I’d take that in bed over sweet and kind any day.”

Shelly swallowed and could not help herself from looking straight into a pair of hot chocolate eyes that belonged to Josh Daniels.

Josh was trying really, really hard to behave himself, but it was getting damn difficult. This stuffed shirt was pretty much insinuating in front of all of them that he was going to take Shelly to bed.

Judging by the look on her face, however, McKinney was in for a massive disappointment, and that was the only reason Josh stayed in his seat, biting his tongue.

Roger stood and excused himself, and the minute he was out of earshot, Josh watched Lena place her hands on the table.

“Are you out of your mind?” Lena asked Shelly.

Josh remained silent, waiting to hear what was about to go down. He’d noticed Shelly’s eyes shift to his several times during the course of the last hour, and he knew she was making sure he kept his mouth shut and didn’t give them away.

No problem, Barbie. Things are getting interesting without my help.

“No. Shut it, Lena,” Shelly warned her friend through clenched teeth.

“Shut it? Our boss, Dr. Roger McKinney, just basically told the whole table he wants to bang you!”

Josh chuckled, watching Shelly’s eyes turn and give him what would’ve most definitely been a lethal stare.

“Got something to add?” she snapped.

Holding up his hands, he shook his head. “Not at all.”

Rachel was munching on some bread and piped up, “Seriously, Shel. What’s your deal? Always going for these stuffed shirts.”

Shelly rolled her eyes. “He’s not a stuffed shirt, he’s—”

“Balding,” Josh threw in with a shit-eating grin.

Mason chuckled. “You did seem very specific about that just a little while back.”

Josh fully laughed now, completely enjoying himself, and he was sure Shelly was about to deliver a scathing reply when a phone started to ring. He watched as Shelly reached into her bag, pulling it out and glancing at the number. Sighing, she clicked it off and set it on the table. Interesting, Josh thought as she looked to Mason again.

“Yeah, well, that was the other day. Maybe I changed my mind,” Shelly told him.

“Please do not tell me that he is Mr. O,” Lena hissed.

Josh looked from Lena to Shelly, who, for once in her life, had gone slightly pale and completely silent. She seemed to be glaring at Lena, trying to get some kind of message across to her. It failed.

“If he is who you told me about this afternoon, I think I’ll die,” Lena continued.

“Mr. O?” Rachel asked as Mason and Wendy started to laugh. “Would someone please answer the number-one question floating around the table? For all of us, either ill-informed or stupid people, who or what is Mr. O?” Rachel demanded.

Shelly seemed to straighten her spine like she was about to do battle, and then her eyes met his in what he could only describe as a direct challenge.

That was when Lena stated very plainly, “Some guy who gave her the big O.”

Everyone at the table started to laugh as though this was a normal conversation, but Shelly’s eyes were glued to his, her eyebrow raising in challenge.

“Got something worth saying, Daniels?”

Josh pushed his tongue into his cheek and shook his head. “Nope. But, for someone who got the big O, you seem awfully grouchy. Maybe he wasn’t very good?”

He could see she was about to probably agree and try to make him feel like shit, but Lena ruined it for her.

“Oh, yes, he was!” Lena said in a singsong voice.

He watched with complete satisfaction as Shelly appeared to kick her friend under the table.

“Shut up,” she hissed at Lena.

“Geez. It doesn’t matter. They all know and love you. We’re family.”

Shelly looked back to him, and Josh had to admit that he was wearing the most arrogant grin he’d ever sported in his entire life.

Well, shit, Shelly thought as she conceded defeat. Lena had completely and utterly outed her, giving Josh Daniels ammo for life.

Hang on a minute. Life?Where did that come from?

Not only was she stuck here with everyone grinning at her like she was the evening’s entertainment, the phone call she had ignored had been home calling. She heard it beep, which meant she now had a message. Standing up, she smoothed her hands on her skirt and held up her phone.

“Thank you for completely humiliating me, Lena. I need to go and check this message. Can you let Roger know I’ll be back in a second?”

Lena nodded with a smile.

Mason chuckled. “Don’t be mad, Shel.”

“Shut it, Casanova. I’ll be as mad as I want.” Then looking at Lena and her fiancée, she smiled and muttered, “Traitors.” As she turned to walk out into the back kitchen.

When she got there, she turned on her phone and listened to the message.

“Shelly, love, it’s your momma. Your father and I would love it if you’d come on home for the weekend sometime soon. I promise to make your favorite dinner, chicken-fried steak, as long as you’re sweet to your father. You know I don’t like y’all fightin’. Give me a call, and we can set it up. Love you, dear.”

Shelly sighed, leaning a shoulder against the wall, and closed her eyes. She really didn’t want to go home right now. Whenever she got there, she ended up fighting with her dad, and then she came back from her “vacation” more stressed than when she’d left.

“Everything okay?”

She spun around to see Josh standing just inside the frosted doors to the kitchen. Nodding, she slipped her phone back into her purse.

“Yes. Did you need something?”

He didn’t move. He just stood there, watching her with a serious expression. “I need a lot of things. But, let’s start with, why guys like Dr. Douche Bag?”

“Dr. Douche Bag?” Shelly questioned.

Tilting his head, he spoke so softly she had to strain to hear him. “Try not to be a smart ass for once and just answer. Why guys like him? It’s obvious you don’t want him. So, why date him?”

Shelly put her bag on a counter and took three steps forward. She raised her hand, palm flat against his chest. She kept walking, pushing him out of view from the doors, until his back hit the wall. She knew he let her push him, and when he came to a standstill, she placed herself directly in front of him.

“Who should I go out with? Guys like you?” she asked.

He seemed to contemplate that, and then shrugged. “Sure. Why not? You seem to like doing other things with me. Would eating a meal really be that big a step up?”

Shaking her head, she whispered, “That’s the problem. I’d like it too much and would want it all the time. And you know what? That clouds judgment.” She paused, and then stressed, “I don’t want to want a guy like you.”

Josh leaned down until they were an inch apart. He was not fazed at all as he whispered across her lips, “Yes you do.”

Her eyes were clouding over, and as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, he raised his head and shook it. Her blue eyes blinked open and focused on him.

“No. Not until you tell me something about you.”

She licked her lips. “Didn’t I just do that?”

Josh shook his head, feeling his heart pound and his erection throb, as he looked at the most kissable lips he’d ever seen. “No. I want to know something about you that has nothing to do with this.”

She dropped her hand and took a deep breath, and Josh had to admit that he thought she was about to back away. However, her response shocked him.

Looking over her shoulder, and then turning back to face him, she asked, “What do I get if I do?”

Josh felt his grin appear, and he replied in a low voice, “Satisfaction.”

Looking him over, she ran her eyes down his jeans and back up to his face. Then, she shook her head like she was fighting with herself.

“Okay. I’m originally from Georgia, and while I love a lot of things about that place, I took speech lessons during school to disguise my accent. A lot of people these days will—how should I say this? Judge you just because of a slight inflection in your voice.”

Josh couldn’t have been more stunned if she’d admitted she had a third eye.

“Be serious.”

She grinned, and then she completely floored him in her Southern lilt, “Why, I am being serious, sugar. It ain’t my fault I do such a good job of hidin’ my accent.”

His eyes widened, and he felt a genuinely happy smile spread over his face. She was adorable, and with that accent, she was absolutely lethal.

“Wow,” was all he could manage.

She spun on her heel about to move away, but he reached out and snagged her arm, pulling her back against him. Josh pressed his chest and body against her back and breathed against her ear.

“I didn’t think you could get any sexier. God, was I wrong,” he whispered.

Josh felt her take a deep breath, and he let go of her arm. But she remained right where she was, leaning against him.

“So do you always cover it?”

Turning to look at him over her shoulder, she whispered, “That’s two questions. You said only one.”

Josh conceded, knowing this was a bigger step than what she had wanted.

Then, he found himself nibbling her ear. “Come on. Give us a chance, Shelly?”

He was pretty sure he wouldn’t get an answer.

What he hadn’t counted on was Mason walking through the kitchen doors.

“This is not what you think,” Shelly stated as she quickly stepped away from Josh.

Mason looked from her to his friend, and then back to her with a smug grin. Shelly almost gave into the urge to punch him.

“Oh?”

Shelly marched over to Mason, looking up into his laughing blue eyes.

Mason was tall, well over six-feet. He probably stood around six-feet-three, but that didn’t stop Shelly from glaring up at him.

“Then what is it, Shel?” he asked her, grinning like a loon.

Shelly jammed her fists on her hips, furious that she’d been stupid enough to cave in for one lousy minute.

Narrowing her eyes, she snapped, “None of your business!”

Laughing, Mason looked over her shoulder to the silent man standing just behind them.

“Should I start addressing you as Mr. O from now on?” he asked Josh.

“Mason, shut up,” Shelly warned through clenched teeth.

Looking back down at her, Mason shook his head. “Sorry, Shelly, this is too good to let go.”

He stepped around her, and she turned, watching him move toward his friend. Josh had his eyes on her while she was trying to somehow melt into the floor. Finally, he dragged his gaze away to look at Mason.

“What happened to ‘hell no’? And what was the other one? Oh yeah, ‘she’d burn me to a crisp’?” Mason asked Josh.

Walking over to the two men, who were now about to discuss her like she wasn’t there, Shelly asked Josh, “Burn you to a crisp?”

Suddenly, this was a much more important issue than getting Mason to shut the hell up. Josh looked at her with a crooked smile, and then he had the audacity to wink.

“Yeah, because you’re so damn hot.”

Mason let out a loud laugh as Shelly fumed at Josh.

Damn him! He’d just confirmed everything with that single sentence. Even though it had been a fairly reasonable assumption about the two of them, up until that moment, they could have played it off. Right?

“Ha! You just couldn’t help yourself, could you, Daniels? I knew it! She’s totally your type!” Mason exclaimed.

“Ah, hello! She is still here, you morons.” Sighing as though she was extremely put out, Shelly turned on her heel, stalking to the door, when she heard Josh call her name.

Turning, she looked at him, standing there next to the grinning idiot, otherwise known as Mason.

“The deal?” Josh asked.

Lifting her chin, she shook her head. “Is done.”

Leaving it at that, she turned, storming out of the kitchen, and went back to her date.

Josh stood there, watching the doors swing slowly back and forth until they stopped.

“Holy shit! When did this all happen?” Mason questioned with a devilish smile.

Josh rolled his shoulders and shook his head. “Nothing happened. We just got together a couple of times.” He paused. “We had a deal.”

Mason moved around him to the fridge, opening it and grabbing a couple of beers. He turned and passed one to Josh, who took a long sip.

“What kind of deal?” Mason questioned.

“A fucked-up one.” Josh raised his hand and ran it through his hair.

“I didn’t think you two really talked. Although, Lena and I did start to get vibes. Do you even know her full name? That burned my ass once—big time,” Mason explained around a grin.

“Just barely. God, what a mess. That night at the club—”

“I knew it!” Mason shouted, interrupting Josh’s train of thought.

“Huh?”

“I asked her about that night, and the little brat lied right to my face.”

Taking another sip, Josh nodded. “Doesn’t surprise me. She wanted to keep it our dirty little secret.”

“Hmm, I don’t understand,” his friend stated as he leaned back against the counter.

Josh shook his head and pointed his beer toward the door. “The deal she’s talking about—that night at the club, we came to an arrangement of sorts.”

Mason slowly grinned at him. “Oh, this just gets better and better.”

“Are you gonna shut the hell up, so I can tell you? Or keep interrupting me?”

Holding his beer up, Mason nodded. “My apologies. Please go on.”

Rolling his eyes, Josh continued, “We both agreed that we liked what we saw and wanted to explore it, but then she told me it needed to stay a secret, and it was just going to be sex.” He stopped, waiting for Mason to comment. When he stayed silent, Josh asked, “Do you really have nothing to say to that?”

“Oh no, I have plenty. I was just waiting for permission to talk, sir.”

“When did you turn into such an asshole?” Josh asked with a smirk.

“Hey, man, I was always this way. You’re just feeling sensitive right now because Sexy Shelly closed the lid of the cookie jar.”

Josh shook his head and placed the now empty bottle back on the counter.

“I never got into the cookie jar.” Well, maybe I dipped my fingers in a little—okay, bad pun—but nothing else.

“So, why the secret? And why is she here tonight with her boss if you two are—well, you know—heating up the sheets?”

“Because we’re not. We fooled around in the parking lot and today at her office, but that’s it.”

Mason’s mouth fell open as he asked quietly, “At her office? In the hospital?”

Josh felt a smug grin spread across his lips and nodded. “Yep. She made sure she gave me a very thorough physical.”

“Ha! I really didn’t think you’d touch her since you dubbed her the Man-Eater.”

“Yeah, me either.”

Mason finished his beer and pushed off the counter, walking toward the door. “You never told me why she doesn’t want to date you.”

Josh shrugged, following him. “She didn’t make any sense, but she said something about losing focus and ending up wanting too much.”

Mason stopped and stated, “Well, surely, that isn’t a bad thing.”

“Apparently, it is when you’re Shelly Monroe.”