Dropping his sister off at Vivian’s place was one of the most difficult things Josh had ever done. It took every ounce of willpower not to storm inside that green and white house, grab Vivian by the shoulders and shake some sense into her, but pride had held him back. Or maybe defeat.
Last night, Vivian had made her feelings clear. It was over. And no matter how badly he wanted to fight her on this, he wasn’t the kind of man who begged for a woman’s affection. She’d made up her mind, she didn’t want to be with him, and heart wrenching as that was, he needed to accept it.
He just wished she could’ve given him the chance to prove how much he cared about her. Josh had never met another woman like Vivian, a woman who could set his body on fire and at the same time unleash a tender side he never knew he had. If she just got over her silly fears, her unfounded insecurities, she’d see that they made one dynamite couple.
And yet he wasn’t sure he blamed her for ending it either. When Tanya had referred to him as hot, it had been awkward to say the least. For one split second Josh had seen where Viv was coming from, how embarrassed it made her feel to be attracted to a man young enough to date her daughter. But that didn’t mean he agreed with her point of view one hundred percent. Truth was, she was attracted to him, and the connection between them was foolish to ignore.
Get over it, man.
With a sigh, Josh turned right onto Ellie’s street, knowing he had to put Vivian out of his mind and focus on the other issue currently complicating his life. Luke and Ellie.
His hands tightened over the steering wheel as the memory of his best friend and little sister, barely dressed, flashed across his brain. Christ, what was Luke thinking? Why had he decided to add Ellie to his string of casual conquests?
Josh loved Luke like a brother, but that didn’t mean he condoned the guy’s behavior. Ever since Luke’s relationship with Robin had fizzled, he’d been living it up as a bachelor, moving from one woman to the next, never sticking around long enough for a second date. Well, Josh wouldn’t let his friend take advantage of Ellie. His sister was the most important person in his life and damn it, she’d been hurt enough the past six months. Josh wouldn’t let her get hurt again.
Stiffening his shoulders, he parked his rental behind Luke’s SUV and entered the bungalow. “Get your ass out here, Russell,” he called the second he stepped into the living room.
A moment later, Luke walked out of the kitchen. “I take it it’s time for round two?”
“You’re lucky Ellie decided to leave. You wouldn’t have wanted her around to see me kicking your ass.” Even to his own ears the threat sounded hollow.
Luke rolled his eyes and met Josh’s icy stare, unfazed. “You seriously want to pick a fight with a bodyguard? Don’t you remember the last time we got in a fistfight? As I recall, someone’s ass did get kicked and it certainly wasn’t mine.”
“I was fifteen, I’ve picked up a few moves since then.” He stared his friend down then broke out in a reluctant grin. They both knew Luke was right. Though a fight between them would probably be close, Josh suspected Luke would come out the winner. He always had in the past.
After a brief moment, his grin faded into a scowl. “What the hell are you thinking, man? Why Ellie?”
Luke seemed confused. “What do you mean?”
“Look, I’m not knocking your lifestyle, but you don’t have a good track record with relationships. You can have any woman you want, any night you want. Why couldn’t you leave Ellie alone?”
“It’s not like that.”
Josh shot him a knowing look. “No? As I recall, after you left Robin, you were dead set on never getting involved again. What the hell changed?”
Luke opened his mouth to reply, and then clamped it shut. Josh’s question hung in the air, making him hesitate. What had changed? What was he doing with Ellie? What did he want from her?
He rubbed his forehead, momentarily confused. He wanted…well, damn, he wanted a lot of things. He wanted to make love to her again. To dance with her the way they had last night. To hold her in his arms every night until they fell asleep. To spend each and every day making her smile that sassy smile of hers.
He suddenly cursed out loud.
“Great answer,” Josh said sarcastically. “Makes me real happy I asked you to help me with Ellie.”
Luke let out a frustrated breath. “Damn it, man, cut the sarcasm.”
“Not until you tell me why on earth you got involved with my little sister.”
With a strangled groan, he said the first thing that came to mind. “Because I love her.”
If he hadn’t been so shocked by his own revelation, he might have laughed at the sight of Josh’s dropped jaw. It took a lot to catch Josh Dawson off-guard.
“You love her?”