Joshua Healy (The Mitchell/Healy Family #10)(24)

"On if you're willing to help me clean it, because there is no way I’m sleeping in here with it like this. I feel like I’ve entered my fifteen year old boyfriend’s room. Your mother must want to hog tie you up and bleach you."

"I like it this way," he argues. “When it gets too bad, my mom comes in and straightens up.”

"And you think that’s okay? Wow. I knew you were spoiled, but this…” I shake my head some more. “I really hope you don’t expect me to stay here with you."

Josh shrugs. "I was going to suggest you sleep down the hall, since you want to take things slow. Your words, not mine."

I pick up a pillow and throw it at him. "If you want to ever have permission to get in my pants again, you’re going to have to tidy this place, or else I'll be forced to take this body somewhere else."

"You wouldn't dare," he tests.

I probably won't, but he doesn't know that.

"Try me."

He mumbles something under his breath and shakes his head. "I've got a better idea. Go on down the stairs and look around. I saw you eying up the photographs. When you're done you won't recognize the room. You'll see."

“I’d rather help.”

“No faith that I can get the job done?”

“I’m a bit scared I may never see you again. Someone could get lost in the heaps of laundry.”

He points at me and chuckles. “I want you to know, I wouldn’t do this for just anyone.”

“I feel unequivocally special. Beyond words,” I say sarcastically.

Josh takes my hand and pulls me on top of him. We’re wrestling around in the sheets, him tickling me until I scream for him to stop. Then he’s hovering over me, those lime green eyes peering into my soul. My hands reach up and rest on each of his cheeks, his stubble tickling my palms. In that moment nothing matters. This is how he affects me. It’s how I know I can’t let this beautiful man slip away, not when I need this. I’m desperate, but not because I need some boyfriend void filled. It’s something else; something more powerful than I’m willing to wrap my head around.





Chapter 11


Joshua


I’d do anything to impress Tamsyn, and as much as that bothers me, it’s also another reminder that it’s time to grow up. She strips the bed of it’s sheets, while I grab her a new set to put on. While she’s focused on one task, I gather all of my dirty clothes, which is most of the mess, and take them to the laundry room. While downstairs, I gather some cleaning supplies and a broom, but lastly a trash bag. By the time I’m back upstairs, she’s putting clean cases on each pillow.

Tamsyn smiles when she sees my hands full of items that will get my room in top shape. I shake out the bag and put it over my head, pretending to suffocate myself like being made to do this is enough to warrant a suicide. When I don’t get the response I’m hoping for, I take it back off and begin picking up the packages, cans, and other trash in the room.

Not even ten minutes later it’s looking pretty damn good. Tamsyn has parked her sexy, petite body on my bed, and it’s distracting, to say the least. If I miss a spot, she points and orders me around. Normally I’d be taking the female home with plans on erasing her number as soon as her ass left the seat of my truck, but she’s an exception.

When I locate it, I toss her the remote control, so maybe she’ll be distracted from watching what I’m doing. She crosses her legs and begins searching the channels. When I hear screaming my focus turns to the screen. She’s watching a zombie flick and I’m already interested, so I slip in the bed beside her and rest my head on her lap. Her fingers play in my hair, and from this position I could fall asleep easily.

We’re quiet for most of the movie, but as soon as the credits roll she’s patting me to sit up. “Are we going to play the game or what?”

“You’re the one who turned on the movie.”

She rolls her eyes and points to the matching gaming chairs at the foot of my bed, which she can now see because they aren’t covered in laundry.

A few moments later we’re going at it, each of us being timed on our separate missions. When I’m doing better she opts to physically distract me, by climbing on my lap and grinding her ass around. As much as I’m into the game, she knows she’s messing with a ticking time bomb. I can only take so much humping before I lose my shit and have to have her.

The game is still on, but we’ve ditched our paddles. We’re rolling around on the floor, our clothes coming off quickly and scattering around the clean space. When she’s shirtless, I lift her body so that I’m able to savor each of her perfect breasts. She’s got her arms around my neck while I work, tiny sounds escaping her lips each time I suck on her hardened nipples.

We’re too distracted with each other to hear someone at my bedroom door. When I know it’s been opened, I quickly shield her from whoever is interrupting. “Do you mind?”

My mom spins so her back is turned to us. “Oh god! I didn’t know you had company. I just wanted you to turn the volume down on your game.”

Tamsyn locates my T-shirt and throws it on, patting her hair down as she tries to regain composure. With my pants unzipped, belt hanging, and no shirt on, I stand and reach for her to join me. My shirt looks like a dress, not that I’m worried. “Mom, you can turn around.”