Entice - By Ella Frank Page 0,94

am, I know you will turn up, and quite honestly, Georgia, I’m not there yet. That’s not to say I won’t ever be—just not yet.

As always,

Josh

He wasn’t there yet. Well, aren’t I stupid?

When he’d been ready, she had run away as quick as her legs could carry her, clinging to the insane notion that his ex-girlfriend had been a threat.

Shelly had known all along that there was no threat there. She had seen it in his eyes and heard it in his voice when he had waited to make sure she was okay the next morning after her late night out.

Every single move Josh had made proved that he cared and his feelings were real.

And what did I do? Reduced them all to one ugly word—fling.

So, really, this hopeless, unrequited infatuation she had with him was her own damn fault because now he didn’t trust her.

As the plane taxied down the runway to wait in the holding line for take-off, she recalled her own email with her anxious questions.

Maybe it was time to leave the man alone. Perhaps he did need his space, like he had said. Maybe he didn’t want her to keep emailing him with naughty snapshots.

However, as the cabin rattled and the jet engines kicked in, making the loud roaring sound signaling their imminent departure, Shelly couldn’t help but think if that were the case, then he would tell her to stop emailing altogether. Wouldn’t he?

***

Josh sat down with his laptop and a beer.

He had spent the morning down at the worksite, and he couldn’t wait to get home to open the most recent email from Man-Eater.

Yep, she had most definitely reclaimed that name.

The woman was intent on giving him a hard-on in the middle of the day. On more than a few occasions, he had been working at the site, checking his phone after he had heard it chime. Then, right there in his inbox, snapshots of the stunningly sexy doctor had appeared.

At one point, he had asked her why she had sent them through email instead of a text message, and he had to laugh at her response.

If I text it, it’s instant. If I email, you anticipate opening it. Plus, if it goes to the wrong person, then at least I have a chance of recovery. Imagine that going to Mason? Instantly?

Oh, hell no, had been Josh’s first reaction.

There was no way he wanted Mason’s eyes on that, and he was pretty sure that Lena wouldn’t want it either.

Shelly was breathtaking. As he sat down on his apartment’s shabby couch, he opened the laptop and switched it on. There, on his screen, was the most beautiful face he had ever seen.

Her eyes were almond-shaped, and the blue was so stunning in its vibrancy that it almost looked unreal. In this picture, she was looking over her naked shoulder, and her hair was disheveled all around her face. She had her phone in one hand, pointing it at the mirror. Her lips were parted, and her eyes were screaming come and get me. Damn, she’s beautiful.

He had known leaving was going to be hard, and honestly, Josh hadn’t known what to expect after that desperate moment of passion in his kitchen.

Letting her walk away that day had been the most difficult decision he had ever made, especially knowing he was still going to leave.

He’d known from the beginning the depths of his feelings, and nothing was going to sway him from giving them both the time they needed. If it was meant to be, they would find their way back to each other.

If not?Well, if not, I’m screwed.

***

As the plane touched down in Georgia, Shelly took a deep breath and looked out at the rain drizzling down the plane’s window.

What a miserable day, she thought, and then wondered if it was a precursor to her visit. She wasn’t looking forward to spending one-on-one time with her parents, and she was pretty sure her father wasn’t either, especially after her last spectacular visit.

After the plane landed, she made her way off and went through all the necessary lines and security checks. Shelly finally entered the waiting area, and immediately, she saw her father standing toward the back of the baggage claim area, leaning up against a big white column.

Shelly noticed that most women walking by had stopped to look at him. Shelly could see that he was an attractive man. She looked just like him, or so everyone told her, and for years, she had taken