Two guards walk behind him. I feel like I am watching this in slow motion. He’s wearing a navy suit and pale pink shirt, navy tie. His height and stance dominate the men around him. His dark chocolate hair is super short which only accentuates his strong jaw line, dark skin and beautiful large lips … Dear god! My eyes close in pain and I drop my head.
I had forgotten how beautiful he is.
He walks gracefully down the corridor without noticing us tucked in the corner. My heart has stopped as I watch him from across the room. How can any human being hold so much sexual energy? It’s unfair. I am immediately overcome with a wave of affection for him and my eyes fill with tears. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Ben sees us and heads in our direction. I don’t know if I am going to wet myself or jump up and down and scream like a groupie. Bridget is now sitting sleepily in her chair and her eyes are about to bulge from her head as she looks at me. Yes Bridget, I fucking see it.
They walk over to us and Cameron immediately cuddles his mother and kisses her cheek. I am overcome with emotion as I scramble to my feet. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I stand at the back of the group like a child waiting for my turn. Joshua then turns and kisses my mum who has come out of the hospital room. He pulls her into an embrace and then Bridget, then Margaret. I stand still, frozen. My turn, my turn.
Cameron walks over to me. “Hi Tash,” he whispers as he kisses my cheek gently and puts his arm around me but my eyes are firmly set on Joshua who hasn’t even looked in my direction. The family collectively hold their breath as I walk over to him. His hands are in his pockets and he is looking down at the ground.
“Hello, Joshua,” I whisper as I lean up to kiss him on the cheek.
His cold eyes meet mine and he turns his head to avoid my kiss.
“Don’t touch me,” he whispers.
I step back from him in shock and Bridget puts her arm around me gently in pity, as my heart drops. Don’t touch him … he told me not to touch him. I look at the ground immediately as I try to pull myself together, my world spinning on its axis. Robert, Joshua’s father, enters the room and laughs out loud at the sight of his two sons. He embraces them both. Bridget grabs my hand in support. I stand still, head down. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t that. Wilson and Scott walk over and the family start talking. Cameron is asking Robert about the prognosis when I see something catch Joshua’s eye over my shoulder. He runs his tongue over the front of his top teeth.
“Excuse me for a moment,” he snaps as he brushes past me.
I turn to see what he is doing and I see him marching towards Max on the other side of the large room. Oh shit. I take off after him and catch up just in time to hear him snap,
“Leave, before I kick your ass.” Max narrows his eyes and glares at Joshua.
“Joshua, don’t speak to him like that!” I gasp.
He turns on me like the devil himself. “I will speak to him any damn way I want to, Natasha. I will not sit here in the same room as this,” he looks him up and down, “traitor.”
“Joshua, just because Max helped me to get home to Australia does not mean he is a traitor to you. He tried to get me to go back to you continually,” I reply nervously.
He steps back in disgust and Ben walks over. “Is there a problem here?” Ben asks as he gently grabs the back of Joshua’s elbow.
Joshua runs his tongue over his front teeth again as he glares at Max, then he turns back to the others. “Get rid of him,” he snaps as he walks off.
Max glares after him.
“You had better leave,” Ben remarks quietly to Max as he scratches the back of his neck.
Max’s eyes flick to me for approval. I can’t believe he just said that. I look over to Joshua who is blatantly furious. His hands are in his pockets, his legs wide, still glaring at Max while his brothers try to talk to him.
My eyes flick nervously between the two men. “Max, maybe you should go-there is enough security. I don’t need any more drama than I’ve got. Sorry,” I whisper.
Max bites his lip and nods. “Make sure Natasha has a guard with her till she gets home,” he says to Ben.
Ben nods and shakes Max’s hand, “Good to see you man.” He smiles.
Max then walks over to the lift and disappears downstairs. I stare at the closed doors behind him. Who in the hell does this guy think he is? He marches in here like Fabio, refuses my kiss, tells me not to touch him and then tells my bodyguard he’s going to kick his ass if he doesn’t leave. I stomp back to the others where Wilson grabs me affectionately around the neck in a headlock. Joshua stands still, his hands in his pockets, glares at him and raises a brow. Wilson immediately drops his arm from me. Oh right, so Wilson isn’t allowed to touch me either. Unbelievable.
“I’m getting coffee,” I snap.
“I’ll come too,” Bridget smiles as she grabs her bag. As soon as we get into the lift Bridget starts to jump up and down. “Oh my god. I have to ring Abbie.” She pulls out her phone and starts to text. She reads out what she texts: “Hot. Hot. Hot. Smoking fucking hot.” She laughs out loud for the first time in days. She continues to text as she reads out loud: “Mr. Stanton is back in town.” She wobbles her stupid head around to accentuate her point.
I glare at her deadpan. “You’re such a loser. Did you hear the attitude he was giving me. Hello … Newsflash. He played up on me the asshole. He can’t come back here throwing me orders. Who in the hell does he think he is?”
Bridget smiles and bites her lip as she hunches her shoulders. “But you are in the same room as him.”
“So,” I answer flatly.
“So, who knows what could happen? You could be having passionate make-up sex. Maybe later tonight even.” She widens her eyes as she puts her hands above her head and does sparkle fingers in excitement.