I nod. “I know,” I frown. “My gran got sick so we have had some stuff on.”
“Oh shit,” he replies. “Is she ok?
“No, she has cancer,” I sigh.
“Sorry,” he mutters.
“I met a girl,” he blurts out to change the subject.
My eyes widen. “Really? Tell me.” I smile.
“She’s blonde and beautiful.”
I smile.
“She’s away at the moment with her parents.” He shrugs.
“How did you meet?” I sip my drink, this guy is so cute.
“At work,” he replies.
My skin prickles. I feel him before I see him. My eyes flick around the space and sure enough there he is. Tall, dark, handsome and extremely infuriating. Shit. I turn around in a rush and swallow the lump in my throat. Bloody snitchy bodyguards. Joshua is talking to my bodyguard against the wall.
He walks over to the table. “What do you think you are doing?” he snaps.
I swallow uncomfortably. “What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Answer the question,” he replies.
I narrow my eyes. “Talking to this wonderful man actually.” The boy next to me widens his eyes in fear and I bite my lip to stifle my smile, poor bastard.
Joshua’s furious eyes hold mine. “Leave,” he snaps to my companion.
He nods immediately and goes to stand up. I grab his arm. “Sit back down. You are not going anywhere,” I reply.
“You have five seconds,” Joshua growls. The poor boy’s eyes are the size of saucers as his eyes flick between Joshua and me. Joshua is scaring even me.
“Cut it out Joshua,” I snap. “You leave.”
“Five … four,” Joshua starts to count in a cool calculated voice and the boy practically jumps and runs.
Joshua stands with his legs wide and his hands in his suit pockets, fury dripping from his every pore as he ticks his jaw. His tall body leans down to me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he sneers.
I swallow the fear in my throat. I don’t think I have ever seen him so angry.
I drain my glass. “What does it look like? Drinking,” I stammer.
He narrows his eyes at me. “I have been at your house worried and I find you are in a bar drinking with other men and ignoring my calls.”
I twirl my hair uncomfortably. “I don’t feel like seeing you tonight,” I reply.
He grabs my arm. “You want to fight precious? Say when.”
I pull my arm from his grip. “Stop it. You’re acting crazy.” My eyes flick around to the bodyguards who are all purposely looking away.
“You haven’t seen fucking crazy yet,” he whispers so coldly that I get a shiver down my spine.
I snap my eyes away from his glare.
“Stop carrying on,” he angrily whispers.
“Who’s carrying on Joshua? I’m in a bar trying to enjoy myself and you turn up here like Fabio. Go away please.”
“Get your ass in that limo now,” he growls.
Of all the nerve, I screw up my face. “No.”
“Now,” he screams.
Fuck he’s losing it, I look around nervously. “I said no,” I reply calmly as I try to rein in my thumping heart.
“Go.” He raises a brow. “You can leave here with dignity by your own free will or you can kick and scream while I drag you. Either way you will be in my car in two minutes.” His cold eyes hold mine.
I stand. “You are an asshole,” I snap as I storm past him out the door.
I wait at the limo as he walks out with the guards. “Can you let the girls know I am leaving?” I ask one of Joshua’s guards. He nods and goes back into the club. Joshua opens the car door for me and I glare at him as I hop in. I feel like a naughty child in trouble with my parents. He gets in behind me and pushes the security button. It goes up slowly.
I sit silently, looking out the window, as we weave through the traffic. I can feel the anger oozing from him.
He leans over and pulls my face to his. “I will say this once and once only. Do not ever fucking stand me up again.”
Fear grips me. “Stop it.”
“You will do as I ask and show me respect. Do you fucking hear me?” he yells.
I pull my face from his grip. “And what respect do I get in return Joshua?” I reply coldly. “Bumping into you having coffee with a woman-is that the respect I deserve?”
“I work with her,” he yells.
“And last time I saw you with her you were dry-humping her at a wedding you were attending with me. Don’t give me demands on respect, asshole, because you give me none.”
“I don’t want her!” he screams.
“What the fuck do you want Joshua? You don’t even know.”
“You know nothing about me,” he snaps as the car pulls up at my house.
“I know I don’t, because you tell me nothing,” I yell as I jump out in a rush. He gets out after me. “Go home.” I yell. I need to get away from him immediately. I can’t handle these mind games anymore. I’m going insane. He slams the car door hard and storms after me into the building and the guards all look away. We stand in silence in the lift. I hate having security-what must they think? He opens the door and I storm inside. He slams the door behind me.
“Go home,” I yell.
“I am home,” he yells.