Loving the Wild Card (7 page)

Chapter 8

“I hope you know where you’re going,” Josh grumbled for the umpteenth
time. Since their encounter in the bough of the tree, Lux had yet to look at
him. If he spoke to her, she either respond with her back to him or fixed her
eyes, as best as he could tell, on his nose.

It troubled him that she refused to tell him anything other than she
knew a place where they would be safe. The men who’d been following them were
incapacitated, at least for now, but Josh knew their time was limited.

He had left them far enough apart to ensure they’d have difficulty
releasing themselves from the intricate
bind
s of long, green fronds he’d secured them with.
That he’d also kicked their asses before knocking them unconscious also helped.
However, they were professionals and that meant they were probably resourceful.

Lux now wore his shirt which at least offered some protection from the
chill in the early morning air. But he was most concerned for the grimace of
pain due to her insubstantial footwear. She’d refused his offer to carry her to
ease her way with a finality he didn’t dispute.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Josh knew he couldn’t allow her
stubbornness to continue. She was hurting and he wouldn’t stand for it.
“Luxandria!”

Looking over her shoulder at him calling her name; for the first time
she met his eyes.

“We’re here,” she said quietly and pointed towards a house.

Preoccupied with her pain, Josh
wrenched
his eyes from the stubborn woman and looked
around. He didn’t see anything special. Still surrounded by trees, on closer
inspection Josh detected an intensity of the smell of the briny ocean.

She faltered as though now that they were within touching distance of
their final destination, her energy deserted her. Her legs gave out. Before her
body touched the ground, Josh scooped her into his arms.

Her lack of protest told him how tired she was, having used the last bit
of her energy to lead them to this place.

“Why won’t you let me in? All I want to do is help you. Don’t you know I
would do anything for you?” He only felt free to utter the words because the
moment his arms were around her, she fell asleep. Josh wanted to believe her
willingness to succumb to slumber so quickly, was because she knew he would
keep her safe.

Striding forward, he saw the house she’d indicated before her lapse into
sleep. He also saw other houses in the distance, but they were set far enough
apart for their occupants to be of no concern to him. His gaze roamed the area
in rapid movements until he committed his surroundings to memory.

With his precious cargo in his arms, Josh turned the door handle.
Pleased the house was unlocked so he wouldn’t have to disturb her; he walked
inside, even as he wondered about security.

The house wasn’t large. Once inside he saw tiled floors and whitewashed
walls that he knew would give relief from the heat of the Caribbean sun. Josh
took in everything as he moved further into the house.

Moving to the first door he encountered, he went inside. It was a
bedroom. Lowering Lux onto the bed, he straightened and spent some time making
her comfortable.

When he finished, he stood back and watched as she turned onto her
stomach still fast asleep. Wanting nothing more than to curl up beside her, but
he knew that wasn’t an option. Turning away, he made his way out of the house
and down to the beach. Once there he pulled out his cell and looked at the
screen, it was almost dead. He just hoped he had enough juice left to make one
more call.

****

Something woke her. Unsure what is was, Lux turned over onto her back
and waited. Her stomach growled and she had her answer. That and the fact that
she needed to use the bathroom in a hurry. She immediately knew where she was,
but it took her a few moments to reason why. At the sight of her carnival
costume, everything came rushing back including the fact that Josh was
somewhere around.

She loved this place, it was her haven. This was where she’d come when
she fled America. It wasn’t much by the standards of others but at that time,
for her it was home. Her grandparents were still alive back then. When she’d
unexpectedly appeared at their door, they hadn’t asked any questions they just
took care of her.

Knowing she needed a healing place, they eventually brought her here.
Her grandparents had spent a few weeks with her, surrounding her with their
love. When they finally realized she wasn’t returning to the States, they made
her a gift of the house.

They repeatedly inquired about her brother and their estrangement, but
she never told them the truth. To do so would have broken their hearts. In the
end, they just stopped asking.

They both died a year later and within a week of each other. It fell to
her to bury them, and she did it alone because she was alone.

Standing beside the bed, Lux subconsciously sought a sign of Josh.
Nothing, she couldn’t detect his presence.

Pulling back the curtains, she saw the sun was nearly setting. The glows
of the sky caught her attention. All that was left of the day she had slept
away were a few rays of the sun clinging to the horizon.

Rubbing her hands over her arms, she came into contact with the shirt
she still wore. Burying her nose in the fabric, she inhaled. Her senses were
immediately assailed by the essence that belonged to the man whose scent she
would always be able to pick out, Josh.

Refusing to dwell on Joshua Kingdom for a minute longer, Lux headed for
the shower. Thankful that she always kept clothing at the house; when she was
finally clean, she put on a long halter neck sun dress and made her way to the
kitchen. Standing by the kitchen sink, she filled a glass with water and gulped
it down. Attempting to keep her thoughts away from Josh and where he could be,
her curiosity got the better of her.

Standing outside, Lux was immediately in tune with her surroundings. The
feel of the sea breeze as it flowed over her skin, birds singing their sweet
song and bullfrogs croaking their endless refrain, all brought back memories.

Making her way towards the beach; about to push the leaves of a giant
fern aside, Lux came to a standstill. Emerging from the water was a sight she
wouldn’t soon forget; Joshua Kingdom in all his naked glory. Feeling like a
voyeur, she took a step back allowing the leaf to spring back into place. There
in the shadows she unashamedly watched him; all six-foot-six of raw power.

There was no getting away from it; he was probably one of the most
gorgeous looking men she’d ever seen. Lux wished she had her camera to capture
him just as he was at this moment. Subconsciously she licked her lips even as
her eyes continued to roam over his body.

When he reached the spot where his towel lay, he bent down and picked it
up. As he returned to his full height, his gaze snagged hers. Lux could only
describe his smile as wickedly knowing, and it made her toes curl and her
nipples harden in reaction.

“By the sounds of all that lip smacking you like what you see. Don’t be
shy, come on over and take a closer look. I’ll even allow you to touch,” his
voice carried across the space separating them.

Embarrassed to be discovered spying on him, there was no point
attempting to remain concealed. Pushing the worthless foliage aside, Lux walked
towards him. All the while muttering under her breath about his arrogance and
wondering how he knew she was there.

“White,” came the response to the question he shouldn’t have been able
to hear.

“What?”

“You’re wearing a white dress. I spotted you the moment I left the
water.”

“Okay, you busted me on that, but how did you just hear what I said?”

“How quickly you forget; I have exceptional hearing, dear one,” Josh
said pulling on his shorts, still tracking her approach.

Yes, she’d forgotten that about him, but what really made her sad was by
the time she reached him, his shorts were in place.

“Sorry, I can see your disappointment, but I really didn’t want to be
standing here with my dick dangling when our ride arrives.”

“A ride to where?”

“Tobago, and then the states.”

Lux knew he was waiting for a reaction, and as much as she wanted to
hold back, she couldn’t. “Forget it, I’m not going anywhere with you!” She
threw over her shoulder as she began to walk away.

“Lux!”

The one word carried so much exasperation; she risked a smile as her
back was turned to him.

“See you around, Joshua,” she said as she continued back towards her
house.

The sound of a speedboat moving across the water caught her attention.
Her heart began to pound; thoughts of unwelcome pursuit at the forefront of her
mind. Not for a moment did she associate the sound of the boat with his comment
about their pickup. Her mind went into overdrive telling her they needed to get
away, to hide; that they were too exposed here on the beach.

“Come on Josh, we need to get out of here. That boat’s moving fast. We
can get a head start, but we need to go, now!”

Pausing only long enough to take in his raised brow and lack of
movement, Lux shrugged and began to back away. He was a big boy so he could
take care of himself. As soon as the thought passed through her mind, she knew
she was lost. There was no way she was going to leave him to face their
adversaries alone.

She knew how to protect herself and even though he was too stubborn to
heed her warning, she would have to stand by his side. She may not have faced
off with a grown man before, but she would have to do it now because the big
lump refused to do as she said.

After an enormous exhalation, Lux muttered under her breath as she
gathered the folds of her dress and tied it at her hip. Next she twisted her
braids into a knot at the nape of her neck, unaware Josh watched her with a
speculatively raised brow.

A large man left the boat and jumped down into the shallow water near
the beach. Not even the choppy roll of the tide stopped his advance. The closer
he came, the more his size worried her. Bending her knees, Lux buried her toes
into the sand and breathed deeply. She was ready for the fight ahead.

The sun had all but set and both Josh and the new man were now cast in
silhouette. That Josh seemed unconcerned didn’t register with her. All she knew
was she was not going down without a fight.

The boatman stopped when the water just covered his feet. Lux wasn’t
prepared to take her eyes off him. From the way, he carried himself, she knew
he was dangerous and one should never take their eyes off trouble. Further
thought was dispelled when she was caught, spun and thrown over a muscular
shoulder and the breath left her body. Distracted by the newcomer, she’d taken
her eyes off Josh.

As he strode towards the ocean, she fought for release, but the arms
that held her in place were bands of steel. Catching a glimpse of the man from
the boat, some of the fight went out of her. She recognized him, she should
have realized why Josh was so unconcerned by his arrival. Where there was one
Kingdom brother the other was never far behind. It was Jake.

When Josh came abreast with his brother, he didn’t break stride. In
perpetual motion, he waded through the lapping tide and continued on towards
the waiting boat. Lifting her head as best she could, Lux looked back at the
beach and saw that Jake was standing guard, watching their backs.

Deposited into the boat, she immediately rose to her feet, thoughts of
escape at the forefront of her mind. How they managed to move so quickly was
something she would have to ponder at a later date. No sooner had she gained
her feet, both the brothers were aboard and the speedboat was in full flight.

It happened so quickly, Lux was thrown back and landed hard on her
backside. Staring at two impressive backs; she knew there was no way to escape
until they reached their destination, wherever that might be.

From the moment he manhandled her onto the speedboat, Josh ignored her.
Both men stood behind the windshield in silence as the boat plowed its way
through the water. Sure they could feel the daggers she threw at their backs,
Lux bided her time.

She didn’t have long to wait. Within ten minutes, they reached their
destination and she knew there was no way they were on Tobago. That trip would
have taken at least two hours.

Docking the boat beside what looked like a disused jetty, Josh, and his
brother, jumped onto the rickety wooden planks. When Josh held out his hand to
her, Lux ignored it and disembarked under her own steam. Looking around, she
tried to gain her bearings, but she had no idea where they were.

Both men stood with their heads together and spoke for the first time.
Their voices were so low she couldn’t hear what they were saying.

“Let’s go, Lux,” Josh said as he nodded in the direction his brother
took.

“Where are we going?”

“I’ll explain everything to you in a little while. For now, we just need
to get out of here.”