Page 136 of Stanton Adore

Natasha sinking into the deck chair next to me with an empty glass full of ice. She probably wants to grill me about smoking now too. She holds her glass out to me and I give her a small smile and fill it.

“Cointreau,” I reply.

She nods as she takes a sip. “I like it with Coke—do we have any?”

I frown. “You like Cointreau?” I ask, quite shocked.

She smiles and rolls her eyes. “Yes, but with Coke.”

I raise my eyebrows. “I think there is some in the pool bar fridge,” I reply. She rises from her seat and I watch her walk around the pool and down the steps into the pool bar. She fills her glass, puts some ice in her cup and walks back around to sit in the deck chair next to me. I look at her as I bite my bottom lip.

“Nice place, Josh, I like it.” I smile, still unsure what to say, and nod. “I’m sorry about before, you’re right I shouldn’t have told your friends to leave. They just caught me off guard, that’s all. I won’t do it again.” I take a sip of my drink as I look straight ahead. I know I should tell her it’s alright, but I can’t. It’s as far from alright as you can get.

“Tash, I have been single all of my life,” I reply.

“I know, baby, I forget that sometimes. But I won’t take shit from your friends and you need to talk to them as well.”

“I told you I would but if you could just hold that temper down a bit. It would be very handy.” I smirk at her as I take another sip. She picks up my packet of cigarettes from the table. Oh god, here it comes. Another lecture. To my utter amazement she opens the packet and takes one out and lights it. What the fuck, she smokes. I sit still in amazement as she sits back in her chair and takes another drag. You could knock me over with a feather. I did not expect her to just do that.

“You smoke?” I ask.

She shrugs her shoulders. “Not really. I probably would though if I knew it wasn’t trying to kill me.”

I smile and nod. For the first time in a while I am seeing her in a different light.

“You?” she asks.

“Same.” I nod.

She smiles as she raises her glass and clinks it with mine. “Let’s not kill each other on our first day. Do you want to call a truce?” she asks.

I nod. “Yeah, I suppose.” I am riveted to my chair as I watch her blow the thin stream of smoke up into the air as her eyes lock on to mine. Why in the hell is that sight so arousing? It’s just so unexpected, sort of good girl goes wild thing going on here.

She picks my hand up and kisses the back of it. “You’re staring.” She smiles. I shake my head and smile into my glass. This woman is a total mindfuck. One minute I hate her, the next thing I want to fuck her into next week. I can’t keep up.

Cameron walks out of the back doors. “Natasha Marx smoking, that’s a little bit hot,” he states as he walks over.

“Shut up, Cam.” She smiles. “Pull up a seat.”

He sits down and takes a sip of his beer. “Am I interrupting?”

I state the word, “Yes.”

At the same time Natasha says, “No. Josh, don’t be an ass.”

I nod as I take another drag of my cigarette.

“What are your plans for the week, Cam?” she asks.

He shrugs. “I suppose go to the hospital and try and check out where I am going to live.”

She nods. “Why don’t you live here with us?” she asks. What the fuck, she wants Cameron to live with us? That’s a new revelation. Cameron’s eyes shoot over to me in question. I already told him if Natasha came, he couldn’t live with me.

“You want me to move in here?” Cameron asks her.

“Yes, why not? I think Josh and I will need someone to referee our fights, don’t you think?” She smirks into her glass as she drains it. Bitch.

“Josh, what are your thoughts on this?” he asks.