Holly's Intuition (5 page)

Joshua’s family home was a large, semi-detached house in the north London suburb of Ruislip. By the time they got there the street was lined with cars and the party was spil ing through al the rooms, the animated crowd visible through the windows. Despite the fact it was a cold spring night, the front door stood open to greet them as they pul ed up on the opposite side of the street. Hol y peered out of the car and reflected that Mrs Dawson’s comment about a smal family gathering was a definite understatement. Had she done that to play it down, to encourage Joshua to attend? From what he’d said during dinner the night before, he’d not been his usual social self since the accident. What with that and the changes in his relationship status over the past year, he’d stayed away. Hol y, who was party to al of that through her psychic connection, longed to see what he was like without al of it haunting him.

She couldn’t help wanting to see him unburdened and truly happy. He was getting there. In fact he was up and eager for the party al day long.

Stewart parked the car then turned to Josh. “Wel , good luck.”

“Is that sarcasm I detect in your tone?” Joshua gave a wry laugh.

Hol y smiled to herself. She was aware of his underlying concerns, but, more than that, she knew he wanted to be here with both of them. There was a deviant edge to that, they both felt it, but he wanted it nonetheless. That made her simmer, and she was already enjoying herself as a result. Processing Josh’s emotions was becoming quite the ride, because Josh had surprised himself over the course of the day. His initial reaction to the way this had transpired faded, because he’d convinced himself that the focus would be on his sister, Donna, and her fiancé, Wil . He’d pushed away a lot of the tension surrounding his forthcoming announcement about Stewart and their relationship, if only for the time being.

Josh held her door for her as she climbed out. “You look beautiful,” he said, looking over her outfit with approval.

“Yes,” Stewart interjected teasingly, as he locked the car. “I wish you were
my date
. I’d appreciate you so much more than
he
does.”

I do appreciate her, jerk
. Josh’s thought ran around her mind and Hol y suppressed a laugh. Josh shook his head, but he was amused.

Hol y couldn’t help smiling. To think she’d been nervous about this evening. She straightened her outfit—a new slinky red dress that she’d gone out and bought especial y, and a contrasting black bolero—squeezed his arm, and chuckled. “I have to make a confession…even though it’s not real it feels as if I’m having a date with both of you. You’re gorgeous men, how lucky am I?”

Was she being naughty? Hel , yes. She did feel like that, but there didn’t seem any harm in saying so.

Stewart responded by linking her arm. He reached in to kiss her cheek, breathing her in as he did so. “Mmm, you say al the right things.”

That sparked her libido.

Joshua stared at the pair of them. Hol y could feel the wave of pride and longing that took hold of him. He rubbed at his head, then shrugged and got on the other side of her, linking her other arm.

“This does feel good,” Stewart commented.

Hol y nodded, feeling it too. A decadent sense of fun was loosely in her veins. It was dangerous and she knew it. Her sanity and her affections were at risk. Forty-eight hours earlier she’d been worried about al owing herself that one dinner with them both, and now she’d gone several steps further. But being with them felt too good, and the fact that she was doing Josh a favour made it so much easier to ignore the risks. It was a risk, though. She was a secret voyeur on their private love life, and touching them like this made her crazy. But it was a good kind of crazy, a crazy that made her toss back her hair and savour the feeling of liberation that coursed through her.

“Come on,” Josh said, “let’s party.”

Hol y couldn’t stop smiling, which meant she entered the Dawson family home on a wave of tremulous anticipation the likes of which she hadn’t experienced before.

It won’t last.

Where did that thought come from? Hol y wasn’t sure any more, but she hated the rude interruption to such a great moment. She glanced at Joshua.

He felt that way too, but she would have anyway. He glanced at his companions from under hooded eyes, watchful and protective. His doubts were being pushed down, but they ran deep and they were indelible. Hol y stepped into the house with her chin lifted, determined to support him.

Everyone they encountered embraced Josh and he could hardly get the introductions done. Mrs Dawson was apparently on the look-out, and they’d barely made it halfway down the hal way when she popped her head around the door from the room beyond and darted out to greet them.

Mrs Dawson embraced her with genuine warmth. “It’s lovely to see you again, and to see Joshua with a girlfriend,” she said, “you’re very welcome my dear.”

“Just friends, Mum,” Joshua stated, with a warning glance at Stewart.

His mother waved her hand at him as if he was talking nonsense.

Even though he’d clarified, his mother’s welcome made Hol y feel like an impostor and that level ed her mood somewhat. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she started to get vibes from Joshua immediately. He’d been hit by the realisation that Stewart was right—pretending to have a girlfriend was only going to make it worse for him in the long run. Guilt weighed heavily on him.

Stewart, who instinctively seemed to be aware of the shifting tides of emotion, stepped in and shook Mrs Dawson’s hand. “Lovely to see you again, and might I say how radiant you look.”

Josh’s mother beamed.

“Many thanks for inviting me,” he added.

She embraced him fondly. “Nonsense, it’s lovely to have you here, and you must both come to the wedding as wel . I insist on it.”

Joshua’s head lifted and he looked at his mother with an inquiring glance.

Obviously sensitive to his concern, she responded quickly. “There’l be plenty of room, don’t worry about that. Your cousin Jeanette has broken her leg and you’l be doing us a favour taking up dinners that would otherwise go to waste. It’s al paid for, no refunds at this stage. Your father is in a gripe about it, so please, take up those places.”

Hol y watched it al , intrigued. Was his mum more sensitive to his ways than he realised? Had something been given away when she’d witnessed Stewart and Joshua in the hospital? Hol y wondered on it.

Joshua went to speak, but his mother ushered them along. “You’d better hurry because the whole family is here and the buffet is being demolished.

Get stuck in before it’s al gone.”

They were herded through the house, which was already ful of people clustered in groups in various rooms on the ground floor and sitting on the stairs. As she led them through to the kitchen and supervised them obtaining some food and drink, she narrated the various mishaps of the wedding rehearsal. “Poor Wil was so nervous he forgot his own middle name, and your sister—you’d have been proud—had to remind him.”

“Bodes wel ,” Josh said, almost to himself. Hol y could tel he was glad the spotlight was on his sister, who he loved and thought deserved it so much more than he did.

“Kyle was supposed to be ushering,” Mrs Dawson continued, “but he figured there wouldn’t be anyone to usher what with it being a rehearsal, and the verger found him outside studying the graves and thought he was ‘up to no good’.” She chortled. “Next thing we know we’re halfway through the rehearsal and he’s fighting to get back into the church. When you think about how much he balked at being given some duties for the day, it was rather entertaining.”

A younger, dark-haired woman approached. “Embarrassing is what it was. The vicar thinks we’re nothing but trouble.”

Hol y figured the woman who had chipped in had to be Josh’s sister, Donna. The similarity in looks was there, and they’d both inherited their Italian mother’s colouring.

Sure enough, Josh embraced her and cal ed her ‘sis’ when he made the introductions.

Joshua’s sister was beaming ear to ear, clearly delighted about her forthcoming nuptials, and she looked at Hol y and Stewart with curiosity as she was introduced. When Stewart gripped her hand, she purred aloud.

She batted her eyelids at him. “That’s quite a grip you’ve got there. It’s just as wel I’m engaged and about to be married, otherwise I’d be round at Josh’s visiting al the time.”

Stewart reacted by drawing her hand to his mouth and kissing it. “Your company would have been appreciated.”

He handled it so wel , so casual, and yet so flirty. It was the way he was, laid-back and genial. Hol y had so much less of an inside understanding of him compared to Joshua, but nevertheless she sensed it was only extreme situations that made Stewart tense. It just wasn’t in his nature. Even though Joshua’s procrastination about coming out had begun to grate, he was biding his time, being patient and understanding. It must be hard, Hol y realised.

Joshua had been cal ed over by another group.

“Cousins,” Donna explained, when she noticed both Hol y and Stewart watching.

He was a social creature and looked right at home here mingling with people, sharing a joke and drink. The big secret was holding him back from that, or at least holding them back from doing it together.

“Hol y, I understand you’re Joshua’s girlfriend.”

Hol y started. She felt Stewart tense at her side. “Actual y, your mum has read too much into it. We’re just good friends.”

“Ah, I see.” Donna gained a knowing look. “She does that, don’t let it bother you.” As she spoke she looked across to Joshua. “She’s so desperate for him to settle down with someone he loves, she’s ready to invent someone. Honestly, I don’t think she cares who it is, as long as he’s happy.” Her head jerked back, and her eyes widened. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply anything about you.”

She rested her hand on Hol y’s arm.

Hol y chuckled. “Don’t worry, I know what you mean.”

Stewart had lost that tension. She smiled at him. She was pleased, it didn’t suit him.

He winked at her. Again, she had the feeling that they shared a secret. Not psychic but something like an understanding of one another. While Donna chatted to them, Stewart moved his hand along the kitchen work surface they were leaning up against. It was a casual move, but it meant that his hand was behind Hol y’s back. It made her spine tingle, self-awareness stripping her bare.

When she looked his way, their eyes locked. Everything about him was warm and inviting.
Just the way he is, same as with Donna
, she reminded herself. It was his way.

After Donna moved on, however, they stayed in that position, neither of them breaking with it. The close proximity of their bodies meant that they were physical y touching down one side. He probably didn’t realise, Hol y told herself.

Stewart nodded over at Josh, who was engaged in a conversation with his cousins. “If you were pretending to be my date to do me a favour, I’d make the most of it.”

His thumb caressed her spine. He’d been aware of his position al along.

Hol y’s heartbeat tripped. “Now you’re being naughty.”

“I’m being honest.” He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I’d take ful advantage of the situation. Ideal y we both would.” His mouth moved in a sensual smile.

Hol y simmered in response. The suggestive tone in his words made her stomach flip. Proximity made her think about last night, and how he’d made love to Joshua. How would it feel to have his body over hers, to have him handle her the way he had handled Joshua? As she al owed the fantasy to flit through her mind and senses, her lips parted and she stared into his eyes. Unblinking, he looked back at her, engaging with her and waiting for her response. With his sensual smile and his attractive physique, he was the epitome of sexual charm. And he was sure of himself, sure in every way. It was devastating.

Hol y took a quick sip of her wine then put her glass down lest her hand shook and she spil ed it. She was about to brush off his suggestive comment, but before she had a chance to respond Josh wandered over.

“You guys okay for drink?”

“Yup,” Stewart answered, “and I’m taking good care of your date.”

He was brazen. Josh, however, was startled. He looked at Hol y, guiltily. “Sorry, did I leave you on your own for too long?”

“No, not at al . Stewart’s winding you up.”

“Right.” He gave Stewart a faux disapproving glance. “Come on, let’s go into the lounge. Some of the comfy seats have been freed up.”

When they entered the room, Joshua’s mum cleared his younger brother, Kyle, off the sofa and urged the three of them to sit down. Kyle was the only one who didn’t have dark hair and Hol y surmised he was the one who’d taken after dad. They perched in unison, and it struck Hol y as rather funny, the way they were moving around as one, a little group of their own now with their own sofa.

A friendly-looking grey-haired man entered the room a moment later, a bottle of wine in each hand. “This must be the lovely Hol y,” he declared when he saw her sitting by Joshua, and headed over to top up her wine glass. “Oh yes, I can see why
you
caught his eye.”

Hol y mustered a smile.

“When you moved in with another man,” Kyle interrupted, very loudly, as he squatted on a footstool, “we al thought you were gay.”

Hol y’s hand shook, the wine in her glass sloshing from side to side.

“Oops, too ful ,” Mr Dawson said, apparently having missed Kyle’s comment.

Did I imagine that, or did I hear right?
That was Hol y’s first reaction. Then she felt the discomfort in Joshua. She had heard right. She didn’t have to look Joshua’s way to see how stunned he was. Cautiously she lowered her eyelids and glanced at Stewart. Stewart returned her glance, lifting his eyebrows slightly as if to say “What the hel ?”