Sasha was waiting for them when they arrived. She was stunning, he acknowledged, as her long legged, barefooted, stride brought her closer toward him and the car. His eyes watched in bemusement as she drew nearer. Grace was right, Sasha dressed outrageously.
Her hair was jet black, glossy and cut into a sleek fringed but ragged chin length bob. The fringe drew attention to almond shaped jet black eyes. Eyes similar to her sister's. A straight nose, high cheekbones and a heart shaped face all complimented each other to leave no doubt that the woman was a beauty. And this one wasn't the vogue model according to Grace. Joshua couldn't wait to meet Briar. But she wasn't due back in New Zealand for a couple of months.
Joshua watched Sasha come closer. She was either totally unaware of her looks or past caring. She was bare foot, bare of make up and wore the most incongruous, ill fitting, pair of surfing shorts he had ever seen. She topped it off with a large shapeless lurid T-shirt that made no attempt to complement the shorts. She certainly had a wacky dress code. And she must be colour blind. After Grace had hugged and been hugged she introduced her sister to Joshua. Sasha, never backward at coming forward, promptly wolf whistled her appreciation and continued to ogle Joshua. Grace closed the car door.
"Don't mind her." Grace told him, "She's always nuts."
Grace handed her sister a large overnight bag and then another. Joshua reached in to retrieve another bag and listened as the sisters ribbed each other. He carried the remaining bag to the house, following the two sisters who were still making outrageous statements about each other's appearances.
"Hey." Sasha said, "We are only going for a week and the idea was to buy stuff there, not take your entire wardrobe. Unless you are planning on leaving your junk there."
The baggage was a combination of several things. There were clothes from Grace's stay with Amy, from her trip with Joshua and for her intended holiday trip with Sasha. Two sets needed washing and the third was very scant.
"Junk." Grace shot her sister a fulminating look, but the smile in her eyes made a lie of it, "You can talk, at least I don't go round dressed like a deranged surfie. I hope you've packed some decent stuff. I'm not sitting next to you on the beach. I'll have no chance of picking up a hunk, you'll put them off or blind them."
"Greedy." Sasha called over her shoulder as she lugged one bag toward the house, "You've already got one." She'd reached the doorway, "And what have you got in here? The kitchen sink?"
"Oh, stop whining and take it in."
"Aren't you coming in Mr De Souza?" Sasha asked when she saw that he was walking back to the car, having deposited the bag just inside the doorway.
"No, can't stop. And make it Joshua, we are going to be in-laws."
Sasha beamed, "Yeah, amazing. Dad must have come up with one hell of a dowry." She winked at him before grinning unrepentantly at Grace. "Or is Grace blackmailing you?"
Joshua chuckled, but his eyes flicked to Grace, just to make sure that she hadn't taken any offence. She hadn't. She stood there, with a fake glower, while her sister giggled and resumed her struggle to drag the bags into the house.
Joshua reached her side. She shook her head in woeful acceptance as her sister disappeared into the house and then she smiled. "Is she always like that?" He quirked a brow.
"'Fraid so." Grace grinned at him, "She's all talk basically."
He grinned, "Just wondered." He was quite taken aback by Sasha. "Her legs seem endless." He said without thinking. Grace folded her arms and quirked a brow. He shifted uncomfortably, then shook his head as if to clear his brain, "Is she colour blind?"
Grace chuckled, "No."
He came and stood beside her, his arms locked around her waist. "Is she always so direct?"
Grace nodded, "Yup, never has been the bashful type. Speaks her mind; before she thinks half the time." She turned her head to look at the house, almost expecting her sister to materialise. "But we love her despite that. Except when she looses her temper, then we take cover. Thankfully she doesn't loose it often."
"She's sexy." He stated candidly, feeling more secure about the fact that Grace would take the bait.
"Oh?"
"But not as sexy as you." He gave her a chaste kiss.
Grace was not satisfied, "That's it?" She teased as she linked her fingers behind his neck. He needed no further encouragement. Slowly he lowered his head and gave her a heart melting toe curling kiss. He gradually eased his lips away, kissing her forehead tenderly as he released her from his embrace. "Thanks for the weekend, and the ride up here."
"My pleasure." He turned to walk away, then stopped, "Don't forget I'm driving you down to the cottage when you get back, but only if they've got whoever it is. You are not to go there on your own. You hear me Grace?" He said grimly.
"Yeah, yeah, the neighbours probably have too. You really are a pushy man, you know that." She followed him as he walked to the car.
He ignored the comment, adding quietly, "Tell your parents."
"There's no point. I'll tell them when it's over. I don't want to worry them unnecessarily."
He took her face in his hands and tipped it up so that she was looking straight into concerned green eyes. "I don't think it's unnecessary. There is a nutter out there, and until they've got him, we are taking no chances. Got that?"
"Duh." She tossed back flippantly.
"Grace." He admonished in exasperation. "No chances."
"I'm going on holiday, I doubt whether he is going to follow me to Bali. And by the time I get back they'll have got him." Her reply was optimistic. Her eyes were flashing warningly, but he wasn't reading the signals and if he was, he simply ignored them.
"And if they haven't?" He shot back.
"I'll think about that when I get back." Curt.
"You're too stubborn, you know that?" Exasperation was beginning to seep into his voice.
She smiled cheekily, as she brushed up against him "Not all the time, I let you have your way sometimes, when it counts....." She knew she wasn't playing fair, but she also knew she was on a loosing wicket unless she got him off this particular conversation.
Joshua growled, way down, fighting not to pull her closer, and needing to make sure she understood. He knew exactly what she was playing at. His hands went to her back and he held her close, feeling her pressed against him. "You are not to be at the cottage on your own. You are not to go anywhere isolated on your own. You are not to..."
"Joshua." She pushed out of his arms, realising that instead of capitulating, instead of forgetting, he was now issuing orders.
"I mean it." He scowled, before allowing a rueful grin to escape, "Don't pick up anyone on holiday." He ordered as he opened the car door and climbed in. He wound the window down. "Come here."
She glanced around, shrugged her shoulder at him and stayed exactly where she was, "I don't know, it's a touch isolated here, and I am on my own."
Joshua raised an eyebrow at her antics. "Now." She pouted. "Grace." She heard the warning. She folded her arms. "I'm not averse to telling your parents." She glowered. "Come here."
"I don't respond to blackmail." She announced as she stood her ground. His seat belt was unclipped in an instant and the car door opened. Grace was ready to bolt. But he didn't step toward her. "Where are you going?" She demanded of his back.
"To talk to your parents."
Grace raced to catch up with him. "Don't you dare." She hissed, as she tugged on his arm and dragged him to a standstill. Her gaze caught his, and she saw that he had every intention of carrying out his threat.
"I dare." He told her. "I get the feeling that you think I'm your lap dog. You think all you have to do is rub up against me and I'll grovel and do what you want. Doesn't work all the time does it?"
"That's ridiculous." She said tersely.
"You lost the argument, or at least you had hoped to force me to forget my stance, you tried to derail the conversation, and when it didn't go according to plan, you started sulking."
"I did not start sulking." She shot at him.
"Damn good impression." He quirked a brow at her, "You are again."