Twisted Arrangement by Mora Early Read Free Book Online Page A

normal human being, true, but it hardly counted. This ‘normal human being’ was, after all, a pretty young girl. He apparently couldn’t help but flirt, even with girls almost half his age.
     
    Josh ushered Emma toward one of the small cafe tables a short distance away. “So,” he said, pulling out her chair, “I’ve been wondering when we get to the part with the decorations.”
     
    Emma sat, shoving the bag from Bea-spoke under the table. Her heart was almost afraid to beat, wondering if he’d see it and ask her about it. Did he know the shop? Later, when he discovered the watch missing, would he recall that Emma had bought an evening gown? Not that it mattered, she reminded herself, because there would never be a connection.. The fact that she had bought the dress was just a coincidence. She still wasn’t going to steal the watch back.
     
    “Well. . . .” She drew the word out, stalling for time. She’d barely registered his question and needed to scramble for an answer. “Oh. Decorations, right. Normally, I would say that they come after the guest list but before the invitations are sent out. But if you’d prefer to discuss them now, we can, of course.”
     
    They both paused as Amber placed their drinks in front of them. Josh handed her a folded bill, but Emma couldn’t see what the denomination was. As soon as the barista was gone, he turned back to her. “That’s fine. I was just curious. I’ve always left this sort of thing to Martin, and I’m not quite sure what I’m doing. Should I be trying to come up with ideas? Because I’m afraid I’m kind of hopeless when it comes to decorating.”
     
    She studied his face, trying to determine if he was being genuinely self-deprecating or if he was one of those people who falsely claimed to be really bad at things so people would marvel at how good they really were. She’d dated a guy in college like that. He had always tried to pull the ‘What, this old thing?’ routine when he bought a pricey new toy . . . like a Porsche. Shoving the useless memory away, Emma sipped her mocha.
     
    “We do have people on staff who can handle it for you, if you’d prefer. Your level of involvement is really up to you.”
     
    He brought his mug briefly to his lips and then set it back down again quickly, with a grimace. Emma quirked a brow. “Not quite to your liking? I’m sure Amber would remake it if you asked.”
     
    He shook his head, leaning in conspiratorially. Emma backed up a little, alarmed by his nearness. Josh cast a glance sideways, as if checking for spies. “If I tell you a secret, will you promise not to tell?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “I can’t stand Red Bull. Loathe the smell of the stuff.”
     
    “Then why did you order it?”
     
    “I’m willing to try anything once,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve never had it with espresso before. But honestly, I would have preferred something closer to what you ordered. I’ve got a massive sweet tooth.” He grinned at her, the smile lopsided. Emma was a little taken aback. This was not the mega-watt Hollywood smirk he usually employed. It looked almost sheepish, as if he felt genuinely embarrassed about the ‘secret’ he’d just revealed. She cleared her throat to rid it of the sudden thickness that had appeared.
     
    “About the decorations: I can have Shinae work up some sketches for you, if you’d like. Or I can send her by the house to walk you through what you envision the ball looking like.”
     
    Josh sipped at his coffee gingerly, eyeing her half-finished mocha. “Definitely come by. Tuesday at 4 p.m., if that works. I want to be as involved as possible, I’m just not sure how to go about it.”
     
    Emma pulled out her cell phone and made a quick note on her calendar so she’d remember to schedule the appointment with Shinae. “Tuesday at four. That should be fine. I’ll give you a call Monday if there’s any problem.” She glanced at the time display on