Free Holly's Intuition by Saskia Walker Page A

together, now, would she be in danger of snuggling with him while she was asleep
    —or worse, given that she’d had wine and felt horny—and would that be a terrible embarrassment to him?
    Just then the door clicked open and Stewart stepped into the room, a toothbrush stil in its packaging held aloft in one hand. Mrs Dawson had thought of everything. Moving quickly Stewart gestured at them to stay quiet. He looked rather like a spy as he peeped back down the corridor before he closed the door behind him, and the action made Hol y giggle.
    “What the hel ?” Joshua lifted his hands in a gesture of disbelief, once Stewart had shut the door. “What if someone sees you?”
    “No one saw me. Besides, I could be cal ing by to borrow a pair of pyjamas.” There was humour in his expression and he winked at Hol y.
    Something about the way he looked at her made her already-aroused body tighten with anticipation. He’d been flirting with her al the evening, and after what had been said about the three of them, there had been much more physical contact—a shoulder rub here, a jovial hug there, and a kiss on her cheek at bedtime. Now he stepped over to her side, as if he had no intention of leaving, with or without pyjamas.
    “You think I was going to miss the private party?” There was such a suggestive edge to his comment that the already simmering atmosphere turned electric.
    Hol y stared at him. He had a brooding look as he observed them. Was it because of his muscular physique and his unashamed bisexuality that he looked so sexual y self-assured? She had the feeling that he was holding back somehow. It was because of Joshua, because Joshua was finding his way with his sexuality. He was stil flirting with her though. She swal owed. The room seemed even smal er than before, with the three of them in there alone together and surrounded by imagery of big guns and Madonna with her legs akimbo and her boobs popping.
    “Yes, we need to talk, but…” Joshua sighed. “What a mess.”
    “And whose fault is that?” Stewart responded, depositing his brand new toothbrush on the bedside table.
    Hol y assessed them both. Stewart was in a provocative mood. Joshua, however, was al owing his emotions to get the better of him again. He stared across the bed at the pair of them.
    “You’d better go back to your own room,” he muttered vaguely. “What is my Mum going to think if she finds the three of us in here together?”
    He had a wild look about him and Hol y could feel the confusion he faced. Once again she longed to take him in her arms.
    At her side, Stewart gave a wry laugh. “If they find the three of us together maybe they’l think you’re having one of those fancy ‘polyamorous’
    relationships that your family is so fond of.”
    Hol y bit her lower lip between her teeth. The wine had definitely made this moment seem even crazy.
    Joshua’s jaw tensed. “That’s right, take the mickey why don’t you.”
    “Lighten up, for crying out loud,” Stewart said.
    Stewart was right. Hol y knew that Josh would soon see the funny side of what had happened, given a bit of time. The comments that had been made had wound Joshua up even more than he already was, but it would fade. His glance flitted to her and she held her breath, hoping that he wouldn’t be offended by her amusement.
    Her mood seemed to level him, and he gave a deep sigh and rubbed his head with his hands. “That was unbelievable. Why didn’t they talk about al that stuff years ago?”
    Hol y breathed a little easier. “You didn’t know about your uncle’s relationships before tonight?”
    “Not a clue. I mean Uncle Ted always had a lot of friends around him, but I thought they were just that, friends.”
    “Like we’re supposed to be,” Stewart commented, with irony.
    “We are friends, aren’t we?” Josh bit back. Nevertheless, he seemed to have given up asking Stewart to leave.
    These things had to be said, perhaps, and the time was