Good god, he annoyed the living hell out of me!
I paced on the patio, taking deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves and collect myself before I walked back inside. I was Lydia Conner, for god’s sake, soon to be Lydia Wilkins. There was no way I could let my emotions get the better of me, running around, flustered and fuming. I needed to keep a steady head. Yet, Joshua had this incredible ability to poke at every last nerve, unraveling my calm with a few choice words. I couldn’t afford to lose my composure—my reputation and even my father’s legacy were far too important. But somehow, Joshua always found a way to reach deep and push every button I didn’t even know I had.
Joshua was undeniably brilliant; his talents weren’t in question. His potential was obvious to everyone, probably the re
