Dr. Adam Parker kissed my cheek before sitting down at the table next to me. We had been dating for a while, way before I found out about the divorce, or lack thereof. The man had been a saint with all my baggage.

Men like him did not grow on trees.

"I'm sorry I'm late,” he apologized. “I had an appointment run over at the hospital. One of my patients had way more questions than normal. First kid."

He smiled, showing off his gorgeous, perfect smile. I couldn’t help but smile back. Adam was everything that girls dreamed of being with. He was the quintessential boy next door with light brown hair that always looked tousled like he’d just climbed out of bed and beautiful brown eyes. It wasn't fair that I was the one that had captured him, for now at least.

"It's fine,” I said smiling. “I was able to catch up on some emails."

"The music industry can't live without you for two seconds?" he teased.

"Of course not. I always have to be ready to find the next big thing." I winked and he reached across the table, taking my hands in his.

"Let's just get it out of the way, Emmy. Lexi already told me that you filed."

I sighed. "I don't know if I'm relieved or if I'm pissed off that she told you."

"Honey, it’s fine. Now we can get the big pink elephant out of the room. How are you doing with everything?"

"I guess I'm okay. Shocked mainly, I think. Waiting for the papers is putting me on edge." He rubbed the back of my hand gently as I spoke. "I thought I was past all of it, you know?”

“It doesn’t surprise me that you aren’t. Em, you guys have been together practically your whole lives.”

“Adam, I don't want to lose you or whatever this,” I motioned between us, “is evolving into, but I need to take a step back for a while. You deserve better than getting half of my attention when I’m going through all of this."

He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. "I can’t say I'm surprised. Disappointed yes, surprised no. When you told me what Mason had done, I was afraid of something like this.”

God, he really was too perfect.

“This isn’t fair for you. For us.”

“Em, I'll do whatever you need. We haven't put any…formal parameters on our relationship and we can just wait longer to do that." He shrugged. "I had hoped I could introduce you to my parents as my girlfriend soon, but I'm not going to pressure you into something you aren't ready for."

I pulled my hand back and stared at my water glass. Parents? God, I was so screwing this up.

"Why are you so amazing?"

His eyes twinkled. "Just promise me you won't keep anything bottled inside. If you need to talk, I'll be here, even if it’s about Mason."

I shot him a tight smile and nodded. It killed me to do this to him, because I could tell he was upset, even if he was trying to hide it.

"I don't want whatever this is to end," I said again quietly.

"I don't either," he said taking my hand again. “We aren’t going to let this small setback screw us up. Okay?”

Just that small action made me feel like I was on more even footing. Adam was always there being my rock. He’d been amazing, being my friend after the divorce and never pushing me for more than what I was willing to give. Most women in NYC were ready to steal him away the first chance they got. He had been voted one of the most eligible bachelors by New York magazine two years running. Plus he had this wealthy family that was some of the most philanthropic people I’d ever heard of. It was insane how much they donated year after year.

I tried to change the subject and ask what he had been up to for the past few days. He smiled and told me about spending time watching a Knicks game with his brother. Of course they had to leave when one of his patients had gone into labor and he had to get to the hospital. He practically had us in tears when he told me the story about his brother fighting with one of the people in front of them, all over a stupid carton of nachos. By the end of lunch, we were almost back to normal.

As we stood waiting for cabs outside the restaurant, he wrapped me up in a tight, reassuring hug. His breath tickled my ear as he kissed my neck. I was surprised when he leaned into my car before it pulled away from the curb.

"You're worth waiting for, Emerald."

I smiled at him and the cabbie pulled forward, leaving Adam standing on the sidewalk behind us. I just hoped he would hold onto hope that we could make it through this. More than anything I hoped I was worth it.

 

***

 

I sat at my desk staring out the floor to ceiling windows into Central Park. The trip to Georgia, and now waiting for my divorce papers had me out of sorts. I hated being so tense. It made me feel unsteady. My mind wandered as I attempted to study the files in front of me. As I tried to avoid anything that reminded me of Mason, I ended up thinking about how I met Adam for the first time. He was so patient, and somehow I knew it would only last for so long before he decided it wasn't worth waiting on me.

 

April came quickly, bringing Lexi’s epic Welcome to New York party with it. I was procrastinating until the last second to get ready, agonizing over every small decision. I took way too long getting in the shower, waiting until guests would be showing up in the next few minutes. Lexi had been held up at the hospital and was running late as well. When she came home I heard her talking to someone in the entryway with her. Sighing, I drug myself across the hall into the shower, letting the hot water soothe my nerves. It only took me a few minutes to finish, but as I wrapped the towel around myself and started walking to the door, I bit down on my lip, cursing myself for waiting so long to get ready. People would be here any second and my bathroom was across the hall from my bedroom, not directly attached. The chances of me running into someone if they’d showed up early were high. Grabbing the handle to the door I opened it and stepped out and directly into a large, broad, incredibly defined chest that knocked me off balance.

Strong hands reached out to steady me before I fell back. My fingers clutched at the terry cloth, holding onto it for dear life. This stranger didn’t need to get an eyeful. God, if all of Lexi’s friends looked like this, it was going to be a good night. The gorgeous man in front of me ran his eyes up and down my lush body, making me flush. He watched with heated eyes as rivulets of water ran off the ends of my hair and down the slope of my chest, being absorbed by the towel before they went any lower. He couldn't stop staring, and I didn't know if I should be turned on or offended. A blush ran across my face at being caught like this. He quickly dropped his hands and jerked his head up to meet my eyes, instead of staring at my body. I laughed as he started to stammer an apology.

"Are you okay? Sorry, I didn’t mean to knock you over or stare at you. Lexi said I could come over and shower and change here since I was running just as late as she was leaving the hospital. This is the bathroom she always has me use, so I just—"

Looking down I noticed his scrubs for the first time, so I decided to brazen it out. "You must be Adam. I’m Emerald. I’m happy to finally meet you, I wish it had been a little more dignified on my part, but Lexi speaks very highly of you. She couldn’t wait for us to meet." Awkward pause. God I was an idiot. "Um...I’m going to go get ready. I’ll see you in a little bit? Maybe we can just forget this happened?"

He chuckled and I enjoyed the husky sound more than I imagined possible.

"Definitely. I’ll see you in a little bit, but forgetting this happened might take a little bit of work on my part."

He winked at me as he brushed past to go into the bathroom. I caught the briefest glimpse of him pulling his shirt over his head before the bathroom door shut behind him. Holy muscles. The man was hot. Lexi wasn’t joking about that. Realizing I was still standing in the hall in only a towel, I squeaked and dove for the safety of my room.

Twenty minutes later, I stepped out fully dressed and ready for the party. I had pulled my long brown hair into a simple updo and applied a perfect smokey eye that only a pageant girl could pull off in less than five minutes. My dress was a skin tight spaghetti strap, floral print dress that showed an ample amount of cleavage and my curves perfectly. I absolutely loved it. Lexi had talked me into buying the dress the last time we’d gone shopping, saying I needed something to make me feel like my old self. A merging of the old and new, if you will. Shoes had always been my weakness, and tonight was no different than every other day. I decided to wear my favorite pair of Jimmy Choo's to give me the confidence I needed for the dress.

Gripping the banister as I walked down the stairs, I noticed a few pairs eyes turn my way. One pair I didn’t miss, was Adam’s gorgeous brown eyes. He looked the perfect all American boy with his light brown hair and perfect smile. Why did all the men I was attracted to have the sexiest eyes? My wayward thoughts made me pause. Attracted to? Hell, I had just met Adam. I’d felt a spark, sure, but that was probably just my body letting me know I missed sex.

Lexi came over and grabbed my arm as soon as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

"‘I have a few people I want you to meet. Let’s go. There are tons of hot men in our apartment tonight and I want you to decide on one to break you out of your dry spell. It’s been six months since you’ve gotten laid."

"Lexi, it’s only been two since—" A shadow crossed my face and Lexi stopped. "You know what? It’s fine. I’m fine. Please introduce me to your plethora of hot men. Maybe I’ll even pick one. You never know," I said, winking and trying to play along like everything was okay.

We made our way across the room, stopping to talk to what were admittedly some of the hottest men I had ever seen, let alone been introduced to. Lexi had outdone herself for sure. As we walked up to Adam, a blush started across my cheeks. Lexi turned and grinned excitedly, then looking a little shocked at my flustered face. Adam leaned in and whispered in my ear making me laugh.

“Good job acting like it never happened.” His breath tickled the nape of my neck.

Lexi squeezed my arm, a surefire way for her to warn me that there would be an inquisition later. "It looks like the two of you have already met, so I guess I’ll just go get a drink and pick out a man for myself."

Before Adam could say anything, Lexi turned with a wink and left us alone.

"She’s insane, but I love her," I said smiling and shaking my head.

"I’ve known her since our first year in medical school. I agree, she’s totally insane. The first time I met her, she was taking shots, dancing on tables and making bets about how long it would take her to screw one of our professors. It was like watching Grey’s Anatomy in real life."

I laughed. "Sounds exactly like the Alexis Davenport I know."

Adam took my arm and led me to the side of the room, away from Lexi’s determined path. "Do you want a drink?"

"Sure. I’ll walk with you if you don’t mind. Standing around in here with all these men makes me feel like I’m on auction. Lexi could have found a few more women to come."

He chuckled and it was a dark, rich sound that made my insides melt. "I think she was hedging her bets on finding you a man. I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable, but Lexi has been singing your praises for quite a while. I feel like I already know you. Is that odd?"

"No, not really; I feel the same way. I think she might have had an agenda when it came to introducing us.” I smiled. “I think she waited until my divorce was final for a reason."

A crooked grin covered Adam’s face, making him even more devastatingly handsome. "You know her well. She admitted as much to me.” He stopped and turned to look at me. “The only thing she didn’t tell me was how stunning you are. The first time I saw you, I was floored. I felt like a dick too because here you were lying in a hospital bed and I couldn’t stop staring at you."

My step faltered. "First time you saw me? Oh. Oh! Why didn’t I put that together sooner?” I put my hand to my head. “Dr. Adam Parker. She always referred to you as Dr. Parker in the hospital, not Adam. When we were at home, she called you by your name."

He winced. "You didn’t know.” I shook my head and smiled weakly. “It’s probably habit. I actually do the same so I don’t slip up in front of patients. Are you uncomfortable that she called me in to see you that day?"

"No, not uncomfortable. I’m just slow on the uptake apparently."

Adam sensed my unease and tried to change the subject. "I’m sorry that your marriage didn’t work out. I divorced a few years ago for similar reasons. My ex-wife didn’t want to follow me across the country for my residency. We tried long distance at first, but when I caught her cheating on me, I knew it had been over for a long time."

As Adam rested his hand on my bare back, leading me through the crowds of people, I felt a shiver of excitement run its way up my spine. If his hand on my back made me feel this way, what would it be like if he truly touched me? If he kissed me? Ran his tongue along the slope of my neck and cupped my breasts while running his thumbs across my nipples. I had to stop my completely inappropriate thoughts. What was wrong with me? I’d just met the man for goodness sake. The least I could do was wait until he wasn’t around to fantasize about him. My nipples were already getting hard and in this dress it would be completely obvious. I turned my head to search for Lexi, but instead of finding her, I saw someone who definitely wouldn’t be welcome if I had anything to say about it.

Aaron. Mother fucking Aaron. I absolutely hated him. He encouraged Mason to leave me every chance he got. The asshole was bitter after Violet left him. Every issue that Mason and I had throughout the years was always agitated by his presence. He was always whispering in Mason’s ear. So how did he end up in Lexi’s apartment at her party?

He gave me a dark look and stopped directly in front of me, morphing his face into a semblance of a smile. He looked more demented than anything.

"Well, well Emerald, what a pleasant surprise."

I clutched my hands into fists at my side. "Aaron. You’re never a pleasant surprise. How in all the apartments in New York City did you end up in this one? Lexi hates you even more than I do. And that’s saying something."

He smirked. "Alexis decided that old childhood rivalries weren’t worth keeping up with into adulthood. I just recently started working at the hospital and she invited me.” Aaron turned towards Adam and thrust his hand out at him “Aaron Stewart. You must be Emerald’s new boyfriend.”

"Adam Parker," he said shaking Aaron’s hand. I could see Aaron sizing Adam up. "I’m not the new boyfriend, I’m just the lucky guy that gets to talk to her tonight. Emmy, I’m going to go get you that glass of wine. I’ll be right back."

I nodded and tried to smile at him. He patted my arm comfortingly before walking towards the bar. When he walked away, I turned back to Aaron and glared at him.

"Aaron, I don’t know if Mason sent you to check up on me or if you have a different motive for being here, but please, just leave me alone. I’m a different person now and I don’t want anything to do with the drama from back home."

"And just why do you think I would bring drama from back home?" He was such a smarmy douchebag. I wanted to smack that stupid smirk off his face.

"Because I’ve known you for over twenty years and it’s what you do Aaron. Just tell Mason I said hi and to go fuck himself. Now, you and I have nothing more to say to one another, so if you’ll excuse me." I brushed by Aaron without another look back.

I didn’t know what Aaron had overheard and I tried to recall exactly what I had said to Adam before the rat had shown up, but I couldn’t remember anything bad. Lexi caught my eye from across the room and I sent her an ‘I’m going to cut you’ look. Shock crossed Lexi’s face. She must have caught sight of Aaron walking away from me because she mouthed the word ‘sorry.’ Adam came back quickly, bringing a large glass of red wine with him.

Adam smiled at me as he handed me the glass, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment that Aaron was here. It felt like he’d ruined my evening.

"I’m so sorry about that. I can’t stand that man and I’m fairly certain he had something to do with my divorce. He’s always meddling in other people’s business."

"Don’t give it another thought."

“Thank you,” I whispered. He nodded once and started to tell me a story about his brother and how Easter dinner was going to be a fiasco because he planned to bring a date his parents hated, and he planned to propose to her as the ham was being served.

Adam was great. He was funny, good looking, and the man knew how to dance. Even better, we had awesome conversations all evening. It was easy for him to put me at ease. I had more fun that night then I'd had in a long time. The only issue I had with Adam was that he was too damn sexy and he sent my libido into a tailspin. Every time he brushed against me or pulled me in closer while we were dancing, my body flushed in excitement. I was going to be a hot aching mess by the time the evening was over. I had to keep reining in my dirty thoughts about his large hands and a big something else that I could feel rubbing against me while we danced.

 

The ringing phone on my desk pulled me out of my daydream. It was probably someone wanting me to come up with a solution to a stupid problem that wasn’t important anyway. Honestly, most days I was probably the only person around here with a working brain.

Why was I so damn bitter today?

Lexi was right about one thing, my dry spell needed to come to an end and soon. I hated that she was right, but after everything I’d gone through over the past year, I deserved some fun. Adam was more than that to me though. I didn't want him to just become someone I flirted with and fucked occasionally. If anything, I wanted to date him and maybe end up looking forward to a future together. Over the past year, he had become one of my best friends and now we were pussyfooting around with a relationship. The idea made me giddy and nervous at the same time. Butterflies seemed to take up permanent residence in my stomach any time he was around. I just hoped it was a sign that good things were coming my way.