CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Trevor

Things shifted between Emma and me after my birthday. Now, two weeks later, I was on my way to New York with Simon, trying to keep the big goofy grin off my face. She’d given me quite the send-off last night, knowing I’d be out of town for a couple of days. I wished she could’ve gone with us, especially since she loved New York so much.

The level of intimacy was at an all-time high. Although she couldn’t or wouldn’t share all of her past with me, I respected her reserve. Over these last few days, we’d fallen into an easy routine, spending our days acting professional around the office and then our nights together. We’d go out for dinner or order in, but always ended up tangled in bed. The best part was waking up with her in the mornings. She wasn’t ever in a hurry to leave and instead kissed me as if she knew she’d miss me during the day.

Upon landing in Newark, we drove in a town car into Manhattan to meet with Phillip and Tom about a possible new venture. This one was a large PR firm out of Chicago. One thousand people were involved, and we intended to keep most of those who were billable. That meant only a couple dozen non-billable people we might need to evaluate in the back office.

The job was going well in that I was learning what to look for in a potential acquisition. By going through the last three years’ worth of deals, I was educating myself on the ins and outs.

Although I’d suggested putting Rufus into the doggy kennel for the few days I’d be gone, Emma had insisted on watching him instead. It was yet another way our relationship was progressing. I hadn’t missed the way she seemed to have bonded with him. To me, it looked like two wounded hearts with rough beginnings had found a connection.

My challenge, however, was not to dig deeper with her. I needed to be okay with the possibility she might never feel comfortable enough to share her past. Easier said than done. When you loved someone, it was difficult not to want to learn what caused the shadows.

Yes. I was in love. After I finished up my meetings in New York over three full days, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was no longer falling. I’d fallen. Although she might be tiptoeing into our relationship, at least she was proceeding in the right direction. The fact she hadn’t ever done so before gave me a rush. It also made me nervous that the slightest thing could spook her.

When I arrived back at the corporate housing complex on Wednesday evening, I was impatient to see Emma pull in. Luckily I didn’t have long to wait. I stepped outside with Rufus on a leash and watched her park.

I shook my head at her crooked attempt, trying not to laugh that she either didn’t notice or couldn’t care less. She got out of the driver’s side resembling a supermodel in her designer suit, heels, purse, and sunglasses.

“Nice parking,” I quipped, earning a smile from her when her eyes found mine.

“I learned to drive in the US only a few months ago. I’m afraid driving on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road still doesn’t come natural.” Bending at the waist, she scratched Rufus’s head, making me insanely happy.

“It’s actually the right side of the road, literally. Since sixty-five percent of countries in the world drive on the right, clearly most would agree.”

She grinned. “How the hell do you know that? Or I should ask why do you know it?”

I stepped close enough to her that I caught a whiff of her perfume and had to restrain myself from pulling her into me. “I use it to impress British chicks.”

She laughed. Music to my ears.

“How many exactly are you impressing these days?”

“One is more than enough for me, sugar.”

She closed the gap, lifting her face, voice low and husky. “You better believe it. How was your trip, by the way?”

“Productive, but I missed you.”

My declaration seemed to surprise her, and I almost regretted it, but then she relaxed, putting her hand on my chest. “You weren’t the only one, cowboy.”

I couldn’t help myself. I leaned into her and captured her lips. And she didn’t disappoint, melting into me and allowing access for my tongue to slip inside. Her sigh of pleasure had me hauling her body up against mine and wishing we weren’t in the parking lot. But knowing we were, I gave her one more for good measure and pulled back, still cupping her face, running my thumb over her luscious bottom lip. I was about to suggest we take this upstairs when an intruding voice came from behind me.

“I have to hand it to you, Trevor. Never in a million years would I picture Emma the type to make out in a parking lot, especially with a clean-cut country guy such as yourself.”

She instantly stiffened with a muttered “fuck” when she realized it was Tom.

After schooling my expression, I turned. I might not care for the man; however, I wasn’t about to let him see he could get under my skin. He was the type who would feed off of it. I recognized it would do our professional relationship no good if I got into a pissing match with him.

“Guess it must take the right man. What are you doing here?” He’d flown back with us, but I’d assumed he’d be staying at the Four Seasons Hotel like he normally did.

“The hotels in the area were booked for some big conference in town, so Simon suggested this corporate housing complex.”

Emma barely flicked her gaze in his direction, her expression visibly souring with his very presence. She at least smiled as she whispered to me. “I’ll let you finish walking Rufus and see you upstairs in a few minutes.”

I matched her smile, loving the intimate way we were talking despite our intruder. I knew she wasn’t happy about Tom finding out about us, given her contempt for him, but it was refreshing that she wasn’t pushing me away. “Sounds good.”

With one last pat for my dog, she turned on her heel and went up the stairs.

I could sense Tom step closer and knew, without glancing at him, that he was staring at her ass. Hell, so was I.

“I’ll warn you, she goes through men like she does her shoes. I would’ve thought the story about her tattoo game would’ve been a good indication about the way she is.”

I found it interesting he’d concern himself with offering me unsolicited advice. “I’d take care how you speak about Emma to me, Tom. You have your opinions, and you’re certainly entitled to them, but I suggest you keep them to yourself.”

The bastard smirked. “Smitten already? In that case, I hope you can manage to put business first, and this doesn’t cause any unnecessary drama within the team. Especially if Phillip were to find out. On second thought, perhaps your father would be happy to have you back, following in the family footsteps.”

Although I was ninety-nine percent certain Rufus couldn’t comprehend what he’d said, my big dog bristled. Most likely, he could read my body language enough to know I’d love nothing more than to sink my fist into Tom’s face. But I wasn’t a violent guy. “Careful, Tom. I don’t react well to threats, especially the passive-aggressive kind. Call it a Texas quirk.”

His gaze flicked from me to Rufus, clearly getting the message. “Duly noted. Have a good night, then.”

“Yep. Good night.”

I walked Rufus around the grassy perimeter of the parking lot one last time, watching as Tom went up the stairs to his own room. After putting Rufus back in my apartment with a treat, I knocked on Emma’s door. No answer, but I could hear soft music coming from the other side. A turn of the knob revealed it was open.

Walking inside and flipping the lock, I was about to chastise her about security when she appeared, stepping out of her bedroom door. Completely naked. And not at all surprised to see me. In fact, a seductive smile painted her red lips.

“I was about to take a shower. Care to join me?”

All thoughts of Tom or the conversation quickly vanished from my thoughts. I couldn’t get across the room fast enough.

But she was quicker, running into the bathroom and turning on the water. Laughter bubbled up from her throat as I shed my clothes in about two seconds, my cock already standing at attention, and now—ahhh—in her palm.

“This is a nice surprise, but your unlocked door makes me nervous—”

She’d gone to her knees and put me between her sexy lips, using her tongue to make my brain go to complete mush. Then she took me deep, and I had to grip the counter of the bathroom vanity to keep my knees from buckling. Dear Lord, the woman knew how to suck a cock. And the thing she did with her tongue swirling over the tip was about to cause me to lose it. I wasn’t ready for that, so I hauled her up, not hesitating to kiss her.

“Hey, I wasn’t done,” she protested mildly.

I backed her into the shower, taking the brunt of the hot spray and wincing. Turning, I adjusted the temperature. “Hair wet or dry?”

She grinned. “Do you have any idea how much it warms my heart to have you care about my hair and whether it’s wash day?”

I matched her grin. “I’m happy to have any influence over your heart, sugar.”

Her lips parted, and I could practically see her brain working, so I quickly changed the subject. “Now, wet or dry?”

“Wet is fine.”

I spun her around, letting her tresses fall under the spray and finding her pussy with my fingers. “Wet it is, then.”

***

I lay there in her bed, stroking her back, both of us entwined and sated after shower sex had made its way to her bedroom.

“Did Tom ever ask you out?” I couldn’t shake this feeling. The one telling me that although the man undoubtedly didn’t care for Emma and the sentiment was quite mutual, there was something I was missing.

“What do you think?” She had tensed with the question and then mumbled the answer into my neck.

“I think if he keeps doing it, and you keep telling him no, then I’ll have a problem with it.”

She propped up on my chest, meeting my eyes, her brow arched. “He hasn’t asked me out in years, fearing the wrath. Justifiably so.”

“So instead he tries to submarine any other romantic prospects?”

Her head settled back down on my chest. “I’m around him as little as possible, so I wouldn’t know. I’m starving, so maybe we could eat.”

She slid out of the bed, throwing on a robe and striding out to the kitchen, effectively closing the subject before I could grab her. I lay there a minute, knowing there wasn’t one ounce of me that suspected she had any romantic inclinations towards the bastard, but there was still something bothering me.

After slipping on my boxers and jeans, I went out to the kitchen and wrapped my arms around her where she stood in front of the refrigerator. I loved the sensation of her back pressed to my front, her curves settling into my body as if they were made for them. She’d come so far from the woman who would have nothing to do with a relationship that the last thing I wanted was to put the whole thing in jeopardy by coming across as jealous. But I also didn’t want any secrets between us.

“One last question, and I promise not to bring him up again.”

“Okay. One last one.”

“Why do you hate him so much? Don’t get me wrong; I definitely get the guy is a dick, but it seems to go beyond that.”

She hesitated before finally speaking. “I don’t care for how he treats people. Makes them feel inferior. His wife is a lot nicer than he is, thankfully.”

I was shocked. “Tom is married?”

“Yep. For the last decade.”

“But he doesn’t wear a ring. Never even mentions a wife—” And I’d seen him get the number of a girl he’d met at a restaurant in New York. “Ah, I just answered my own question about why you can’t stand him.”

“Exactly.”

It was all clicking into place now. “And because of your history with a married man who cheated, I take it you loathed him from the minute he first asked you out.”

She laughed dryly. “Asking me to fuck is not the same as asking me out on a date.”

My jaw clenched, and I instantly I disliked him a little more.

She winced after her words. “I shouldn’t have said that as it was a long time ago. Bottom line is I can’t stand him, but I’ve been forced to work with him on deals over the last few years because he’s Phillip’s nephew and invited himself onto the team. And I’ve already said too much because you have to work with him, too. You certainly don’t need me poisoning the water with my opinion of him. We all have to deal with him if we want to continue working with the Stone Group.”

I turned her around, meeting her gorgeous, jade-colored eyes. “I’m sorry I wasted any of our time together talking about him, but thank you for telling me.”

“What did he say to you outside?”

“Nothing you’d want to hear.”

Her expression made it clear how she felt about that statement.

So I repeated what he’d told me outside, watching the anger flicker in her eyes. But to her credit, she stayed calm, walking to her pantry. “I have no food, so we can order delivery unless you’d rather go to the store.”

“Sugar, you’re pissed, I can tell. But I’d rather you be upset with what he said than about me keeping it from you.” As long as we were honest with each other, we could get through anything.

She gave me a small smile. “And I appreciate that. What pisses me off the most isn’t what he said about me. It’s how he implied that once we ruin this, you can go running to your father to save you. Arrogant bastard gets all of his money from his wife’s family and barely lifts a finger while working for his uncle. You work hard trying to make a name for yourself and—”

I cut her off by pulling her to me and kissing her lips. Nothing was sexier than having the woman of your dreams all indignant on your behalf. The silky robe covering her naked body didn’t hurt, either. “Thank you.”

She kissed me back. “’Welcome. Now feed me before I get hangry.”

I chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”