It’s been two weeks since Tyler’s party. Two weeks since I slept next to Ryder for the first time. Two weeks since I’ve slept in my own bed. Angela swears that she doesn’t mind the empty apartment, but I think it’s making her cranky. She’s been hot and cold with me when I talk to her, her mood flip-flopping around.

That first morning, I woke up still wrapped in Ryder’s arms. He was already awake, watching me sleep, tracing lines up and down my arm. He claims he wasn't trying to wake me, but I later found out he was lying. He was ready to start our new adventure.

After spending an hour making out like teenagers, Ryder finally rolled away from me, his self-control frustrating. I was ready. I woke up knowing that I was exactly where I was meant to be. He, however, wanted to wait until we were alone.

Getting out of his bed was the hardest decision I’ve made about our relationship so far. I knew there were things to do, people still here, so I forced myself to do it when all I really wanted was to stay cuddled in his arms for the rest of the day. I wanted the world to fade away around us and to show him how much I cared for him, how much I wanted him.

Instead, Angela, Justine, and I cleaned up from the party while the guys went out to get breakfast.

Yes, Justine was still there. Apparently, she and Devon really hit it off that night. They never slept, staying up all night talking until they finally heard other people moving around the house. We’ve seen a lot more of Devon since then. He’s driven up from Chicago every weekend to spend time with Justine and I have a feeling it won’t be long before one of them takes the plunge and moves to be with the other.

Rumors at the office about my relationship with Ryder have been silenced completely. I expected to walk in Monday morning, with my hand in Ryder's, to accusatory glances. I was surprised to find that no one seemed to care.

Angela was right.

The best way to get people to stop talking about Ryder and I sleeping together was to sleep with him. We wouldn’t be interesting anymore.

Well, we may not be sleeping together yet, not like that anyway, but I’m sure people assume we are. If I saw us, I would think we were. Two adults, constantly flirting, arriving and leaving together every day… yeah, those people are probably sleeping together.

And we are, we just haven’t crossed that line yet.

Not that we haven’t tried to make that happen. On more than one occasion. But the few chances we’ve had to make our first time special, we’ve been interrupted. Either Amara has been over or Devon has crashed our party. Seriously, I’m so sexually wound up and frustrated that I contemplated taking him on the conference room table the other day.

I was watching him through the window and had a daydream about brushing all the papers on the floor and ripping his clothes off. My daydream was interrupted, of course. I can’t even fantasize about having sex with my boyfriend without being interrupted.

Tonight is supposed to be the night.

Ryder and his brothers have been out of town all week, at a conference.

Megan has Amara.

Ryder claims he called Devon and told him he wasn’t welcome tonight.

Angela and Tyler are spending some time together.

So… the night is ours.

We can do with it what we please.

We just need to get out of here. Ten more minutes. I’ve been done for nearly an hour, but Ryder’s meeting is running long. With Hunter out of town all week, I’ve been bored so I’m ahead of schedule, my work done for the next few days.

Oh, yeah. I work for Hunter now.

True to his word, Ryder had Allison and I switch roles. It only took a few days and I was all set up down the hall, ready to lend Hunter a helping hand. Allison’s filing system was super organized, making my transition easier. I’m sad that I don’t get to work one-on-one with Ryder anymore or help him with the creative aspect of things, but working with Hunter will provide me with the opportunity to learn more about the company, hopefully making me more valuable.

The intercom on my phone beeps and then Mr. Dixon’s voice causes me to jump.

“Can I see you in my office please, Emerson.”

He sounds… serious. I haven’t done anything to warrant a meeting with him, yet he’s calling me into his office.

“Right away, sir,” I reply, holding down the button, my hand trembling.

I called him sir. He’s corrected me on numerous occasions, but I still fall back into old habits. He’s my boss. The boss. He’s earned the respect of being called sir. He also hates it.

“How can I help you?” I ask, walking through his open door.

“Close the door please,” he states, not bothering to look up from his desk.

His demeanor and mannerisms remind me a lot of Ryder when we first met. Serious. Professional. He’s all business. This is his livelihood and he treats it as such. He wants only the best for his business and for his family, so there is no tip-toeing around issues when they arise. Things are always cut and dry from what I can tell.

This could mean one of two things. Either I’m about to get fired or... I have no idea, but I hope I’m not getting fired. I like my job. Not as much as I liked working for Ryder, but I still like it.

Taking a seat across from him, he looks up at me and stares, studying me for a moment.

“You graduated from State with a degree in what?”

“Advertising, sir. I’m sorry. Advertising, Mr. Dixon.”

“You know you can call me Herman. Mr. Dixon was my father.”

Smiling, I laugh to myself. All three of his sons have said the same thing to me at one point. Apparently, no one wants to be Mr. Dixon.

“Sorry, Herman.”

“Can I ask why you’re working as an assistant when you have a degree that you could put to good use?”

Is this a rhetorical question? I’m pretty sure we covered this before. If there had been a position with the company when I applied for something I was qualified for, I would have applied. I don’t think anyone goes to college, earns their degree in something they’re passionate about, and takes a position like I did if they had a better option.

“I think we both know how tough the job market is in this industry. I searched and applied many places, but no one wanted a college grad with little to no experience.”

“And if you could do anything with your degree, what would it be?”

Thinking it over for a few minutes, I try to decide where most of my passion lies. I loved the creative aspect of working with Ryder. Market research is somewhat boring to me, but it’s also intriguing. I think Tyler has the best position with the company. He handles all the media aspects of the company.

Hunter determines the market for the product, Ryder comes up with the creative idea, and then Tyler implements it through whatever media outlet is decided upon. If they only took it one step further and celebrated the accomplishments and success of the client and campaign as a whole…

“Event planning,” I finally reply. “You have three amazing departments here that all work very hard to achieve the goals of the clients. What you don’t offer is the acknowledgment of the success.”

Herman grins, the same, devious grin I’ve seen from each of his sons, and launches into a barrage of questions, each of which I answer, explaining my thoughts to him in greater detail.

Ten minutes later, Herman and I are still bouncing ideas off each other. It’s moved from small celebrations to community involvement and huge events hosted both by our clients and the firm. I’m laughing at one of Herman’s ridiculous ideas as a knock sounds at the door.

“Come in,” he calls as the door opens. “Looking for this bright young lady, I assume.”

Turning my head, I find Ryder standing in the doorway, looking shocked to find me sitting in his father’s office.

“I was. Am I free to take her home now?”

“Not yet. Why don’t you join us? We were just discussing her promotion.”

Whipping my head back, Herman smiles as me.

My promotion? What promotion?

“So,” Herman continues, “Emerson has brought to my attention that we satisfy the client’s needs and then basically send them on their way until they need us again. How would you feel about us adding a department that helps us take things to the next level? The ‘fun’ level.”

Herman’s either making fun of my words or he’s serious.

“I think that sounds promising. What did you have in mind?”

“I think Emerson here would make a great department head for Community Planning and Involvement. She’s come up with a few great ideas already to celebrate not only Dixon and Sons but also the success of some of our clients.”

Reaching for my hand, Ryder takes it in his and gently kisses the back of my hand. I’m still in a state of shock as Herman stands and extends his hand.

“Is this for real?” I hear myself ask.

“If you’d like the job, it’s yours. I would need you to train your replacement, but I’ve already hired someone. She starts Monday.”

Looking between Ryder and his father, my eyes begin to well with tears. I have no words. Two months ago, I was without a job, relying on someone else to take care of me. Since then I’ve not only picked up the pieces of my life and moved on, I’ve also worked my butt off to prove my value to this company. It’s nice to be recognized.

“Yes,” I reply, shaking Herman’s hand. “I’d be honored.”

“Good. It’s settled then. How about family dinner at the house Saturday to celebrate?” he asks, directing his question to Ryder.

“We don’t have any plans that we can’t cancel.”

And just like that, I’m part of the team. Part of the family.

As Ryder and I drive back to his house, my mind is going a million miles a minute. Idea after idea comes to me. Pulling a receipt from my purse, I begin writing them down so I don’t forget them later on. I want my first client to be the jewelry store Ryder and I worked on together. It seems fitting in a way.

“Go get changed,” he says, swatting me gently on the butt. “I want to take you out to celebrate.”

Giggling, I rush down the hall and into Ryder’s room. Over the past two weeks, he’s purchased new furniture. His bed is no longer on the floor, his clothes no longer in baskets in the corner. His closet, however, is jam packed. I’ve brought a few things over. Rather, they’ve ended up here after work, after a night out or as back up clothes for those nights I planned on staying.

I still plan on going home every night. This isn’t my home, I’m a guest. The thing is, I like staying here. I like sleeping wrapped in Ryder’s arms. I feel safe and happy. At first, I protested staying all the time. Now, I assume I’m going home but hope he asks me to stay.

“Just one more night,” he always says.

Tonight will be night number nineteen in a row.

Pulling a long, red dress from the closet and a pair of black, strappy heels, I quickly change. Letting my hair down, I run my fingers through it and freshen up my makeup.

“Ready,” I announce, making my way into the kitchen. When Ryder doesn’t say anything, I twirl in place and grin at him.

His dimple appears moments later, that sly grin I love so much making its appearance. Dinner is a thing of the past. Ryder is on the prowl, his eyes taking me in from head to toe as he slowly makes his way around the kitchen island and to where I’m standing.

When he reaches me, he firmly places his hands on my hips and I can feel how shaky he is.

“Emerson, I…”

His voice trails off. Closing his eyes, I can see he’s doing everything he can to maintain control.

The fact that he wants me, right now, as much as he does makes my heart soar. I want him just as much, and he needs to know that.

Tugging on his tie, Ryder’s eyes pop open as I loosen the knot, pulling it free and tossing it on the floor. Next are the buttons on his shirt. His eyes never leave mine as I slowly and meticulously unbutton each one. When I tug his shirt from his pants, he takes over, stripping himself of his shirt in one swift motion.

“Hungry?” he asks, sliding the strap of my dress off my shoulder and kissing my neck.

“Not really.”

“Good,” he states, gripping my hips and lifting me.

Wrapping my legs around him, Ryder carries me to his bedroom, kicking the door closed behind us. After gently setting me on the edge of the bed, he looks me deep in the eyes. If he’s looking for uncertainty or doubt, he won’t find any. This is our moment. We’ve waited long enough and there’s no reason I can find to wait any longer.

After we slowly finish undressing each other, Ryder takes his time appreciating every curve of my body. His hands are unsteady, a clear sign that he’s holding back as my body screams at him to hurry the hell up. There will be time to appreciate each other later.

“Are you about done?” I ask, sliding away from him, hoping he’ll get the message I’m trying to send him.

“I can be if that’s what you want.”

“I think you know exactly what I want.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” he teases, crawling across the bed to get within reach of me again.

Once he reaches me, he pulls on my legs and in an instant, he’s straddling me.

“You, Ryder. Just you.”

“For how long, Emerson?” Tilting my head in confusion, he continues. “How long can I keep you? Because if you’ll let me, I’d like to keep you for the rest of my life.”

Before I can respond, Ryder’s claiming me as his and the only thing I can say is yes. For right now. For tomorrow. For the rest of my life.

Forever. He can keep me forever.