Chapter 34

Emma could have spent the entire night pouting, easily replaying the fight with Luke over and over in her mind. She might have too, if Arran had not called her. He wanted to talk about his upcoming trip and convince her to join him. His enthusiasm sparked her imagination, selling her on Dubai and how it was the epitome of opulence, with no shortage of amazing architecture, superb cuisine, shopping, and extravagant hotels offering every imaginable amenity.

He told her that she would have her every want and whim met while he was working, whatever her heart desired. He would arrange for tours, shopping, lazy afternoons pampering herself at the spa, whatever she wanted. He teased that they would spend their evenings sampling some of the finest cuisines in the world, and dance on the top of the highest buildings so they could feel like they were swaying right under the stars, then make love into the wee hours of the morning. He told her that he always stayed at the Ritz Carlton, on the highest floor of the hotel, where the views were breathtaking, the bar was complimentary, the bathroom was made of marble, and the bed was the most comfortable in the world.

It was getting harder and harder to say no. His enthusiasm was infectious, and he wanted to share it all with her. They talked for hours, him fueling her imagination with stories of, not only Dubai, but the many exotic places he’d travelled. She enjoyed listening to him and found herself warming to this playful side of him, and to exciting possibilities. Aside from the indulgences, she could see the two of them enjoying each other, both in and out of the bedroom, but hopefully lots of in. Besides a few make-out sessions, they only had intercourse once, at the party, and he had been spectacular. She was certain she would never forget it and wanted to share the experience with him again and again.

“So, what do you say, Darling? Have I tempted you enough?” he teased as they were winding up their conversation.

“It’s very tempting, Arran. To be honest, getting away for awhile sounds extremely appealing,” she answered, her thoughts pushing back to earlier that day and the painful altercation with Luke. He really unloaded on her.

“Well, let me just add one more thing to entice you. What would you say to a little stop in

Paris before we hit London? Two or three days, touring the Louvre, visiting the Eiffel Tower, spending an evening at the Moulin Rouge? C’est la ville de l’amour après tout, mais ça peut être assez érotique,” he seduced, his accent thick and delicious.

“Okay, okay!” she giggled, wishing she’d paid more attention in French class. “You sold me on érotique!”

“So, that’s a Oui?”

“That’s peut être,” she smirked, “maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“I still have to talk to my boss. When do you need to know?”

“I’m flying out on Friday morning, ma chérie.”

“That’s very short notice, Arran, I’ll feel terrible leaving Jennifer in a pinch,” she admitted, feeling the dream slip through her fingers.

“Yes, but I’ll take care of everything. You just say yes. I’ll talk to her, make arrangements for a temp. People rarely say no to me,” he insisted pragmatically.

“Yes, I gathered that...” she hesitated, wondering if she could actually make it all happen in four days. She’d have to pack, update her immunizations, find someone to pick up her mail and water her plants, talk to the building manager...

“Say yes.”

“Okay, yes,” she chirped, dizzy with anticipation.

“Good girl. I’ll have my assistant make the arrangements,” he offered, his confidence leaving little doubt in her mind that he would take care of everything.

She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply and smiled, wondering if she had lost her frigging mind.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, Darling. Now go to bed,” he ordered gently, as though she were a child. She pouted lightly, choosing to overlook the pretension, focusing instead on her excitement.

After they said goodnight, she hung up the phone and immediately noticed the text from Luke.

Hey

She blankly stared at the phone in her hand, her joy quickly dissipating. She remembered his words that day, how he had blindsided her so bitterly. It seemed to come out of nowhere. She had thought they were having a good time, teasing each other the way they always did, and then BAM!

He hurt her.

He told her not to call him, and there was no reason to think he didn’t mean it.

And he said he was seeing someone. She reflected on that and considered how deeply she’d been affected by that. It wasn’t strange for him to hook up with women, he had always been a bit of a player, but it was rare for him to actually date someone, like ‘date date’. In fact, she couldn’t recall the last time he had a girlfriend, certainly not since her divorce.

Admittedly, when he told her, she felt the wind being sucked out of her. She’d grown accustomed to him being around all the time, even counted on it. In the months she had been on her own he had been her rock, his constant presence giving her the confidence to go on, to find a job, to assert her independence. He made her believe in herself, encouraging her every step of the way.

But that wasn’t all of it. She looked forward to their time together. They’d been having so much fun over the past few months, playing together, exploring his world. She looked forward to each and every experience, and not just because it was fresh and exciting, but because he’d been with her. He protected her every step of the way and made her feel safe, sensual, sexy. She loved being around him.

So when he told her about Maggie, it was like the rug was pulled out from under her. It made her unsettled, anxious, irritated.

Jealous?

She sat with that realization for a moment, her gut churning with alarming, foreign emotions, her tears dangerously close to spilling. Luke was her friend, her crazy, sexy, uninhibited, playful buddy. They’d known each other forever, trusted each other. She couldn’t imagine him not being around. She knew that one day he would probably find a woman and settle down with her, but that seemed so far away, a someday sort of deal. She wasn’t ready to share him, but she had no claim on him.

So why was she feeling so territorial? Where was the jealousy coming from? It was crazy.

Emma read his message again, her heart heavy with grief. She wasn’t ready to talk to him, she had way too many feelings to sort through. Plus, he’d been such a jerk. Maybe time apart made the most sense, she thought, turning off her phone.