Sizzling Nights with Dr. Off-Limits

The tortured scowl on her face said now wasn’t the time to go spouting off about past feelings he’d realized weren’t in the past, but present at this very moment.

“What would you like to do today, Emily? I’d really like to spend the day with you.”

* * *

Did Lucas not hear anything she said? Hadn’t Emily just said they didn’t need to be spending so much time together?

Yet she’d agreed to go to a funeral with him. Because the memory of how he’d looked when he’d shown up at her apartment, at how his red puffy eyes had looked even in sleep, had left her unable to do anything other than be there.

She hated that.

She hated how entangled he was becoming in her life. If she didn’t put a stop to it, every aspect of her life would soon be taken over by him. Then what?

She knew.

If she let Lucas invade everything, when he moved on to the next phase of his life, she’d be a devastated wreck as she’d been five years ago.

Only, she wouldn’t. Not this time.

She was stronger. She’d picked herself up, rebuilt a life for herself even after suffering horrendous blows. She was a survivor, and no matter what he did, she would survive. Plus, she didn’t have crazy hormones influencing how she thought, causing a constant flow of tears.

But she wasn’t so masochistic as to continue to let him worm his way into her very being.

She needed time away from him.

“I have other plans today, Lucas.” Actually, she really did. She was taking a bus to Brooklyn to visit her parents.

Then again, her mother might take one look at her and know Lucas was back. That wouldn’t go over well. Maybe she’d bail on her parents and spend the day running errands or something.

“Can’t you change them?”

She shook her head. “I can’t.”

“I’d hoped to take you to visit the Statue of Liberty.”

“Tempting, but no, thanks. I’m going to my parents’.”

He winced. “I guess I wouldn’t be a welcomed addition.”

“Not if I want to keep my father out of jail.”

“That bad?”

Her parents had never thought she should marry Lucas, didn’t believe in divorce, but had comforted her after the demise of her marriage and the aftermath. Lucas showing up on their doorstep would be that bad.

“You divorced his baby girl, what do you think?”

* * *

Despite fear her mother would see right through her, Emily opted to still go see her parents. Her mother eyed her suspiciously, but, other than to ask her if she’d changed her hair, she hadn’t pried.

Emily hadn’t stayed long for fear she might break down and spill everything. Her mother had been there during that awful time after she’d left Lucas. Her poor mama didn’t deserve to have those worries put on her, so Emily kept silent, hugged them bye and headed out.

That was when she caught sight of the majestic lady standing tall in the Hudson Bay.

Without really questioning herself, she bought a ticket and rode the ferry out to the island, poked around, read facts and wished she’d been able to reserve in time to go to the top.

“Emily?”