Shielded In The Shadows

“He called to say that he wouldn’t be able to make it there tonight.”

“Okay, well, thank you.” Emma wasn’t ready to hang up, though she didn’t really know why.

Chantel gave her the names of the officers, as well as their cell numbers in case Emma needed them during the night.

Then Emma was alone with shades drawn and no plans for the rest of the evening.

All alone.

Jayden wasn’t coming. He hadn’t called and he wasn’t coming.

Good. Right. They were keeping things impersonal and professional.

Exactly as they both wanted.

* * *

The only reason Jayden stopped by Emma’s office after the preliminary parole hearing on Monday was for business purposes. There’d been no guarantee she’d even be there.

At her desk, in a blue skirt and jacket that hugged her beautifully, aptly outlining all of the curves he knew firsthand, she looked totally engrossed by whatever was on the computer screen in front of her.

“Jayden!” She jumped when he knocked on her open door.

“You busy?”

?

??No!” She sort of smiled. Then said, “Well...yes, I am. But come in. What’s up?”

Kind of seemed like his unexpected presence had given her a bit of the jitters. He liked that. Made suffering through them a little easier if you didn’t suffer alone.

She watched him as he entered, took a seat in the sole chair in front of her desk. Had it only been five days since he’d first sat there? In more pain than he’d have liked to admit. At least the ribs were healing. The discomfort was hardly noticeable. Might be a little discoloration left, but that was fading fast.

She was staring at him. He stared back.

“You look nice.” She said the words, then looked away, back at her computer. Clicked a couple of times and then folded her hands together on the top of her desk.

Feeling a bit manly about the fact that his court clothes—dress pants, shirt, and tie—hadn’t gone unnoticed, he quickly sobered.

“I just came from Luke’s hearing,” he told her. “They didn’t let him go. They’ve got thirty-some days to schedule a final hearing and then write their report, and he’ll have to remain in custody at least that long. That should mean that his wife and daughter are safe to go home. Since you made the call for me on their behalf... I thought it prudent for me to let you know.”

What a bunch of bull. He wanted to see her, he could admit that to himself.

But with his mother’s talk about children and maturity and perspective ringing in his ears, along with Emma’s ongoing fertilization process, he wasn’t as comfortable around her.

He liked her as much, though, which was fine as long as it was only sexual. And she wasn’t...

“When’s your next doctor’s appointment?” He’d wanted to know. Hadn’t been sure he should ask. And yet he had. Her welfare mattered to him.

She frowned. “Excuse me?”

“For the insemination. I just think we should be done with doing what we’re doing before you get...” He threw his hand in the air in lieu of actually saying the word “pregnant.”

With a glance at her open door, she frowned again. “I’m not going back until we’re done,” she said softly, glancing toward the hallway again.

There was no one out there. Everyone was either in court or gone for the day, or wherever they went when they weren’t at their desks. He’d noticed as he’d walked by, thinking that Emma’s office would be empty, too.

“Give me credit for having some sense,” she said. “I’m not going to...do things with you...if a baby is growing inside me.”