Rush

I inch closer to the hallway, hoping to catch her coming out of her room. I want her eyes on me when she’s talking about her ex-fiancé. I want her to think about a man who craves her. Hell, I can barely contain the desire I feel for her.

Beauregard Garrington has no idea what he lost.

“When do I have to make a decision?” Her voice quickens. “I should be back in Seattle in a few days. Can we talk then?”

A few days?

I want weeks, months. If life were different, I’d be all in for…

My mind can’t go there.

I don’t get to think about weeks from now or months. Some people won’t see tomorrow. I can’t lose sight of that. I will never lose sight of that.

“Okay.” Emma’s voice carries from the guestroom. “Thank you again, Archibald. Good night.”

I wait until I hear her footsteps approaching before I round the corner to the hallway.

She lets out a gasp when she sees me.

Her hand leaps to the center of her chest. “You scared me. I think my heart stopped.”

Mine sure as hell did.

She’s wearing a white strapless dress that skims the floor. Her dark hair is flowing around her shoulders.

She is so fucking beautiful that I literally ache inside when I look at her.

I drop my gaze.

I need to get a grip if I’m going to fuck her.

“Did your overhear me talking on the phone?”

Lying serves no purpose at any time, so I glance at her. “You were talking to Archie.”

That brings a bright smile to her lips. “I like that. I’d never call him that, but I like it.”

I like you. Jesus, I really like you.

I swallow those words because I’m not a fourteen-year-old kid with a crush. I’m an almost thirty-year-old man with an aching cock who wants to strip this woman bare.

“He offered me a job.” She shrugs. “It’s not the job I was hoping for, but I’ll be back at the Garrington Academy in September.”

“With Bonehead?”

She chews on the corner of her bottom lip. “He’ll be working in the classroom next to the one I’ll be in. I’ll be a teaching assistant, but it’s a prelude to taking over the class in the next year or two.”

It sounds like Archie isn’t willing to trust her to lead the kids on her own. What a fucking fool.

“Are you going for it?” I ask, wondering why I give a fuck about this.

I know why. My heart wants to know because it’s screwing me around.

I tap the middle of my chest.

Her hand follows my movement. “Do you have heartburn?”

Is that what you call this ache in my chest?

I shake my head. “It’s something like that.”

“How was dinner with Maya and her sister?” She changes the subject even though I’m far from done talking about her September plans.

“Fine,” I answer simply.

“I made a salad for dinner.” She bounces up to her toes. “It was très magnifique.”

I exhale a deep breath because every word out of her mouth is fucking adorable, including the French words she just said with a roll of her tongue.

“You’re all that and more.” I rake her from head-to-toe.

She tugs on her skirt with her hand, twirling in a circle. “I have to admit that it was delicious.”

I stalk toward her, catching her in my arms mid-twirl. “So are you.”

Her eyes skim my chest before they meet mine. “I bought condoms today.”

Of course she did. She’s practical. She wants to be safe.

“Me too,” I whisper as I skim my lips over hers.

“You can never be too careful,” she quips.

I’ve lived my life by that motto for the past seven years. I’ve been careful with every decision I’ve made. I’ve been mindful of how each of my actions impacts the people around me.

I’ve been so careful that I’ve stopped feeling.

She wraps a hand around the back of my neck to pull my head down until her lips brush against the curve of my ear. “You’re really handsome. Do you know that?”

Dipping her back, I trail my lips over her neck before I take her mouth in a soft kiss. All the air leaves my lungs when she presses a hand to my cheek. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Emma Owens.”

Her gaze travels over my face, stopping on my eyes. “I’m glad I came to New York.”

I straighten her, holding tightly to her waist. “I’m glad you came too.”

Running a fingertip over my jaw, she sighs. “I think tonight will be one of those nights I remember for a very long time.”

I’ll remember it until I take my last breath on this earth.

Chapter 48

Emma

I can’t take my eyes off of Case as he lies next to me. His breathing is stuttered. His gaze is feral. I watch intently as his tongue slides over his bottom lip.

“Case,” I say his name. “You’re driving me crazy.”