Rush

“It is.”

Her hands fall to the desk, but she keeps her head bowed. “Where will I work? I mean, what city will I work in? I know you have different offices.”

With expectation swimming in them, her eyes meet mine as she waits for me to answer.

The urge to say ‘ San Francisco’ is almost overwhelming, but I stop myself.

“We’ll figure out those details in the contract.”

With a faint nod of her head, she glances at the desk. “When I came to New York, I didn’t think my entire life would change.”

Neither did I.

The moment breaks with a knock on the door.

Fuck.

“What?” I bark out, knowing that it has to be Elias on the other side.

He opens the door with a flourish and a smile. “We got it, sir! The framework issue on Letter Leap is fixed.”

“Thank Christ,” I mutter under my breath.

Emma slides to her feet. “We should celebrate.”

Elias nods a little too exuberantly for someone who isn’t getting near any celebration that involves Emma. “I’ll get some champagne.”

“You’ll get the hell out of the office.” I shoot him a look. “Give Emma and I a minute alone, and then I’ll head down to check out the fix.”

He laughs like I’m jesting.

Fool.

“Out, Elias.” I take a step toward him. “Get Drake on the phone. I want him informed of where we are on this.”

“On it, sir.”

Once the door is shut, I tug Emma closer to me. “I need some time to check on this.”

“I need some time too.”

She doesn’t expand, and I don’t pry. I just dropped a future in her lap that she didn’t see coming.

I wish to fuck I could offer more. I want to give her everything she deserves.

“I’ll see you at the apartment later?” She runs a hand over my bicep. “Or do I need to steer clear of the place?”

“Maya won’t show up today,” I assure her with a smile. “You are more than welcome to get naked and wait for me.”

Her lips brush mine in a soft kiss. “I might have to put that on my agenda.”

I scan the watch on my wrist. “I’ll do my best to make it back by seven.”

“I’ll do my best to not touch myself until then.”

A groan escapes me. “Fuck. You’ll make me hard if you talk like that.”

“Just think about it.” Her finger trails a path over my chin. “I’d give almost anything to feel this on my thighs again.”

I grab her hand and press it to the light beard covering my jaw. “This?”

With a perch up to her tiptoes, she kisses me again. Her tongue strokes mine, tempting me. “And that. I want to feel that again.”

“You have yourself a deal.” I cup the back of her neck with my hand. “I’ll see you later, Freckles.”

“You can count on it, Rush.”

Chapter 54

Emma

I could have stayed in Drake’s office and waited for Case to finish up with his work, but I needed time alone to digest what happened today.

I’m being handed a chance to change my life completely.

Although it couldn’t have come at a better time, something inside of me is mourning the life I had a month ago.

I don’t miss Beauregard. That’s not it at all.

I’ll never be able to drive over to the house I grew up in to hang out with my parents. I won’t braid Whitney’s hair while she complains about a guy she secretly wants to date.

Sandy and I will never again convince the woman who runs the theatre near my condo to let us sneak in just to buy a bag of popcorn because it’s the best we’ve ever tasted.

Beyond all of that, I’ll miss the kids I worked with.

I know most of them by name since I’ve floated in and out of their classrooms.

Life changes. I know that. I accept that.

I want that.

I move from where I’ve been standing near the window in Case’s apartment that overlooks Madison Avenue.

When I got here an hour ago, I let myself in and dropped the envelope in my hand on the dining room table.

Lester gave it to me as I was passing through the lobby on my way up here.

It’s the print I had made of Drake’s wedding that I ordered through the Printe app. I look at the envelope, suddenly wondering if Drake was actually the person who created the app or not.

I’ve never doubted my older brother, but I do now.

Faulting him for taking my idea and passing it off as his own won’t splinter our relationship. The only thing it’s proven to me is that he’s human.

He has flaws.

We all have flaws.

Setting myself into one of the dining chairs, I open the envelope and slide out the picture.

The quality is impressive. The colors are vibrant.

I’ve never ordered anything from the app other than snapshot size prints for my scrapbook.

My phone’s sudden ring jars me enough that the picture falls from my hands onto the table. I stare at it, marveling at how happy Drake looks even though he’s not facing the camera.