One More Time

“We’re going out tonight,” I said. “Just you and me.”

She laughed. “We are? And how is that? Who’s going to watch Tommy and Sarah?”

“Mrs. Johnston,” I said simply.

“Oh.” Emily blinked. “Well, okay. That sounds interesting.”

“I think we need this,” I said softly. “A night on the town. We’ve never done that before.”

Emily’s face slowly turned from cautious to happy. She smiled the first real smile I’d seen since yesterday. It stayed on her face for far longer than a second, and when she leaned forward to kiss me, it felt real.

My stomach tightened with longing, and I held her tightly, sliding my hands up and down her sides, feeling the curve of her hips. I wanted to reach around and squeeze her ass, but I knew I couldn’t. Tommy and Sarah would be back downstairs any second, and this wasn’t something they needed to see.

“They’ll be down soon,” Emily whispered. “But I’m excited about tonight.”

“Me too.” I gri

nned.

Reluctantly, I pulled away from her and sighed deeply. Emily was still smiling as she moved into the kitchen to get lunch ready. I watched her as she moved around, a bounce in her step again. She seemed like her old self, and the sight warmed me.

As I watched her, I decided to skip lunch. Now that I’d done my part to improve Emily’s mood, I finally felt ready to write. I disappeared in my study for an hour, writing nonstop the entire time.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - EMILY

After lunch, I did what Sean said and disappeared upstairs. I showered slowly and took my time picking out an outfit. Sean wouldn’t tell me where we were going, but I knew I needed to dress up.

His excitement was infectious. The way he insisted on taking me out was flattering, and it sent waves of desire coursing through my body. I’d been so preoccupied since my lunch with Janie that I hadn’t spent much time with Sean. When he was around, I found myself falling silent for fear of saying too much.

Now, that fear was gone, as was my preoccupation. Janie’s words still echoed in my mind, but I forced them away. She thought I loved Sean, and I had been determined to prove her wrong. But now, I no longer cared.

Janie could think what she wanted. Besides, tonight would be our first real date, which meant we were taking our relationship out of the bedroom. That, more than anything, quelled my fears and comforted me while I dressed for the evening.

Since Janie’s comment I wondered what Sean felt for me. Did he love me? Was he only interested in my body and what I could do for his children? I didn’t know the answers to my questions, and I promised myself I wouldn’t stress over my insecurities during our date night. Instead, I would enjoy my first night out alone with him. I would revel in the time I spent with Sean and be happy to simply be with such a gorgeous, caring man.

I put on a black dress that hugged my breasts and waist, fanning out into a full skirt that fell just above my knees. The dress was simple and modest, but I always felt sexy when I wore it. It flattered my curves, and my dark curls looked amazing against the black material.

I smiled at myself in the mirror as I applied a thin layer of makeup. Ever since I started working for Sean, I hadn’t spent much time on my appearance. Tommy and Sarah never cared what I looked like, and Sean seemed to like me just fine without any fanfare. Tonight though, I wanted to put in some extra effort.

With a final touch of mascara, I took a step back to take in my appearance. I looked good. Sexy and confident. I smiled at myself and twirled around for a second before I found my heels and slid them on my feet. Thankfully, Sean was tall so that I would still be shorter than him in my shoes. I was grinning as I flew downstairs, ready for the evening to begin.

“Hey,” I said as I walked into the living room. “Do we need to feed Tommy and Sarah dinner before we go?”

Sean turned to face me, and his eyes flew wide open. He looked me up and down, lingering on his favorite parts of my body. By the time his eyes finally returned to my face, I forgot what I was asking.

Nervously, I cleared my throat and took a step forward. Sean shook his head slowly, a grin spreading across his face.

“Jesus,” he said softly. “You look fucking incredible.”

“Thank you.” I laughed shyly, a blush creeping onto my cheeks. “I just wanted to look to nice for tonight.”

“You succeeded,” he said with a soft laugh of his own.

I smiled and looked him over while we stood a few feet apart. He was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged him well and a button up that accented the muscles of his arms. His shirt was navy blue, and it made his eyes stand out.

I took a step closer to him, and my stomach tightened with desire. I suddenly didn’t want to go out tonight. I wanted to stay in with him. Having the entire house to ourselves sounded more than appealing.

“Where are Tommy and Sarah?” I asked, clearing my throat again.