Page 34 of A New Chapter

“Can we watch a movie now?” Gracie asked.

“Sure, sweetie,” Zack replied, but his voice sounded a little strained. “Go ahead and pick one, and then we’ll be there in a minute.”

When Gracie bounded out of the room, Emma’s and Zack’s eyes met again. He made an exaggerated motion of wiping the sweat off his brow to acknowledge their close call. Emma broke out in a huge grin and let his sense of humor wash away the tension.

“Like I said, it complicates things,” she reiterated and flounced out of the room.

Gracie selected the movie Tangled for them to watch, and while Emma had heard of it, she had never seen it. Aside from her interaction with kids at the bookstore, Emma wasn’t around children that often. She was an only child, so she didn’t have nieces or nephews, and her friends that had kids were so busy that she rarely saw them. While watching a kid flick on a Friday night might not be everyone’s idea of a good time, Emma was perfectly content. She enjoyed the innocence and enthusiasm that most kids displayed, and Gracie was no exception. The fact that she was Zack’s child made her even more fun to be around.

Zack slipped the disc into the machine while Gracie and Emma took up positions on the couch. Emma didn’t mind at all when Gracie nestled right beside her, but Zack’s face showed a flicker of surprise as he came over to join them. Emma watched him wrestle with the question of where to sit, since there was room on either side of Gracie or her, but when Gracie patted the spot next to her, the decision was made. Secretly, Emma was glad. It would be easier for her to concentrate on the movie without Zack’s nearness to distract her.

Wrong-o! Partway through the film, Zack placed his long arm along the back of the couch and started fiddling with Emma’s hair. At first, she thought it was just a coincidence, but when he didn’t stop, she realized what he was up to. Gracie was so enthralled with the movie that she hadn’t noticed, but Emma shot Zack a knock-it-off glare over the top of Gracie’s head.

He got the message, because he pulled his hand away and turned his attention back to the television. But a few minutes later, his hand was back, and this time, his fingers caressed the sensitive skin on the back of her neck! Emma was torn between wanting to throttle him and wanting to give herself over to his magic hands. But then she looked down at Gracie staring wide-eyed at the television screen while Eugene professed his love for Rapunzel. Emma certainly didn’t want to draw attention to herself, so she decided to allow Zack to continue his... teasing.

Oh yes, he knew exactly what he was doing. He alternated between drawing lazy circles on her skin, massaging her neck muscles, and running his hand down the back of her hair. And it was driving her absolutely crazy with need. Every so often, she glanced over at him, and he appeared to be deeply engrossed in the movie. Occasionally, their eyes would meet, and she saw a cross between desire and amusement written on his face.

Emma shifted around in her seat, which caused him to give up his ministrations for a moment, but as soon as she got settled, he started up again. This time, he slid his entire hand just under the collar of her shirt, and she almost jumped. Her whole body responded when he brushed his hand back and forth between her shoulder blades. By the time the credits rolled, Emma was completely aroused.

Gracie let out a big yawn, which brought Emma quickly back to reality. Zack smoothly extracted his roaming hand, stood up, and briskly informed Gracie that it was time for bed.

“Say goodnight to Miss Emma,” Zack said.

“Actually, I need to get to bed too,” Emma said, struggling to sound casual. “I’ll just let myself out.”

Zack gave her a knowing look. “No need to rush. I can put Gracie to bed and come back down.”

There is no way in hell… If Emma stayed, she was afraid of what might happen, and she wasn’t ready for that—yet. She firmly shook her head but smiled down at Gracie. “I’ll see both of you tomorrow for story time, right?”

Gracie nodded her head enthusiastically, and Zack said a resigned, “Yes.”

“Ok. Well, thanks for dinner and the movie. I had fun.”

Gracie wrapped her arms around Emma’s waist and gave her a tight squeeze. “Me too,” she said.

Emma was somewhat taken aback by the display of affection, but then again, Gracie was Zack’s child. He obviously didn’t have trouble showing affection either.

When Gracie pulled away, she said, “Daddy, you have to hug Miss Emma goodbye too.”

Oh boy! The devilish grin was back as Zack immediately opened his arms to invite her in. It was impossible to say no with Gracie staring up at her, and Zack waited expectantly. Emma stepped into his arms and was wrapped up in a warm, tight hug. In that brief moment, she felt a swirling combination of emotions: desire and lust mixed with comfort and friendship. It was an intoxicating cocktail that buzzed through her veins. Better than rum and Coke any day!

Emma was still reeling when they walked her to the door. They stood and waved goodbye while she drove away, and when they were out of sight, Emma was left with only one emotion—loneliness.