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The thoughts had him breaking out in a cold sweat. As a kid, he’d overcome a lot of bullying and pushed back against all those who’d said he’d never amount to anything. Finally, he’d made good on that promise to himself—prove them all wrong. His business was booming, and he lived his life on his own terms. But he was tired of living alone.
Whoever had said it was lonely at the top had certainly been right. He had women throwing themselves at him, but there was only one he really wanted. The only one who, if fate allowed, would love him for who he was and not his social status and money. But she seemed determined to keep him in the ‘friend’ zone. Tonight, he planned to do something about that. He just hoped it didn’t ruin the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Making his way through the crowd, he rushed through the various greetings of his staff. He appreciated them and knew they had helped make his name a worldwide brand. He knew people wanted to talk and mingle tonight, but there was only one activity he wanted to pursue. Courting Emma.
Finally, he made it to the trio of people he considered his closest friends. “Hello, Scott, Stacy. Glad you could make it.”
“Wouldn’t have missed this for the world,” Stacy giggled, hanging onto Scott’s arm. Scott’s look said he wanted to say something, but Maddox ignored him.
“Hello, Emma. You look amazing.” He reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips to brush a soft kiss across her knuckles. He stepped closer, mesmerized by the green of her eyes and the faint blush that stole across her cheeks.
His gaze went down her body and up again to meet her eyes. She was divine. Everything he could possibly want in a woman wrapped up in a gorgeous package he couldn’t wait to unwrap.
She was a curvy woman. Wide hips, big, bouncy breasts, and thick thighs. Her face was classically beautiful, dominated by huge green eyes that held a world of secrets he had yet to discover, a pert nose, high cheekbones, and a full, pink mouth that begged to be kissed each time she spoke. More than once, he’d had to ask her to repeat herself as he’d caught himself wanting to do just that and getting lost somewhere in the fantasy. She was petite in stature, standing an entire foot shorter than him, and the compactness made her body all the curvier…and desirable. Tonight, her long brown hair hung down her back, the thick waves falling to her waist. Usually, she had it twirled on top of her head in a haphazard bun or clenched at the nape, revealing soft, white skin that he wanted to taste and touch.
Something had changed over the last few weeks, and he was determined to find out what. If she’d found someone…
No, he couldn’t bear the thought.
Yes, he’d noticed the changes in her voluptuous body—the body that kept him up at night—literally. And he’d noticed the new wardrobe. The dress she wore tonight emphasized her stunning curves and made her wide green eyes even more mysterious. But what bothered him most was how she stopped talking to him. Oh, she still did her job with the same perfection, but she’d stopped telling him about her day. She’d stopped dropping by his office for no reason. And she’d stopped hanging out with him outside of work.
He missed her. She’d always been there, listening to his dreams and pitching in to help him achieve them. He wouldn’t be where he was today without her. He’d thought he’d been the same kind of friend for her, but apparently not if she wasn’t even willing to tell him what had suddenly made her change everything.
If itwasanother man, he wasn’t about to give up without a fight.
It wasn’t in his nature.
“Thank you, Maddox.” She lowered her gaze and inhaled slowly, carefully so he wouldn’t hear, drawing his scent in—the smell of expensive cologne and the earthier, more masculine scent that was uniquely Maddox. She felt the acceleration of her pulse in her throat, her chest, and lower, between her legs. As unobtrusively as possible, she shifted her stance, clenching her thighs to alleviate the steady thrum of desire humming through her most female part. He was standing so close that she could feel the heat of him. Her body ached with a hunger as deep as the ocean.
Maddox kept her hand in his, surprised—and downright delighted—when she didn’t attempt to pull it away. She’d been so skittish around him lately.
The feel of her soft palm pressing into his calloused one was enough to set his big body to trembling. He hoped she didn’t notice. Later, if things went his way, he would tell her just how weak she made him. In a good way. To cover his vulnerability, he asked, “Is everyone enjoying the party?”
The foursome made casual conversation for several minutes before a waiter brought a tray of drinks, followed closely by another with a tray of hors d’oeuvres, forcing Maddox to let go of Emma’s hand. As soon as his fingers closed around the cold champagne glass, his heart knew exactly what his life would feel like without her in it. He’d wrestled for weeks with whether or not to tell her about his feelings, knowing that if she didn’t—couldn’t—return his love, then things between them would be awkward, forcing them apart. Ultimately, he’d known he had to tell her. His heart wouldn’t let him do anything else. Besides, if he didn’t tell her and she found someone—may have already found someone else—he’d have to leave anyway. He couldn’t stand even the thought of her with another man. Seeing her every day, knowing she could never be his, would kill him.
“Here you go.” He handed her the champagne. He almost choked on his first sip as she took a small bite of her cranberry crostini, leaving a smear of ricotta spread on her lush lips. It took every ounce of his willpower not to bend his head and lick it off. He groaned when her tongue came out and did just that.
“We’ll dance when you’ve finished with that.”
Emma blinked in surprise, almost choking on the toasted baguette. She hadn’t really wanted it, but keeping herself occupied from thoughts of how good Maddox smelled standing so close had made grabbing the appetizer seem like a good idea. “You don’t dance.”
“I do with you. Tonight.”
He knew she didn’t realize it, but he’d been dancing with her for as long as he’d known her. Dancing around the way she made him feel. Dancing around the warmth, she brought into his lonely life.
“Are you going to be around for the Secret Santa gifts?”
Maddox blinked, his eyes moving automatically from Emma to Stacy. He’d completely forgotten that she and Scott were there.
Hell, he’d been so engrossed in Emma that even the festivity around him had disappeared as his world had narrowed down to the woman he wanted with every breath in his body. Now, he forced himself back to the present. He couldn’t make time go faster, so he’d just have to slow down and enjoy the next couple of hours.
“I’ll be here.” His gaze met Emma’s once more. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Scott said something, drawing Maddox into a conversation, leaving Emma to ponder precisely what Maddox had meant by those cryptic words. His usual M.O. was to make an appearance at the annual holiday party, say a few nice words, hand out the Christmas bonuses, and leave. He didn’t do Christmas.
So, why was he so bent on hanging around this year? And why did he go out of his way to make sure Emma knew?
“Hey, Em, I’m going to powder my nose. You want to come with?”
