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He chuckled. “That’s fair. I should be home tomorrow, so text me when you’re on your way. Actually...” He hurried downstairs and returned with a key in his hand. “In case I’m not home, you can use this.”
She stared at the key. “You’re giving me the key to your house?”
He nodded.
“I could come and rob you.”
He arched a brow. “Would you?”
She smiled. “No. I’m not a thief.”
“I believe you.”
She glanced at the stairs to the third floor. “What if...” she swallowed. “What if you have a guest?”
He shook his head. “I think things are over between me and Abby.”
“You don’t have... other conquests?” she asked, glancing at the stairs again.
He chuckled. “I don’t think I could handle having more than one long-term relationship at a time.”
“You... You’re not breaking up with her because of me, are you?”
“Well, you did make me think about my relationship with her, but no.” he shrugged. “When we went out for lunch the other day...” He paused, remembering that afternoon. “She said I should pursue the person I was interested in.”
“Who’s that?”
He raised his eyebrows. “You.”
Her eyes widened and she stepped back. “Oh, no. Mark, no, you can’t. I can’t—”
He took her hand to keep her from stepping too far away. “I want to get to know you, Emily, and for you to get to know me. I want to spend time with you.” He pulled her close. “I want to be friends because I think that’s what you need right now. If something comes after that...” He hoped it would, but didn’t want to say it aloud and frighten her. He liked her more than as a friend. A lot more. Hell, he’d kissed her. Twice. “We’ll let things happen naturally. Not force it. Just... see where things go.”
“Mark...” She shook her head. “Geoffrey will never let me go.”
“We’ll see about that,” he said, his voice firm. He bent down and leaned his forehead against hers. “I can be very, very determined when I want something.”
Her beautiful brown eyes widened and her lips parted as she sucked in a breath. She blinked away tears and pulled away. “I’d die if anything happened to you,” she whispered. “I’m not worth you... getting hurt.”
“I can take care of myself.” If he couldn’t, he had friends that would help. “Trust me, you will be free from him someday. I’ll make sure of that.”
Thirty-Four
Emily hummedas she picked up the glasses of wine from the bar to deliver to her early table of the night. She smiled brightly as she dropped off the drinks to the couple speaking softly to one another, then picked up their dirty dinner plates and headed to the back of the restaurant. She put the dishes in the tub at the bussing station and suddenly was slammed against the wall, an iron fist around her neck.
Geoffrey stared at her, blue eyes as hard as stone. “What’s going on, Emily?” he hissed and squeezed her neck.
She choked and clawed at his hand, but it didn’t budge. “Wh-what are you t-talking about?”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re happy.” He grabbed her left hand and held it up. “What happened to your fingers?” He squeezed tighter.
Tears of pain filled her eyes. Of course he would notice the bandages on her fingers. She opened her mouth to talk, but she couldn’t suck in enough air to speak.
He released her and she fell to the ground. He pulled her to her feet with her ponytail and yanked down to make her raise her face to his. “Talk.”
“I-I played a violin today,” she whispered, rubbing her neck. “My fingers... they’re not used to it.”
“Why?” he asked, narrowing his eyes once more. “Where were you that you even had the opportunity?”
