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PROLOGUE
Emma
We met a month and a half ago. He literally bumped right into me at the grocery store. There I was standing in the produce section trying to decide what fruits I was going to buy for the week, berries were always a must, so I had already put some in my cart. I wasn’t really paying attention to my surroundings, and he wasn’t either because the next thing I knew I was hit in the right side by a shopping cart, my knee buckled, and I fell. As I turned to cuss the culprit out, I was met with the deepest and sexiest set of brown eyes that I have ever seen.
“I am so sorry. Let me help you up. I need to pay more attention and not drive a grocery cart and text at the same time,” he said as he reached out a hand to help me up.
I was so thrown off guard that I couldn’t respond. I tried to talk, but his eyes had me mesmerized. I grabbed his hand and still didn’t have my full balance, so he pulled me into his chest and wrapped me in his arms.
“Whoa there! I got you. Take a minute. Are you hurt? Did you hit your side, twist an ankle, or is anything hurt?” he asked very caring.
When I gathered my composure and was able to speak, I replied laughing, “Thank you and I don’t feel any pain. However, there should be a law against texting and walking. Can I get your insurance information and have the security guard come write a report?!”
He laughed, so I guess my humor worked.
“Yes, let me go grab security! My name is Wayne Carter, and my cell phone number is 555-898-9765 in cases you need medical attention later!” he said.
“Well thank you Wayne! My name is Emma James,” I replied.
“It is nice to meet you Emma,” he said.
We walked around the grocery store together for the next twenty minutes. We checked out together, and he walked me out to my car. He loaded my bags into the trunk. He was so nice, a gentleman, and good-looking. He didn’t ask for my number, but he did give me his.
I waited four days before I called him. I had debated about it within myself, going back and forth trying to decide if I was ready to date again. Could I trust my judgement in men? I had my walls and my guard up due to my past. Could I let them down and try and find love again? Could I put myself out there and date again? I had so many doubts, but I finally decided that if I didn’t try, I would be alone the rest of my life and I didn’t want that. I wanted to be happy. I wanted to find my soul mate and I wanted to find real love. So, now was as good of a time as any to take a chance.
CHAPTERONE
Emma
I have worked for billionaire Grayson Clark for a little over a year. Mr. Clark finally got Dottie, who has been with him since he was a child, to allow him to hire someone to help her take care of the house. The only place that she still will not allow me to clean or cook in, is “her” kitchen and I respect that. Dottie lives in the mansion with Mr. Clark and his new wife, Ava. I live in an apartment about twenty miles from the estate.
It is 6 o’clock on Saturday morning. I have just gotten to work, and Dottie was finishing up cooking breakfast. It was a rule that Mr. Clark had set in place that him, his staff, and now Ava, would eat every meal together. He wanted it more of a family atmosphere than that of employer and employee relationship. It is one of the reasons why I love working here, it was the only family I have. I had been raised in foster care pretty much my entire life. My dad, well, I never knew him or even his name, that included my grandmother, or at least that’s what she said after my mother died of an overdose on heroine when I was seven years old. My mom was an only child. Her father had passed away several years before. I didn’t remember him. My grandmother, well from what Child Services told me, she was too old and too sick to take care of me. She told them that she thought it was better for me to go into the system and be adopted by a good family that could give me a better life. But unfortunately for me, that family never came. I did have a few good foster homes that treated me good. No horror stories there, thank God. But still life had not been easy. I pushed myself really hard to try and make something of myself. Like now, I am putting myself through college to be a forensic scientist. I had always found it interesting, even while others thought it made me strange. Working for Mr. Clark is paying for me to get through college, and I am just as grateful for that.
So, even the security guards that were hired last year when there was an attack on Mr. Clark’s life are family and even though they can’t come in to eat, Ava will take them a plate to the guard shack at the entrance into the estate, especially since they also work for her company directly. Ava is a former Marine. She and five former Navy Seals are partners in the Seals and Bounty Security Firm. I have to admit Ava is a badass for real. I admire her.
“Good morning,” I said as I walked into the kitchen. Dottie was sitting a plate down in front of Ava.
“Good morning, Emma,” they both said in unison.
“It smells delicious as always Dottie,” I said as I sit down across from Ava leaving the chair beside her for Mr. Clark.
“Okay, spill quickly before Grayson comes down. Who is the new man you are dating? How did you meet him? Do you want me to run a background check on him?” Ava asked with a chuckle.
I turned and looked at Dottie and back to Ava confused as to how she knows that I am seeing someone. I had not mentioned it to anyone yet because it was so new. We only had two dates.
“Don’t look at me,” Dottie said. “I didn’t have a clue that you were seeing someone, but I am with Ava! I want all the details!”
Ava took a sip of her coffee and said, “Bryan and Katie saw you last night at O’Ryan’s Steakhouse.”
Dottie sat a plate down in front of me piled with French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, and fruit. Then a cup of coffee. Then she sat down with her own plate beside me.
“Okay. Well, that makes since now!” I said and told them about how I met Wayne at the grocery store, but before I could discuss our first two dates, Mr. Clark walks in.
“Good morning, ladies,” Grayson said as he leaned down to kiss Ava on the cheek before sitting down. Dottie got up to fix his plate, and he continues, “Don’t stop girl talk on my account. Just ignore that I am here!”
“Mr. Clark, what girl talk are you referring to?” I asked.
“First Emma, I told you that you have worked here long enough to become family and to call me Grayson. Second, it was obvious the moment you all became deathly quiet when I walked in the room that you were discussing girl stuff!” Grayson replied as Dottie sat his plate and coffee down in front of him.
