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In the living room, Nathan sang along to a Sinatra tune. The romantic music wrapped around her like a comfortable sweater and Emma found herself smiling. As much as she’d protested against moving into Nathan’s condo, she had to admit that it had probably helped her prepare for the show. Left alone in her loft or staying at Addison’s, she would have driven herself into the ground way before her deadline. Being forced to rest and eat, she’d met all her goals and crafted better jewelry. If she had a profitable show in Baton Rouge, she could credit a lot of that success to Nathan.
“So, this is where you’ve been hiding out.” Addison appeared in the workroom doorway. She’d called an hour ago to say she was stopping by. “How is it going?”
“See for yourself.” Emma gestured toward the pieces she’d recently finished.
Addison sat beside Emma and let her fingertips drift along a ruby-and-diamond necklace. “This is gorgeous.”
“Here’s the piece I created for the silent auction.” Emma pulled a square flat box off her worktable and handed it to Addison. “I hope it makes up for the fact that I wasn’t able to help you with the gala this year. I feel terrible about that.”
For the last five years, she and Addison had co-chaired the committee in charge of a big event that raised money to fight juvenile diabetes. It was a labor of love for Addison, whose sister had been diagnosed with the disease at the age of five. How Addison managed a career, family and all her volunteer activities, Emma didn’t have a clue. Her friend seemed tireless.
Emma was always happy to help, but this year her free time had been eaten up by her jewelry business and both her show and the gala fell on the same weekend.
“Don’t worry about it,” Addison said, popping the lid and gasping at the sparkling necklace that lay on the bed of black velvet. “This is incredible. And way more than you should be donating.”
“You’re sweet to say that. Here I was thinking I wasn’t doing nearly enough.”
The women hugged. Emma felt the burn of tears behind her eyes. She exhaled a shaky breath. Lately her emotions had been uncomfortably close to the surface. Frustration. Happiness. Desire. Anger. Emma’s moods had been on a merry-go-round without end.
“I’ve missed having you around,” Addison said. “But I can see why you decided to move in here.”
“What are you talking about?” Emma stretched her lower back and grimaced as pain lanced through her muscles.
Addison eyed Emma. “You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you? Not that I blame you.”
She wasn’t ready to talk about how Nathan had swept her off to the bedroom every night for the last week or how the previous evening he’d plied her with a soothing massage that put her out for almost five hours. Damn the man.
As if her thoughts had conjured him, Nathan appeared in the doorway with a glass of wine he handed to Addison and a plate of cheese, bread and fresh fruit he placed on Emma’s worktable.
“See if you can’t persuade her to eat something,” he said. “All her wonderful curves are disappearing.”
Ever since she’d stopped making the trek to Addison’s house every night, he’d been badgering her to eat and rest. After the first couple days, she’d stopped telling him that she could take care of herself. Why waste her breath when he wasn’t listening to her anyway? And then three days ago, something awful had happened. She’d discovered that having him fuss over her was wonderful.
So much for Miss Independent.
“I’m not hungry,” Emma said, frowning at him.
Tonight he wore a black T-shirt that clung to his chest and shoulders. The color emphasized the bad-boy gleam in his eyes and made her pulse hitch. All she wanted to do was lay her head against his broad chest and close her eyes.
“He won’t stop fussing,” Emma complained to Addison after he left. She popped a grape in her mouth and followed it up with a slice of Brie on fresh French bread. “It’s not as if I need him to take care of me.”
“But isn’t it nice that he does?”
Addison’s sly question hit a little too close to the mark. No one would believe Emma could take care of herself unless she demonstrated that she could. “I was doing okay before he came along.”
Nathan returned with a glass of water for Emma. The ice cubes tinkled in the glass as he set it down. “Dinner will be ready in a half an hour. Can you stay?” he asked Addison.
Addison looked from one to the other. “I can’t. I promised Paul I would be home for dinner tonight.”
Emma watched him go, her gaze following his sexy posterior until it disappeared around the corner.
