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I flip through a few more pages. “So, what’s the plan for all this?”
“Nothing now. I should toss them out.”
“Don’t get rid of it. You can still have the wedding of your dreams.”
The unspoken words left between us:After we get an annulment.
“I don’t know. It all seems silly now.”
Her eyes find mine and my chest tightens. I wish I could give her all the things she wants. The things she deserves.
“Going after what you want isn’t silly.” The words are for Emma, but hearing them out loud, they hit a weak spot of mine. Most of my life, I’ve put others first. Until the night I met Emma, I’d never let myself consider wants or desires, let alone pursue them. Up until the moment I married Emma, everything in my life had been based on necessity, what I needed to do for others.
“Yeah, I guess.” She takes the binder out of my hands and studies my face. “What about you? Do you always go after what you want?”
The second her words fall between us; the air in the closet crackles with electricity. The weight of her stare threatens to push me to my knees. I’d happily be there, eager to slide my hands up her legs and tug down her shorts. Lick between her thighs and feel her against my tongue again. Go after what I so desperately want.Her.
“No.” It’s my response to Emma, but it’s also a warning to myself. “I haven’t had that luxury.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean...” She turns to put the binder back in the storage box.
“It’s fine.” I turn away, letting the distance between us relieve some of the tension.
For a moment it’s quiet. I can tell we’re both searching for a change of topic. Emma’s the first to break the silence.
“Oh, Jess told me I need to post some photos on social media. I figured we could do that today. Grab lunch, walk in the park, that sort of thing if you’re up for it.”
“You bet. I’m completely at your service.” Truer words were never spoken.
“Thanks.” She smiles. “Oh, and thanks for practicing with me last night. You’re right. The more at ease we are with each other physically, the more convincing it’s going to be at the interview with Kandi Kline.”
“Happy to help.” When she lifts up on her tip toes to grab a pair of sandals off the shelf, I allow myself a moment to stare at her ass before she turns and I have to pretend that I’m stretching my neck. “The interview is on Thursday, right?”
To distract myself, I pull open one of the drawers with my clothes in it.
Emma’s walk-in closet is huge and her stuff takes up most of it, but upon my arrival, she cleaned out a few drawers for me to put my things in. I peel off my sweaty shirt, the white athletic polo that Barrett’s tennis club required I wear today, then start pulling out clothes to change into after my shower. I toss a pair of underwear and a t-shirt onto the center counter, then grab a pair of jeans off a nearby hanger.
I look up just in time to catch Emma staring at my naked torso.
She blinks twice, clears her throat and looks away.
“Yes. The interview is Thursday. Oh, and there’s a photoshoot, too. I forgot to mention that. It will follow the interview. The editor’s feature always has some unique shoot, a well-known photographer, that kind of thing.” She reaches for her phone. “And Jess sent me some more suggestions for dates and activities we could do this week. I think the more prepared we are, the less stressful it’s going to be.”
I move to put my sweaty shirt in the laundry hamper, it just so happens that Emma is standing right in front of it. I lean over her, reaching around her side to open it. My nose brushes against her hair, taking in her feminine scent. Fuck, she smells good. Her eyes drop to my chest again, and I can see her throat bob when she swallows. I’m tempting us both now.
I take her phone out of her hand and set it back on the closet shelf.
“So, we should keep practicing. Really commit to it. It’s the most important interview of your career, we’ll need to give it one hundred percent.”
She looks up and nods.
“Yeah, you’re right.”
My hand lifts to her chest, my thumb stroking the front of her neck before I lower my lips to hers. It’s a searing kiss that awakens every cell in my body. My tongue slides between the seam of her lips, then I dive deeper. Emma’s fingers tease into my hair. The soft cotton of her shirt tickles my chest. The overwhelming desire to lay her down right here and sink into her warm, tight slickness is enough to make me pull back.
After last night, I should know better. I should know that when I put my hands on Emma, press my lips against hers, there’s nothing fake about it. I can’t let myself take it that far with her. If I know what it feels like to claim Emma as mine, I’ll never be able to walk away.
“Okay. I’m going to shower.” I press a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth.
