“It’s probably for the best, Emma,” he said gravely and Emma had to wonder if he was really paying attention to what she was telling him. From her end of the conversation she was fine, but he was acting as if she’d given him bad news.
“I don’t think you’re following me, sir,” she began. “I’m fine; there’s no need to be so concerned.”
“I’m very concerned, Emma,” he replied. “I need to know that you’re going to be okay. Is there anything you need? Anything I can bring you?”
It was as if he wasn’t listening to a word she’d said! “I’m fine, Mr. Montgomery, really,” she repeated with more emphasis. “The doctor even said I could come back to work right now. I’m just asking for the day for personal reasons.”
William could hardly contain a laugh. Lucas was nearly falling out of his chair straining to hear the conversation that William had deliberately taken on the other side of the room and Emma must think he’d lost his mind. “Well, I’m sure the doctor knows best,” he said with a sigh. “Take all the time that you need. Your health is what matters most here.”
Unable to take any more of the crazy conversation, Emma told him that she’d see him in the morning and hung up. “That was bizarre,” she said as she stood and went in search of something to eat.
Back in the office, Lucas waited for his father to fill everyone in on his conversation with Emma.
But he didn’t.
He waited for one of his brothers to inquire about how Emma was.
But they didn’t.
Lucas was beyond frustrated and he sighed angrily and finally gave in to the need to ask for himself. “What did the damn doctor say?” he snapped.
William arched an eyebrow at his son. “I don’t see what you’re so upset about, Lucas. Emma’s the one with the injury.”
“Yeah, well, I was the one who pulled her from the damn car when she was unconscious, if you remember correctly. And I was the one who looked after her all weekend, so I think I have a right to know what the doctor said!” His tone was more demanding than it needed to be and his father’s expression was a combination of shock and amusement.
“I didn’t say that you couldn’t know, Lucas, I merely pointed out that there was no need for you to be upset.”
“You know what? I don’t need this,” Lucas griped as he stood and collected his paperwork. It was only three o’clock in the afternoon, and if he played his cards right, he’d be back in his own home before dark. “I’ll fax you my portion of the numbers tomorrow,” he said as he stormed out the door.
There was silence in the room for about ten seconds before Jason turned and asked, “What the hell’s gotten into him?”
William held up his hand and went to close the door so no one would be privy to the conversation he was about to have with his sons. “Boys, I think I’ve stirred up a bit of trouble,” he began and then went on to tell them about the weekend.
“So wait a minute,” Mac interrupted, “you mean to tell me that you purposely sent Emma up there in a blizzard? Dad, she could have gotten killed!”
“In my defense, I didn’t know there was going to be a blizzard. I thought it was just going to snow a bit and then Lucas wouldn’t let her drive in it. I’m just sick inside with the thought of what happened to her but in the end, she’s okay.”
“Is she?” Jason asked. “What did the doctor say, and why wouldn’t you just tell Lucas?”
He laughed. “What fun would that have been? I’ve seen more emotion in your brother in the last couple of hours than I have in the last couple of years! Emma’s fine; she has a mild concussion and the doctor told her she was fine to work.”
“Then why were you being so secretive? From where we were sitting you made it sound like she was giving you bad news over the phone,” Mac said.
“I was poking the bear,” William replied simply. “Did you see the way he was acting while I was on the phone? That boy was desperate to know how Emma was and it was damn near killing him to sit back and wait. Those are not the actions of a man who has no interest in a woman.”
“I don’t get it. You think that Lucas has feelings for Emma? That’s what all this is about?”
“Hell yes! I’ve been noticing it more and more over the last couple of months, but I knew that Lucas would never act on it so I put a plan in motion to make him do something about it.”
“How can you be sure it did?”
William shook his head in disbelief. “Were the two of you not in the same room here with me? Was that normal behavior for Lucas? And earlier today, you both interacted with Emma. Did she seem like her normal self to you?” Both men shook their heads. “I don’t know exactly what happened this weekend, but something sure did, and I’m guessing that it scared the hell out of Lucas.”
“So what are you going to do now? He’s heading back home,” Jason pointed out.
“We’ll see,” William said cryptically and sat back down at the table. “Now, where were we?”
* * *
By the time Lucas reached the parking garage, he was calling himself every rotten name in the book. Way to draw attention to yourself, he mocked silently. He never should have touched her, never should have given himself the opportunity to have the best sex of his damn life, which left him craving more. He cursed and made his way over to his truck.
“Lucas?”
He dropped his head down and cursed again. There was no way to escape now.
“Where are you off to? It’s a little late for lunch.”
“Hey, Mom,” he said dejectedly. “What are you doing here?”
She was a tiny little woman, maybe five feet two, and Lucas towered over her. In her hands was a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a balloon that read “Get Well.” “I came as soon as I could. I wanted to give these to Emma. She’s such a sweet girl and she keeps me spoiled with those brownies that she makes.”
Lucas’s mind wandered to the brownies they’d shared while watching movies at the cabin and his stomach growled at the recollection. “Yeah, they’re good.”
She smacked his arm. “That is the understatement of the year!” She looked around and then focused on her son again. “Anyway, I was out and about and wanted to give these to her.”
“She’s not here. Dad sent her to the doctor.”
His mother gasped. “Oh, no! Is she all right? What did the doctor say?”
Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose and reminded himself that he loved his mother. “You’ll have to ask Dad. He spoke to her.”
“Oh, well…okay. But that brings us back to you. Where are you off to?”
“I’m heading home.”
“No you’re not,” she said firmly.
“Excuse me?”
For a tiny woman, Monica Montgomery seemed to expand before his eyes. “I said no, you’re not.” With one hand on her hip she looked up into her son’s defiant face. “I have had just about enough of this one-day-a-month nonsense. When you came to the house last night, you promised to have dinner with me tonight and I am holding you to it!”
“I didn’t promise—”
“Are you going to argue with me, Lucas? Seriously?”
He shook his head and remembered his manners. “No, ma’am, I’m not arguing. I just don’t remember saying…”
“I’m making your favorite meal: pot roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, biscuits… I’ve been looking forward to it all day. You’re not going to let me down, are you?”
He shook his head again. “No, ma’am.”
She reached out, hugged him, and then tugged his face down so she could kiss his cheek. “Good. Now walk me back inside so I can at least put these flowers on Emma’s desk.” She made a tsking sound. “Poor girl. I hope she has someone to take care of her.” Taking Lucas’s big hand in her own, she gently tugged him back toward the building.
“I took care of her,” he said under his breath, hating the fact that his mother was dragging his six foot self back to where he didn’t want to go. There was no doubt that his brothers would give him shit for caving and coming back. Lucas knew he had no choice, and it was times like this that reinforced why he tended to stay as far away from the family and business as possible.
When their elevator brought them back up to Montgomerys’ floor, Lucas promised his mother he’d see her at dinner and then made a beeline for his office where he quietly shut his door and collapsed behind his desk. He had been so close to escaping this hell, and now he was stuck for at least another day. He knew that dinner would lead to spending the night, and tomorrow his father would ask him to come to the office, and before Lucas knew what hit him, it would be too late to head home.
“Dammit.” Lucas raked his hands through his hair and growled with the unfairness of it all. Hadn’t he suffered enough? He’d lost his career, his identity, and after one weekend with Emma, Lucas felt as if he’d lost his privacy.
And the girl.
“Just another twenty-four hours,” he reminded himself, “and I can go back to my own damn life.” It seemed like a simple enough goal.
* * *
Emma was working late on Friday night. Everyone had gone home but there were still some things that she wanted to get caught up on from her time off. There wasn’t much to do, but it was all tedious and time-consuming. Her stomach growled and she cursed herself for not ordering dinner earlier. There was always takeout on the way home, she thought.
By eight o’clock, she could barely see straight. Her filing was done, her computer files backed up, and the spreadsheets that Mr. Montgomery was going to need for a trip the following week were all prepared, copied, and collated. All in all, it had been a successful night. Emma stood and stretched and nearly screamed the place down.
“Lucas! You scared me half to death! What are you still doing here?” She placed a hand over her heart, hoping to slow down its frantic rhythm in her chest.
He stood dumbfounded at the sight of her. “Sorry,” he said gruffly, “I thought everyone was gone.”
“So did I,” she snapped. He had stayed the week. In all of the years she’d worked for Montgomerys, Lucas had never stayed a full week. Why did he have to choose to start now?
“Why are you working so late, Emma?” he asked, stepping closer to her desk, closer than he’d allowed himself to get to her all week. “It’s not safe for you to be here all by yourself.”
Emma wanted to laugh at his words. She’d worked late countless times before; the only thing that made this situation unsafe was the fact that she was alone with Lucas and didn’t trust herself. “I’m fine, Lucas,” she said softly. “I just finished up and was getting ready to leave.”
“Oh,” he said and then seemed to stop to consider something. “Just give me five minutes and I’ll walk you to your car.”
“That’s not necessary, really. Like I said, I do this all the time and there are security guards down by the garage. Go and finish what you have to do.” She was talking faster than usual and gathering her belongings as she spoke. There was no doubt that Lucas would be able to tell that she was nervous, but if she could just make a quick exit, Emma knew she’d be okay.
“It’s not negotiable, Emma. I know my brothers would do the same thing when you’re all working late.”
There was no arguing with that, but she wanted to. With an agitated sigh she said, “Fine. I’ll wait while you finish up.” Watching Lucas turn and walk away, she counted to ten and then quietly moved about the office gathering the rest of her things. His office was at the end of the hall and one of the farthest from the elevators. Emma knew she was acting childish but she didn’t like having Lucas dictate to her what to do and when. Just because he’d slept with her didn’t give him that right.
Tiptoeing, she made her way quickly toward the bank of elevators and pressed the down button and prayed that the ding wasn’t as loud as she thought it was. “C’mon,” she whispered, bouncing on the balls of her feet, anxious to get in the elevator and away from Lucas.
“Going somewhere?” This time she not only screamed but she must have jumped a good foot in the air. He was directly behind her and he spoke softly right into her ear.
“Dammit, Lucas! Why would you do that?” Emma rounded on him, her eyes full of fury.
“You told me that you’d wait and as soon as I walked away, you were sneaking out!” he lashed back.
“And I told you that I didn’t need you to walk me out! Amazingly enough, Lucas, I have managed to get myself down to the parking garage, alone, for quite some time without you!”
Something in him snapped. Reaching out he grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her closer. “I am so sick and tired of you fighting everything I say and do, Emma, you know that? Did it ever occur to you that I’m concerned? Did it ever cross your mind that maybe, just maybe, some of the things I say are for your own benefit?” Without waiting for answer, he pulled her toward his office.
“Wait! What are you doing? The elevator just got here!” Emma’s words fell on deaf ears. Lucas pulled her into his office and gently pushed her into one of the chairs facing his desk. “This is just ridiculous,” she said angrily. “You can’t just shove me around, Lucas! You may be my boss but you have no right to treat me this way.”
She was right. Lucas knew she was right and yet ever since their weekend together, wherever Emma was concerned, logic and reason ceased to exist for him. When she made to stand up, Lucas simply relaxed more into his own chair. “If you walk out that door I’ll simply bring you back.”
Emma was seething with rage at this point. “So what’s the plan here? I just sit here in submission until you’re ready to leave? That’s kind of sick even for you, Lucas.”
She was baiting him but he refused to be baited. He had no idea why he’d dragged her to his office. What he should have done was follow her into the elevator when it arrived and walk her to her car and then come back up here to finish his work. Scrubbing a hand over his weary face, he let out an equally weary sigh.
“Why are you still here, Lucas?” she finally asked.
“Working late, just like you.”
“That’s not what I mean. Why are you still here, a week after you dropped me off? You’ve never stayed for a full week. What’s going on?”
Standing, Lucas came around the desk and stood in front of her. He’d been miserable all week. He’d thought of her. All week. He’d tried to leave a dozen different times, but always found some feeble excuse to stay. He was tired and frustrated and frustrated with being tired.
“I can’t leave,” he finally admitted and felt his entire body sag with relief.
Emma stared up at him, confusion written all over her face. “I don’t understand why. Is it because of the project you’ve been working on?”
Lucas snorted with disbelief. “I can do that project in my sleep, so no, it has nothing to do with the project.” Reaching down, he took hold of one of Emma’s hands and tugged her gently to her feet.
“Then what is it?” she whispered, her eyes lingering on his lips.
“It’s you,” he said simply as he lowered his head to hers and claimed her lips as he’d ached to do all week long.
Emma was on board immediately, and he heard her drop her purse to the floor right before her arms tangled around his neck. She sighed his name and pressed closer to him.
“I can’t sleep for wanting you; I can’t concentrate for wanting you.” He was trailing his lips down the slender column of her throat and lingered at the sweet spot right below her ear that he knew drove her wild. “I tried to stay away, I honestly did, but I couldn’t do it anymore.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” she admitted right before letting out a sexy growl at what he was doing. “I didn’t want you to stay away.”
&
nbsp; What followed was madness. Lucas pushed her wool coat from her body and let it fall to the floor. His hands roamed up and down her back and then lingered on her firm bottom, pulling her flush against him so that she could feel his arousal. “I want you, Emma,” he said fiercely. “Let me have you.”
No words had ever sounded sweeter, and in that moment, Emma would have given him anything. She frantically looked around for a place for them. “The sofa,” she panted and then pulled him with her while he continued to nibble and taste her skin.
Emma couldn’t believe this was happening. She was going to make love to Lucas right here in his office. It was something that she’d secretly fantasized about probably one hundred times, but doing this, right here, right now, was better than anything she’d ever imagined.
His hands ignited a million fires within her and all she wanted was to growl with frustration at how long he was taking. “Lucas, please.” Emma kicked her shoes off but her movements were limited by the long skirt she wore.
By now they were reclined on the sofa with Lucas’s big body pinning hers to the cushions. He lifted his head and looked at her. “You are so beautiful,” he said reverently and then paused. “I don’t want to do this,” he admitted, but instantly corrected himself. “I mean, I want to do this, but I want us to be someplace private where there’s a bed. I don’t want to just take you on the office couch. I have more self-control than that.”
A wicked smile crossed Emma’s face. “Self-control is highly overrated.”
* * *
Emma woke the following morning alone and cursed. Sometime after midnight they’d arrived at her place, and after eating some drive-through burgers and fries, they’d picked up where they’d left off. Emma sighed with frustration.
“Bastard,” she muttered as she kicked the blankets from her body and went to snatch her robe from her closet. “I cannot believe that he would just slink off without even saying good-bye.” She was good and mad now, and nearly yanked the bedroom door off its hinges in her haste to escape.
Wait for Me / Trust in Me Page 10