At the restaurant, he let the valet park his car, even though the guy looked at it like it might fall apart. He didn’t want Emma to have to walk from whatever spot he found. Although a walk might make her want to cozy up to him.
No. He needed to stop thinking like that. He knew he could get her back into his bed. He was here tonight to prove he could be more than a hard dick. He slid a hand to the small of her back, right at the curve of her ass. She stepped close so their bodies brushed as they walked.
This was what it felt like to be part of a couple.
Since it was early Monday evening and they had a reservation, they didn’t have to wait. They were seated immediately. A waiter appeared with a wine list.
“Can you give us a minute?” Sean asked. When the man left, Sean looked at Emma. “I don’t like wine, but if you want some, pick out the one you like.”
She smiled. “I’m good with beer. I’m sure they have some fancy imported beer on tap.”
He tried not to let his relief show. When the waiter returned, Sean asked what beer they offered and ordered for them. They looked over the menu in silence. All Sean wanted was a decent hunk of meat, but of course it couldn’t be that simple. They had at least eight different kinds of steak or beef.
“How did you decide on this place?”
“Moira suggested it.”
“It’s nice.”
When the waiter returned with their beer, they both ordered prime rib and then tasted their drinks.
“I’m glad you called me,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“I didn’t think you would. I figured you’d already moved on to whatever. But I’m happy you’re giving this—us—a chance.” He felt more flustered by the minute. “I don’t know what I’m doing. We both know serious relationships aren’t my thing, but I want to try.”
Her face softened and her eyes sparkled. “You definitely know how to make a girl feel special.”
“You are special, Emma. I’m not such an idiot that I didn’t realize that from the moment we met.” He reached across the table and held her hand.
Even with her long hair flowing in waves over her cheeks as she ducked her head, he saw a blush creep across her skin. This woman was beautiful, and he had no clue how he’d gotten so lucky.
“How’s the new job?”
The change in subject was more than welcome. “Good. I like my boss, and he’s thinking about expanding so that means business is good.”
“What do you like best?”
He sipped his beer. He wasn’t used to someone asking about his job. Usually, when he told people he was a mechanic, the conversation ended or they asked for advice about their car. “I don’t know. The guys I work with are pretty cool. I get to do a variety of jobs, so I don’t get bored.”
“So you can do anything on a car?”
“Pretty much.”
“Can you take one apart and put it back together?”
He rocked back in his chair. Could he? He’d never attempted it. “Probably.” He took a sip of beer. “But I’d most likely tell you to take your pile of junk somewhere else. I like to fix things, not build them.”
She leaned forward with her arms on the table, giving him a nice shot of delicious cleavage. “But to fix things, you often have to take them apart and rebuild them, right?”
“Not the same.” He tried to figure out how to explain something he knew on a gut level. “When I have to repair a car, I have to figure out the problem and fix it. Solve the problem. Putting something together is about building and making something new.”
That was kind of it, but not really. He’d never spent much time thinking about why he did what he did or why he’d chosen this life. It made sense for him, and that was all that mattered. Emma’s watchful eyes and unusual questions made him feel like he was under a microscope.
“Why do you ask?”
She lifted a shoulder, making her collarbone more prominent, and he wanted to bite it, without leaving marks, of course. “I’m trying to get to know you like I would any guy on a first date. I feel like you know so much more about me than I know about you. You ask questions and listen to what I say, but you don’t offer much up.”
“That’s because there’s not much to offer. I’m not some deep-thinking guy, Emma. What you see is what you get with me. I don’t hide who I am.”
Their dinner arrived, and they ate and talked some more. He’d had no idea that a week away from each other would give them so much to say. They flirted and joked. It was a damn near perfect night, even if he was dressed like Jimmy and drinking beer from a fancy glass.
He signed the credit card slip and stood, holding a hand out for hers. Her palm slid across his and he became aware again of how different they were. Her skin, smooth and soft and clean, pressed against his scarred and dingy fingers.
“Dinner was delicious. Thank you.” She gripped the doggy bag of her leftovers. “I’m going to make everyone at work jealous tomorrow with my lunch.”
He led her to the valet stand and handed over his ticket. Although she hadn’t shivered, he saw goose bumps rise on Emma’s arm, so he took off his jacket and placed it on her shoulders.
“Thank you.” She wrapped an arm around his waist and curled next to him while they waited for the car.
On the way back to her apartment, Emma chattered about her students, and the stories she told gave him such a vivid picture of the kids that he felt like he’d know them if he saw them. He parked down the block from her apartment and got out. This would definitely be the hardest part of the night.
At some point on their trip, she’d slid her arms into his jacket and pulled her hair out from under the collar and now he wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to take it back from her. She looked fucking hot, and she was fully dressed, wearing his clothes. She reached out and took his hand again while they walked to her door.
She handed him her leftovers and pulled her keys from her tiny purse. He stood directly behind her, inhaling her scent, trying not to get a hard-on. When she had the door open, she turned slightly, grabbed him by the shirt, and pulled him in behind her. She didn’t let go as she led them up the stairs. At her apartment door, she released his shirt, smoothing a palm over the wrinkles she’d made. His stomach muscles jumped under her touch.
“Thank you for letting me take you out.”
“I’m glad we did this.” Her arms twined around his neck and tugged him closer.
This was it. The good-night kiss she needed to prove they had chemistry that no one else could touch. He slipped a hand under her jacket and around her waist, pulling her flush to him before lowering his mouth to hers.
Her lips parted in invitation and anticipation. Her eyelids fluttered closed as his lips brushed hers. As much as he wanted to take her, make her scream his name, he moved slowly. He tasted her and touched her and took his time, like dismantling an engine. He needed to know every part and how it functioned.
Sean knew not to touch Emma’s sides until she was completely turned on or she’d fall into a fit of ticklish giggles. So he rocked his hips against her and wrapped her long waves of hair in his hand and pulled her head back so he could kiss her neck. His teeth grazed her, careful not to leave marks, but hard enough to earn a moan.
Then he returned to her mouth and took the kiss deep. Her chest rose and fell against his, and the rest of the world didn’t matter. Emma was here with him. She was his.
Once he staked his claim, he slowly pulled away and waited for her gorgeous eyes to open and focus on him.
“Good night, Emma.”
She blinked rapidly. “What? Aren’t you coming in?”
“Nope. We both have work early in the morning.” He stepped back, letting her hair fall and caress the back of his hand as he slid away. He watched the realization cross her face.
“What kind of game are you playing, Sean?” she whispered.
“No game. This was our first date. Would you sleep with some Internet guy on the first date?
”
A wicked smirk lit her face. “Maybe. It all depends on how good he was the rest of the night.” She ran a finger down his chest. “If he could kiss me and make me wet, I might drop my panties right here in the hall.”
His dick throbbed and he closed his eyes. She was intentionally tormenting him. He couldn’t give in, or he would be back to being her fuck buddy. “You tease and you lie.” He pinned her with a stare, lowered his voice, and leaned in to speak in her ear. “We both know you wouldn’t, but you want to with me because you already know how it’ll turn out for you. Satisfied and spent after screaming a stream of curse words.”
She huffed a small laugh. “You think you know me?”
“Yep.” He pulled away and offered a smirk of his own. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Here are your leftovers.” He thrust the bag at her.
“You’re really going to leave.”
“Yep,” he said again.
She smiled before unlocking her apartment door. She tossed her keys on the table and set the food down. She let his jacket drop from her arms and handed it to him. “I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Definitely.” He waited while she locked her door. Then he painfully walked back to his car. He started the engine and sent Emma a text. You did not succeed in killing me. But I will have my revenge.
Revenge for what?
As if she was unaware of the torment she caused. You know what. And payback’s a bitch. Next time I get you naked, I’m going to hold you on the edge until you’re ready to lose your mind.
Is that a promise?
Her cocky smile filled his brain, and he laughed out loud. Then he answered her. Absolutely.
Why did you really leave?
I want to get this right.
There was a long pause, and Sean figured their conversation was over. As he pulled out into traffic, his phone lit up.
Trust me, you got it right.
Sean drove home with a smile on his face, which felt weird because he couldn’t remember the last time that had happened without getting laid. Something about Emma turned his world upside down, and he was enjoying the hell out of it.
Chapter Fourteen
Sean and Emma fell back into their routine of texting and talking when they couldn’t be together, which was every day during the week. She’d planned to come to his hockey game, but it was a late one and she fell asleep. He gave her a hard time for that.
Her birthday was Saturday, so he planned to spend the night with her—mostly getting his revenge for their previous date. But he wanted to surprise her with something special. She’d mentioned her class would have its Halloween party on Friday afternoon, so he decided to bring her cupcakes.
Well, his plan was to bring her a birthday cake, but Norah pointed out that having to cut up a cake with a roomful of five-year-olds would be disastrous, so she ordered cupcakes from Blackstone’s for him. All he had to do was swing by on his lunch break and deliver them to her school.
He sped to Blackstone’s, trying to dodge traffic so he wouldn’t be late getting back to work. He squeezed his car into a tiny spot just behind the bus stop and prayed he wouldn’t get a ticket for getting too close to the sign. He ran into the bakery and waited impatiently at the counter.
When a woman came from the back room, he automatically said, “Cupcake,” because that’s what Tommy called her.
“Excuse me?” she asked, her Irish brogue thick and lilting. Her eyes were huge and bright blue and almost enough to distract a guy from noticing the freckles sprinkled across her face.
If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was twelve. “Um, hi. I’m picking up an order of cupcakes.”
“Name?”
“O’Malley.”
Her fingers tripped over the order slips in her hand. “O’Malley. Sounds familiar.”
“You’re an O’Leary, right? Moira and Maggie’s cousin?”
She set the slips on the counter and gave him her full attention. “I’m a Murphy, but the O’Learys are indeed my cousins.”
“I’m Sean O’Malley. I live across the street from the O’Learys.”
“Ah, are you the motorcycle man, then?”
Yeah, just hearing her voice was enough for him to understand why Tommy would stand and stare at her. “I am. Good to meet you.” He reached over the top of the counter and shook her hand.
She waved a slip at him. “I’ll get your order for you.”
Minutes later, she returned with a huge box of cupcakes. Sean paid and left with a promise to stop by the O’Learys’ to show her around the neighborhood. It was a job for Tommy since Sean planned to be busy with Emma.
When he got to Emma’s school, he had no idea where to bring the cupcakes. He walked in the main entrance, and a security guard pointed him to the office. Before he walked through the door, he tamped down the urge to run, which was brought on by memories of sitting in the principal’s office as a kid. He’d spent a whole lot of time hoping Jimmy would be the one to get him instead of their dad.
He entered the office and the secretary looked up from behind her computer. “Oooh . . . who are the cupcakes for?”
“Uh, Emma Long.”
“I mean which student, so I can call him or her down to pick them up.”
“No. They’re for Emma. It’s her birthday tomorrow.”
Another woman stepped out from an adjacent door. “It is? That little stinker. She hasn’t said anything.”
She strode forward and looked Sean up and down, making him wish he hadn’t worn his coveralls. “I’m Barb, Emma’s friend. And you are?”
Everything about this woman screamed teacher, so he answered. “I’m Sean O’Malley, ma’am.”
“You would be the reason Emma comes to work with a smile on her face.”
Sean wasn’t one to blush, but he felt heat creeping up his neck. “I hope so.”
“You should join us for drinks after work today and help us celebrate Emma’s birthday.” She scribbled on a pink slip of paper and handed it to him. “We get there in time for happy hour.” She scooped up the cupcakes. “I’ll get these to Emma.”
He’d kind of hoped to deliver the cupcakes himself, but getting an invitation to meet Emma’s work friends was even better. He shoved the note into his pocket and smiled at the secretary before walking out.
* * *
Emma’s door opened, and Barb came in carrying a huge bakery box. “What’s this? The party doesn’t start until later this afternoon.”
“I know, but this was a special delivery.” Barb turned to the students. “Did you know it’s Miss Long’s birthday?”
The kids erupted with noise. She set the box on Emma’s desk. “Sean O’Malley dropped these off.”
Emma’s heart beat double time. Sean was here? She peered into the box that Barb had opened. He’d brought her cupcakes for her birthday. It was both sweet and nerve-wracking. Barb nudged her.
“We have things to talk about later. Starting with why you didn’t mention it’s your birthday.”
“It’s tomorrow. And I didn’t think it was important.” A rush of kids came forward to look into the box.
“They’re pretty,” Sasha said.
Emma closed the lid. “They are. I will be more than happy to share them with everyone after lunch when we have our Halloween party. Right now, it’s back to work. If you don’t finish your work, you won’t be able to have fun at the party.”
Moans and groans answered her. Barb smiled and waved as she left the room. The day was hard enough with the kids focused on the upcoming games and sugar rush, but Emma knew it would be even harder with a bakery box staring them in the face.
By the time the afternoon finished, she needed a nap. Barb came back at the beginning of the party to lead the kids in singing “Happy Birthday” to her. The Halloween party went off without a hitch. When the last ghost and witch had left her room, she fell into her chair and grabbed an extra cupcake. The frosting was delicious, and even though she’d consumed
far too many calories in sugar today, she couldn’t help taking a bite.
Barb stuck her head in the door. “Come on. Drinks on me, birthday girl.”
“I’m tired. I think I might just go home.”
Barb leaned against the doorjamb. “No way. It’s your birthday and we’re going to celebrate. You can come out for a couple. Jeez, I thought I was the old lady.”
Emma laughed. Barb was far from old. “Fine. Give me a little while to clean up around here. I’ll meet you at the bar.”
“Good. Don’t take too long.”
Emma straightened up her room and packed up the remaining cupcakes. Rather than take them home, she decided to stash them in the refrigerator in the teachers’ lounge. It would guarantee they would disappear and she wouldn’t have to eat them. As much as she loved the bakery’s cake, she didn’t need the extra calories. Cupcakes made it easy to overindulge.
As exhausted as she was, she really did want to go home and veg out, but a drink with Barb to celebrate her birthday sounded like fun. She drove to what had become their usual Friday night hangout and hoped Caleb wasn’t there. She’d gone out with him and they hadn’t clicked. Unfortunately, Caleb couldn’t take a hint. He kept trying to make something happen.
Inside the bar, many of the teachers were already sitting at a big table. When she walked in, a loud cheer erupted. Her face warmed. It was one thing when the kids cheered; it was totally different when a group of adults aimed all their attention at her.
She waved a hand. “Thanks, but it’s no big deal.”
She sat next to Barb.
“Don’t mind them. They look for any reason to celebrate and get rowdy.” Barb waved the waitress over and ordered a beer for Emma and herself.
While she waited for her drink, she and Barb talked about the kids and the party. Emma glanced around the room, and she noticed Caleb near the bar. She looked away, hoping he wouldn’t see her. But within minutes, she felt him staring at her. The waitress arrived with their beer, and Emma made eye contact with Caleb. He waved. She returned it halfheartedly.
In Your Arms Page 20