by Nana Malone
Zach picked up the phone once again, staring at the damn text message from Emma. If she knew the truth, she would hate him. What had happened to him was avoidable and Zach had grieved for years for his friend. There were a million things he’d do differently.
Ben had been a fun-loving bloke and many a time in the later years they had shared a drink at one of his clubs. He had often talked about his brother and sister, reminiscing over the family that he couldn’t look in the eye because of his wild behavior. Zach remembered how Emma’s family had banned their wild son from visiting until he could clean up his act.
For his part, Zach had urged him to do just that, but his friend would shrug it all off with a smile and laugh before ordering another drink.
The night he died was still etched on Zach’s brain. He remembered the fight they’d had. He could have done more to stop him. But he’d taken his eye off the ball. Been too caught up in work. And in moments his friend was gone.
Zach should have called the cops, a cab, someone, yet he’d taken his friend’s keys and let him walk out of that club. He should have known his friend would have a spare set.
If he’d thought it through his friend would still be here. Zach had carried that guilt for a long time and would never forgive himself for causing Emma and her family that grief. He was responsible and it ate him up inside, like a festering wound that would not heal.
With a ragged sigh, Zach pushed himself out of the chair, looking at his watch. He had about thirty minutes before he needed to be at his next meeting. There were phone calls to make in the meantime, other reports to peruse but he knew he wasn’t going to do either. There was one place he would be heading, if nothing but for a glimpse. All he needed was to see her for a moment; then everything would be fine.
Zach
Zach entered the gallery, picking up a brochure along the way. He knew that Emma loved all art, not just photography. She used to ply both her brothers and him with useless information about her favorite artists, her eyes sparkling with excitement when they actually listened to her. This was her element and he couldn’t be more excited that she had gotten the position.
Zach started down one of the aisles, keeping an eye out for Emma. He had no idea if she was actually here today and something told him that he was being a complete chicken by not just texting her to find out. While she had probably been upset that he hadn’t responded to her text, he would be more than pissed off if she didn’t respond to his. He didn’t want to experience that letdown, not from her.
Turning the corner, he stopped as he spied Emma just a few feet away, talking to a tall man who was eyeing her like she was the best thing since sliced bread. Zach’s chest tightened, the blood roaring into every vein in his body as he saw the smile on Emma’s face, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear as she laughed at something the bloke was saying.
She was gorgeous today, wearing some sort of blue dress that showed off those curves his hands itched to touch. The material shimmered in the light as she moved, the stretchy fabric clinging to her body and giving any man that passed her reason to pause and take notice. Her long hair was pulled up in a simple knot, though the stubborn strands kept on coming loose. And that smile … His cock twitched with need as he watched her bestow that smile to the arse wipe that was ogling her.
Hell no.
He was the only one that was allowed to look at her like that, to get lost in her green eyes and fight the need to kiss her constantly. He wanted to plant his fist right into that tosser’s face so badly that he could taste it.
Inching forward, Zach tried to think about how he was going to break this cozy scene up. When the guy reached out to touch her shoulder lightly, Zach clenched his jaw tightly, so tightly that he could feel the pain radiating all the way to his head and briefly considered knocking over one of these ugly pottery pieces just to get their attention. He could afford to replace it.
“Are you serious? Of course, I would love to go.”
Zach’s ears perked up at the bubbly excitement of Emma’s voice, immediately interested in where this arse wipe was going to take her and how he could stop it. Wasn’t this what Steven had told him to do? Not that this guy looked like he could do any damage to Emma. He was that geeky, boring type, one that Emma would no doubt get tired of after a while. She needed someone like, well, like him to keep her occupied and laughing. Bloody hell, he was in all sorts of trouble.
“Great. I know you will meet loads of people at the gala that can help you after you graduate. Never hurts to make connections along the way.”
The gala? Zach flipped through the brochure, seeing the announcement on the back page. The ticket costs were a drop in the bucket considering some of the other things he supported in the city. Pulling out his mobile, Zach shot a text to Jason to donate however much it took to get tickets. He told himself it was because he was supposed to look out for Emma, but the real reason ran far deeper than just that. He wanted to be near Emma and keep this arse wipe away from her, from touching her. That was his job.
“Zach?”
He looked up and saw Emma approaching him, the other guy now nowhere to be found. “Hey Em,” he said, his eyes drinking in the sight of her. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, looking at him. Zach cleared his throat, holding up the guide. “I’m scoping out the place for the gala of course. I’ve been a longtime supporter of the gallery.”
“Really?” she asked, her eyes widening. “I didn’t know that.”
“Oh, he’s right about that. I sold him a piece for his office.”
Zach turned with a frown to meet Xander’s gaze. “Mate. Good to see you.”
Xander inclined his head. “Yeah, you too. Been a minute. What brings you to the gallery?”
Zach clenched his jaw. Xander, his friend, was fucking with him. “Just came to say hi.” Fuck it. He cleared his throat. “I’m here to see Emma.”
His friend lifted a brow. “That’s interesting. I didn’t realize you were acquainted with my student.”
Fantastic. First the over interested geeky type. Now overprotective Xander. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,” he muttered.
Xander just grinned at him. “Well, always good to see you, mate. Don’t be a stranger.”
Zach turned to meet Emma’s gaze. “Hi there. Are you all settled into the position now?”
“Yes,” she said, tucking that errant hair behind her ear again. Zach’s fingers itched to reach out and do it for her, but he clenched his hand into a fist instead. That would not be a good thing to do. One touch, and he would be lost if he wasn’t already. “I still have a great deal to learn but plenty of time to do so.”
“And the gala,” he added. “You are going, right?”
She nodded and he suppressed his grin. “I actually just got invited to go. It’s going to be a great way for me to network, you know?” She then looked at him, a faint blush stealing across her cheeks. “Will you be there?”
He nodded then, glad that she even thought to ask. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world now.”
Emma looked down and he found himself staring at the crown of her hair, wanting to smooth his hands over the soft locks. Well, there were a great deal of things he could do with her hair, namely have it draped over his bare chest as she rode him.
Shut it.
He needed to get a handle on this He adjusted his stance as his cock swelled against his trousers, so it wasn’t so transparent. Was he really getting a hard-on in the middle of a gallery?
“Well,” Emma finally said, looking up at him. “I guess I should get back to work. I’ll see you then?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he answered tightly. She gave him a little wave and walked away, the slow move of her hips nearly sending him into overdrive. He wasn’t going to survive this. Emma was going to be the slow, agonizing death of him.
15
Emma
She smoothed down the front of her dr
ess with her hands, shaking out the last of the wrinkles that threatened the delicate fabric. The dress had been a splurge, found in one of those vintage dress shops along Church Street that she and Laila had gone to once she had found out that it was a go for her attending the gala. The dress itself was a deep blue, with a ruched strapless bodice and short chiffon skirt that fell just above her knees. The back was cut out with the exception of two chiffon bands that were adorned with rhinestone clasps. With her hair down around her shoulders and a pair of nude pumps on her feet, she felt transformed.
She looked down at the watch on her wrist and grabbed both her small evening bag and the wrap to ward off any chill, knowing that if she didn’t hurry, she was going to miss the tube and then she would be late. The last thing she wanted to do was to be late to her first big event. Gareth had promised to make the proper introductions tonight to help her along the way in her career and she would be forever grateful if something in the form of a future career came out of tonight, even if it were with the current gallery. She enjoyed working alongside Gareth. He was a very nice guy, but while a girl like her would normally revel in the fact that a guy more like who she should be with was paying her attention, her thoughts kept straying to Zach. When she had seen him at the gallery, her heart had raced uncontrollably and her mouth had gone dry, nothing like the reaction she felt when she saw Gareth each day. He could put a smile on her face but Zach could wet her knickers with one slight grin. And he was going to be there tonight. It was one of the many reasons she had been so careful with her attire tonight.
Heading down the stairs, Emma burst out of the door and stopped in her tracks, surprise filling her body. There stood a man dressed in a suit, a driver’s cap on his head and a sign with her name scrawled across it. Behind him was a gleaming black limousine, the darkened windows giving her no indication if anyone was inside.
“Ms. Welsh?” he inquired. She nodded and he gave her a smile, opening the door. “Your chariot awaits, ma’am.”
“Who did this?” she asked, Gareth’s face popping into her mind. Would he go to this length to impress her? He’d been a bit flirty, but was it enough that he’d do something like this? She might have been interested in him if there wasn’t another surly, arrogant, arsewipe in her life, occupying her every thought.
“I’m not at liberty to say,” he answered, gesturing toward the interior. Emma swallowed and climbed inside, careful not to flash her rear end to the driver as she did so. Inside there was a bouquet of roses sitting on the opposite seat, tied with a bright green ribbon. Her breath stammered in her chest as she reached out and touched one of the velvety petals, her heart in turmoil.
Oh no. She hoped that Gareth did not do this. He was her boss, the man that was giving her the biggest opportunity of her career and he wanted to turn this into something romantic?
Emma sat back on the leather seat with a sigh. In another time, she might have been interested in him, but this was going to make their work relationship now awkward knowing that he was looking for something else. The job was too important for her to quit to avoid this weirdness, so she would just have to stay alert. She wasn’t interested in anything more than his knowledge. Zach was who occupied her senses, sent her heart into overdrive.
She just hoped he paid attention to her tonight. If she had learned anything over these past few weeks, it was that if she really wanted Zach to think of her as much more than just Emma Welsh, she was going to have to take it extremely slow and show him that this thing between them could happen and be good for the both of them. She didn’t know why he was holding back, but something had him running scared and she was determined to get him past it.
The ride was short and it wasn’t long before she was accepting the assistance from the driver out of the limo, walking up the endless stairs before walking into the gallery space where the gala was taking place. Numerous well-dressed couples filled the space, the sparkling diamonds and long evening dresses alluding to the amount of money represented in the room. Gareth had told her that the gala always brought in a large sum of funds for the gallery.
In other words, it was very important to the staff to make sure that the night went off without a hitch and impressed people enough to want to donate. This year they had chosen the art gallery for the meeting space, the art highlighted by the soft lighting that made them shine. She and Gareth had adjusted the lighting today to ensure that the real reason they were having the gala was apparent. Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar were set up on the far end of the room, while a string ensemble played soft music. All in all, given the amount of patrons that were in the space, it looked like the gala was going to be another smashing success.
“Emma, you look beautiful.”
She turned to see Gareth not far from her, his ever-present hipster-tweed jacket replaced with a black tuxedo jacket, his hair neatly combed back on his head. “And you clean up rather well,” she responded, giving him a smile.
He blushed. “I’m glad you were able to make it. It looks like the gala will be another success this year. I can’t wait to see which paintings sell.”
Emma started to say something but just then she caught a glimpse of Zach walking through the door and all the breath left her body. If she thought Gareth cleaned up nicely, Zach was out of this world. He was gorgeous, dressed in a standard tuxedo, except with a white bow tie, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked into the room. He reminded her of a predator stalking its prey, his eyes roaming lazily around the room until they settled on her. Then, a slow grin filled his handsome face and Emma reminded herself to breathe as Zach started toward her and Gareth. Her entire body was on alert, already begging for his touch. She could almost imagine his strong hands on her, caressing her skin.
“Are you cold?” Gareth asked, unaware of the rapidly approaching Zach.
“W—what?” she asked, looking at him.
He gave her a slight smile and pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. “You shivered. I figured you were cold.”
She held back a laugh. If only he knew why she had shivered. She was not cold, not in the slightest.
“Shall we mingle?” Gareth asked, holding out his arm. Emma hesitated, seeing Zach get stopped by a handsome couple. He had been on his way over here. There was no doubt in that.
“Sure,” she finally said, taking his arm. It would give her some time to collect herself.
16
Zach
Zach lounged near the bar, his eyes ever glued on Emma as she laughed with the arsewipe yet again as they moved from one couple to another. It was obvious that Arse Wipe (as he was affectionately calling the man that currently had his hand on Emma’s lower back) was introducing her to a great deal of people, which was something he didn’t want to ruin for her. Even the need to rip off the guy’s hand from her body wasn’t enough for him to stalk over there and cause a scene.
Bloody hell, he couldn’t blame the guy. Emma was smoking hot tonight, in a short dress that showed off her delicate shoulders and most of her back, making him wonder if she had anything under that dress at all. Her legs seemed to be endless and those shoes, hell, he could already imagine her lying on his bed with just those shoes on and her red hair spread out on his black sheets.
Fuck Steven. Fuck all his good thoughts of staying away from her. Tonight, he was going to break all the rules.
Finally, the ever-present Gareth left her side for a moment and Zach wasted no time approaching her, touching her elbow lightly. “Ems.”
She spun around and he could see the electricity in her eyes, feeling it course through his body at the mere touch of her skin. “Zach,” she said breathlessly. “You came.”
“I told you I would,” he murmured, dropping his hand though he really wanted to pull her close against him. “You look beautiful.”
She blushed and reached up to tuck the hair behind her ear, but he beat her to it, feeling the softness under his fingers as he took his time. He heard her intake of breath and felt
a little breathless himself. “Sorry,” he said immediately, feeling stupid for doing something so ridiculous.
“No, it’s fine,” she answered, wetting her lips. “You look okay, if you like that sort of thing. Is it a rental?”
He chuckled. Only Emma would try to lighten the mood with such a silly question. “No, it’s mine.”
She gave him a little smile as she looked around the room. “I think the gala is considered a success. I’ve never been to one of these things, but Gareth told me that there’s more people here this year.”
Gareth, a name he could do without hearing. Well, he preferred Arse Wipe. Jason had laughed when he had told him he wanted to attend this gala, knowing that he had not one iota of knowledge of the gallery or the history it held. But he was glad he had, if nothing but to see Emma in this dress.
“Are you having a good time?” he asked instead.
She sighed. “Honestly, I thought it would be much more fun than this. I’ve just about met everyone I need to meet.”
“What about blowing this joint then?” he asked suddenly. “I mean, we can go to dinner or something.”
“How about we just go?” Emma said. Zach didn’t hesitate. Taking her arm, he led her out of the building, hoping to God that Gareth wouldn’t try to stop them. He would hate to get blood on his white bow tie tonight. They moved down the stairs and Zach motioned to the limo.
“You got the limo,” she stated as the driver started to make his way toward them. “You did that for me?”
He looked down at her, mentally counting the freckles that were visible across her nose. “I wanted you to arrive in style.”
She swallowed. “And the flowers? What about them?”
He cleared his throat, feeling suddenly embarrassed about the whole process. It had been a last-minute decision, adding the flowers. “I, um, I thought you would like them.”
She met his gaze directly. “But why?”
Hell. She had no intentions of letting him skate by on this. “Because I wanted to see you smile.”
She smiled then and touched his cheek with her hand. “Thank you. You have certainly made my night.”