Stay With Me

by Alexa Powers

  Emma was smart and fun to be around, but she also possessed that elusive quality that you could never explain with mere words, it just was. Even so, he wasn’t normally so smitten so quickly, and jumping to forever was going way too fast for him.

  “So, what do you study at Appalachian State?” he asked, needing to keep his mind on the conversation at hand and away from thoughts of forever with a woman he’d only just met.

  “I’m getting my bachelor’s degree in management, with a concentration in entrepreneurship. I started out as a pharmacy major, but decided it wasn’t for me after a few years, so it’s taken me a bit longer to finish school. But most of my friends have changed their majors too, or gone on to get their master’s degree, so most of us are still in Boone.”

  “That’s quite the shift in majors. What brought that on?”

  “Oh, I don’t know really. Just realized that it wasn’t for me. I wanted something I could do from home, if I needed to work once I had kids.”

  “Well, that makes sense. How old are you? If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “I don’t mind you asking, and I’m twenty four. I’ll have one semester left when I get back home. Then I’m finally done with school,” she paused, and a look of what he assumed was relief crossed over her delicate features, before she asked, “So, how old are you? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

  “I’m twenty eight, and I don’t mind at all.” He gave Emma a genuine smile, and was pleased to receive one in return.

  “So, getting back to what we were talking about before, what about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters? From your reaction, I’m guessing you don’t come from a big family.”

  “I have an older brother and sister. They both still live in Hamilton. My sister Lara is married with two little ones, Jacob and Matilda. And my brother Matthew is an engineer. He’s not married, but he lives with his partner, Shannon.”

  “So, you’re the baby, huh? I can’t picture that.” She regarded him thoughtfully, her voice trailing off as she raised the cup to her lips and took another sip of her tea.

  “I may have been the youngest, but I held my own, eh? Even when Lara wanted to dress me up for a tea party with her dollies. Or when Matt could still run circles around me. Those days didn’t last long, though. He was more interested in books and I couldn’t sit still for more than five minutes. Always had to be moving…got into a fair bit of trouble, I don’t mind saying. My mum took me to the local domain, I think you’d call it a park, to have a run around, to tucker me out. That’s where I discovered rugby. Found I was good at it, too. Been playing ever since. Made my mum’s life a bit easier after that, yeah? Came home ready for a feed and a nap, instead of chasing around the house driving everyone mad.” He smiled at the memory of first discovering his love of rugby. Noah knew how lucky he was to play at the level he did, but he also knew the years of practice and dedication it took to get there.

  “I’ve heard it’s every parent’s civic duty in New Zealand to have their children play rugby,” she stated with a knowing look.

  “Suppose it is, but I grew up in a house that was centered on academics, my dad being a professor and all. Don’t get me wrong, he loves rugby just as much as every other Kiwi, but it wasn’t a priority for my father that we play. It was more important to get a ‘proper education’ as he put it. But rugby was all I ever really wanted to do, so when the opportunity presented itself, I never looked back.”

  “Well, you did what was right for you. It’s your life, after all. I’m sure your parents just wanted what they felt was best for you, but in the end, it’s your choice to make. Isn’t it? Good or bad,” she offered sincerely, taking another sip of her tea.

  “Yeah, I guess so. We don’t really talk about it much. But they’re proud of me. I know that.” Noah knew he’d disappointed his father when he pursued a rugby career instead of something more traditional like a banker or a lawyer. But when he found success, his father seemed to finally accept that he’d made the right decision.

  “You followed your dreams. Not many people can say that. Anyway, I can’t really see you sitting behind a desk, working nine-to-five.” She scoffed at the thought, although he’d probably look damn good in a suit and tie.

  Noah huffed out a breath. “No, talk about misery. That would be pure torture. I need to be physical,” he winked, and Emma’s mind conjured up all kinds of ways they could be physical…together.

  Reclining, Noah stretched his arms behind his head, causing his biceps to flex and her heart to flutter. “Yeah, well…it’s a good thing for you that you do what you do then.” Flustered by his comment and the raw sex appeal that rolled off him in waves, she stopped herself before she started to ramble.

  His bare chest and abs were on full display and she wanted to ask him to cover up, so she could concentrate and not be reduced to a blathering idiot. But, on the other hand, it would be a shame to miss out on the show, not knowing when she’d get to see it again.

  “Yeah,” he agreed simply with a nod of his head. “So, tell me about your family,” Noah urged, directing the conversation back to Emma’s family.

  “Well, let’s see…this could take a while.”

  Noah gave her a sweet smile that had her tummy doing a little flip-flop. “I’ve got plenty of time.” He took another sip of his tea, then relaxed into the cushions of the couch.

  “Well, my father’s a pediatrician. He has his own practice and my mother stayed home to take care of all of us. And let me tell you, she had her hands full. We weren’t the most well-behaved children. But I think she loved every minute of it, or at least that’s what she tells us. There were tons of fights and hair pulling, but in the end, we all genuinely like each other, and turned out pretty well-adjusted. And isn’t that what’s important in the long run?”

  Emma was sure they ran their mother ragged, and drove her to drink on more than a few occasions. But she also knew without a doubt that her mother wouldn’t change a minute of it. Well, maybe the time her brother Mark jumped off the neighbor’s garage and broke his ankle, but other than that, she was a proud momma to her large brood.

  “Absolutely,” Noah agreed, then quietly waited for her to finish.

  “My two oldest brothers are doctors, Luke, is a pediatrician. He works with my dad in Charlotte. And my brother Mark works in an emergency room in New York City.”

  Taking a deep breath, she continued. “Then there’s my sister, Alison. She has a little girl, Abigail.” Emma paused and felt a smile spread across her cheeks.

  “I miss Abby so much. She’s a perfect little angel. She’s about six months old now and has started scooting around, so we spend all our time chasing after her. We always joke that she’ll never learn to walk because someone’s always holding her. But when you pick her up, she’ll wrap her little arms around you and snuggle so perfectly.” He watched as she mimicked the motion of holding her niece. “She smells like baby shampoo and little girl, and who in their right mind would let go of her long enough to put her down?”

  Oh, he was in trouble, he thought, as he lost himself in the blissful smile that struck him like a thunder bolt. “They’d be mad.”

  Emma’s happy glow, as she spoke of her niece, was contagious. One thing he’d figured out pretty quickly, was that you could read her every emotion just by looking at her. Her expressive face didn’t hide anything.

  “Exactly, there’s just something about the feel of a baby in your arms. From the time she was born, I’ve been completely and totally in love with her, and she isn’t even mine. I always wonder, if I feel this way about her, how much more it’ll be when I actually have one of my own,” she wavered, her brows knitting together in a worrisome pout. “I’m sorry. I’m babbling.”

  “No worries, I don’t mind at all. I know how you feel. When Lara had Jacob and I held him for the first time…God,” he exhaled, his mind drifting back to that day. “I would have killed to protect him, and then when Maddie was born, it was even worse.
Maybe it was because she was a girl, or that she was so tiny and fragile. But let me just say that I pity the bloke who tries to date her one day,” he added, trying to lighten the mood.

  Emma sat up straight, like she held the answers to the great mysteries of the universe. “I can just see it. You opening the door to some pimply-faced kid who almost wets himself before you can even open your mouth to ask him what his intentions are. Maybe they’re the perfect ones for her to date, though? They’d be too scared to even hold her hand.”

  He raised his cup, giving her a satisfied smirk. “You have an excellent point, Emma. I’ll keep that in mind. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about weeding out the randy buggers just yet, as she’s only four.”

  Emma hated to rain on his parade, but couldn’t help herself. “Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but I had my first crush when I was only six, so you’d better get ready. He was either pushing me down on the playground or hugging me,” she chuckled. “So typical. Little boys to men, they still can’t decide if they want to push the girl away or keep her close.”

  “Is it that simple, though? Maybe, at such a young age, he just doesn’t know how to process his emotions when he sees a pretty girl, so he reacts by pushing her down. Which, now that I think about it, makes perfect sense, because it’s where we want her anyway. Underneath us, or on top of us. Either way works for me.” He feigned innocence at Emma’s shocked expression. “What?”

  “Are you kidding me? How’d you go from talking about your precious little niece to talking about sex? That’s so wrong, Noah. What’s wrong with you?” she protested sarcastically, trying to stifle a laugh.

  “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with me, Emma.” And she had to agree, in fact the thought of being under him or on top of him appealed to her on every level. “But go on, you still have two siblings left, if my count is correct.”

  “Alright…where was I?” Her head was spinning at the sudden change in topic. Taking a slow, steadying breath, she continued, “Oh yeah, my brother Steven lives in Boone, and is getting his MBA from Appalachian State. And then there’s the baby, Katie. She’s a sophomore at App, and it’s a full time job just watching out for her. She’s crazy-beautiful and all the boys follow her around like lost puppies; it drives Steven insane.” She suddenly realized she was rambling once again. “Listen to me. I’m talking too much. Aren’t I?”

  “No, please go on. I like hearing about your family. Must be hard for you to be away from them,” Noah stated sympathetically.

  She reached up and rubbed at the worry lines that’d formed between her brows. “It is, but I always wanted to study abroad, and with Lily here, it really wasn’t a hard decision. My sister Ali came here too.” She frowned, remembering how that ended. “Let’s just say that Abby was the result of her time here. That, a broken heart, and a ton of disappointment.”

  “Huh?” He paused as the puzzle pieces fell into place. “Wait a minute, I remember her. Didn’t know her very well, but I think she was seeing one of my teammates…Evan Thompson. Met them at the pub a few times, with Lily and Josh. Is he Abby’s father?” Noah remembered talk of a child and seemed to recall Evan taking a few weeks leave around the time Abby would’ve been born.

  “Yes, he’s Abby’s father, and I use that term loosely, very loosely…if you count sending a check every month as a qualification for being a parent.” Emma’s mossy green eyes, usually so full of light and laugher, were full of sadness. “I really thought, well everyone thought, that he’d want to be an active participant in his daughter’s life, but boy were we wrong.”

  She paused, inhaling a deep breath. “My heart aches for Abby, though, that he’s never come back to see her. I’m sorry, but I think I might cry. Shouldn’t he be showing off her picture to everyone? Whether they want to see it or not? Isn’t that what parents do? Brag about their baby’s first smile, first tooth?” she demanded, frustratingly swiping at her cheeks. Noah hated to see her so upset, and couldn’t for the life of him understand why Evan would do such a thing.

  “Aw, hell, it’s supposed to be that way. Please don’t cry, Emma.” The stricken look on her face tore at his heart and he had to resist the urge to go to her, to pull her onto his lap, to comfort her. Seeing Emma cry brought out an unexpected need to fight her battles for her. “I could talk to him, if you think it would help.”

  “Thanks, but Ali’s going to try to get together with him while she’s here with Abby for the wedding. I hope once he sees her again, he’ll step up and do the right thing. I don’t see how he could look into her eyes and not fall madly in love with her,” she sighed shakily, and when her gaze met his, he felt his heart slip a little. Or a lot. He wasn’t sure.

  “I hope you’re right. Maybe that’s what he’s afraid of, though. If he wants to be in her life, but she lives half way round the world, how would that work, living so far away? Easier to pretend, I reckon, try to forget,” he offered, trying to ease her distress, while also trying to defend his teammate. The picture she was painting of Evan didn’t make any sense. That wasn’t the Evan that he knew.

  “Don’t you dare defend his actions, Noah.” Emma’s sudden outburst took him by surprise. Her brow furrowed and her body stiffened as she glared at him. “He doesn’t deserve it.”

  What the… “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Noah barked, holding his hands up in protest. “I’m just playing devil’s advocate here, you know. I’m not defending him. Personally, I want to punch him in the throat and drag his face through the mud, if he’s abandoned his child. But there has to be a reason why he hasn’t gone to visit, and he is sending the maintenance.”

  “Yeah, well there’s a hell of a lot more to being a parent than your checkbook.”

  “I understand. Just trying to help,” he answered defensively. He really didn’t want to upset her, but didn’t appreciate being snapped at either.

  “I know, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bite your head off, but it just makes me so mad when I think about it. It’s not like Ali got pregnant on purpose.” Emma took a deep breath and exhaled, her features softening slightly. “But, I guess without him, we wouldn’t have Abby, so I try not to get too upset. You want to see a picture of her?” Emma asked, reaching for her phone.

  “You’re not going to actually bite my head off if I let you sit next to me, are you? Luring me in and then pouncing once I’m close.”

  “No,” she giggled, and he let the sound wash over him, happy to see that her sweet smile was back where it belonged. She was meant to wear a smile. “Now, do you want to see the pictures, or not?”

  “Love to.” And he meant it, especially if she was going to sit next to him to do it. Of course, he was also curious to see a picture of the wee one that Emma was so fiercely protective of. She was like a momma bear defending her cub.

  Emma settled next to him and began scrolling through pictures of Abby and her family. There was no doubt in his mind that Evan was Abby’s father; their likeness was uncanny. He was also struck by the pictures of Emma holding and playing with Abby. She was at ease with a baby in her arms, and her devotion to her niece was plain to see.

  Sitting so close to her, he had to fight the urge to run his fingers through her hair. And she smelled so good he wanted to nuzzle his nose along the alluringly soft skin of her neck, and just inhale her.

  The feel of her bare leg resting against his was sending the blood rushing to his groin every time she brushed against him. He needed to somehow adjust himself quickly, before she noticed the rapidly-growing bulge in his shorts.

  Gazing at her long legs, he longed to run his hand up the length of her smooth thigh until he reached the juncture between her legs. To tease her there. He knew he couldn’t, that it was out of the question, but it was taking every ounce of self-control he possessed not to kiss her. He wanted her. Plain and simple.

  Choosing to overlook the fact that she was leaving to go back to America at the end of the year might be a foolish mistake, but all he knew was that Emma was mak
ing him feel things he’d never felt before. He could ignore the powerful forces driving them towards each other, but he knew it was just prolonging the inevitable. They would be together. Maybe not forever, but he’d settle for right now and let the rest sort itself out later.

  Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve, and he wanted to be the one with his lips on hers at the stroke of midnight. He was pretty sure she’d like it too, or at least he hoped she would. He certainly never had any complaints in that department before.

  Tracing a finger along her hairline, he gently slid a lock of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. The tips of his fingers lingered along the column of her neck for a moment longer than necessary. The gesture was too intimate, he knew, but he needed to touch her, and when she looked into his eyes and gave him a nervous smile, he was stunned into silence.

  His need for her was indescribable, and even though he didn’t fully understand what was happening, something was happening, of that he was sure.

  Chapter 6

  After spending the day sampling the menu at the country club, tasting cake at the bakery, and securing a membership to the swimming pool, Emma and Lily arrived home in time for dinner. Even though she was tired after the long day, and the lingering effects of jetlag, Emma couldn’t deny the rush of finding Noah’s too handsome face waiting for her in the lounge.

  Leaving her shoes at the front door, she moved swiftly into the kitchen, bags filled with takeout from the Italian restaurant on the corner weighing her down. “Can I get anyone a drink?” she called out, placing the containers in a neat row on the counter.

  “A beer would be great, Emma,” Noah stated, entering the kitchen behind her.

  Startled by his sudden appearance, her hand instinctively clutched her chest as she sucked in a gasp of air. “You need to stop sneaking up on me like that,” Emma frowned, then teasingly added. “Don’t you have a home that’s missing you?”