by Karen Booth
Of course, Emma was the main source of his attention, but he did enjoy observing the dynamic between the sisters. Despite the confrontational approach she’d taken in meeting him, Sophie was the peacemaker, a bridge between Emma and Mindy. Mindy was the watchful eye, the hawk who made sure everyone was okay.
Emma brought unbridled enthusiasm to the table, especially when speaking with their customers. She certainly didn’t act like a woman with billions in the bank. She was warm and gracious, and they were all suitably charmed. Born a Brit and having lived in England his entire life, Daniel was well aware of the allure of royalty. You got swept up in it, even when you knew deep down that notions of one family being more important than another were nonsense. He despised the press, but they’d been so right about one thing—Emma came off exactly like a princess, graceful and warm and utterly breathtaking. He only hoped the tabloids didn’t decide to tear her off her pedestal. In his experience, they loved to love you, until they decided that ripping you to pieces would sell papers.
Daniel’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Emma was preoccupied with a woman and her male companion, so he distanced himself from the crowd as well as he could, though there were people everywhere at this point. He wound his way past the other guests, down one of the wide white marble-floored aisles between departments. He didn’t want to be that person—the one with his nose in his phone while standing in the midst of a crowd.
He had a text from Charlotte Locke.
Lease terms accepted. Sign papers Monday 2:00?
Daniel read the message twice. This was good news. To the Daniel of a few weeks ago, the one who’d never laid eyes on Emma Stewart, this was a fantastic development. Everything he’d worked for, everything his mother wanted. The space was perfect. It was time to make his move.
But he found his thumb hovering over the keyboard, unable to type a reply to Charlotte. Why was he hesitating? What was holding him back? He heard Emma’s exuberant laugh over the din of the crowd and turned to see her smiling and tossing back her hair. No matter what they’d agreed to, it still seemed unlikely that this wouldn’t come between them. Eden’s was her whole life, a tether to the one thing she’d said she’d always wanted to be a part of—a family.
If he did things right, the existence of Stone’s New York would threaten that. And if he failed, the amount of his family’s money down the drain would be devastating. It would give his mother more than enough reason to put off her retirement another five or ten years. Daniel didn’t think he could live through that. He couldn’t deal with her constantly breathing down his neck. It was too much part and parcel of living in the shadow of William.
He and Emma were going to have to talk about this, in depth, before he could sign the lease. He wasn’t going to pull the rug out from under her that way. It had nothing to do with Mindy’s and Sophie’s threats and everything to do with wanting to treat Emma with the respect and courtesy she deserved. He had to let her know that he was about to do something that would turn up the heat. He just had to find the right time, and fast. Perhaps a getaway was in order. Something romantic, if only for a few nights. Today was Thursday. They could leave Saturday and return Monday morning in time for him to do what his job and his family required.
He tapped out his response. Great news. I’ll be there Monday. Thx.
He further distanced himself from the crowd and sent his mother a text. Lease is a go. Signing Monday. More soon. That should be enough to keep her happy. At least for a little while.
He stuffed his phone back into his pocket as a towering man wearing an all-black ensemble of suit, shirt and tie approached.
The man held out his hand. “You must be Daniel Stone. Sam Blackwell.”
Daniel was stuck for a moment. According to Emma, Sam had played a role in convincing Charlotte Locke to drop him. “Ah, yes. Mr. Blackwell.”
“Please. Call me Sam. Our girlfriends are sisters.”
“That’s not our only connection now, is it?”
Sam’s dark eyes lit up. “I know. I’m sorry about that. All’s fair in love and war, right?”
“It’s not really my style, but we all have our methods.” Daniel’s upbringing demanded at least a veneer of politeness, but he could see why Sam rubbed so many people the wrong way.
“I can tell you the sisters feel that way. These three take their business very seriously. Does make me wonder what exactly your end game is. The business rivalry has to be a bone of contention. Or are you just getting your fun while you can?”
Daniel bristled at the suggestion, even when he understood exactly why Sam was asking the question. “Emma and I enjoy each other’s company greatly. That’s all we care to focus on.”
“I think Mindy’s still figuring her out. They’ve definitely butted heads a few times.”
Daniel felt a deep need to defend Emma, even when he knew she was strong and didn’t need rescuing. What was there to figure out about Emma? She was open and loyal, resilient and big-hearted. “Emma’s had a difficult life. She wants to claim her role at Eden’s and in that family. It hasn’t been easy for her to find a place between two sisters who’ve known each other their entire lives. She’s been forced to play a lot of catch-up.”
“Emma has been more than compensated for any hardships. She’s a billionaire. She’ll never worry about money ever again. She grew up in a French chateau with lavender fields and a private chef. It’s not like she’s suffered.”
“That’s not entirely accurate.” Daniel was surprised at the force with which those words left his mouth, but it was worse than inaccurate. It was an outright lie.
“Oh, really? Are you saying I don’t know the whole story?”
Daniel wasn’t about to share a single detail with Sam. He had no way of knowing if Mindy chose to share the same things with Sam that Emma had shared with him. “Perhaps you should ask Mindy about that.” Daniel shouldn’t have let himself get angry, but his protective side had taken over. He was beginning to despise the way Emma’s family had treated her.
“That’s all you’re going to say?”
Daniel cleared his throat. He saw no reason to answer. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’m going to check on Emma and see if she needs anything.”
“Yeah. Not a bad idea. I should see if Mindy will let us get out of here any time soon.”
Daniel took long strides to get to Emma. She glanced over at him as he approached and their gazes connected, her brown eyes as inviting as ever. Would there ever come a time when he wouldn’t feel that zap of electricity between them? Emma grinned, then returned her attention to the customer she’d been speaking with. “Thank you so much for coming this evening. I hope your daughter enjoys the perfume.”
The woman left and Daniel took his chance, smoothing his hand across Emma’s back and tugging her against his side. “How much longer?”
Emma surveyed the remaining customers. “An hour? Maybe less if people make their purchases.” She looked up into Daniel’s eyes. “Why? Are you bored?”
“No. I’m just eager to get you home.”
An effortless smile crossed her sumptuous lips. “Home? Does that mean my place or yours?”
“Whichever place makes you most comfortable.”
“What did you have in mind? TV? A walk with the dogs?” She ran her slender fingers along the edge of his jacket lapel.
How he loved it when she was being playful. Everything felt more exciting. He leaned down and settled his mouth on her ear, inhaling her sweet perfume. “I want to get you out of that dress. I want to leave you gasping my name.”
“I could use some unwinding.”
He kissed the side of her neck. “Don’t worry. I’m on it.”
Daniel stayed by Emma’s side as she chatted with the remaining big-roller customers, every minute an exercise in patience. He wanted her so badly right now it felt as if the seconds were ticking by impossibly slowly.
Every subtle brush of their skin, every knowing glance was torture.
He tried to stem the tide by staying in the moment, but that only brought to mind what his family would say if they could see him, spending time on enemy territory and feeling, quite honestly, like an invading army. Ever since the night of the opera, he’d thought once or twice that perhaps his parents would change their minds about the Edens once they’d met Emma. But after meeting Mindy and Sophie, he knew it was going to take a lot. They were just as entrenched and invested in the hatred as his side. What a waste.
“I need to check something in my office,” Emma said, when it was finally time to go. Eden’s employees were cleaning up and restocking the pop-up, which would remain open the next day for the general public. Mindy and Sam had long since left. Sophie was making her way to the escalator with her fiancé, Jake.
Daniel hoped her sisters had taken the time to tell her she’d done a good job or congratulated her for what had clearly been a successful evening. “Tonight was incredible. Well done,” he said, when they reached Emma’s office upstairs.
She walked behind her desk and hit a key on her computer keyboard. “Do you think it went well?”
“Are you kidding? It was unbelievable. It’s a fabulous concept, but I think you did a particularly bang-up job. Your sisters should be more appreciative.”
“So you noticed. They didn’t say a thing to me.”
“I wondered about that. I don’t like it. Not one bit.”
She shrugged her lovely shoulders and scanned her computer screen. She shook her head.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. I was just looking for an email. I get them on my phone, but sometimes my work messages don’t always make it through.”
“Hopefully, it’ll be there tomorrow morning.” He didn’t want either of them to have to think about work anymore. They’d both had enough of that for tonight.
“It better be. I’ve been waiting for it for a while.”
Emma was holding something back from him. He could hear it in her voice. These were the moments when Daniel most sensed the ways the businesses could come between them. “I meant what I said. You did a fantastic job and your sisters should tell you so.”
“They work hard, too. We’re all working our butts off. I’m sure I need to be better about telling them the same things.” She waved it off. “It’s fine. I don’t need constant reassurance. I’m confident that I did a good job tonight.”
Once again, Daniel felt a need to protect Emma from the forces around her—the store, which had her hemmed into obligations, and her sisters, who weren’t appreciative enough. He knew exactly what it was like to be in that situation. “You did better than good. You were a star. It’s no accident that you’ve garnered so much media attention. The press can’t take their eyes off you.” He found his pulse pounding in his ears. This was what she did to him when they were alone. “I can’t take my eyes off you.” I love you nearly escaped his lips. He sucked it back in, his head reeling. It had come out of nowhere, a force of nature, like a summer storm that swooped in and leveled everything in its path.
“You are too sweet to me, Daniel Stone. If you aren’t careful, the world’s going to find out that you’re not the cutthroat businessman everyone thinks you are.”
“I vote that we keep that secret between you and me.”
“As long as you make it worth my while, I can keep my mouth shut.”
Another wave of heat rolled over him. They might not make it home. “I like it better when your mouth is open.” He claimed her lips with his, giving in to every sexy thought Emma had provoked in him this evening. His hand slid to her hip, his fingers curling into the soft flesh of her bottom as their tongues wound together, hot and wet. Emma leaned back against her desk and he gathered the skirt of her dress, dragging the fabric up until his hand found the silky skin of her inner thigh.
She bowed into him, moaning against his mouth. “Yes, Daniel. I want you.” She reared her head back, eyes frantically scanning his face. “The door.”
Daniel needed no further instruction, crossing the room in two long strides while he cast aside his jacket. With a click of the lock and a flick of the light switch, they had the privacy he’d been so desperate for all night. “Don’t move.” He rushed back behind her desk where she was sitting, legs dangling off the edge. “Tell me you’ll leave the shoes on.”
The large window behind him glowed with light from the city. She grinned. “I’ll leave the shoes on.”
He unbuttoned his trousers and let them fall to the floor. His pelvis was buzzing with electricity. Just like every other time with Emma, he was so hard so fast that he wondered how there was enough blood to circulate through the rest of his body. He needed her so badly he ached. He unbuttoned his shirt while Emma reached down and took his erection in her hand. Her fingers were cool against his overheated skin.
“Mmm,” she hummed, resting her chin on his bare chest and stroking firmly.
“You’re going to drive me mad.” He could hardly keep his eyes open. Her touch felt so impossibly good.
“Then take off my dress.” She scooted forward and hopped off the desk, pulling her hair to one side and presenting her back to him.
“I plan to.” He urged her closer to the window, dragging down the zipper.
“Daniel. Somebody will see.”
He slipped her dress from her shoulders and pushed it to the floor. Emma covered her breasts with her hands, looking back at him, questioning.
“Don’t you trust me?” he asked. “No one can see us up here. We’re all alone.”
She nodded. “I do trust you. Implicitly.”
“Good.” He pressed the full length of his body against hers, his chest to her back. He gathered her hair and kissed her neck, her shoulder, then down the channel of her spine as he tugged her silky panties from her legs.
Emma stepped out of them, now wearing only those sexy heels, leaving her beautiful naked form before him. She turned and he gripped her rib cage with both hands, his thumbs pushing up on her full breasts. He lowered his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue. He loved the way she reacted to him, the way the pink bud gathered and tightened. He loved how sweet she tasted. He couldn’t get enough of the soft moans that escaped her lips. All he could think about was being inside her. All he wanted was to make her writhe with pleasure.
He let go of her nipple, giving it a few quick flicks with his tongue before turning her toward the window. He could see their reflections in the glass, could see the anticipation on her face, her mouth slightly slack and her eyes dark with desire. She liked that this felt a little dangerous, and that made him even more turned on. He reached down for his trousers and pulled a condom from his pocket. He’d brought one in case they ended up at her apartment. He hadn’t taken the time to consider they might not make it home. He rolled it on and positioned himself behind her, urging her to bend forward, and pulling her hips closer. Emma reached out and placed one hand against the window, gasping as he slipped his fingers between her legs to make sure she was ready for him.
“You’re so wet,” he muttered.
“That’s because I want you.”
He drove inside her, his eyes clamping shut as he gave up all rational thought and sank into the magnificent warmth of her body. He reached around with both hands and caressed her breasts, teasing her nipples with his fingertips. The noises that left her lips told him he was doing everything right, but he knew he could do better, so he slid one hand down her belly and found her apex, spreading her folds with his fingers and rubbing in determined circles.
“That feels so good,” she muttered, moving against him.
He opened his eyes, unable to decide what to look at first—the creamy skin of her bottom as he drove his hips into her, or the reflection of her full breast in his hand, her mouth gaping
and her eyes closed. Once again she was a feast for the senses. Everything he ever wanted in the most tempting package.
The tension was wrapping tight around his hips, the muscles of his groin aching for release. Emma’s breaths were shorter now, the moans deeper and almost continuous. Her muscles were starting to tighten around his length, pulsing stronger with every thrust. He knew she was close. He only hoped he could hang on until she came. He was right at his peak, carnal forces threatening to push him over the edge, when Emma called out, “Daniel.”
He grinned for an instant before the orgasm slammed into him, enveloping his body in so much warmth and bliss he could hardly support his own weight. Emma pulsed around him, prolonging the pleasure. This had been so worth waiting for. Emma straightened and turned, pressing her chest against his and kissing him hard.
“That was a surprise,” she panted.
He smiled with the best sense of pride imaginable. “I want to keep you on your toes.”
“Or in heels.” She kissed him again, her lips soft and tender against his. “You’re unbelievable. You put up with my sisters and my work event and then you seduce me in my office. I’m trying to think of a time a guy has ever been so generous with me, and I know for a fact that it’s never happened.”
Again, he was proud of these feelings he was able to build in her. Probably because he knew very well by now that this was a two-way street. She was uncovering so many things in him that he’d long thought were gone—hope and happiness and, quite possibly, love.
“Let’s go away,” he blurted.
“What? Where?” Her face was full of surprise.
“Bermuda. I have a beautiful house there, right on the beach. It’s quiet and warm, and most importantly, we can be alone. It’s only a two and a half hour flight from New York. I’ll charter a plane.”
“Really?” There was that sound he adored—Emma’s bubbly excitement.
“Yes, really. I know that neither of us can get away for long. Two nights? This weekend?”
“I suppose Mindy and Sophie would be okay with that.”