Shrugging, he said, “That would be the best way for me to know when you're ready to go. Otherwise, I'd be waiting for a call all night. Not to mention, being forced to think about all the lingering eyes on you so eventually I'd end up back here anyway. Besides, Ridge would kill me if I let his little sister go into a bar looking like that without an escort.” Even his smirk took her breath away. Afraid that if she said anything else, he would change his mind, she nodded and opened the door, but before she stepped out, he stopped her.
“Wait.” He got out of the car and walked around to her side. He held out his hand to help her out. She looked at him curiously. “I would like to make sure you remain modest in that dress.” She blushed.
As they walked to the door, he placed his arm around her waist. Ember was so confused. He had pushed her away days ago, but now he acts like he wants to be close to her. She had to remind herself that he was a player, and he didn’t like kids, and neither of those would work for her. Why did he have to be so complicated? Time to put up the walls and reinforce them she told herself.
As they got closer to the entrance, she stopped to open her purse and look for her cash.
“What are you doing?” he asked curiously.
She looked up at him like he was the one who was acting odd. “I’m looking for my money. We have to pay to get in.”
“To a karaoke bar? I thought that was free.”
She shrugged, “I think they usually are, but Jenna said it just recently opened and they are hosting a competition, so it does cost tonight.”
He grinned at her and took her arm to get her moving again then placed his arm back around her waist once she was walking. “I drove, I pay.”
As soon as Jenna saw Ember walk in, she came rushing over. She looked beautiful dressed in a strapless silver cocktail dress with black pumps and her hair had been straightened and was pulled back in a loose up-do. She had almost reached Ember when Blake stepped in. Jenna stopped short and just stared. Ember had forgotten that being with Ridge or Blake was unusual for most people. “Sorry, Ridge said I had to have a chauffeur and apparently Blake was for hire tonight.” Ember blushed nervously.
“Hi, Mr. O’Neil.” She may not have been nervous around him at work this afternoon, but Ember could see it all over her face right now. She didn’t blame her, though. She was nervous around him no matter where they were.
“It’s just Blake tonight.” His voice was friendly, and you could add it to the list of intoxicating things about him. “Would you like a drink, Ember?”
“A frozen strawberry margarita please.” He nodded and walked toward the bar.
“Are you serious? You brought our boss!” It wasn’t a question, and then she started laughing.
“I’m so sorry. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. I hope it’s not too awkward for everyone.”
“Well, if you were trying to stop rumors you failed miserably.” She laughed again, and this time, still blushing Ember joined her.
They walked over to the table where there were four other young ladies from the tower. Ember had never met any of them before, but they all seemed friendly enough. None of them were glaring at her, so that was a good sign. She thought that might change when they saw her chaperon for the evening. After Jenna introduced her to everyone, the table suddenly grew quiet. She knew without even looking; Mr. O’Neil was back.
CHAPTER 12
Blake walked over to the chair in front of Ember, pulled it out and motioned for her to sit. He then sat down beside her and looked around the table at all the nervous ladies and started laughing.
“Look, I’m here tonight as Blake, not Mr. O’Neil. As long as you’re not intent on badmouthing my company or me, then I think we can all have a good time.” He smiled at them, and Ember could see the relief wash over each one of them. He had to know that it was his mere presence that made them nervous, though, not just because he was their boss.
“Jenna, Ridge says you're the communications manager, right?” Ember asked.
Jenna smiled at the mention of Ridge and said, “Yes, for the last six months. I can’t believe he remembers what I do.”
“He may not be very organized, but his memory is great,” Ember grinned at her, and Blake snickered, causing everyone to look at him.
“Sorry.” Ember tilted her head looking at him curiously.
Jenna and the others went to get more drinks, leaving Blake and Ember alone at the table.
“What?” she asked. He had been sitting back with his arm casually across the back of Ember’s chair and one ankle resting on his other knee. She had never seen him as relaxed.
He leaned toward her, pulling her close to him and whispering in her ear, “You do know Ridge has a thing for her, right?” She could tell he was serious.
“I don’t know for certain, but I got the feeling he did at dinner last night when I mentioned her. How do you know?” she asked.
“Trust me.” He leaned back with a smirk, winking at her. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he chuckled.
Ember was dazzled by Blake’s behavior that night. He was very attentive to her, and he even started getting drinks for the other ladies at the table. When a man would ask one of them to dance, and she acted like she didn’t want to go, he would intervene, telling him maybe later. She knew the women were relieved that they didn’t have to come up with excuses.
She also noticed that on every one of his trips to the bar, women would go out of their way to get his attention. What surprised her was how he acted like he didn’t want anything to do with them. She watched him once when a blond bombshell with enough cleavage showing to stop traffic purposely bumped into him. He simply moved around her and went about his business of getting Ember a drink.
After her second margarita, Ember finally let Jenna talk her into singing. She hadn’t sung in a long time, but Jenna wasn’t about to let her get out of it after mentioning that she could. So once when Blake was gone Jenna helped her pick out a song. When they called her, Ember blushed at Blake as he looked at her, surprised. When she began walking to the stage, she was nervous, but all the girls at the table started cheering for her like they were her biggest fans. It made her grin, and by the time she made it to the small stage, she felt more relaxed. She loved to sing, and all three of the Tatum kids could do it well. Singing one of her favorite songs Wildest Dreams, she closed her eyes and got lost in the music. When it was over, her table gave her a standing ovation, causing her to blush and grin once again.
As she stepped off the stage, she looked for Blake and was disappointed when she didn’t see him until someone took her hand. She turned to see him standing there with his dazzling smirk, and yes, she was now convinced he knew exactly what it did to her. Pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her waist, he leaned down, gazing into her eyes. “May I have this dance?” he asked, his voice husky. She nodded but was afraid to say anything. Between the drink and him holding her so close, she was slightly dizzy. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rested her head on his chest and could hear his heartbeat. Reece hadn’t held her like this in years. Every time she looked up at his face he was watching her intently with a longing in his dark eyes that set her on fire. Her walls never had a chance to be built. She knew she was treading in dangerous waters, and this was going to end badly for her, but she was under his spell.
When the song ended, they sat back down at the table and Ember started on her third drink. A nervous yet friendly voice from behind her said, “Excuse me, miss, would you care to dance with me?” Ember turned around and was surprised to see a handsome man in his mid-twenties standing there. At first, she thought he must have been asking one of the other ladies, but his eyes were on her.
“Me?” she asked, shocked.
“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded and smiled.
Why wasn’t Blake coming to her rescue? “I…” She looked at Jenna, who glanced at Blake and then back at Ember. Jenna raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m pretty tired
right now. Thank you, though,” Ember said.
His smiled faded slightly, and he nodded again. Ember felt bad for the young man. She didn’t like to seem rude, even though she didn’t want to dance with him. He was cute and seemed nice enough, but she was content here.
She turned and saw Jenna watching Blake with concern on her face. She looked at him as he appeared lost in thought staring at his drink, and his jaw was tight. What on earth was going on in this man’s mind? He must have felt the eyes on him because he looked up and gave Jenna a small smile, and then he noticed Ember was watching him too. She thought his smile looked forced, but then she decided he must be tired since it had been a long night.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked him, hoping he would say no, but she could tell by the look on his face that the answer was yes.
“Are you hungry?” he asked her in return. Well, at least she would get to see him for a little while longer. He apparently wasn’t ready to be rid of her just yet.
“Only if it’s blueberry pancakes.” She giggled.
“Blueberry pancakes at one in the morning. IHOP here we come.” He smirked at her. She couldn’t wipe the grin off of her face if she tried.
She told Jenna to text her the next day to get together and said good night to the other ladies at the table.
Blake took her hand as they walked to the car. He opened her door but stopped her before she got in. He leaned down and kissed her cheek gently then slowly moved to her lips. This kiss wasn't like the one full of passion the other day, but a sweet kiss. “You're so beautiful, Ember.” His words hung in the air as he stared into her eyes. She was in shock and didn’t know what to say. After remembering to breathe, she finally whispered, “Thank you.”
CHAPTER 13
The drive to IHOP was as quiet as the drive to the bar, but for an entirely different reason. Ember wasn’t sure what to say after the kiss, and it seemed that Blake didn’t either. Maybe he thought it was another mistake. She wished she had stopped the other day to hear what he was going to say as she was leaving. Maybe he would have explained himself, and she would have a better idea of what he thought because right now she had no clue.
When they got to the diner Blake parked close to the entrance, but before he got out, he took Ember’s hand and smiled at her. “I had fun tonight. Thanks for letting me go with you.” She smiled shyly back at him, and he continued, “Let me get your door, so you don’t end up flashing anyone.” He winked at her, and she blushed. He opened the car door and took Ember’s hand, only letting it go when they reached the door so that he could hold it for her.
As the host came over to seat them at a table, Blake wrapped his arm around Ember’s waist. She didn’t know much about guy code, but she did know Blake was sending a signal that she was off limits, which became even clearer when she caught the man staring at her chest and then he found himself staring into the eyes of one very angry billionaire.
Very nervously the host said, “Your waitress will be with you shortly.” He was almost a candy-apple red by the time he left, which he did very quickly after that.
Blake pulled her chair out, and she sat down. “Now do you see what I meant about the dress? I’ve had to watch men look at you like you’re a meal all night,” he said quietly as if the thought was painful.
“I’m sorry?” She said it like a question because she wasn’t sure what she should say. She loved the dress, the way it looked on her, and frankly, the way it made her feel when she wore it.
He shook his head and gave her a small smile. “No, don’t be sorry. I’m sorry. That shouldn’t be a problem, except that I can’t do anything about it, and that kills me. I want to choke any man who looks at you like that," sighing he continued, "and yet I’m looking at you the same way.” Once again Ember found herself shocked into silence.
The waitress walked up and almost dropped her notepad when Blake looked up at her. Ember stifled a laugh at his expression. He has no clue the effect he has on women! Believe me, Mr. O'Neil; women see you the same way. She smiled at him when he looked back at her after ordering their meal.
“Did I miss something?” he asked curiously.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure you did.” She giggled.
“Enlighten me,” he challenged her.
She sat there a moment, and the waitress showed up with their coffee. Ember was pretty tipsy, so she poured a cup, trying to avoid saying anything. She wasn’t much of a drinker, and she didn’t like the thought of going home to Kaylen and not being soberer.
She glanced up from the coffee, hoping he had forgotten what they were talking about, but from the look on his expectant face, he hadn’t. So she decided to pretend she had. Picking up a dessert menu, she acted like she was reading it until he pulled it down to see her face.
“I think you may be more stubborn than your brother,” he said raising an eyebrow at her.
She scrunched her forehead, “Is that even possible?”
“I didn’t think so until I met you.”
She blushed. “Why on earth would you think I’m stubborn?” Ember looked down at the menu again, fidgeting with the pages.
The waitress showed up again with their meals, setting the blueberry pancakes down in front of Ember and a garden-fresh omelet for Blake. She smiled at him, asking if he needed anything else. He looked at Ember, who shook her head no, and he dismissed her.
“Tell me about the guy who sent you the texts,” Blake said as he put salsa on his omelet. Ember sat staring at her pancakes for a moment. “Please,” he said.
She sighed. “There’s not much to say really. He’s Kaylen’s father. He cheated on me, and since I left he has decided he wants me back.”
“How do you feel about that?” He looked from his food to her, waiting for her to answer.
“About him cheating or wanting to come back?” Her tone was a bit bitter. She didn’t mean it to be, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about this right now.
“I was just curious if you were thinking about going back to him, I'm sorry.” He looked at his omelet again as he cut a piece off.
“No, I’m sorry. I just, I don’t know. He hurt me more than I want to admit, and then he acts like it was nothing. Kaylen deserves someone to love her, and she never got that from him even when he was there.” She put a little bit of butter on her pancake and took a small bite.
“Syrup?” he said, raising an eyebrow at her.
She grinned. “No thanks.”
They ate in silence for a while before he asked his next question.
“So, you stayed awake long enough to finish your resume, what are you going to do now.” He grinned at her.
Blushing she said, “Get a job.”
He chuckled.
Watching him carefully, she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were the one who carried me to the couch?”
He glanced up at her quickly then back down at his plate. He shrugged. “Wasn’t a big deal. Just didn’t want you to hurt your neck sitting like that.” Even when he was embarrassed, his voice could still melt her like butter. “How did you know?” He sounded genuinely impressed she had figured it out.
“Your scent.” She probably would not have answered him truthfully if she hadn’t been drinking. After she had said it she was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl under the table, and he apparently didn’t miss the fact that she was blushing again.
“That color red goes well with that dress.” He smirked.
Rolling her eyes, she groaned, and he laughed.
Feeling courageous she decided to ask the one thing she wanted to know more than anything else, “The other day, in your office,” he stopped eating and sat back; watching her intently now. “Why did you stop?”
He appeared to be thinking before he said, “It was going to go to far.”
“And you didn’t want to.” she said softly.
“I did want to, but we’re not. Any more questions?” he took a drink of his coffee.
Since she didn’t lik
e his previous answer, she decided to ask the next big one on her list, “What did the woman mean that I should be glad I have a kid?” She could tell he was shocked by the question, and she realized this was something else she would not have said if she was sober.
He sat quietly before asking, “Are you through eating?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Good. Speaking of kids, we need to get you home to yours.” His tone was slightly cold.
She knew she shouldn’t have asked, but she really did want to know what it meant, and the drink had made her brave. She sighed.
Ember walked outside while he paid. It was raining now, so she stepped out into the parking lot and closed her eyes as she faced the sky. She had always loved to dance in the rain. She began spinning with her arms out. When she stopped, she almost fell over from the twirling and still being tipsy. She had heard it before she saw it.
The car pulled into the parking lot, going too fast for the rain, and couldn’t stop quickly enough. Ember felt the pain in her hip as it hit and she flew onto the hood, smashing into the windshield. She heard the tires as they screeched to a stop, sending her flying off the hood onto the pavement, hitting her head. The last thing she heard was the panicked cry of Blake screaming her name as he ran outside.
CHAPTER 14
Ember could hear voices, but she wasn’t able to open her eyes. She lay there and tried to concentrate on who was talking. She heard her mother and father, and there was Ridge. Wait, was that Blake? What was he doing here? Then she realized she wasn’t even sure where here was. She began to panic, and then she heard a beep that was getting faster. She knew that sound. She had worked with them long enough to know that was a heart monitor. Am I on the heart monitor? Why? The voices went quiet, and she could feel people standing close, but no more noise except for the beeping. In an odd way, it was actually comforting; it was something she knew. Out of all that was going on, it was the one thing she understood, although she wasn't sure why she was on it. She started to calm down, and the beeps began to slow.
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