by Early, Mora
Forcing her shoulders back and her chin up, Emma took a deep breath and pulled open the bathroom door. “Clarice, I’m fine, I swea –” Her breath clogged in her lungs at the sight in front of her.
Josh looked more impossibly handsome than she’d ever seen. His honey blond hair was slicked back, curling slightly around the tops of his ears. He was clean-shaven, the smooth skin of his sculpted cheeks tan and beautiful. He wore a blue button-down shirt that complemented his blue-green eyes perfectly, and black slacks. His hands dug into his pockets, and he was staring at her.
“Emma.” His voice, rich and deep, slid over her skin like warm water, making her shiver. “Can I talk to you?”
Unable to speak, Emma stepped out of the bathroom and gave him a jerky nod. She spun on her heel and walked, her movements robotic, to the conference room. The conference room where Clarice had thrown her bachelorette party/wedding shower. The memory speared through her like a lance. She sucked in a painful breath, but pushed open the door.
Josh followed, silent as well. The slightly spicy, woodsy scent of him wafted to her as he walked. It made her heart hurt and her belly heat up. Even as pained as things were between them, her body still reacted to him, damn it.
She had to gather her strength around her before she turned to face him again. He leaned in the open doorway, hands still in his pockets, eyes on her, searching for something in her expression. Emma didn’t know what.
“How’s your father?” she croaked. “I sent flowers.” She liked Cam and Kara Owens a lot, though she figured they probably didn’t feel the same way about her anymore. One corner of Josh’s mouth quirked up, revealing that devastating dimple. Emma’s knees gave out at the sight. She caught herself on the back of a nearby chair, pulling it out and sinking into it. Josh stayed where he was.
“He’s better. Not out of the woods yet, but awake. Thank you for the flowers.”
“That’s good. I mean, you’re welcome.” She curled her fingers into a fist, digging her nails into the palm of her hand to keep from reaching for him. Why was he here? Was he going to ask for The Watch back after all?
He sighed and ran one hand through his hair. He always did that when he was frustrated, turning the problem over in his head. The sight of his rumpled locks made Emma’s fingers itch to sift through them.
“I think I’m probably going to screw this up.” He chuckled. Emma blinked as he took a step into the room and squatted in front of her. Behind him, filling the hallway, she vaguely registered the faces of her coworkers. But all her attention was on Josh.
“S-screw what up?” Her throat was tight, almost trapping the words. When Josh took her left hand in his right, the spike of heat at the touch raced up her arm and made her gasp. Josh’s sculpted lips curved into a smile.
“I didn’t think even for a second that you were the one who went to the tabloids.”
Emma blinked, brows rising. She hadn’t been expecting that. Seeing her incredulous expression, Josh tipped his head slightly. “Okay, maybe a split second, when William first showed it to me. But that was it, I swear. As soon as my ridiculously exhausted brain processed the thought, I threw it out. I trust you, Emma.” He squeezed her hand.
“What?” That was even more unexpected. “But... you were so angry!”
“Oh, I was. At Ransler. He’d just been spouting off about us playing him and me not having any respect for you. But I do.” Josh rubbed his free hand over the back of his neck and then stuck it back into his pocket. “I’d barely gotten any sleep the night before, and I was so worried about Dad that I really wasn’t thinking straight. If I had been, I would have assured you right then and there that I knew you didn’t go to the papers. I’m sorry.”
Emma felt fresh tears pricking her eyes and blinked them back. “No apology necessary. You were under a lot of stress. I understand. I’m... I’m sorry if I added to it.” With my stupid confession of love, she didn’t add. Josh’s thumb stroked the back of her hand and sizzles skittered along her nerve endings. She tried to tug her hand away in embarrassment, but he tightened his hold on it.
“You didn’t. I... Oh hell, Emma.” His jewel-bright gaze locked onto hers, stealing her breath. “In the hospital, when Dad was in the coma, I pushed you away because I realized how much I needed you and it scared the hell out of me. I thought I couldn’t deal with having you that close, so I sent you away. But I wanted you there.”
“You did?” A spark of something she was afraid to name ignited in her chest. Something bright and crackling, like a tiny flame.
“Christ, yes. I needed you there. But I was too stubborn and afraid to ask you to come back. To tell you I love you.”
The words detonated in her chest like a bomb. Her cheeks were wet, though she hadn’t even realized she’d started crying again. “You do?”
“I love you,” he repeated, making her quiver. “And I never want to lose you again. Will you marry me, Emma Andromeda Ness? Again? For real this time?” He pulled his hand from his pocket, her wedding and engagement rings lying on his palm. She’d left them beside the bed when she’d taken her stuff from the house. Gasping, Emma touched them with trembling fingers.
“I thought...” She’d thought his silence had spoken pretty clearly.
“I know. But in my defense, you did sort of spring it on me and then walk away. I would have been here as soon as my brain caught up with itself if it hadn’t been for Dad. It was touch-and-go there for a bit.” He stroked her hand again, running the pad of his thumb over the groove where her rings would sit when she wore them.
When.
Bright, burning, glorious joy, as gorgeous as the sun – as gorgeous as Josh’s smiling face – unfurled in Emma’s chest.
“So, what d’ya say, Emma? I know I might deserve it, but I’m actually proposing for real this time, so please, don’t leave me hanging here.” He held up the engagement ring.
Emma thought she might feel the corners of her mouth touch her earlobes, she was grinning so wildly. “Yes! Of course. I love you. Of course I’ll marry you!” Josh slipped the ring back onto her finger before the first ‘Yes’ was completely out of her mouth and then she threw herself into his lap.
There were cheers from the hall, but she ignored them as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and peppered kisses all over his face. Josh hugged her tightly to his chest as he rose to his feet. His mouth found hers, tongue teasing and stroking for a long, deep, drugging kiss. “I’ll need to hold onto the other ring until the ceremony. But you’ll get it back too. I promise,” he murmured against her cheek.
“Does this mean we have to plan another whole wedding?” she asked, her eyes wide. Josh chuckled.
“It does. Whenever and wherever you want. Just as long as it doesn’t interfere with the shooting schedule.” He winked.
“Oh! Does that mean... did William...” She’d been so studiously avoiding all news outlets that she hadn’t heard if Ransler had left the project. Josh ran his lips against the edge of her jaw, nipping gently.
“William and I reached an understanding.”
Emma pulled back just a little to study Josh’s face. “What do you mean by ‘an understanding’?” There was a devilish gleam in Josh’s blue-green gaze.
“He promised to forgive me my deception and stay on the picture, as long as I told you how I really felt.”
Emma blinked in surprise, her lashes, and her heart, fluttering. “Oh. Does that mean you wouldn’t have if –”
“Don’t even finish that sentence.” His tone was stern, but he was smiling. He took her mouth in another kiss, sucking at her lower lip. “I’m here for you. For us. Not him.”
The words made her insides quiver. She stroked her fingers along his shoulder as he strode to the doorway and began pushing through the crowd in the hall, carrying her toward the front door. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you home. We have a lot of lost time to make up for.” His smile held a wicked promise.
Heat shi
mmered through Emma’s blood and love burned in her heart. She twined her arms around Josh’s neck and nuzzled against the warm skin of his throat. She brushed her lips against him, breathing in his scent, her entire body rejoicing that she was back in his arms. She reached up, tracing her fingertips along his strong jaw and the curve of his luscious lips. Josh glanced down at her, his eyes glittering with happiness... and love. Josh loved her! He kissed her fingers, one brow rising.
“What’s that look for, sweetheart?”
Emma smiled back at him, letting herself fall into the luminescent pools of his eyes. Ever since she’d first met Josh, she’d spent so much time worrying about what was coming next... if she’d be able to pull off the robbery, whether or not Josh would discover her duplicity, how they were going to fool Ransler and everyone else with their charade... what she would do with her life without Josh. For the first time in what felt like forever, looking forward didn’t feel her with anxiety. Now, excitement and pleasure burned equally bright in her veins.
Whatever came next, she and Josh would be together. And that’s all that mattered. She cupped his cheek, stroking one of those devastatingly high cheekbones with her thumb.
“I’m looking forward to my future.”
~ Epilogue: Surprises ~
“You’re not going to believe what I just found,” Emma called from the bedroom. She was unpacking the last of her things. Unlike the first time around, she’d actually brought all of her possessions to the mansion this time, and had been busily integrating it with his, where she could. The sight of her knick-knacks and toiletries, her throw pillows and gewgaws, scattered around the house, made Josh smile.
“What’s that?” He asked as she appeared in his office doorway, a bemused expression on her beautiful face. She was holding what looked like a silver gilt picture frame between her palms, studying it.
After a moment, she raised brilliant green eyes to his. “At my wedding shower...” She trailed off, cocking her head. “Do you think people will be mad if I have another one? I suppose that’s greedy.”
“We can always use more lingerie.” Josh waggled his eyebrows, grinning in remembrance at some of the more risqué gifts she’d gotten. Emma laughed, shaking her head.
“Anyway, Maisie asked me not to wait and not open her present there. I thought it must be something really embarrassing... especially after the lube.”
Josh was actually quite fond of that lube. Just remembering the glide of his flesh against Emma’s had him instantly hard. He coughed, adjusting himself beneath the cotton slacks. “I can’t see Maisie Ransler giving you lube as a wedding shower gift.”
“She didn’t. She said I’d know when the right time to open it was, but what with one thing and another, I totally forgot about it. I just found it when I was unpacking and opened it. Look.” She took another step, around his desk, and extended the 8x11 picture frame to him.
Josh accepted it, admiring the shining scrollwork around the edge. It took a second for the picture to register.
A photographer had caught Josh laughing, looking down at Emma with glittering intent. One arm was around her waist, his hand possessively resting at the small of her back. Emma clung to him, one hand in the hair at the nape of his neck, mouth quirked in a mischievous, come-hither smile. They were dancing. The crimson fire of her gown was echoed in the satin of her mask.
“Do you think she knew the whole time?” Emma asked, her voice soft as she reached out to touch the picture of them at the masquerade ball.
Josh considered the picture, and what he knew of Maisie Ransler. “Seems like it. I don’t know how. I didn’t realize this was you. How could she?” He looked down at the picture again, shrugging. Why else would Maisie Ransler give them a picture of them at the ball. There were precious few people who knew Emma had been there that night as a guest.
Emma smiled as she took the frame back, stroking her fingers over the glass. “Oh, well... she knows a little something about girls in over their heads and what trouble they can get themselves into.” She chuckled. “Maybe she just recognized the look of it.”
There was clearly some meaning behind those words he was missing, but Josh wasn’t concerned at the moment. He snaked his arm around Emma’s waist and tugged her into his lap. Beneath the desk, Chewie gave a soft ‘wuff’. He ignored the dog and nuzzled against Emma’s neck.
“So, have you decided where you want to go on our honeymoon yet?”
She squirmed deliciously in his lap, angling her head to give him better access to her throat. He nibbled obligingly as she chuckled. “I have to plan the wedding first. It’s a lot more involved this time around.”
“It is?” Josh relinquished his lip-lock on her neck and pulled a stack of mail over, leafing through. He was waiting on the modified copy of a contract and it was supposed to be here already. “Well, tell me all about it. I figured you’d still have everything in place from last time.”
She tapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Last time was nice, but it wasn’t really us, you know? We were rushing and just going through the motions.”
Josh sorted through the mail, remembering how he’d been surprised that Emma hadn’t added any little quirks to the vows. “I know what you mean. Like the vows. You said you’d obey me.” They both snorted at that. Josh dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “So, we’re customizing this time, eh?”
“Exactly. The ceremony and party should be bigger too. But we’ll tell people they don’t have to get us gifts again.”
“Do we have to do that part? I like the presents.” He squeezed her and she chuckled.
“Like you couldn’t buy whatever you want anyway,” she grumbled, but she kept smiling.
He paused on a wide envelope with an embossed seal. “Are we expecting anything from Napa County?” All of the film permits for the area should already be on file. He hoped there wasn’t some problem that would require them to scramble for a new location. Emma frowned, clearly thinking the same thing.
“Not that I know of.”
She took the envelope from his hand and slid her fingernail beneath the flap to open it. When the thin sheet of creamy ivory paper slid into her hand, her frown deepened. Josh glanced over her shoulder, taking in the gold embossed seal and the elegant, almost Old English style writing at the top of the...
He sucked in a breath. “Is that...?”
“Our... Josh, why do we have a marriage certificate?” Emma sounded as shocked as he was, and when he glanced up at her, her eyes were round and bright. He looked back down at the paper in Emma’s hand. Sure enough, at the top it said ‘Certificate of Marriage’. And there was his name, and Emma’s. Below theirs was Pastor Rob Enkle’s signature.
“Who the heck is Pastor Enkle?”
Emma looked at him, one brow raised. “He was the officiant at our fake wedding. Though, it appears it wasn’t so fake after all.” Her lips quirked with amusement. She waved the marriage certificate in front of his face.
Josh stared at it, thinking. “Oh. Well.”
“I thought the plan was for you to pocket the license after we signed the thing in front of him, so it would never be filed.” She cocked her head. Josh rubbed the back of his neck.
“That was the plan.” But he couldn’t say he remembered much of anything he’d done or said after he’d seen Emma walking down the aisle toward him. He vaguely remembered signing the license with Todd and Ben as their witnesses. He’d meant to take it. But had he? His eyes traced the words on the certificate in Emma’s hand.
Emma’s lush lips curved. “Are you meaning to tell me that you forgot to grab the validly signed and witnessed marriage license when we left the church?” Her green eyes twinkled. Josh shrugged.
“Yup. Looks like good ol’ Pastor Enkle took it upon himself to mail it in for us, out of the kindness of his heart.” He pressed his lips together, fighting the smile. Emma didn’t. She snaked her arms around his neck and leaned into him. Josh took the marriage certificate from her hands and laid i
t reverently on his desk. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
“So we’ve been legally married this whole time?” She brushed her lips over his, once, twice, three times. Teasingly. Josh grinned against her mouth.
“Guess so. How’s that for irony?” He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, swallowing the little moan that leaked from her mouth.
Emma pulled back slightly, thin dark brows furrowed. “Does this mean I don’t get my do-over wedding?”
Josh laughed, pulling her mouth back to his. Their tongues tangled, wet and hot as he kissed her with every ounce of love he felt. “Sweetheart, you get whatever you want. Just ask and it’s yours.” The heated gleam in her gaze made Josh’s heart lurch in his chest. Emma’s fingers stroked down the front of his shirt to his waist.
“Whatever I want?” She toyed with his pants pocket, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. Josh traced a finger along the curve of her cheek, her jaw, marveling at her delicate beauty. He stroked her lips, groaning when she sucked his finger into her mouth and laved it with her tongue. His cock jumped in response.