“I don’t want to think about it right now,” she said and glanced at her watch. “I have about ten minutes before I absolutely have to start making calls, and I really need something to take my mind off Will and everything.”
“Oh, well, I have just the thing.” Ana leaned back. “I met this guy.”
Emma grinned and felt a small measure of tension leave her body. “Do tell.”
“I went out last night to Kincaid’s. Will actually introduced us; I think they’re friends. Whoops, supposed to be taking your mind off Will.” She winced. “Sorry.”
Waving her hand, Emma laughed. “Just get on with it. The guy…”
“Right. The guy. His name is Riley. Real cute, and oh my God, the muscles on him. Not gym muscles, but the kind from just plain hard work. He’s a contractor. Hard and oh so yummy. And his hands… Seriously, odes could be written about them. Rough, calloused, but so, I don’t know, gentle on me when we danced.”
“Nice,” Emma drawled.
“You know it. So anyway, we’re getting along great, right? Drinks, dancing, good conversation. He asks if he can bring me home and I’m all, hell yeah.” Ana gave a little fist pump. “So we drive to my place and he’s all sweet, opening my door for me and all that. He walks me to the front door and as I put the key in the lock, he spins me around and lays one on me.”
She fanned herself and Emma burst out laughing.
“You laugh but I’m not exaggerating when I say my toes curled. He backed me up against the door and got in real close. Simply divine, my friend.”
“Well, yeah. Hard muscles and rough hands.” Emma nodded solemnly.
“You said it. So we’re all wrapped around each other, touching and kissing and damn near doing things that could get us arrested when he pulls away. He reaches behind me, unlocks the door and pushes it open. Now, from the look on his face, I’m expecting him to drag me inside and have his wicked way with me against the first available surface.”
“And you wouldn’t have objected?”
“Not in the slightest. But he doesn’t.” Ana’s lips turned downward in a pout. “You know what he does? He cups my face in those work-rough hands, presses a kiss to my forehead, and says, ‘I’m looking forward to getting to know you a lot better, Ana.’ And then he turns and walks away.”
Emma pressed her lips together and tried not to smile at Ana’s outraged tone.
“Can you believe it? I mean, who does that?”
“Um, a gentleman who respects you?” Emma tried.
Ana slanted an annoyed gaze her way. “I stood in my open doorway shell-shocked long after that man drove away. Then spent the better part of the night tossing and turning with thoughts of those muscles and hands dancing in my head.” She groaned and shook her head. “And he didn’t even get my number! So how the hell is he going to get to know me better?”
“Well, if he’s friends with Will, maybe he figures he can track you down.”
“Track me down? What am I, a wild animal?” Ana scoffed.
Emma shook her head and laughed. “Don’t you want to see him again?”
“Maybe,” she admitted haughtily. “But he will so have to work for this now.”
“As well he should.” Emma nodded, and glanced at her watch again.
“And you need to get to work.” Ana patted her knee and stood. “I’m off to get drinks. I’ll be back later. We’ll just let ourselves in and get everything situated. Don’t you worry about a thing, okay?”
Emma rose and gave her friend a hug, holding on for just a minute. “Thanks,” she whispered.
Ana embraced her tightly. “Anytime, honey.”
* * * *
Will scrubbed his hands over his face and leaned back in his chair. The kitchen was closed for the night, and instead of heading out, he sat in his cramped little office working on schedules. And he was well aware he was putting off the inevitable—going home to Emma. Of course, he could always stay at his own apartment upstairs, but he wasn’t that much of a chicken shit.
Besides, the girls were probably still over, and if they were actually succeeding in getting Emma to slow down and relax, he wasn’t going to get in the way. He tossed the pen he held onto the desk and, pushing his chair back, stood. Figuring he’d have a cold one before heading out, he walked through the empty dining room towards the bar area.
“Hey, Will.”
Matt sat at the bar, grinning and motioning him over. Will crossed and slid onto the stool next to him. He nodded to the bartender, then turned to Emma’s brother.
“What’s up, Matt?”
“Well, I figured you wouldn’t be in a hurry to get home, so I thought I’d stop by.” Matt shrugged before tipping his bottle to his mouth.
Will lifted a brow. And why would Matt think he didn’t want to go home?
The other man chuckled. “Because the women have descended,” he explained. “Lynn texted me. They pried Em away from her preparations, and she was even dozing on the couch during the movie-thon.”
The bartender slid a beer in front of Will, and he took a long sip before nodding. “Good, she needs to rest.”
“It pisses you off,” Matt drawled, “that she’s doing this event for my dad.”
Will sighed and set the bottle down with a clunk. “It’s not as simple as that.”
“So give me the complex explanation.”
“If I wanted to talk about my feelings, I wouldn’t be sitting here having a beer,” Will pointed out.
Matt drank deeply, then signaled for another before grinning at Will. “I’m not asking for a long drawn out heart-to-heart; hell, I don’t want that. But, since my sister is quite fond of you, I thought maybe I could offer some advice on how to…handle her when she’s pissy.”
“Handle her? Oh, she’d love to hear you say that.”
“Yeah, she’d probably try to kick my ass. She wouldn’t be able to,” he rushed to say, “but she’d try. So you’re unhappy about her working for Dad and you’ve been arguing about it.”
“Who said anything about arguing?” Will asked.
“I know my sister and,” Matt lifted a shoulder, “it’s clear something is bothering her.”
“And you haven’t been talking to, say, one of her best friends?” Will had seen the exchanged looks between Matt and Lynn, felt the tension when they were together, and if something wasn’t going on between the pair already, he’d bet money it would be soon.
“I get that you didn’t have the greatest introduction to the family,” Matt said, ignoring the question, “but we aren’t that messed up. And Emma, well, she has a good heart.”
“Not questioning Emma’s heart or her intentions.” Will shook his head. “Look, I think it’s crap that she does all this work and gets nothing in return except grief about not working for the family. That’s messed up, and yeah, we’ve argued about it. I’m not going to sit by and say nothing while she makes herself sick by working so hard. But,” he said when Matt opened his mouth, “all couples argue and we’ll work it out. End of discussion.”
“All right, man,” Matt said with a shrug. “Just go easy on her, will ya? You’re going against thirty years of ingrained behavior. Not easy. For either of you.”
Will nodded and took a drink. After a few minutes, Matt broke the silence.
“So you watch the game this afternoon?”
After a couple of hours of heated discussion about the merits of the local baseball team, Will headed home. The house was dark and quiet when he let himself in. He kicked his shoes off and went upstairs. Emma was curled up in a tight ball on one side of the bed, facing away from the bedroom door. Will sighed heavily, then walked into the bathroom for a quick shower. Leaning against the tiles, hot water raining over him, he closed his eyes and tried to relax. He and Emma needed to talk, but he knew the last thing she needed right then was an argument. Despite his worry and how much he disliked seeing her run herself ragged for her ungrateful family, he just had to keep his mouth shut. Once the damned event was done, th
ey could talk. He certainly didn’t want to add to her already high stress level. As hard as it was to back off, he could do it. For her. For them.
Once washed and toweled off, he padded into the bedroom and slid under the covers. Almost immediately, Emma shifted closer and turned toward him. In the dim light, he could see she was still asleep. Rolling onto his side, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. A pleased hum vibrated through her as she snuggled closer, her bare skin rubbing against his.
Will’s lips curved. Even with the tension between them, it felt good to be home and in her arms. Yeah, she was definitely worth fighting for.
Chapter Fifteen
Emma stared at her reflection in the mirror, but her mind was far from putting the finishing touches on her makeup. She wasn’t even focused on the event she’d been planning, which was that evening. Nope, she had Will on the mind, and not in a deliciously naughty way either. She’d much rather be fantasizing about the man who was currently in the shower next door. Instead, she worried about where she and Will were headed.
The last week had been tension-filled, day in and day out. They hadn’t argued since the night the girls had come over, but the stilted conversations and awkward silences were almost worse than an all-out shouting match. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but nothing. Well, that wasn’t true, exactly. Every time she was on the phone working on the event or came home late from a meeting, she could feel Will’s disapproval, see it in his expression, but he never said anything. Never brought up his objections. Surprising, after how vocal he’d been before.
The sound of water cutting off jerked her from her thoughts, and she turned her attention back to applying liner and mascara. Moments later, Will strode into the room, towel wrapped around his hips. Even in the reflection, Emma could see droplets of water clinging to his golden skin as he rummaged through drawers.
She spun on the vanity stool and watched as he toweled off, his back still toward her. Muscles shifted sinuously as he ran the thick cotton over his body, then slipped his boxers and black work pants on. Damn, even with the tension, she couldn’t deny he still turned her on just by breathing.
Buttoning his slacks, he faced her. His gaze traveled over her and he met her eyes. “You look nice,” he said quietly.
Emma pressed her lips together. Nice. Why was she so disappointed with that bland observation? “Thank you,” she murmured.
He pulled a white t-shirt over his head and asked, “What time do you need to leave?”
She glanced at the clock and stood. “I need to get going pretty soon. I really wish you could come with me. I thought you had tonight off.” Crossing to the bed, she grabbed the bolero jacket off the mattress and shrugged it on.
“We’re short-staffed,” he said tightly.
“Right.” She suspected that was just an excuse, but she couldn’t very well force the man to go.
“Besides,” he continued before she could say anymore, “what would I do there? You’re going to be running around, taking care of everything, making sure everything is just perfect for everyone. And making conversation with people I don’t know, or worse your asshole brothers, is the last fucking thing I want to do tonight.”
Will yanked his chef’s jacket from the closet and slammed the door closed. Without another word, he walked out of the room. Emma could hardly pull a breath in as she stared, slack-jawed, after him. Anger, swift and hot, spread through her and she rushed downstairs. She found him in the kitchen, a bottle of water lifted to his lips.
“Why now?” she asked incredulously. “All week long, you say nothing, but right before I have to leave, you decide to let loose?”
He lowered the drink and lifted his shoulders. “What do you want me to say, Emma?”
“I don’t know!” She threw her hands up. “You know I feel shitty enough; I don’t need you trying to dictate what I should be doing. Guilting me with your silent disapproval and now… God.” Blinking her stinging eyes, she tried to calm down, get a grip before she had to leave.
“Guilting you? That’s what you think I’m doing?” His voice rose with each word, and he slammed the water on the counter, causing it to splash all over.
“I’m more than familiar with the tactic, believe me.”
“Don’t compare me to your family,” he ground out.
“Why not? You’re acting just like them. Okay, maybe not as vocal all the time,” she conceded. “But you want me to do things according to your plan, and to hell with my obligations or commitments I’ve made.”
“My plan? Don’t be stupid,” he snapped. “If you want to plan events, fucking plan events.”
“Really?” she scoffed. “‘Cause that’s what I’ve been doing.”
“Nuh uh.” He shook his head. “Not once have you said you wanted to do this. I haven’t seen an ounce of enjoyment in you since you started planning this thing. You’ve completely put your life on hold to do this for your family, and for what? A pat on the back? More grief because you’re not doing it exactly the way they want? When do you get to do something for you, Emma? When does that happen?”
“I haven’t put my life on hold.” She bit her lip a moment, hesitant to say anymore. When he lifted his brow, disbelief all over his face, she couldn’t hold back anymore. “Have you looked at the proposal I gave you?”
“What?”
“You promised to look at it, but I’m guessing you just said that to placate me, right?” Glancing at the clock, Emma sighed. She was late. “Whatever. Just forget it. I have to go.”
She turned and walked away, stomach in knots. Footsteps sounded behind her, and as she slid into her heels, he grasped her arm.
“Why are you bringing that up now?” he asked, tilting his head to the side to meet her gaze.
“You talk about my putting everyone else first. Did you ever think that maybe my proposal wasn’t all about you and what you wanted? If you’d taken the time to look at what I gave you and talk to me, maybe you’d see that it was something I wanted, too. Yes, I want to help you, and I don’t think there is a damned thing wrong with wanting to help the people you love, but it’s more than that. For the first time, I saw something I’d like to do long-term, but you wouldn’t even consider it.” She swiped at her cheeks, cursing quietly. Crap, she probably looked like a raccoon now.
“Aw, fuck, Emma,” Will muttered softly.
“Yes, ‘fuck Emma’.” She wrenched out of his grip and grabbed her purse from the hook beside the door. “That’s the box you’ve put me into, isn’t it? Good enough to fuck, to share a bed with, but heaven forbid if I touch anything else in your life. Especially not the dream that means so much to you.”
Yanking the door open, she rushed out of the house to her car. Once inside, she used a tissue and the rearview mirror to remove the mascara smearing her cheeks. Her heart raced and every muscle trembled. Calm down, she thought. Push it aside, and get through tonight.
Her cell phone shrilled, making her jump. She shakily fumbled for the phone in her purse and answered.
“Hello?”
“Where the hell are you? Clients are going to be showing up in an hour.” Mark’s sharp voice travelled over the line.
“I’m on my way.” She snapped the phone shut without saying anything else or waiting for a response. As she pulled out of the driveway, she glanced at the house and bit back a sob. Will stood in the open doorway, arms crossed over his chest, watching as she drove away.
“Push it aside,” she repeated aloud. Soon enough she’d have to face the mess she’d just made.
* * * *
Emma strolled out the French doors onto the patio, set her clipboard on one of the iron tables and rolled her shoulders. People filled the large room, sipping cocktails and mingling. She had a moment to breathe easy before the dinner and presentation. She’d already ironed out numerous bumps, and things were running smoothly. Thank goodness.
“Hey sis.”
She turned and smiled at Matt.
He grinned back and wrapped his arms around her.
“Looked like you needed a hug,” he murmured.
“That obvious?” She rested her head on his shoulder.
“Eh,” was his immediate response, then after a moment, “What’s bugging you, Em?”
Pulling back, she ran her palms on the lapels of his suit jacket. “You look very handsome this evening.”
He laughed and stepped away. “Nice try, but don’t change the subject.”
“Don’t worry about me, hon. Just tired. Once I get, oh, about a week of sleep, I’ll be just fine,” she joked.
“Can I give you a bit of advice?” he asked. “Then I’ll leave it alone.”
Knowing he wouldn’t give in, she nodded. “Hit me with it.”
“Figure out what you want. Don’t worry about Dad or anyone else. Figure out what makes you happy, who makes you happy, and focus on that.” He nudged her with his elbow. “And know I’ll be there to back you up. Every time.”
“Thanks,” she said, throat tight. “I’m workin’ on it.”
“Good. I hope—”
“There you are,” Tom stepped out onto the patio, impatience in his movements. “Why are you hiding out here? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Emma groaned inwardly when both Mark and their father followed Tom outside. What was wrong now?
Her father came beside her and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Everything is wonderful, honey. Thank you for all your hard work. I honestly don’t know how you pulled this together so quickly, but I knew if anyone could do it, it was you.”
“Yeah,” she drawled, unable to get Will’s earlier comment about working so hard for just a pat on the back out of her head.
“Emma, there was an issue with Mr. Rogen’s car service. He is still at his hotel,” Mark said curtly.
“Okay.” She crinkled her nose. “Have you called the service? Arranged for a cab?”
“I’m not having one of our most important clients riding in a cab,” he sneered.
“Christ, Mark.” Matt scrubbed his palm over his face and glared at his brother.
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