Just Breathe Trilogy Box Set

by Martha Sweeney

  “I’ve been dying to kiss you all night,” Joe admits, barely moving his lips from mine. He dives in for another round and I’m happy to reciprocate.

  “You kissed me earlier,” I challenge. “Remember? Among a few other things.”

  Joe presses his groin into me. “How could I forget?”

  “Oh,” I breathe out. “It could have slipped your mind.”

  “Hardly,” he debates.

  “Yes,” I say. “It was quite hard.”

  Joe chuckles.

  “And, apparently, it’s hard again,” I mention.

  “Hard for you,” he confesses.

  My throat hums when I press my lips to his.

  “Too bad Chris can’t see this,” Joe randomly comments.

  My head snaps back in astonishment.

  “I did have to suffer watching him steal the first kiss of our date,” Joe reminds.

  “Fuck,” I huff, flopping my hands to my sides.

  “What?” Joe questions.

  “You just killed the moment,” I whine.

  “Damn,” he states. “How can I fix it?”

  I bite my lip.

  “Nathan would be mad if we ruin the dress,” Joe comments.

  “I wasn’t suggesting sex,” I counter.

  Though, I’m considering it now, trying to picture how to do it without damaging the dress.

  With a smile, Joe delivers with the sexy voice, “I can’t wait to make you cum again.”

  “Mmmmmmm,” I moan into his mouth. “Better. Much better.”

  “Good.”

  Joe and I continue our make-out session until my phone buzzes.

  “Shit,” I say.

  “What?”

  “I should get back,” I regretfully mention. “And, that’s probably Jared.”

  “Go,” Joe sweetly offers, stealing a kiss.

  “What about you?”

  “I need a minute,” he says.

  My gaze trails down his body and a snicker escapes my mouth at the sight of his bulge under the dim light.

  Joe’s smile curls to the left side. “Plus, it wouldn’t be good if we returned together.”

  I nod and start to move to the door. Joe tugs me in for one last, long fervent embrace.

  When the door closes behind me, I text Jared, letting him know I’ll meet him by the main doors to the room. I manage a few minutes with my friends, but Chris finds me pretty easily. It’s not hard to spot me in this dress let alone the fact that everyone in the room knows I came with him.

  For the rest of the night, I’m stuck to Chris’ side. I happily dance with him and he graciously lets Marcus, Jared, Nathan, Jimmy and Allen have a turn even though he keeps a very close proximity. When I try to leave to use the bathroom, he escorts me each time, waiting patiently just outside. I keep my alcohol intake to a very low minimum on purpose, not wanting to do anything stupid or foolish. When I’m not dancing with anyone else or we’re just standing around talking with people, Chris continues to keep a hold of my waist or hand. He snags a few kisses on my cheek or shoulder, but I’m able to deflect his attempts for my lips except for two different times in the night.

  As the evening dies down, Chris reluctantly takes me back to Nathaniel’s with my friends’ limo guiding the way. We recap the night and laugh at some of the funny things we witnessed. With it being almost two-thirty in the morning, the roads are open, making it easy for use to get back to Nathaniel’s in a timely fashion.

  When I notice that we’re only a few blocks away, something Chris says catches my attention. “What?” I inquire, not sure I heard him correctly.

  “I said I think we should continue this relationship,” he says calmly with a smile.

  “What relationship?”

  “Our relationship,” he explains.

  A nervous laugh erupts from my throat. “We’re not in a relationship.”

  “We should be. All the reporters will say that we are, and you never said or did anything to counter that we might not be,” Chris mentions.

  I stare blankly at him, letting his words sink in. He didn’t dis-sway the idea either.

  “It’s a win-win situation for Nathan, you and me with our careers. It wouldn’t hurt for us to placate the sensationalization that will come from tonight,” Chris explains further.

  “I’m flattered, Chris, but this is strictly professional for me and I don’t plan on taking matters beyond where they already are,” I earnestly reply.

  “Why not? We had a great time tonight,” he counters.

  “Yes, we had a good time, but I’m not interested in dating. I told you that in the beginning,” I calmly remind.

  The car comes to a stop and I can see out the tinted window that we’re in Nathaniel’s parking lot.

  “Is it because of Joe?”

  “What are you talking about?” I snap.

  “I see the way he looks at you,” Chris reveals.

  “This has nothing to do with Joe. He and I are friends. His best friend is married to my best friend, Maggie.”

  “Have you slept with him, too?” Chris pushes.

  “Who I’ve slept with is none of your business,” I sharply answer.

  “Tell me what to do,” Chris says with pain in his expression and voice.

  “About what?” I reply confused.

  “What do I need to do for you to be with me?” he pleas. “I want you.”

  “You hardly know me,” I counter.

  “You haven’t given me the chance,” he rebuts.

  “I don’t give anyone a chance,” I explain.

  “Will you make an exception? For me?” he searches.

  “No,” I say as calmly and gently as I can.

  “What if I tell you that I won’t stop trying,” he questions.

  “I’d tell you you’re wasting your time and to find a woman who can give you what you want,” I state.

  “How do you know you can’t give me what I want?”

  “Our current conversation is a prime example,” I present.

  Chris hangs his head a moment before looking at the door. He doesn’t say anything as he gets out of the vehicle and offers his hand to me.

  Realizing that I can’t let us part like this, hurting him more than I could have known, I smile and place my hand on his cheek. “You’ll find her,” I encourage.

  “Who?”

  “The one you’re looking for,” I explain.

  “I want you,” he repeats, stepping closer.

  “You’ll think differently when you find her,” I reply.

  Chris places his hands on my waist, making our bodies flush. “Can we be friends?”

  “In time,” I sweetly offer.

  He wraps his arms around me, sighing into my neck. Chris’ lips press into my skin, snatching a taste.

  It’s odd how your body responds to each person who touches you. The right person causes a chemical reaction, sending your hormones into a frenzy. That is not the case in this moment.

  As he releases me, Chris takes hold of my face, stealing a kiss out of desperation. I don’t fight him, but I also don’t encourage him either.

  His lips let go, but stay within an inch. “Please?” he begs.

  “Just friends,” I remind.

  Chris nods his understanding and reluctantly lets go. “Don’t break his heart, too, okay?”

  My gaze follows Chris’ when I see him flick his head in a particular direction. Joe’s standing by his Tesla with my bag in hand.

  “Or, your own, for that matter,” Chris adds.

  I’m not sure what Chris does next while my eyes stay fixed on Joe. At some point, I do remember hearing a car door close before driving off.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Joe greets, tentatively moving closer.

  “Were you spying on me?”

  “Maybe.” Joe’s cheeks faintly blush under the dim parking lights.

  “Where’s everyone?”

  “Inside.”

  We stand in silence for a few beats.<
br />
  “How much of that did you hear?” I check.

  “Enough,” Joe offers with a grin.

  “How much enough?” My eyes squint.

  Joe tasks a cautious, conservative step toward me. “Enough to know he’s still a good guy after having his heart broken,” he reveals.

  “He’ll recover,” I brush it off.

  “With a woman like you, Emma, it’s going to take him a while to move on, regardless of how well he knows you,” Joe comments, moving closer.

  A knot catches in my throat, making it a challenge to say anything until I swallow hard. “I should go say goodnight to everyone,” I redirect our conversation.

  Joe nods in agreement, sweeping his fingers down my right arm.

  We enter into Nathaniel’s through the back door by the office and make our way into the main store area. Everyone is chatting freely and don’t stop on our account. We rehash some of the things that occurred this evening and toast preemptively to a successful year for Nathaniel’s. Jared adds in Naturally Me and Raven and I wholeheartedly agree with him.

  At some point, Jared checks in on me and I catch him up on what went down with Chris. “You handled it very resolutely,” he comments once I finish with the details. “I think a friendship can come from it, in time, of course.”

  “Yeah,” I confirm, not believing that it would happen anytime soon.

  “Our lives are going to change after tonight, you know?” Jared adds. “You ready for that?”

  “No,” I contend.

  “We’ll take it one day at a time, together.”

  I nod in agreement.

  After listening to our friends talking for a few minutes, I nervously explore a topic with Jared, “Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything, Kitten.”

  “Why was Joe the only one outside when Chris and I were still in the car?”

  “He came in with us, but I suggested that he get your bags and put them in his car.”

  “Why?” I inquire. “I was planning on changing.”

  “Nathan wants everyone to take their pieces home. He wants to see what happens tomorrow when the shop opens and he didn’t want them possibly being stolen or anything since Pop-Pop is still working on the security displays,” Jared explains.

  “Oh, okay.”

  Jared brings up the subject of my episode before getting out of the car with Chris at the event. I explain what happened, but tell him it passed quickly. He insists on me not staying home alone and somehow mentions something to Maggie for her to suggest that she and Henry crash at Joe’s and Jared insists that I do the same. When Joe and I are in the Tesla, he notifies me that I’ll have one of the guest rooms and that he’ll be on his best behavior. He does pout a little when commenting that he’s disappointed that he won’t be able to make me cum sooner like we had agreed at the after party. I sinfully declare that he can make it up to me another time, possibly by setting a new record. Joe immediately accepts the challenge.

  Seventy Five

  A wet nose sniffing in my ear wakes me and I roll over in protest. The smell of the sheets is unfamiliar, forcing my eyes to open in panic. Scanning the room, I remember where I am and the events that took place last night.

  When I make it to the kitchen, Anna sweetly greets me, letting me know that Sadie’s already been fed and walked. My head hurts from the whirlwind of yesterday’s events and being up until almost four in the morning. I drink my morning clay and then play with Sadie in Joe’s living room, trying to decide if I want to workout today or not. Sadie suddenly perks up and darts around the couch, greeting Joe who is oddly up at this early hour as well. We exchange pleasantries awkwardly, aware that there are other guests in the penthouse and there’s potential for being seen or heard if we partake in our usual private setting behaviors and commentary.

  Anna nervously shuts off the television on the wall in the kitchen when Joe, Sadie and I enter. I don’t question her, but I do inconspicuously observe her carefully, not sure what to suspect.

  Joe and I head down to the building’s gym to spar after having a smoothie. It’s not the best choice of activities, forcing our bodies into closer proximities, but it’s far better than swimming practically naked with the sexual tension on high between us. Sadie lays off to the side of the mats as Joe and I test each other’s limits. We’re still learning what the other knows, deliberately holding back to keep each match interesting.

  When one of his neighbors enters the facility, the fifty-something woman turns on the television, increasing the volume loud enough for her to more than hear what’s being said as she rides a stationary bike. The voices of the news anchors catch my attention, causing me to lose focus and allowing Joe to flip me on my back, almost knocking the wind out of me.

  “You okay?” Joe questions fully of concern. “What happened?”

  “I got distracted,” I choke, fixing my gaze on the television.

  “By what?”

  I don’t have to say anything as the television reveals the answer.

  A photo of Chris and me pops up on the screen.

  “The biggest question everyone is asking is who is that mystery woman Chris brought with him for the premier. Aside from the fact that she and Chris have made the top of everyone’s list of best dressed, look at her, she gorgeous,” the black-haired woman states.

  “She’s more than gorgeous, Terry,” says the blonde. “She’s a goddess. Look at how she’s dressed. Her designer made the perfect outfit for a superhero’s girlfriend. Those curves and muscles on her almost make her a superhero too.”

  “She’s definitely gorgeous, so gorgeous that I would even date her, and I’m straight. Do you think they’re together, Shayna?” she inquires.

  “It sure looks like it. Look at these photos of them throughout the night,” the blonde comments.

  My skin crawls and my body winces as several pictures are shown on the television.

  “If they are together, she’s one lucky lady to be with Chris,” Terry states.

  “Or, is he one lucky man?” Shana questions.

  “I think they’re both lucky,” says Terry, giggling.

  “I would agree with you on that, but many of Chris’ twitter fans are not happy to see him suddenly unavailable,” Shayna remarks.

  “I’m curious to see his response to all of the chatter on social media. I can’t believe there hasn’t been a statement to confirm or deny the relationship,” Terry adds.

  “I’m sure we’ll hear something soon,” Shayna returns.

  “Well, Shayna,” Terry says. “The other top story of the night is the unknown designer who dressed both Chris and his sexy date. His phone must be buzzing from everyone wanting his chart-topping fashion.”

  A photo of Nathan and Jared is shown.

  “Sources say that there was a total of nine pieces of Nathaniel Young’s on the red carpet, including the two he and his partner were wearing,” Shayna continues.

  “Nine?” Terry shouts. “That’s a lot for an unknown designer.”

  “You’re telling me,” Shayna adds. “And, he’s got a shop right in West Hollywood.”

  Live video footage of the front of Nathaniel’s streams across the screen.

  “Look at the line down the street at just ten in the morning for the store and they don’t open for another hour,” Shayna explains as the camera spans down a long stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard.

  “There’s no way the fashion world can ignore Nathaniel and his style now,” Terry states.

  “I would have to agree with you on that,” comments Shayna. “I think we need to end our show a littler early because I want him dressing me if he can make Chris’ date look as good as he did!”

  “You’re too funny Shayna,” Terry answers. “I’m definitely in the spending mood, though. Let’s go!”

  The television cuts to the next story.

  “You okay?” Joe checks.

  “Huh?” I reply, wrapping my head around what we just saw. “Yeah. I thin
k so. You?”

  Joe laughs. “It’ll blow over in a few days. Lets get something to eat.”

  “Sure,” I agree quickly when I see the women in the room staring at me funny.

  Joe and I snack on some fruit before hopping into separate showers to get ready for the day while our friends continue to sleep. Anna makes a small breakfast for Joe and me which is ready by the time we finish getting dressed.

  Wanting to put the news about Chris and me out of my mind, I pick up my iPad and start working on things for Raven. I’m able to get some work done for about an hour until I turn on my email program. The inbox for Naturally Me endlessly chimes full of new emails, leaving a total count at four hundred and forty-four. Bing. Make that six hundred and twenty-five and still counting when I turn it back off.

  By one-thirty, Joe and I are in his dining room eating lunch when Maggie and Henry join us. Conversations are inconsequential as they get their morning cup of coffee and tea to wake up. Joe and I both refrain from mentioning the news we saw earlier. We’re able to eat in peace until Jimmy and Allen stride into the room about fifteen minutes later.

  “Sources tell us that Chris’ exceptionally hot date for the premier is, in fact, his girlfriend. Sorry ladies, this superhero is taken. We have yet to discover more about who she is other than her name, but that won’t stop us. Who is Emma?” Jimmy reads excitedly.

  He continues to read more, but my brain tunes him out while I do my best to stay calm and rational.

  “You are a heartbreaker, Emma,” Allen adds.

  “How so?” I question.

  “There are going to be a lot of women sad to know that Chris is off the market,” Jimmy explains.

  “But, he’s not off the market,” I contend.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Allen counters.

  “Of course it does,” I rebut.

  “The truth doesn’t matter to them,” Allen comments.

  “You might want to look into bodyguards,” Jimmy adds.

  “Why?” I say, worried by his statement.

  “We’ve got them,” Allen shares.