“I met a guy.”
Her head swings to me. “You did?!”
“Well, he’s not a guy. Too sophisticated. Probably over forty.”
Hannah’s eyebrows twitch. She mulls it over since she and I are nearly the same age. She’s the oldest cousin, I’m second in line. “Early or late forties?”
“Early, but with salt and pepper hair.”
“Okay.”
“Very rich.”
“Go on.”
“Dad ordered me to stay away from him.”
My cousin’s hip rests against the counter as her head tilts, eyes flashing, “Excuse me, but how did Uncle Jake meet this new man of yours, and I’m only now hearing about him? What the fuck, Emm? I’ve been spending a lot of time with Tobias,” she motions between our bodies, “but we’re still us!”
“No no no! I haven’t introduced him to my parents, are you crazy?”
She eyes me. “Now I’m really confused.”
While we make some potato chips, the apple, and every drop of water in our glasses disappear, I tell her the details I can remember.
Which is all of them.
Hannah asks a lot of normal questions to keep up and when I’m done she stares off, tugging on her braid in a considering way.
“Wow, this is dangerous, Emm.”
“I know.”
“Your dad is going to flip.”
“He can’t ever find out.”
“Cora’s going to be furious when she discovers you stole a client from her. I mean, I’m all for it because she has been a total nightmare to you.” Hannah opens the fridge to refill our glasses. “Doesn’t respect you at all! But it’s flirting with chaos to go about it this way.”
“I’m not stealing him! Rachel ordered her to drop him, and I’m sure she didn’t want to lose that sale. And this way I still get to do what I want.”
Hannah lifts her glass and I lift mine. We share a conspiratorial smile and tap them together. “Naughty Emma. Never saw this side of you before.”
I bite my tongue and remind myself what I’d forgotten. There are some things I’ve never told Hannah. For example, she doesn’t know about Andy.
Cleaning up our mess she casually asks, “When do you see him again? I mean, wait, let me correct myself. When do you show the first client of your very own his next enormous mansion? Just the two of you? Alone with plenty of walls to fuck against.”
I jump off the counter. “Stop it! You’re not making this crush any easier.”
“Crush?” she teases. “Already a crush?”
Changing the subject I announce, “I’m going to split the commission with Cora, by the way. That way she can’t be too upset, I imagine. Plus, it’s only fair since it was hers to begin with. Or maybe I’ll give it all to her and use this as a way to impress her, in hopes she’ll give me more prospectives like this. She only dropped him because Rachel made her! She’ll probably thank me!”
As we drop to the patio furniture in her pretty backyard, she smirks, not allowing me to divert her. “Crush, come on! More like an infatuation. You should see your face! This is you: Oh I’m just doing this to help Cora, the bitch who verbally abuses me every damn day. That’s all! You want this guy bad!”
I wince and mutter, “He’s incredibly sexy. For a jerk. But that doesn’t matter! I’m not going to mess this opportunity up. I’ll keep things professional.”
“Bullshit!” she snorts, pale eyes catching in the waning light. “There is nothing professional about this decision. Opportunistic maybe, but not for work!”
I smile, “Stop!”
Hers fades. “Seriously though, I’m keeping you in reality. Sorry Emm, but you’re messing with fire which means someone will get burned. Do you think it will be him? He sounds like a seasoned ladies man. Be careful.”
We go silent, sipping our water, her staring at me, me at the grass to avoid her.
After it becomes too awkward I meet her eyes. “Everyone has to get their heart broken at least once, right?”
Slowly she shakes her head with love-filled compassion. “Oh, Emma, poor thing, you are already signed up.”
CHAPTER 12
EMMA
M y keys are in my hand, primed and ready for the apartment Hannah and I used to share. But I’m not prepared for who I find on the welcome mat. “What are you doing here?”
Andy smiles and pushes off the wall. “Hey gorgeous.”
Confused but not unhappy to see him I open the door and glance over my shoulder to meet his warm, brown eyes. “Have you been sitting out here forever or what?”
“Nah,” he laughs, following me in. “I was training with Tobias today, helping him stay focused like a good manager should.” He beats his chest, comically, like an ape. I set my purse down as he continues on with a more normal voice, “Heard you’d dropped by their place so I headed over here to say hello and he took a break.”
Giving Andy a hug I smell the familiar locker room scent on him from their sweat. “It’s good to see you. Aren’t you afraid he’ll slack off? Breaks are for wimps.”
Andy laughs and I pull away, but he gently wraps his fingers around my arm and pulls me nearer. “Hey, not so fast. Been too long since I kissed those pretty lips of yours.”
“It was last month,” I smile, slipping my arms around his neck. “Don’t get the pouty face. We have a regular thing and you know it.”
He smiles into my eyes. “Not regular enough for me, Emma. Hannah doesn’t know about it, yet, does she?”
I tug away from his hold. We walk into the kitchen and he heads to grab a beer from my fridge like he always does when he drops over now. It’s a nice, easy familiarity between us and I told him he should make himself at home months ago.
“I don’t want one,” I say as he pulls out two. While he throws the cap away from his bottle, stashing the other back in its home, I open the curtains facing the full moon. I saw it on the drive home and it was mysterious, peeking out from a smattering of clouds. “She asked me today if I mind living alone and I have to admit, I don’t. Gets a little lonely sometimes, especially since she bought that house by my brother Ethan. It’s like I’m in another world out here, even though it’s only twenty minutes away.”
“Forty if there’s traffic,” Andy mutters, leaning against a wall. “I miss Florida whenever I’m on 75. Parking lot with rows of taillights.”
Sitting on one of the dining room chairs I get defensive of Atlanta and argue, “It’s not that bad.”
“Yes it is.”
“I never take the freeway home.”
“You know what I mean. Even the surface streets, if they get blocked up it’s a fuckin’ nightmare.”
“Well, there used to be potholes so count yourself lucky,” I toss back.
“Oh yeah? Streets always look real cared for to me.”
With pride I tell him, “That’s because Uncle Justin took care of it when he was Senator. It was at the top of his grievances list. Didn’t make sense that Georgia’s largest city should have such shabby pavement. He found the corruption and had a ton of planners and controllers fired. The old Mayor, too. Cora to this day will tell me, as if I didn’t already know, that Justin chose her to find the best home for the woman he brought in to take over the job and run things right.”
Andy crooks a finger at me. “Come here.”
I walk to him out of habit, without hesitation. “You trying to shut me up already? I just got started,” I tease.
Laughing a little he shakes his head, warm brown eyes locked with mine. “Nah, babe. Just want to get you off the topic of your boss. I know she drives you nuts.” He kisses my nose then presses a gentle kiss to my lips.
The memory of Tanner’s kiss floods into me. When normally I would respond and open my mouth, I keep it closed, pulling away with a boundary-inducing smile. “I want to see the moon before it goes away.”
We turn to the window and he stands behind me, slipping muscular arms around my waist and dipping his chin on my
shoulder to watch with me. I lean into him, again out of habit, but inside a guilty tension is building in my belly. Clouds like stretched-thin cotton balls float by as Andy’s thick fingers, calloused from weight lifting, caress my arms in a soothing way. Everything about him feels comfortable. Anyone on the outside would think a sweet guy like Andy would make me happy, and he does in a way. He’s a very uncomplicated person who doesn’t challenge me. Problem is…I’m a Cocker.
I need a challenge.
When he starts to kiss my neck, my teeth grit together because I couldn’t be any more dry than I am right now.
“Andy…” I whisper, tone filled with meaning, hoping he gets the message.
He turns me around and searches my eyes, a frown piercing his tanned skin. “What’s up? You’re not feelin’ me today?”
“I’m just…not in the mood I guess.”
He runs a hand through his short hair and blinks, stepping back to decide how to handle the rejection. “Okay. That’s cool.” Pacing a little he cocks his head and stops walking. “You just see me as a friend don’t you?”
Controlling a sigh I remind him, “We’ve talked about this.”
“Nope.”
I lean against the window. “Yes, we have. You and I are friends with benefits.”
“Friends you hide with benefits.”
“Andy…”
“No, Emma, seriously! There’ve been a couple of those infamous Family BBQs and you’ve gone alone, even when I said I was free. You haven’t told Hannah about us hooking up, and I’m pretty sure girls tell each other everything.”
“Andy…”
“Let me finish! I gotta say this.” He grabs his head with both hands, huge biceps flexing with stress. “It’s been eating me up, because I like you! I like you a lot. And I’ve been acting like I’m okay with this situation because what guy wouldn’t be stoked to have this kind of freedom and get you at the same time? It’s a gift—I get that! But I want more.” I stare at him, aghast. He waves his arm. “There, I said it! I want more. At least tell Hannah. Tobias knows and I made sure he doesn’t say anything because you told me to. But now I’m starting to think you’re ashamed of me!”
Feeling terrible I reach for him but Andy steps clear. “I’m not ashamed, come on, you know I’m not! It’s just my family is very tight and I’m the second oldest, and a girl. It’s normal for people to give a woman grief for not being married yet or having someone on the horizon. If I told them we were occasionally sleeping together—which is all we’re doing, right?— they’d bug me about when we were going to get serious and not let up!”
“That’s crap!”
Irritated, my eyes flash. “Don’t snap at me. This is the first I’ve become aware that you’re not happy with how things are, so don’t act all angry that I didn’t know!”
His lips sliver and he storms into the living room where I find him pacing in the small space. “You knew I wanted more.”
“No, I didn’t! I knew you were a playboy, traveling the world as Tobias’s manager! I thought you must have been getting laid in every city. That’s what I thought, not that you wanted to meet my family.”
Andy blinks at me like I’m nuts, then his eyes clear up. “That’s what you thought was happening?”
“Yes!”
“Did it ever bother you, the idea of me being with other women on the road?”
We stare at each other. “No, it didn’t.”
He throws up his arms, storms to the door. “Great! That says it all, doesn’t it?!”
I call out, “Andy! Don’t you dare leave like this!” He stops, knuckles white just like Tanner’s were on his car door before. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
“And you don’t want to be my girlfriend. If you did, you would’ve been jealous. You would’ve invited me to a damn BBQ. You would’ve kissed me tonight instead of pulling away. You would’ve told your best fucking friend about us a long time ago.”
“This is ridiculous!” I cry out.
“There’s a lot of things you don’t want to do with me, Emma.”
Sighing I throw my fists on my hips and we glare at each other. “I really hate this.”
He hits himself in the chest and says, “But you don’t love this, either. I’m outta here.”
The door slams behind him.
My gut is telling me if I ran after him I could turn this around, take him to bed, go back to how things were. At least until he blew up again.
The image of Andy meeting Grams makes me wince, rather than be excited like it should. That’s my barometer. Maybe it’s everyone’s in this family—get Grams’s approval and you know you’re on the right track.
He’s a good person but he’s very basic on many levels. I know she wouldn’t think Andy was challenging enough for my mind. Or maybe that’s just me believing that all on my own. Wrapping my arms around my head I collapse on the couch and stay balled up like this for a very long time.
CHAPTER 13
T ANNER
T he white Lexus is already here when I park. Emma Cocker is watching me from the sidewalk in dusty-blue heels and a matching wrap dress that hugs her body with professional elegance. She smiles like a realtor as I shut the door.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Hamilton,” she cooly calls over.
Guarded, I button my suit jacket. “Ms. Cocker. This is a surprise.”
Her smile falters. “Your assistant didn’t tell you I’d be showing you this house?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Oh,” she quietly says, then plasters the smile back on. “I guess it slipped his mind. I can assure you I know everything there is to know about this property.”
“Prove it.”
She stares at me a beat. Her lips part to launch into another speech.
Mine twitch. “I’m messing with you, Ms. Cocker. He did tell me. I have no doubt you could regale me with facts I will find too boring to remember. I’m looking for something in particular, so how about we just look at the house. You can point things out that you think I need to know, and I’ll ask questions when I have them.”
I enjoy listening to her talk a little too much. Have to nip that in the bud before this goes in a direction I can’t allow.
Those long eyelashes flutter and her neck lengthens as she turns to lead the way. “If that’s what you’d prefer,” she politely announces, her voice showing no sign of remembering our kiss or my warning. Or her father’s, for that matter. The fact that she hasn’t mentioned it tells me it’s on her mind more than she would like it to be.
She’s not alone.
I woke up from a wet dream last night for the first time since I was a teen. While most men over forty would find that exciting, I don’t. I almost didn’t show up today but then found myself driving faster. Had to stop at a coffee shop lest I arrived too early. Most impatient half-hour of my life.
We are both stiff as we make our way up the path. Her perfume lifts on the breeze and floats right into my nose. Closing my eyes I inhale deeply, then curse silently to myself and lie aloud to her, “I only have time for one showing today.”
Her shoulders tighten more, but she nods. “That’s fine. I’m sure you’re a busy man.”
I have nothing on the agenda except keeping this brief so I can maintain control of my cock. “There’s a meeting right after this, and another after that.”
“We’ll be swift,” she smiles, but behind her eyes I can see she’s disappointed. Oh, Little Emma, why are you playing with fire? And why do I hope you fan it?
As we walk into a furnished foyer I listen to her tell me about the current family having moved to the Midwest. I study her face as she explains, “They’ll pack up as soon as the sale goes through but it’s been on the market for about six months. I’m sure you can imagine not many people are in need of a house with fourteen bedrooms. This way.”
I follow her tour for the next half hour, a constant struggle to keep my mind on what she’s saying. It’s distracting that she
loves her job as much as this. To me that always makes a person far more attractive, when they’re living their dream. The dark cloud of denial isn’t on them. Their eyes shine as they are meant to.
“Not many bathrooms here,” I notice aloud.
She laces her fingers together. “True. There are only four in addition to the master bath, plus a half one beside the kitchen, which I’ll take you to next. Is that a problem?”
Biting my lips I think on it. “It’s something to note.”
“Of course,” she smiles.
Our comfortable gazes hold, and the comfort vanishes. Suddenly her chest lifts with a forced breath and she turns on her heel like she was about to throw herself into my arms and had to stop herself.
I pace up here, alone, to get a hold of myself, because normally when I want to kiss someone I fucking do it. This is madness.
Emma’s waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, jaw tight and smile fake. “Everything okay?”
She knows it’s a loaded question, but I’ll play along. “Perfectly. Let’s see this kitchen I’ve heard so much about.”
She eyes me, not sure if I’m making fun of her. Deciding against calling me out on it, she announces, “The refrigerator is industrial sized, but the stove needs to be replaced, in my opinion. It hasn’t been changed in decades and doesn’t match the décor. So if you decide you love this property I know we could talk them down in price for that, and for the basement. It doubles as a game room but isn’t up to code.”
“Really?” I mutter, mesmerized by her ass ticking from side to side. “We’ll have to do something about that.”
Emma glances back and catches me. Her cheeks fill with color, driving me crazy. She motions to the stove, stuttering slightly. “Here…here it is.”
“This is larger than the last kitchen,” I notice.
“Yes.” She touches a countertop and quietly smiles, “Not that size matters.”
I cut a glance to her. “Just so we’re clear, it’s large.”
“The kitchen?”
“No, not the kitchen.” I slip my hands into my pockets to hide my growing tent.
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