by Angie Wilder
“Are you ready to tell Ben?” Emma continued.
There were rules about buddy’s sisters. Evan wasn’t sure how Ben would take the news. The risk factor was high for a solid ass-kicking. Sure, Evan was a retired professional athlete, but a pissed-off brother wasn’t something to mess with. “Is this a one-night thing?”
She straightened to face him and ran her teeth over her lower lip. “I’d like it to be more,” she said looking vulnerable and hopeful.
“Good.” He was all in on more. Evan brushed an easy kiss to her lips. His hands drifted to the edge of her tee, to slip under the fabric. He was amazed by how deeply he desired the feel of her skin, so warm and soft against his palms. He splayed his fingers against the curve of her waist and considered their situation. “Here’s the cover story. Say you fell asleep at the clinic. That you needed to check on a case. You took ten minutes on the couch but didn’t wake until morning.”
“But my hair…” Emma’s fingers raked through the tangles.
“Very eighties rock star. I like it.”
“My momma will never believe I spent the night at the clinic.”
“Lift your arms.”
“Why?” She did as asked.
He smoothed his palms up her sides; the shirt gathered on his wrists as he progressed. “I have another plan that involves spoiling you with jasmine-scented shampoo.”
“Jasmine? You always smell like sandalwood.”
“You’ve been sniffing me?”
“Evan.” She giggled.
“The girly stuff is a Christmas gift I picked up for you, but now that we are more than friends”—he tossed her clothes aside and took a moment to appreciate the stunning view of her naked curves— “I’m upping my game.”
14
Her momma didn’t make a single peep over Emma’s damp braid and rumpled dress when she showed up at the clinic that morning with the fresh change of clothes that Emma had requested. The fib gave her a stomachache, but it was for the best. She hadn’t intended to fall asleep in Evan’s arms. It was just so perfect there. It was one thing to have an affair with Evan, another to let people find out. An affair? Is that what they’d started? She wasn’t the affair type. Not even a little. She needed a chance to think. Later. She had company—the shrewd kind that stood with a hand on her baby bump and a hip parked on the corner of Emma’s desk.
“Well…?” Kaley demanded, her eyebrows raised in expectation…or accusation. Emma couldn’t be sure.
“What?” Can’t anything stay a secret around here?
“Spill it.”
“How did you find out?” Her mother wasn’t that great of an actress, was she? She’d seemed to buy the falling-asleep-at-work tale.
“Your mom told mine. Yadda yadda yadda.” It was that age-old, this-is-how-it-always works gossip sharing. “Why didn’t you phone me?” Kaley’s frown broke into a gigantic grin. “Congratulations! You got the job offer. Partner!” She dashed around the desk to give Emma a hug.
“The offer? Right.” She giggled with nervous relief while Kaley squeezed her with enthusiastic cheer. Earlier, while her momma made the outfit drop-off, Emma had received a call from her wellness center in California notifying her that her partnership was assured. They would email the contract and finalize terms within the week. By the new year, she’d own her place in Beverly Hills. With her daddy’s health on the mend, and a candidate to fill the position here at the clinic, she’d be free to step into her dream job.
“What did you think I was talking about? What else do you have to spill your guts over?”
“Nothing… I just...”
“Just what? There’s more, isn’t there?”
Emma shook her head.
“I know you. There’s something.” She inspected her friend and asked, “Why are you wearing a conservative light pink blouse and tan pants with those sexy black heels?” Kaley pointed at the offending shoes.
Emma never mixed black and browns unless the outfit incorporated both colors. She grimaced, hating the need to use the cover story. “Momma’s choice. I had a patient to attend, and I slept at the office.” She didn’t want to confess they were her preference in footwear to seduce Evan, and with that mission accomplished, she was now stuck in painful shoes for an entire workday.
“And that’s why your hair is wet? You washed it in the sink?” Kaley leaned forward and sniffed. “You smell like jasmine.”
Good grief. “What’s wrong with that? I work with essential oils. This happens to be a favorite.”
Kaley folded her arms and stuck out her chin. “I was with Evan when he purchased your gift. I have a feeling you were with him when you used it.”
Emma’s heart jumped to her throat and tightened into a knot, making speech beyond a squeak impossible. Could she escape the full confession? Would she need to spill the glorious details of her sudsy flower-scented shower massage? Would the knocking at her office door save her?
The quick rhythm belonged to Evan. “Hey, Em.” He poked his head inside. He was holding a pastry box, and his smile was in full dimple. “Thought you might be hungry for your favorite treat.”
At some point, he ditched his lab coat, which he wore even better than a hockey jersey, and approached dressed in a white button-up and chinos. This too looked fantastic. My, heavens, if khaki pants made her flutter, she had a problem. The attraction she’d schooled herself against for a lifetime now flew off the charts.
“Hey there, cowboy,” Kaley drawled with impish delight. “Boom-chicka-wow-wow. I hear Emma has a new favorite treat.”
Evan paused halfway across the room and stared at his sister. That was it. Kaley knew, and Evan realized she knew.
It was horrible. Emma dropped her face into her palms and peeked through her fingers. She’d kept their sex life a secret for three whopping hours.
Evan stepped forward, abandoned the box, and said, “I’ll catch you at another time.” He hurried to the door.
Emma didn’t blame him for running.
But then he turned back. He settled at her side, took her hands and, with a gentle hold, lowered them from her face. “Em, you okay?”
She nodded.
“Then I’ll leave you ladies to your chat, but since Kaley found out…” He bent and brushed his lips to Emma’s. One sweet kiss and he moved to the door. “You know where to find me,” he said as he slipped out.
She melted into the chair, boneless.
“Oh, god, that was hot. Well, gross, in that it was my brother, but still…”
“Happy? You tricked him into believing I told you.”
“Oh, please.” Kaley waved her hand as if that were ancient news. “You must be ecstatic. You landed your big dream job, and you’re sleeping with my brother. How will you manage this location-wise?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean? Your perfect man and job do not share the same zip code. You’ve considered this, right?”
“I’ve had feelings for Evan for…forever. I didn’t dare dream he’d feel the same. Now everything is happening all at once. It’s been less than forty-eight hours since our first kiss.” Emma rose, paced to the door and back, then stepped to the doughnut box.
“You didn’t tell me about the kiss. We were shopping twenty-four hours ago. You had every opportunity.”
Emma sighed, knowing Kaley wouldn’t let this rest without some details. “It happened at your parents’ house, under the mistletoe.”
“Oh!” Kaley snorted.
Emma bit into the comforting jelly goodness. Around a mouthful of dough, she said, “You told Evan about my crush on him.”
“It all worked out, didn’t it?”
It was the best kiss of her life with the worst timing. “I still think you set Evan up with Joyce.”
Kaley fell quiet as she pondered the pastries and selected a bear claw. “She’s not his type, you are. It needed pointing out. I’m sorry about my methods, but—”
“You can’t be serious?”
>
“You were wearing my brother’s high school jersey. Emma, you may have claimed to be done with men, but you aren’t over him.”
“If Evan hadn’t appreciated that kind of attention from me, you could have made things weird for us. We are working together. We see each other constantly.”
“Please, he hasn’t taken his eyes off you since you arrived.” Kaley chewed, swallowed, then said, “This is great. Want a bite?”
Whenever they argued, Kaley had a tendency to smooth over the hurt with food.
“Fine.” Emma tore her jelly doughnut in half, and they swapped. “Now, what am I going to do?”
“Well, you should probably keep the sex gossip to yourself. You don’t need that kind of extra pressure.”
“You think?” Emma’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Oh, you mean me knowing? I don’t count. Now share some juicy sexy details.”
“This is your brother you are asking about.”
“I can handle it. We’ve been on this quest for a long time. Was it worth the wait?”
“And then some.” Emma didn’t want to share, but if she played up some minor details, Kaley would likely backpedal on her curiosity.
Kaley snorted. “Perhaps I don’t want to hear,” she said and leaned in for more.
“That underwear ad Evan was offered, he could have made big bucks. Huge.” Emma drew out the last word.
“Stop!” Kaley groaned.
“Evan has no self-consciousness walking around naked. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s so freaking sexy or if it’s a locker room thing. Either way, so mmm-mmm good!”
“Enough. You are torturing me because I should not have pried.”
“Darn right, but I’m just warming up—”
“Ahem,” Evan cleared his throat and propped his shoulder against the door frame.
Emma’s skin heated from her ears to her toes.
“Sorry to interrupt your deep conversation. When you’re done with your break, I have a spaniel I’d like a consult on, Em. I’m wondering if that chiropractic alignment you performed the other day could also help in this case.”
Emma rose, finding herself short on words. She squeaked out, “Really?”
“Sure. I’m open to new things.”
Kaley chuckled.
Evan pointed at his sister. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
Emma crossed the room, mortified. When she was inches away, she whispered, “Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.” Evan awarded her with a slow grin and drawled, “It was so mmm-mmm good.”
Over the past four days, Evan had formed a new habit. Emma. He would cross the reception area to find her in her office or the break room, wherever they could steal a private moment for a kiss or a smile, or more. By Thursday afternoon, he was completely distracted with falling for Em.
Evan put his phone down and set aside the notes he’d just jotted during the call. The candidates for the veterinarian position were calling, inquiring about their application. Ted’s heart attack couldn’t be used as an excuse to delay the new hire much longer. Logically, Evan knew he had to hire someone other than Emma, and fast, but his heart held out hope she’d stay. They’d skated around the topic of California.
He rose, drawn to her once more. It was minutes to closing time, and the clinic was quiet. On his course to find Emma, he nodded at Penny as she rang up a bulldog and chatted up its owner. She tipped her head, indicating Emma was in the vacant office space. The one the practice was looking to fill. The door was ajar, and he wondered if Em might be relocating her things from her father’s office. The thought filled him with light.
He stopped across the threshold. Emma’s back was to him. She leaned a hip against the old desk and faced the window. The afternoon sun streamed inside, creating a bright patch on the floor where Harry napped. She turned, sensing him, and gave him a wide smile.
Evan locked the door behind him and continued to her. “Are you moving in, Em?” he asked in a playful tone to hide how desperate he was to hear her say yes. It wouldn’t be fair to pressure her into staying, but if she chose to remain…
“Harry would be all for that. He loves a great sunbeam. The other day I popped in here searching for extra supplies, and Harry followed. Ever since, he’s pestered me to let him visit his favorite spot for an afternoon snooze.” Emma had moved a throw pillow from the sofa to fashion it into a cat bed. In slumber, Harry sprawled boneless and satisfied over his pampering.
Evan offered Emma a soft grin and hauled her into his arms before she saw his disappointment. He’d do anything for her if only he had a solution to this problem. How would he survive letting her go? His hug tightened.
“Evan, is everything okay? You seem stressed.”
“I have to make a hire soon. Ted left the choice to me, and I have two good applicants. Since whoever I select will join our clinic for the long haul, I need to be certain to get this one right.” Nobody felt right, compared to Emma. She had been raised to take over the practice, but her dreams where bigger than Hillcrest.
Emma ran her hands up his shoulders, and her eyes searched his. “I…” she started to say, but the words drifted away.
Maybe he should ask her? Could he do that after four days of loving her? Ask Em to change her whole life for him?
She angled her face toward the window and snuggled into another hug. “I have faith you’ll find the perfect person. Follow your heart.”
He should ask her, he thought, but then her lips were on his. This they did well. The kiss was hard and yearning, and before he got carried away, she released him.
“Sit down.” She rolled out the desk chair.
“Why?” He did as she requested.
“Because you’re too tall if you don’t,” she said and shifted behind him to place a feather-soft kiss to his neck where his pulse beat. “Plus, it’s tough to relax standing.” She gripped his shoulders and expertly pressed her thumbs into the base of his collar. Her touch traveled up his neck, and he groaned as she worked him over. Her fingers smoothed into his hair, kneading his scalp. He folded forward as Emma massaged away his tension. With her fingertips spread, she applied pressure to the sides of his head, right above his ears. He wondered if that was an acupressure thing. Whatever it was, it felt incredible.
“You like?”
He hummed in response. Em’s hands performed their magic as they trekked back down his neck and just under his collar. They slid around to his chest, and she undid three buttons on his shirt. He watched as she parted the material and stroked him. Her attention returned to his shoulders, taking advantage of the skin she’d exposed. He opened his shirt the rest of the way, then swiveled the desk chair to face her. Evan took hold of her hips, and she laughed as he pulled her to his lap.
Before his lips crashed over hers, he confessed, “I need you, Em. Right here.” Forever.
15
Emma had entered in time to see the last rays of pink sunlight wash over the frozen lake. There were worse ways to spend a Friday night than admiring Evan’s backyard view. His home’s design maximized the beautiful landscape. Emma had set up her laptop on the dining table to admire the woods and water, even though after sunset it was nothing but inky black and moonlight outside. She longed for the opportunity to experience the view in full sun, but she had very few days off before she returned to California.
It had been less than a full week in Evan’s arms, and her heart was fully invested in making the most of their time together. They were living in the moment.
This afternoon Evan had handed her his house key as he headed out of the clinic early to help coach the high school hockey team. Emma’s visit was under the pretense of giving Harry and Duffy a chance to acquaint themselves. As it stood with her condo situation, Emma couldn’t commit to keeping the cat, and the owner had yet to return. The pets were more than glad to accommodate the evening’s playdate. It was an excuse to wait for Evan, to share a meal and spend a couple of hours
cuddled on the couch. Or in his bed. So far, they had kept their relationship a secret.
During the day, it was a challenge to fight the drawing attraction. It didn’t take more than one of his hot promising looks, a private minute in Evan’s arms, and her clothes seemed to evaporate. Never had she needed like this. The newness, the intimacy, of baring herself to this amazing man, who was foremost her friend, kept her nerves jumping with excitement and vulnerability. There were powerful emotions at stake. Her heart was in trouble. For now, she was overjoyed to settle into the pinch-me-because-I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening stage. They were great together, and their friendship tightened. Though the glorious ways they occupied their time passed way beyond friendship. There wasn’t an inch of each other’s skin they hadn’t worshiped. Until Evan, she’d believed chemistry as they had was made up for the movies.
Emma poked at a loose hair that fell from her messy bun and untied the apron that covered her sweater and leggings. She left the pot of homemade soup to simmer on the stove and returned to her laptop, where she completed some notes.
When her email pinged, Emma peered at the subject line and sucked in a breath. It had arrived. The message was from the Beverly Hills clinic and was titled “Contract.”
“Yes!” Emma ran her palms up and down her thighs, then clicked open the information. There was an appointment set for one week out at a law office in Minneapolis. They’d attached the legal documents for her inspection. On the final Friday of the year, Emma would achieve her goal. Everything in the world that she wanted was hers at that minute. The job…the man…
At the sound of footsteps, Emma closed her workstation and hurried across the great room. “You’re home.” She grinned as Evan hugged her, sweeping her feet off the floor.
“I could get used to this,” he said with his words tickling her ear, then shifted to sweetly nip at her lips. “You are absolutely edible, and it smells fantastic in here.” He set her down and tugged his hoodie off over his head.