Breathe In (Just Breathe, #1)(154)

As the party begins at eleven and doesn’t conclude until almost five, I’m finally able to relax, knocking another maid of honor task off the list. Jared and Nathan help me pack Henry’s car when he arrives to pick up Maggie. Once the caterers are gone and Kim’s maids are halfway done with clean-up, Jared, Nathan, Henry, Maggie and I drop Sadie home and then head out to meet up with Pop-Pop at Katana’s on Sunset for some sushi and sashimi.

Just as we are seated, my attention is pulled away from Maggie telling me something when Jared shouts out to someone. “Hey man! Welcome back.”

I do my best to focus on Maggie, but she turns with a perky smile to greet the person who I only see in my peripheral vision. Without needing all the details, I know exactly who it is when my body shivers.

“We’ve been wondering if we’d lost you to the East Coast,” Jared teases.

“No, at all,” Joe’s voice announces with a husky tone. “Happy to be back.”

I rise slowly to greet Joe last out of everyone. “Hey,” I offer casually.

I’m miffed that Joe’s back, well, just by his impeccable timing. It’s that time of the month — again.

“Hey yourself,” he returns.

I can see the restraint in his eyes. It’s taking a lot of willpower for him not to kiss me right now.

Once everyone settles into their seats, Henry and Joe allow the rest of us to order a spread for everyone to share while we wait for Pop-Pop. Small talk erupts quickly as if no one has been gone.

“Pop-Pop,” Nathan yells.

Everyone greets Pop-Pop, and after several hours of dining and conversations, Nathan decides to be funny. “Why don’t we hit up Ayana’s for the night? Huh?”

“Not funny, Nathan,” I retort.

“Come on . . .” he presses back.

“Babe, leave her alone,” Jared jumps to my defense.

“What’s Ayana’s?” Pop-Pop inquires.

“A nightclub,” Maggie informs.

“Ohhh, I’m too old for a night club,” Pop-Pop replies with a chuckle. “But, thanks for asking.”

“You keep that up and you’ll have to find Chris another date,” I announce sternly.

“Okay, okay,” Nathan concedes. “I’m sorry.”

“You’ll have to do better than that,” Jared instructs.

“I love you, Kitten,” Nathan presents, batting his eyes.

“That’s nice,” I return coldly.

“Ouch! I feel the ice all the way over here,” Nathan dramatically declares.

“Serves you right,” Maggie digs.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you, why do you call Emma, Kitten?” Pop-Pop investigates.

“Because she looked like a cute, little, lost kitten when we first met,” Jared half lies.

I watch Maggie and Nathan snicker a little.

“That’s sweet," Pop-Pop replies.

The other half of the truth of why Jared calls me Kitten is because I’m like a cat when it comes to men. I only want to be touched when I want to be touched. I like affection, but only from certain people. I’m picky, like a cat, in the sense of who I’m willing to talk to and sleep with. I get the itch to be touched and when I’ve had enough, I just walk away without a care in the world.

Once we’re ready to go home, Jared, Nathan and Pop-Pop leave in one car, Maggie and Henry in another and Joe and myself in the last one. Once on the road, Joe takes my hand as we head back to Pasadena. I lay my head back on the seat and close my eyes to rest for a few minutes, tired from the long day.


I wake to Joe’s warm hand stroking my face.

“Emma,” he whispers.

“Hmmm?” I reply before opening my eyes.

“We’re back,” he informs me.

My eyes open and I don’t recognize where we are for a minute. “Where are we?”

“The parking lot in my building.”

“Why?”

“No one is here. Just you and me,” he reveals.

“I need to get home to Sadie,” I admonish.

A noise comes from the back seat and I feel and hear a dog sniffing my left ear.

“I picked her up. You were out cold,” he chuckles.

We both scratch Sadie’s head.

“How did you get into my place,” I ask eyeing him.

With a sex tingling smile, Joe explains, “I used your key.” He gestures to my purse.

At a loss for words, I just nod my understanding.

Joe is a perfect gentleman. He helps Sadie and me out of the car and he doesn’t touch me other than to place his hand on the small of my back as we ride up the elevator to his door. As soon as his front door is closed, Joe’s demeanor changes. Taking his time, like he’s plotting every next step, he holds me against his body as he places his keys, money clip and loose change in the large bowl that sits on the table by the door. He switches hands on my back, not letting go, before checking the pockets on his other side. Instead of waiting for him to finish, I rush, grabbing the back of Joe’s head and plant my lips onto his. Joe doesn’t move anything except his lips. His manhood twitches, but other than those two organs, Joe is motionless until I gradually pull my mouth away.

“Mmmmmm,” he groans in protest. “God, I’ve missed the taste of you.”