Breathe Out (Just Breathe, #2)(69)
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.
“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.