Maybe Later(58)

“How long have you lived in Colorado?” she asks. She’s trying to hide her smirk but doing a poor fucking job.

“Come on, buddy,” I say opening the back door and taking Sushi’s carrier. “You’re home.”

Emmeline settles Sushi into his bed, gets him fresh water and makes sure that his bowl is full. Once she’s done, I zero the distance between us and pull her into my arms for a kiss.

Our mouths lock together eagerly. There’s no softness or finesse. Only urgency and desperation. Our tongues tangle. Frantic. Greedy. Emmeline whimpers and wraps her legs around me. Her arms around my neck and her fingers run through my hair, pulling it. She’s gone wild. Every lap of her tongue sends shockwaves straight to my dick. I’m getting fucking hard. I grind up against her.

“What are we doing?” I ask because last time she couldn’t handle this, and right now she’s vulnerable.

“I’m not sure.”

Fuck, that’s what I thought.

“I’m sorry for disappearing on you the way I did,” I open with an apology. “Can we try again?”

She nods and says, “I’d like that.”

“Should I stay with you for the night, or would you like me to pick you up at seven?”

She looks at the bed then at me and sighs. “We’ll fit, it’s a king size.”

“But you’re not ready for more than a roommate for the night.”

“An understanding guy might help,” she adds sheepishly.

“You’re in luck,” I offer. “You got one. Let me take a cold shower, and I’ll join you.”

She seems a little distressed.

Intuitively, I crook a finger at her and say, “Em, come here.”

She takes a step closer to me, and I pull her in for a hug. Then I whisper in her ear. “I’ll wait for you. This doesn’t mean I’ll disappear on you. Believe me, the reason I didn’t call had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with my own fucking insecurities.”

She looks up, her eyes vulnerable.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to pull her jeans and lacy panties down. I’d give my left ball to be able to push her down to the couch and taste her pussy. Lick her slick core until I drove her crazy with lust and she came in my mouth.

But tonight, I’ll take care of myself—as I’ve been doing for the past month—and hold her against my body while she sleeps.

“You surprise me,” she whispers against my chest. “Thank you for calling at just the right time.”





Chapter Twenty-Nine





Jack


From: J. Spearman

To: A. Walker

Subject: Family Emergency

Monday, May 23th, 8:00 a.m.



There was a family emergency, and I’ll be out of the office for the next couple of days. I delegated most of my tasks, so you don’t have to worry about your problem child. What happened to your cat?

J.



AWalk90 sent you a playlist

AWalk90: Is everyone okay?



I look at Ramen who is resting next to me. She’s doing better. We picked her up Friday morning, and she’s barely left my side. I stayed with Em for the weekend, and I might continue doing the same for the next couple of days. Ramen only eats when I’m next to her, petting her. She lets me clean her wounds. If Em gets close to her, she hisses at her.



JSpear84: Yes, everything is under control.

AWalk90: Ramen is okay. She’s being spoiled.



“Put that cat down, Jack,” Emmeline calls me from her office. “I swear she’s just playing you.”

“She needs a few more days of love,” I protest and pet the cat. “Do you need more coffee, babe?”

“You’re spoiling me too,” she says and shows me her mug. “I should hire you as my assistant.”

I pour more coffee into her mug and do the same with mine. All weekend I’ve been cuddling and spoiling the both of them.

“Here.” I set the mug on her desk and kiss the top of her head.

It’s the first time I’ve been in her office. The white walls are covered in quotes, Post-its, and there’s even a whiteboard.

“Quotes for every occasion?”

Emmeline bounces from her chair and begins to point at them. “The ones with a black marker are the ones I make up. The red ones are from some of my clients. The blue ones are the ones I find on the internet. The Post-its are from books.”

“Take the day off,” I suggest, grabbing her around the waist and swinging her around.

She sighs, hugging me tightly with her arms and legs.

“I have a lot to do. Thankfully, one of my clients is out of town. If I hurry, I should be done early. I can even delegate a few things to Laura.”

“Your best friend?” I ask her as I set her down on the floor. “Yeah, she’s doing some freelance work for me,” she says casually. “Are you sure you don’t have to go to work?”

I shake my head. “I asked for a couple of days off.”

“Have I told you how amazing you are today?” her face beams. “You called, came just in time and…well, you’ve been here for me since the animal hospital.”