Designing Emma
Volume 6
Tying Knots
Clarissa Carlyle
Designing Emma (Volume 6)
Clarissa Carlyle
Published by Clarissa Carlyle, 2016.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
DESIGNING EMMA (VOLUME 6)
First edition. June 28, 2016.
Copyright © 2016 Clarissa Carlyle.
ISBN: 978-1533719621
Written by Clarissa Carlyle.
Also by Clarissa Carlyle
Designing Emma
Designing Emma (Volume 1)
Designing Emma (Volume 2)
Designing Emma (Volume 3)
Designing Emma (Volume 4)
Designing Emma (Volume 5)
Designing Emma (Volume 6)
Designing Emma Boxed Set Bundle (Includes all 6 Volumes in the Designing Emma Series)
Designing Emma Boxed Set (Includes all 6 Volumes in the Designing Emma Series)
Entertainment with Jem
Jemma 1
Jemma 2
Jemma 3
Jemma 4
Jemma 5
Jemma Boxed Set (Includes all 5 books in the Entertainment with Jem New Adult Romance Series)
Jemma Boxed Set Bundle
Lessons in Love
Lessons in Love
Letters of Love
Living with Love
Lessons in Love Boxed Set
Lessons in Love Boxed Set Bundle
Managed
Managed 1: A Rock Star Romance
Managed 2: A Rock Star Romance
Managed 3: A Rock Star Romance
Managed 4: A Rock Star Romance
Managed: A Rock Star Romance, Boxed Set (Includes All 4 Books in the Managed Series)
The Playgirls
The Playgirls 1: Catch and Release
The Playgirls 2: Growing Up
The Playgirls 3: The Big Leagues
The Playgirls Boxed Set
The Playgirls Boxed Set Bundle
Standalone
Just Like Heaven
Hollywood Heartthrob
Fresh Beginnings: Michael and Delaney
The Day the Siren Stopped
Table of Contents
Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Also By Clarissa Carlyle
Find out how to get 3 FREE books!
Tying Knots
Author Info
Sign up for Clarissa Carlyle's Mailing List
Also By Clarissa Carlyle
Find out how to get 3 FREE books!
HTTP://CLARISSACARLYLE.com/newsletter
Tying Knots
NICK GROANED WITH DESIRE as Emma whispered the words to him yet again.
“Take me now.”
He wanted nothing more than to hoist her up, letting her wrap her long, lean legs around him as he carried her off towards his bedroom. But something stopped him.
“Emma, we can’t,” he murmured as he pulled away from her.
“Yes, we can,” Emma purred, leaning back into him, tenderly kissing his neck.
“Urgh,” Nick moaned as it felt so good, but he needed to keep his mind clear. He needed to do the right thing. He took a step back away from Emma, placing distance between them.
“I’m serious,” he said sternly. “We can’t do this.”
“Does your nose hurt too much?” Emma asked, and then she fluttered her eyelashes and added saucily, “I can help you forget all about it.”
“It’s not... not that.” Nick waved a dismissive hand in front of his face. “God, you’re making it so hard for me!”
“Oh?” Emma noted flirtatiously.
“Not that.” Nick sighed. “Emma, we can’t sleep together because I’m not who you want.”
Emma froze as she saw the intent behind Nick’s eyes and realized that he was being serious with her. She instantly felt dirtied by the rejection.
“I mean, obviously I’m attracted to you,” Nick explained. “You’re a beautiful woman, and we really get along! You’re my friend! And that’s just it!”
Emma listened as her cheeks burned red with embarrassment.
“I want us to stay friends,” Nick explained gently. “I don’t want to ruin what we have. I would be no good for you. You’ve seen how I treat women.”
Emma turned away from him.
“Besides, I’m not the guy you really want,” he concluded.
“How do you know what I want?” Emma cried heatedly. “I just threw myself at you, and you rejected me!”
“It’s not like that!” Nick implored her.
“Why did you even kiss me?” Emma demanded. “If you see me as just a friend?” The label felt ill-fitting yet oddly appropriate, as she’d used it herself before when discussing Damion. She hadn’t realized just how much saying it could actually hurt someone.
“I like you!” Nick insisted. “I like you enough not to do this. Don’t you see? I’m not going to sleep with you because I respect you.”
Emma didn’t see. All she saw was rejection and humiliation. Tears burned at the back of her eyes. She needed to leave.
“Emma!” Nick moved towards her as she headed for the door. “Emma, don’t leave!” he cried.
“Why should I stay?” Emma cried as she moved through the front door and slammed it shut behind her.
In the sudden silence within his apartment, Nick sighed wearily and lowered himself down onto a stool by his kitchen counter.
“Nicely played, Cardelinni,” he lightly berated himself. He could still taste Emma upon his lips, but he knew he’d done the right thing by stopping things from going any further. In time, Emma would see that too. But she was currently hurting.
“Dammit.” Nick sighed as he reached out to pour himself a fresh glass of scotch, needing something to ease the pain of the encounter.
EMMA RAN DOWN THE STAIRS within Nick’s apartment building, not daring to use the elevator and have someone register her splotchy cheeks and red eyes. She wanted to be alone with her shame.
She descended each level, her footsteps ringing out along the stairwell. How could she have been so stupid? Of course Nick didn’t like her like that. No, she’d made a complete fool of herself and possibly lost a friend.
Her breath began to burn in her chest, so Emma was forced to stop, leaning heavily against the handrail. She was only a few floors from the lobby, but her legs ached and felt as useless as jelly beneath her.
Slowly she released the handrail, lowered herself onto the step, and let her head fall into her hands. Everything in her life felt like such a mess. Daniel, Damion and now Nick; she’d lost them all. Why couldn’t everything stay as simple as it was during their prep school days when they were all just best friends looking to take on the world together.
Finally, Emma’s breathing returned to normal, and she picked up her head and wiped at her tearstained cheeks. Glancing back up, she realized with a heavy heart that Nick hadn’t run after her. He’d been happy to just let her go.
“Who can blame him?” Emma said to herself despairingly as she got back on her feet. When it came to men, she seemed to have appallingly bad judgment. She’d fallen head over heels for Daniel, and look how that had turned out?
Emma walked the final few flights of stairs, unable to maintain her more harassed pace. By the time she pushed open the door and entered the lobby, her cheeks had returned to their usual pale color and her eyes looked less red. Holding her head as high as she could, Emma left Nick’s apartment building and headed bac
k towards her own. As she walked alone, she made a promise to herself to stop being so stupid when it came to men. Each time she got involved with someone, she only seemed to invite misery in to her life. What she needed to do was to focus on Delacourt Designs and ensure that her company became something great, something wondrous.
“I’m done with men,” Emma declared brightly as she walked the familiar route through the city towards her own home. The streets were thankfully relatively quiet, so she could walk in peace with only her tangle of thoughts for company. She tried not to think about what she’d currently be doing if Nick hadn’t spurned her advances. Her mind started to feel foggy and confused. She wasn’t sure if she was drunk or just distraught. When she got back to her apartment, she headed straight for her bedroom and bundled herself up in the sheets, eager to block out the world and just get lost in her dreams.
EMMA BURROWED DEEP within her sheets and tried to ignore the incessant ringing of her doorbell.
“Go away!” she grumbled groggily as she pulled the bedding tighter around her. She wanted to remain in her bed nest until the end of time.
The doorbell rang again.
“Urgh!” With one dramatic flourish, Emma removed her sheets and instantly shivered as she parted from their warmth. Stretching her long legs, she got up and stormed over to the front door, anticipating that she’d open it to find Nick there, having reconsidered his decision to reject her, but he’d be too late. He’d already shamed her too deeply, and now she was sworn off men entirely!
DANIEL WAITED NERVOUSLY at Emma’s door, flowers and chocolates in hand. He’d pressed the doorbell several times, but she’d yet to appear. Was she sleeping? Or worse, was she there with someone? Suddenly Daniel was having second thoughts about dropping in on her unannounced. He glanced at the bouquet of roses and the box of imported Belgian chocolates. The lady at the store had insisted that they were the finest she stocked and that any woman would be overjoyed to receive them. But Emma wasn’t any woman. Daniel was just about to turn around and skulk back to his apartment when he heard the door unlock on the other side.
Hope blossomed brightly in his chest as Emma pulled open the door, but that faded quickly at the dark, unwelcoming look on her face. Emma scowled at him. He could see her hair tangled wildly around her head, and there were pillow creases upon her soft cheeks. Clearly, he’d just woken her.
“Ems, hey,” Daniel began uncertainly. He wasn’t used to conversations of this sort. Usually he was the one pursued by women, not the other way around. In these unknown waters, he wasn’t sure how to swim and feared that he may be sinking fast.
“Hey,” Emma replied curtly.
“Did I wake you up?”
“No.” Emma stood in the doorway, blocking further entry into her apartment.
“Can I... come in?” Daniel asked sheepishly.
Emma rolled her eyes and blew some stray strands of hair out of her face.
“I won’t be a minute,” Daniel added a little too eagerly.
“Fine.” Emma pushed the door open all the way and let Daniel enter. As he passed her, she eyed the flowers and chocolates warily. He caught her eyeing them and promptly presented them to her.
“These are for you.” He extended the gifts, a nervous look upon his handsome face. Cautiously, Emma accepted them and placed them down on her coffee table.
“Um... thanks.” She couldn’t remember the last time Daniel had brought her a gift, and she was in no mood to try to decipher his sudden generous behavior.
“Can we talk?” Daniel asked, lowering himself onto Emma’s shabby-chic-style sofa.
“I thought you weren’t going to be long.” Emma sighed as she dropped down on a nearby chair, facing him.
“I won’t be.” Daniel leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “But I really wanted to talk to you.”
“About what? Did you come here to apologize for busting Nick’s nose? Are the flowers and chocolates supposed to make the fact that you hit him okay?”
“No.” Daniel quickly shook his head. “That’s not what they’re for.”
“So you’re not sorry you hit him?” Emma asked tersely, her eyes widening with disdain.
“No... I mean yes.” Daniel groaned slightly and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I hit Nick. Truly I am. When I saw you together something... came over me.”
“I don’t care if you were briefly possessed by a vengeful spirit. You shouldn’t have hit him.”
“I was jealous!” Daniel admitted helplessly. “I saw you together, and I lost it.”
Emma narrowed her eyes at him. “You were jealous?” she repeated.
“Yes, I saw you two and thought you were together, and that was it. I realized that I’m the one meant to be with you. I can’t bear the thought of you being with anyone else.”
Emma’s mouth fell open in disbelief. She’d waited so long to hear those words, but now, the delivery and timing were completely the wrong time.
“So basically you threw me away, cast me out like trash, but the moment you think someone else might be interested, you want me back?” Emma asked bitterly.
“Ems, it’s not like that,” Daniel implored her.
“Really? Because it sure sounds like that.” Emma could feel her whole body tensing in anger.
“I’m trying to make things right,” Daniel insisted. “I’ve realized the error of my ways. Emma, we belong together. I know you feel it too.”
Emma looked at the flowers and chocolates and scoffed. “You think some flowers and candy will make up for how you treated me?” she demanded. “Time and again I threw myself at you, and you used me and then spat me back out. Why would I ever want to be with you?”
Daniel was stunned into silence.
“In true Daniel Richmond style you think you can buy anything.” She pointed angrily at the gifts. “Even my forgiveness!”
“I’m not trying to buy your forgiveness,” Daniel insisted. “I’m just trying to demonstrate how sorry I am.”
“Do flowers and candy pretty much cover the level of sorry you’re at?”
Daniel sighed and looked at his hands.
“I loved you,” Emma admitted, her voice small and full of sorrow. “I loved you more than anything. And you left the whole damn country to get away from me. How do you think that makes me feel? I needed you, Daniel. And you put an ocean between us.”
“I’m sorry I—”
“Sorry just won’t cut it anymore.” Emma shook her head and got to her feet. “You didn’t just leave me; you left the company we built together. You flaked on everything. I appreciate you coming here and apologizing, but it really is too little too late.”
“Don’t say that!” Daniel jumped up and placed his hands on Emma’s shoulders. She stiffened awkwardly beneath his touch.
“I can save this,” Daniel told her sincerely. “We can get back to how we once were.”
“And how is that?” Emma maneuvered herself out of his reach as she spoke. “Shall we go back to running around in secret? We were never a proper couple, Daniel. We were never anything.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Don’t I? How would you even know what I mean? We never spend any time together. You don’t have a clue what is going on in my life!”
“Ems, please, I’m really trying here. Can’t you just let me back in?”
Emma stormed over to her door and threw it open. “Why don’t you go back to your booze and whore parties with Damion? I hear you two are pretty fond of those these days!”
Daniel blushed. “Ems, I know I’ve behaved badly, but I’m ready to change.”
“You’ll never change!” Emma told him. “You’ll always be a self-involved egotist! Now please leave!”
Dejected, Daniel looked at her in amazement, waiting for her to recant all of her angry words and melt into his arms, but she remained by the door, one hand holding it open with steely commitment.
“Ems, please,” he whispered. He was close to be
gging her to reconsider. Daniel Richmond, begging. Ludicrous and yet he was panicked. He didn’t know what else he could do to win her back.
“Don’t make me ask you to leave twice.” Emma looked at Daniel and then out at her apartment hallway.
“No need.” Daniel walked out of her apartment with his head lowered.
Emma slammed the door shut with a bang and moved back inside. Nick’s kiss still lingered on her lips. How could she possibly even consider taking Daniel back? She felt as if her blood were boiling within her veins, she was so angry. Why of all the times for Daniel to finally apologize did he pick that one? Only a masochist would even entertain such a proposal. All Daniel had ever done was hurt her. Emma was done being hurt by him.
She picked up the bouquet of flowers, cast one eye over them, and then dropped them into her silver trash bin. The chocolates, however, could prove more valuable. She surveyed the box and decided that they could stay. She carried them back into her bedroom, where she re-entered her bed nest and popped open the box of candy and began enjoying the sweet treats as she wrapped her sheets around her. The next time her doorbell rang, she wouldn’t be getting out to answer it. The rest of her day was going to be dedicated to her bed nest and her new box of luxury chocolates.
DANIEL GOT INTO HIS car and let his head fall into his hands. He’d been so certain that Emma would forgive him. In all the chick flick films he’d caught snippets of on television over the years, the guy making a gesture including flowers and candy always turned out well. The woman was always super grateful for him making the effort and more than willing to take him back. But Emma had been so angry at him. Had he really hurt her so badly that he’d pushed her past the point of forgiveness?
The sound of his cell phone caused Daniel to lift his head. For a moment, his heart jumped in excitement, thinking it might be Emma, but when he removed the device from his jeans pocket, his hopes plunge as the incoming call was from Damion.
Designing Emma (Volume 6) Page 1
