As soon as they disconnected, Emma balled her hands into fists and pounded them against the couch cushions. One way or another, this man was going to be the death of her!
Chapter 19
Emma trailed behind Zack while he pushed the cart up and down the aisles of HomeGoods. When he had picked her up that morning, neither of them had made mention of their conversation the night before. They were just two buddies out shopping on a beautiful fall day, except why did he have to smell exceptionally yummy? Was it his body wash, or did he wear cologne? Had he always smelled this good, or was she just more aware of it today? These were the questions that Emma pondered as they perused row after row of furniture, knick-knacks, and wall hangings.
“So, what do you think of this one for my bedroom?” Zack asked innocently as he pointed to a painting of a beach scene in a distressed wood frame.
The painting evoked images of sun-drenched days on a white powder sand beach somewhere deep in the Caribbean. The water was a brilliant shade of blue, and Emma could see herself kicked back in a beach chair, sipping a fruity drink and reading a dirty novel. Funny thing was, she could see Zack in the image too, lounging next to her in a form-fitting pair of board shorts, bare-chest bronzed from the sun, and grinning at her from behind his aviators. And then he turned to her and said…
“Whatcha thinking, Em?”
Emma snapped out of her reverie when she realized he was talking about the painting and not her lusty musings. “I love it.”
“I like it too. Can’t you just imagine lying on this beach? Soaking up the hot sun, sand between your toes, and a cold drink in your hand?”
While you rub coconut-scented sunscreen on my back… Crap, I’m doing it again! “Yes, I can totally imagine it,” she said while he hefted the painting into the cart.
“Sold!” he said enthusiastically. “Now, what else do I need?”
“How about a mirror? If you mount it on the opposing wall, you’ll be able to see the reflection of the painting.”
“Wow, you’re good at this. Thanks for helping me out, Em.”
“No problem. That’s what friends are for.” She gave him a half-smile and continued walking up the aisle.
An hour later, they hauled Zack’s purchases to the Range Rover. In addition to the painting, he’d bought a large wall mirror, a kitchen clock, a set of cherry wood picture frames, and a cut crystal vase.
“Do you want to grab some lunch before I take you home?” Zack asked, pointing to the Panera restaurant in the shopping plaza.
“Sounds good.”
Zack was definitely making good on his promise to rein his behavior in, but she missed their flirty banter. Figures, you always want what you can’t have, Emma thought when they sat down to lunch.
While they ate soup and salad, they chatted about Gracie, the bookstore, and Zack’s job. They kept to topics that were light and easy, and Emma found herself relaxing again. It was probably best that they stick to being friends so nobody’s feelings would get hurt, Gracie’s included. By the time they were back in the car, Emma felt much better.
“Hey, do you want to come over and supervise while I put up my new decorations?” Zack asked.
Emma hesitated for a moment. She could pretend to have other plans, but why? What would be the harm in pounding a few nails into the wall? “Sure, why not? Will Gracie be home soon?”
“I’m not sure. Alicia took her to a movie and lunch. She said she’d text me when they were on their way back.”
Emma felt a pang of jealousy, which she logged right up there with her other ridiculous emotions as of late. Alicia was Gracie’s mother, so of course they had a close bond. Someday, Emma hoped to share a bond like that with her own child, although she wondered when and if that would ever happen. She was thirty years old, and although she didn’t completely buy into the theory about her biological clock ticking, maybe it was… She had assumed that she and Mark would have had children one day, and now here she sat with her hunky male friend, husbandless and childless.
“Em? Is everything ok?”
“Yep, everything’s good,” she replied and hoped that he would believe her.
“A little more to the right.”
“That good?”
“No, go back to the left.”
“How about now?”
“Hmm… a touch higher.”
“I can’t hold this much longer, Em.”
“You want it to be right, don’t you?”
“Yes, but hurry up. My arms are killing me.”
“Come down about an inch.”
“Ok, that’s it. The picture is going right here. Grab the pencil and put a mark on the wall.”
Zack and Emma stood on his bed in their bare feet. Zack’s arm muscles strained as he held the beach painting in place above his headboard while Emma awkwardly reached over him to place some pencil marks on the wall. Standing this close to him had her senses on high alert. Their arms brushed a few times while Zack struggled to keep the painting in place and maintain his balance at the same time.
“Aah,” he said when he leaned the picture against the headboard. Zack shook out his arms before he bent over to retrieve the hammer and nails from his bedside table. Emma tried not to glance at his backside but failed miserably.
What is it about a man holding a tool? What makes it even hotter is when he knows how to use said tool…
Emma looked up to find Zack staring at her intently. “You seem to be drifting off a lot today. Are you sure you’re ok?”
“I’m positive,” she snapped, irritated that she couldn’t get anything past him. “Let’s just finish this.”
Emma watched Zack pound the nails into the wall, his t-shirt rising up with each stroke of the hammer. He had dressed simply in a gray shirt and blue jeans, but it was impossible to ignore the way he filled out his clothes.
“Ta-da. What do you think?”
Zack stepped back to examine his handiwork and crash… fell right into Emma, and they tumbled onto the bed in a heap. He hadn’t noticed that she had been standing right behind him, and she had been so distracted by her daydreams that now they lay tangled together in the middle of his bed.
They both froze—their heavy breathing the only sound. Zack looked like he was about to speak, but Emma stopped him with a finger pressed to his lips. She shook her head and then fisted her hand in his shirt. Their eyes locked and shone with acknowledgement at what was about to happen.
Zack leaned in closer, but he hesitated until Emma gave him a nod. And then his lips were on hers, warm and soft, with just the right amount of pressure. Emma sank into the sensation and opened her mouth to greet his tongue as their kiss intensified. Zack’s hands cradled her head, and she arched into him even though it wasn’t easy, pinned down as she was under his large, hard body.
Emma’s hands had somehow found their way up the back of his shirt, and she ran them over his taut muscles. Zack’s right leg wedged between hers, creating a fabulous friction just where she needed it. She became vaguely aware that his right hand had begun to untuck her shirt from her jeans. The anticipation of where that hand would travel next had her squirming beneath him.
Zack pulled his lips away and gazed down at her as if to ask for further permission. Before Emma could respond, the sound of a car door slamming jolted them to an upright position.
Zack scrambled off of the bed while Emma hurriedly tucked her shirt back in and ran her hands over her hair. “Shit. It’s Gracie and Alicia,” Zack said.
Emma was already poised at his bedroom door, ready for flight. “What should I do?” she asked, hating the panicky sound of her voice.
“Let’s just go downstairs and act normal. You were just helping me put up a picture.”
Emma took a deep breath and followed him down the stairs. They made it to the bottom just as Alicia and Gracie stepped in.
“Hi, Daddy and Miss Emma,” Gracie said, seemingly unsurprised to find Emma there.
Alicia looked at Zack and Em
ma with an air of disdain, and perhaps a flicker of jealousy too. “Hello, Zack. Emma.”
Emma wondered if her face looked as flushed as she felt. “Nice to see you,” she said, hoping the lie would cover up her discomfort.
“Bye, sweetie,” Alicia said, and she bent down to hug Gracie. “Zack, can I talk to you outside for a moment?”
Emma flinched at Alicia’s condescending tone, but she knew that Zack would agree for Gracie’s sake. “Go ahead. I’ll keep Gracie company,” Emma said.
The door clicked shut behind them, and Emma led Gracie into the living room, where she spotted the Little Critter book that she had given her lying on the couch. “How about if I read to you until Daddy comes back?”
“Ok,” Gracie replied enthusiastically.
Emma sat down, and Gracie sidled right up next to her, just like she had the other night. As Emma opened the book and began to read, she pushed all of her worries aside. She could analyze what had happened between her and Zack later, but right now, Gracie deserved her undivided attention. Emma read slowly and varied her intonation to match the characters’ expressions. Gracie listened closely and giggled at Emma’s silly voices, blissfully unaware of any discordance between the adults.
Zack entered the room just as Emma finished the story. He wore a neutral expression, but Emma noticed the strain around his eyes. He opened his arms wide, and Gracie jumped into them. “Did you have fun today?”
“Yes, but I missed you,” Gracie said.
“I missed you too, sweet pea.” The minute he set her down, Gracie raced up the stairs.
“I’m going to play with my dolls,” she called, and the next minute, her bedroom door slammed shut.
“So much for missing me,” Zack said and smiled.
Emma was still trying to get her bearings. Between the kiss, the interruption, and the emotional reunion she had just witnessed, her head was spinning.
“I could use a drink. How about you?” Zack held out his hand to her.
Emma let him pull her up from the couch and lead her into the kitchen, where she plopped down on the counter stool. Zack extracted two bottles of water from the fridge and sat down beside her.
“So,” he began.
“So, what happened with Alicia?”
“You want to talk about Alicia?”
“Well, yeah.”
“I thought you might want to talk about the kiss.”
“Shh,” Emma hissed. “We can’t talk about that now.”
“Em, four-year-olds don’t have a super power that allows them to hear through walls. We’re safe.”
Safe? I don’t think so. Safe is sitting at home reading a book and munching on potato chips. Safe is NOT getting caught messing around by his ex-wife and child!
Just then, Gracie came bounding down the stairs, and Emma shot Zack an I-told-you-so look.
“Dad, I’m hungry.”
“Didn’t you eat with Mommy?”
“Yes, but I didn’t finish it all.”
Perfect excuse for me to leave. “Zack, why don’t you drive me home and then you and Gracie can have dinner together.”
“You can eat with us too,” Gracie suggested sweetly.
“Thanks for inviting me, but I’m not really hungry right now,” Emma replied, noting the disappointment in Gracie’s eyes. “Maybe some other time.”
Zack looked disappointed too, but he stood up and said, “C’mon, Gracie. Let’s take Miss Emma home.”
On the drive, Gracie chattered on about the movie that she had seen while Emma listened with one ear. Every so often, she caught Zack studying her, but she tried to ignore it. When he pulled up in front of her house, Emma hastily said goodbye and hurried up the sidewalk. She glanced back to see Gracie waving wildly from the back seat, and Emma waved back until they were out of sight.
When Emma entered her quiet house, relief washed over her. So why was it that five minutes later she was back to feeling lonely?
Chapter 20
That night, after tucking Gracie into bed, Zack debated calling Emma. In fact, he lay in bed with the phone in his hand and stared at her number on the screen until the light faded to black.
“Damn it,” he muttered and set the phone down on his stack of books. He had promised not to cross the line with her, and yet, just a few hours ago, in this very spot, he had kissed her. And of course, it hadn’t been an average kiss, a so-so kiss that could be easily forgotten. No, it had to be that kind of kiss, the kind that left him wanting another and another and… well, more.
What had stumped him was Emma’s reaction. The way she had looked at him with desire burning bright in her eyes. The way she had fisted his shirt and pulled him closer. Those weren’t the actions of a woman who just wanted to be his friend. He let his mind wander to what might have happened had Gracie not come home when she had. And then he felt like a total dirt bag!
Now was not the time to be selfish. After all, he was the one who’d told Emma that Gracie came first, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. His little girl had been through so much already—more than a four-year-old should have to go through. First the divorce, then the move, and now… Emma.
The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her. He liked everything about her: her laugh, the way she blushed when he got too close, her petite frame, curly hair, and crooked smile. Somehow she had become the first person he wanted to share things with, from the tiniest minutiae of his day to the big topics like divorce and parenting. He felt comfortable in her presence, yet energized at the same time. Of course, some of that was sexual energy, but still!
And now he had returned to the image of them kissing, which wasn’t going to help him get to sleep anytime soon. “Damn it,” he said again and crawled out of bed. “If I’m not going to sleep and I’m not going to call her, then I might as well work out.”
Zack quietly slipped down the hall and into the spare bedroom where he had arranged his exercise equipment. Pumping iron almost always made him feel better, so he attacked the weights with vigor.
He started with bicep curls and remembered how light Emma had felt when he had carried her up the stairs the night of his coworker’s wedding. He moved on to overhead presses and thought about hanging the beach painting over his bed while Emma had supervised. He did some squats and recalled Emma’s slim legs trapped beneath his. During his last set of flies, he remembered how soft Emma’s hands had felt when she had caressed his back and…
Ok, this is definitely not helping matters! Zack glanced at his watch—ten o’clock. It would be too late to call her now. She was probably already asleep, and besides, she hadn’t called him either. There was nothing to do but wait. Emma probably needed some time to process what had happened, and she might not have welcomed his phone call anyway.
Zack returned to his bedroom and picked up his phone on the off chance he had missed her call. Nope, nothing. He stripped and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water soothe his aching muscles. Maybe he would call her tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then definitely the next day. If it was time she needed, he would give it to her.
By the time he got back into bed, he was thoroughly exhausted. It had been a hell of a day. He wouldn’t give the kiss any more thought tonight, but he couldn’t promise himself not to think about it tomorrow…
Chapter 21
“So, after all that, he didn’t call you last night?” Kelly asked with her hands on her hips.
“No, can you believe it?” Emma replied, still miffed about it herself.
It was a slow Monday afternoon at A New Chapter, and they leaned against the counter relaying their latest man troubles. Kelly had just finished complaining about Collin, the aspiring poet who had turned out to be insensitive, and now it was Emma’s turn to vent.
“I suppose I could have called him, but…”
Emma let her words trail off when she heard the door chime, and Mike entered with a large box hoisted on one shoulder. He smiled warmly at her as he set the box down
on the counter and handed her the device for her electronic signature. When Emma looked up, Kelly had disappeared, presumably so that Emma and Mike could be alone.
Mike glanced around warily and then said, “I didn’t realize that you had a boyfriend.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Oh, you mean Zack? He’s not my boyfriend. He’s… we’re…”
“It’s ok, Emma. You don’t have to explain.”
“No, I’m serious, Mike. Zack is not my boyfriend,” she repeated a little too emphatically.
“Oh. Well, then, maybe I should finish asking you what I started to ask the other day.”
“Please do,” Emma said, wondering for a moment why she was encouraging him. Mike was nice enough, but she didn’t feel that extra oomph around him. Not like she did with Zack. Still, it might be nice to go out with someone who didn’t come with an ex-wife and child.
“So, I wondered…”
Oh no, not again. This could not be happening.
The door chime announced his presence, although Emma had already spotted Zack over Mike’s shoulder. He approached her while excitedly waving two tickets in the air.
“Hey, Em. Mike.”
Mike’s head whipped around, and his face fell. “Hey. I was just leaving.”
“You don’t have to leave on my account. I’ll wait,” Zack said politely, but Emma recognized the edge in his voice.
“I’ll talk to you later, Emma. Have a good day,” Mike added, and he walked away, his head hung in defeat.
Kelly had resurfaced and stood nearby giving Zack the evil eye.
“What?” he asked, glancing between Kelly and Emma.
“Kell, we’ll be in the office for a few minutes,” Emma growled, and she motioned for Zack to follow her. Once they were behind closed doors, she turned on him.
“What the hell, Zack?”
“What did I do?”
Emma raised her eyebrows at him. “You really have no idea?”
“No. Please enlighten me.”
“Ok, I will. First off, you didn’t call me last night to tell me what Alicia said after she caught us… well, you know. Second, you come waltzing in here like you own the place and scare Mike off again after you promised that you wouldn’t interfere. What gives?”
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