by Alexa Riley
“Emily?” I look up at the sound of my name to see a man in slacks and a dark blue button-up shirt standing there. He looks to be about my age, with blond hair and light blue eyes.
I stand up and smile. “That’s me.”
“I’m Mark, the new director.” He reaches his hand out and takes mine in a soft but firm hold.
He doesn't let go for a long moment and I feel his fingers rub my wrist before he releases my hand. The handshake felt intimate, but I ignore it. He’s probably just friendly and I’m reading too much into it. My husband has made me think that everyone breathing is flirting with me. To say my husband is the jealous type is an understatement.
Not that I’m not the same. We’re all either of us has ever known when it comes to relationships. We’ve belonged to each other before we even really knew what love was. Dylan had the boys at school running the other way when they saw me. It makes me laugh now when I think back on it.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I grab my bag and phone.
“The pleasure is all mine.” He motions for me to follow him. “I was hoping to get here sooner, but I got caught up in a few meetings today.”
We walk down the hallway and he stops at a door with his name on it. He opens it to reveal a nice-sized office. He goes in and sits behind the desk.
“Nancy told me all you’ve gotten done today.” He smiles at me. I sit down in the chair in front of his desk, crossing my legs. “You knocked out a lot more than I thought you would. You’re a fast worker.”
“Thank you.” I feel pride at knowing I was helpful. I think a part of why I was working so fast was because the sooner I got it done, the sooner I’d be out of that basement. I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to dust.
“I think you’re being underused here. I took a look at your résumé.” He pulls out a sheet of paper and looks down at it. “You graduated with a degree in liberal arts?”
I nod. I had no idea what I wanted to do when I entered college but was told liberal arts was a versatile degree.
“But you never picked up a job after that?”
“No. I became pregnant with my twins a little before I graduated. I’ve been staying home with them until now. They just started kindergarten.” Thinking about them makes me smile even more. I wonder what they put down on the posters.
“You had twins? You’d never know.” His eyes run over my body.
I’m not sure how to respond to that. Is that a compliment? I get nervous and just play it off.
“I know I look young for my age,” I finally say. People do remark how young I look all the time.
“Not just that,” he says, and I’m beginning to feel uncomfortable.
“Thanks.” I think. But I keep that last part in my head.
“Well, I have some projects I want you to work on. It will be on the computer—entering inventory data. More of a desk job.”
“That’s fine,” I tell him.
When I went searching for a job I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. When I saw the library was hiring I jumped on it. I didn't think I’d get the job, but I was wrong.
“I’m going to find someone else to fill in for what you had been doing and move you upstairs. We’ll share an office for now. I’ll have a desk brought in for you.”
“Oh. You don’t have to share your office. I don’t want to intrude. I can work anywhere,” I say, looking around and thinking there’s no way a second desk could fit in here.
“No, I’ll need you close. We’ll be working on the same projects, so it will be easier.”
Day one and I’m already being promoted. I guess this is a good thing, so I ignore the feeling in my stomach. I should be excited that I’ve been offered a chance to do this instead of being stuck with the dust bunnies. I smile and nod, thinking I can’t wait to get home and tell my guys.
Chapter 4
Dylan
I growl as frustration builds. I want to climb through the window and pull her out of that room. Then beat the living shit out of that guy who has the nerve to look at what belongs to me.
A text from the babysitter pops up on my phone and I see they’re coloring the posters now. I told Emily it wasn’t a problem to get the boys, and it wasn’t. Because I’d already gotten a sitter for them. I planned since yesterday to watch her and make sure her first day went well. I kept telling myself it was to make sure she was safe. But the longer I stayed the harder it was for me to justify it as anything other than selfishness.
When the sitter sent me pictures earlier I just saved them and resent them to Emily like I was the one home with them. I was thinking the little lie would be worth it if it gave me peace of mind. Now I’m just mad as hell and I’m ready to rip this building down brick by brick.
I send a quick text to the sitter saying I’ll be a little late, and she gives me the thumbs up. After that I text my buddy Michael, but he immediately calls me. My phone is on silent, but I duck down anyway and whisper into it.
“You should be able to hear everything through the earpiece,” he says, and I roll my eyes.
“I know,” I whisper darkly, angry at him and at the situation. “That’s the problem. I can hear every fucking thing they’re saying. And I want to go in there and rip this asshole’s throat out.”
I called in a favor with him last night, thinking it would be just one way for me to know my bride was all right and I could handle her having a new job. I didn’t ask questions, but he left an earpiece for me in my truck this morning and told me I’d have audio and visual on her throughout the day.
“Dylan, calm down,” he says, and I hear him shuffle around. “Look, Jeanette doesn’t know I’m doing this for you. If she did she’d probably string me up by my balls. She loves Emily.”
“Goddamn, so do I.” I feel myself get loud and I take a breath. “The only reason I asked you is because you’re the best in the business on surveillance.” I peek back up into the window and see my Emily being handed a stack of paperwork. “I just needed to keep eyes on her. And I don’t like what I see.”
“I don’t blame you, man. I’ve always got eyes on my woman.”
I sigh again and rub my eyes. I’m not going to make it through the day. Watching her in the basement about drove me nuts. She’s got bad allergies and being around all that dust was killing her. But she didn’t give up. I was simultaneously proud and enraged at the work she was doing.
We don’t need the money. I’ve made enough so she doesn’t have to worry, and she can buy anything she wants. I’ve worked hard for a long time so that my family can sleep at night without a thought of doing without. I know she didn’t get this job so that we could pay the bills, so I’m trying to understand her need to be fulfilled. I just ache in my chest that I can’t do that for her.
“Listen, I warned you. You just need to check the app I put on your phone a couple times a day and let it go. You can’t watch her twenty-four/seven. Believe me, I’ve done the leg work on it. You’ll drive yourself insane.”
“Too late,” I say, looking back into the window. “I don’t like the app. I wasn’t close enough.”
“Dylan, where are you exactly?” Michael says, and I hear the threat in his voice.
“Just, you know, outside the window.”
“Oh god, you’re going to get the both of us in trouble,” he says, and then I hear his name being called.
“Saint? Are you hiding in the closet?”
“Fuck,” he whispers. “I had nothing to do with this. Get your ass out of there, Dylan,” he says, right before he hangs up on me.
I stuff my phone in my pocket and peek back into the window one more time. “Shit,” I mutter, seeing the room empty, and walk around the side of the building. When I look through another window there’s an older lady standing there with Emily.
I watch right before the older lady turns around and looks directly where I’m standing. I’m scared she might have seen me, and I can’t have Emily finding me lurking outside the window.
/> “Shit,” I say again, cursing the whole damn day.
Just then I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. Thinking it’s the sitter I reach down and check it, only to see it’s Emily. My heartbeat picks up as I open the text, but it’s just happy faces and her saying she’ll be home earlier than she thought.
“Triple shit.” I say and haul ass to my truck. I’ve got to get back home before she does and get the sitter out of there.
I run as fast as I can to my truck and jump in it. I throw it in drive and hit the gas as I barrel down the road to our house. It’s not even a five-minute drive from our place to the library, so I’ve got to be quick.
When I get home, I jump out and grab some cash out of my wallet. I run inside and stuff it in the babysitter’s hand as I practically shove her out the door.
“Is everything okay?” she asks, and I just wave at her to leave.
“It’s fine. Thanks again. I’ll call if I need you tomorrow,” I say, urging her to get in her car and go.
“All right. Well, tell Miss Emily I said hey.”
Jesus, could she move any slower.
“Yeah, yeah, fine, bye,” I say, slamming the door and going back to the boys.
I glance out the window and make sure her car is gone before I start to calm down a little. The boys look at me like I’m crazy, but they’re not going to say a word. And just to make sure, I hand both of them a Popsicle.
I thank god above that the sitter got dinner started, and I’m draining the noodles just as Emily walks through the front door.
“Hey, Button, how was your day?” I ask, turning to smile at her.
She looks me up and down and then cocks her head to the side. “Why are you all sweaty? And why is there mud on your jeans?”
Chapter 5
Emily
I smile at the text Dylan just sent me and I feel myself blush. I think about what we did this morning. We’ve been together so long and he still makes me blush. I have no idea how, but that man always gets to me. My body is once again sore all over.
You’d think we were newlyweds with the way we’ve been going at it. He not only made love to me last night after we'd put the boys to bed, but again this morning. He had me pinned to the wall right before I was about to leave. I can still feel his cum inside me. He refused to let me go clean myself off. I like the idea of walking around smelling like him for the rest of the day, so I didn't put up much of a fight about it. I acted innocent, which I’m pretty sure he saw right through.
I redden all over again at the thought. I’ve been walking around all morning like this. Not that anyone would know.
“What has you blushing?”
I glance over at Nancy, who’s going over the papers I just gave her. We’ve got a shipment of books coming in that we need to make room for. I have a list of recommendations on the ones I think we could donate to find space.
She wiggles her dark eyebrows at me and I laugh. I like Nancy. She’s sweet and easy to talk to. She stands out at the library because she doesn't dress like any librarian I’ve ever seen. She looks like a pinup girl. She’s different and as much of a Potterhead as I am. In fact, I think she might have me beat.
We are both at the main desk where you check library books in and out. This is pretty much her workspace and desk.
“My husband.” I smile.
Calling him that always makes me preen. People told us we’d never make it. That our love was too young. But I knew they were wrong. Even after Dylan graduated and I was still in high school, the girls at school would try to fill my head with all kinds of doubt. But I knew one thing about my man. I always have his attention. He’s paid attention to every breath I’ve taken. It drove me crazy, just as much as I loved it. We’ll last forever. I know it to my soul.
“How long have you two been together?”
“High school sweethearts,” I say, and laugh at her shocked expression.
Her eyebrows lift. “Losing the V-cards to each other and everything?”
I bite my lip and nod. This is another thing I like about Nancy—she just says or asks whatever she wants. It’s refreshing. Plus, I can tell she’s genuine with her questions, and there’s no judgment.
“Damn. One dick for life. I could dig that if it was the right dick.”
I burst out laughing but quickly cover my mouth when I remember I’m in a library. I look around, not seeing anyone around. I’ve noticed this place doesn’t get busy until later in the afternoon.
“Are you married?” I ask once I get my giggles under control.
“Nope, just me and my cat. Only one though, so you can’t call me a cat lady just yet. Maybe in a few years.” She smirks.
I wonder if she means she’s getting married in a few years, or if she’ll be a cat lady by then. Either way she smiles so she must be happy about the future.
“My husband is up to something,” I confess.
I put my phone back in my pocket and lean my hip up against the counter. Today I went with pants. I love to wear dresses, but I was worried I might get put back in the basement and pants would be more efficient down there.
Though after spending the morning working side by side with Mark, I wish I could go back to the land of the dust bunnies. He’s a lot to get used to. He asks me a million questions, which is distracting when I’m trying to work. Not to mention I always feel like he’s hovering over me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m new or he thinks I can’t do my job. Either way it’s annoying.
I’ve never given personal space much of a thought before. Normally it’s only my husband or the boys who are in it, and I don’t really care. Maybe I’m just not used to people being around me anymore. The only job I ever worked was in college at a bakery. I spent most of my time alone in a kitchen listening to audiobooks while decorating cookies, and I only did it part time over the summers.
“Go on.” Nancy turns her chair to look at me as if I’m about to give her juicy gossip.
“He’s been really cool about me having this job. A little too okay with it.”
“That’s not like him?”
“It’s hard to explain. My husband can be a caveman when it comes to me. He likes having all of my attention and I like giving it to him. When I first told him about looking for a job, he got all pissy. But then it was like a switch flipped and he was completely fine.” Now I’m wondering if I’m pissy because he isn’t doing his caveman thing.
“If I remember right, you haven't worked in years?” she asks. Nancy was the one who interviewed me for the job.
“Nope. I got pregnant right before college graduation with our twins. The two of them and my husband have been my life.”
I smile, missing them right now. I keep wondering what they’re doing at this very moment. I know Dylan is at work and the boys are at school, but I still feel like I’m missing out. I hate that I wasn’t there last night while they were making the posters. The boys hung on me like they hadn't seen me in years after I got home. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love every second of it. They are getting big and I worry about them not giving me affection like they do now as they grow up. I’ve been trying to soak it all up.
“So you wanted more than just to be a mom and wife? I get it.”
“No,” I say instantly, taken aback. I rush to defend myself. “I love being a wife and a mom. I just didn’t think they needed me like they used to. My husband has been working a lot more, and I needed something to fill my time.”
“Interesting,” Nancy says, more to herself than me.
“What?”
“What else has he been doing that’s odd?” she asks.
“Last night he seemed flustered, which isn’t like him. He was just acting different,” I admit.
“Emily.” I turn at the sound of my name to see Mark coming towards us. I force a smile, trying to be polite.
“Hey.”
“I’ll need you to stay late tonight. There’s an event over at the Carlton and I thought we should go over and s
ay hello to a few people. A lot of the people there make donations to the library.” He adjusts his tie that’s already perfectly straight. It’s just something else he does that annoys me.
“Okay,” is all I can come up with. I don’t want to go somewhere with just him. I know Dylan wouldn't like it either. It almost seems like a date or something. “Nancy, you’re coming, right?” I throw out really quick.
She opens her mouth to respond, but Mark cuts her off. “I can only bring one person.”
“Didn't want to go,” Nancy mumbles. I second that.
“Take a long lunch to run home and change into something more suitable. We’ll leave here around five thirty.” He turns, dismissing us.
Crap.
I remind myself this is my job and I have to go.
“He’s been here a hot minute and I already can’t stand his ass,” Nancy says from behind me. I second that but keep it to myself. I pull my phone out, checking Dylan’s schedule to see if he can pick up the boys, but I see he’s booked up all day. I text our babysitter and see if she’s free.
She responds instantly, telling me she’ll pick up the boys and not to worry about paying her. She says we overpaid her yesterday and it’s not a problem.
What? I narrow my eyes at the phone. “What are you up to, Dylan?” I mutter.
“Who? The husband?” Nancy asks, clearly having heard me.
“Yes. He used our babysitter yesterday, but he told me he picked up the boys.”
“An affair!” Nancy gasps dramatically, and I burst out laughing. I laugh so hard tears start to leak down my face.
“Yeah, right. My husband would never cheat,” I say, one thousand percent certain that’s not it. “No, he’s up to something else.” I think I’m going to go on a little mission to throw him off his game.
“It’s cute how well you two know each other.” She says it like she really means it.
“I’m going to head to lunch. Will you drop those on my desk when you’re done going over them?”
