“You two ladies look fantastic!”
She barely registered Troy’s compliment. She was forced to break eye contact with Mike when Pete unknowingly stepped in front of her.
“You two boys don’t look half bad yourselves.”
“Boys? Ouch!” Troy grabbed Amanda to him, giving her a hearty kiss. “You’re standing beneath the mistletoe,” he explained as if needing a reason to kiss her.
Emma automatically looked up, unable to help the smile covering her face. The ceiling was covered with balloons of red and green. It would be nearly impossible to miss standing beneath the mistletoe when someone had gone to a lot of time and trouble of tying sprigs of it to the trailing ends of each balloon.
All at once she found herself in Pete’s arms. “What…”
But that’s as far as she got. Taken completely unaware, she found herself being kissed and there was nothing she could do about it. It was brief and not anywhere close to being the toe curling kisses she experienced in Mike’s arms.
“The mistletoe,” Pete explained the second his mouth left hers.
“Any excuse to kiss a pretty woman,” Troy joked, putting his arm around Amanda’s waist and keeping her close to his side. “Don’t even think about kissing my woman.”
“It’s a tradition,” Pete added in his defense.
Emma couldn’t resist returning his boyish smile. He was harmless. When he stepped away, her gaze fell on Mike, who’d apparently witnessed the whole exchange and looked anything but pleased. In fact, he looked ready to kill someone. Holding back an elated smile, she returned Melissa’s enthusiastic wave. Almost immediately a group of her friends appeared and dragged her off, leaving Mike standing there all alone. He acknowledged Emma with the barest nod of his head.
“Come on, they’re playing our song. We’ll be right back.” Amanda dragged Troy off to the dance floor, and suddenly Emma found herself alone with Pete.
After a few moments of awkward silence, he said, “It’s a shame to waste a good song. Would you like to dance?”
Before Emma had a chance to respond, a deep voice said from behind her, “I’d love to…but not with you.”
She gasped, spinning around to find Mike had somehow moved up behind her. His comment was directed to Pete, but it was her eyes he met, her hands he took into his. It didn’t matter that they hadn’t so much as exchanged a single word with each other, or that he took it for granted she’d want to dance with him. As she was being guided onto the dance floor, she tossed Pete an apologetic look, surprised to see a pleased smile on his face. She didn’t have time to decipher what his expression meant because all at once Mike turned, bringing her up against him.
Her heart slammed against her ribs at his closeness, her breath catching at his intoxicating scent. She didn’t need to be coaxed to lay her head upon his shoulder. In a matter of seconds Emma became drunk with him, her body awakening to needs only he could satisfy. Neither spoke, content to sway against each other to the slow beat of the music for the time being. Mike wanted her; it was as clear as his pounding heartbeat against her.
After a few moments she couldn’t stand the silence any longer. Trying to inject normalcy in her voice, she asked, “How have you been, detective?” It felt wonderful being in his arms again and she snuggled closer against him, forgetting for a moment where they were. Forgetting he didn’t want her in his life.
He didn’t seem to mind; in fact, his hands began to move slowly, sensuously over Emma’s back, though remaining in the safe zones. He at least had the presence of mind to remember they were in a crowded room. However, she knew Mike, and his body was like a tightly coiled spring against hers.
“Detective?” Her tone reminded Mike he hadn’t answered her.
There was a slight pause before he responded in a tight voice, “Fine, and you?”
“I’m…okay.” Was his nose nuzzling her hair? She smiled against his shirt, until his warm breath tickled the lobe of her ear and Emma realized he’d caressed it ever so gently with his lips. What did he think he was doing? She shivered, hoping no one noticed.
“Good.”
“How’s Melissa?” They sounded like strangers trying to make polite conversation. Neither was saying what they really wanted. Emma wanted to tell Mike how much she loved him. How miserable she’d been the last few weeks without him.
“She’s…” He pulled back, gazing into her eyes until everything, everyone around them became a silent blur. They stopped dancing, yet didn’t separate. “I’ve had enough of this small talk.” He took her by the hand and turned, pulling her behind him.
Where they were going Emma didn’t know or care. She didn’t question Mike, letting him pull her along as they headed toward a door that exited the party. It wasn’t the outside door but one that led them to a semi-dark, empty hallway that was lined with rows of lockers on both sides. When the door closed behind them, he halted. He pulled her into his arms for a long kiss, his actions a little rough, exposing his hunger. His mouth moved over hers, coaxing hers open so he could slip his tongue inside, taste her willingness. Arching against him, Emma wound her arms around his neck and clung to him like a drowning woman and he was the only one who could save her.
It didn’t take long for the passion to intensify between them. Their bodies began to strain with the need to get closer. The heat became unbearable. Whether he intended it or not, Mike moved until Emma was sandwiched between him and the wall. She almost cried out when he broke the kiss off.
“God, I’ve missed you!” were the first words to pass through his lips. “More than I thought possible.”
“I missed you too,” she breathed huskily, trembling against him. “So very much.”
“It didn’t look that way when Pete was kissing you; he’s damn lucky I didn’t deck him.”
“You wanted to kill him,” Emma corrected with confidence, smiling as she recalled his fierce expression. “It was the mistletoe.”
“Mistletoe, hell! He made damn sure I was looking your way when he grabbed you and planted one on you.”
“You think you’re the only man allowed to kiss me?” She leaned back far enough to meet his eyes. The hallway they were in was gloomy, but the small window in the door leading to where the party was emitted enough light that she was able to see him clearly.
He seemed to hesitate, unsure of himself. “After how I treated you that morning, do I have that right?”
He had that right and more as far as Emma was concerned. The time had come; she had to know where they stood. “What are you doing, Mike?” Lonely weeks had passed since they’d last seen each other. There’d been no phone calls, nothing. “Is this a case of just running into each other at a social event?”
The look of guilt on his face was Emma’s answer but he quickly smoothed it over by saying, “If it hadn’t happened tonight I promise you it would have tomorrow. I’d made up my mind to call you.”
Her heart skipped a beat at his admission but she carefully schooled her expression so as not to give it away. “Why?”
“I love you,” he said without hesitation, as if those three little words explained everything.
Emma wasn’t about to assume anything. “You’ve said that before,” she reminded him, ignoring the thrill his words produced. “And the last time you brought me home and just walked away.”
“I’m not going to walk away this time, honey.” Mike’s tone was rough, filled with strong conviction. “I can’t.” Emma gasped as a seed of suspicion began to take root in her mind. “What do you mean, can’t?” Had he been talking to Amanda? “What about your plans?”
“That was before…”
Now Emma was certain Amanda had told him something. “Before what, Mike? How come all of a sudden you’ve changed your mind about us?” There was no way she was going to accept him if he was only there because he had a strong sense of doing the right thing.
He appeared surprised over her reaction, a mild frown furrowing his brows. “I was a fool be
fore, and if you want the truth, running scared. I’ve come to my senses…”
“Before or after you talked to Amanda?” she demanded to know, moving away from him. “Look, Mike, this isn’t the Middle Ages. I love you but I don’t need you to take care of me. I raised Amanda…”
“What?” He looked at Emma as if she were speaking a foreign language.
The look that came over his face should have warned her he didn’t know what she was talking about, but she continued without taking a breath. “Just because I’m going to have a baby doesn’t mean you have to do the noble thing. I don’t want you under those conditions.”
“I can’t pretend to know how to make things right between us but…” They’d spoken at the same time and all at once her words registered with him. “What?” His bark sounded like a clap of thunder, clearly revealing the truth of what she said had shocked him to the core. “You’re pregnant?” he asked softly, a slight tinge of wonder in his voice.
Emma stepped back nervously when she began to realize he was hearing the news for the first time. “Yes,” she answered, watching him carefully. At that moment it occurred to her that Mike had changed his mind about them on his own, but she was careful to keep her emotions in check. It was too soon to get her hopes up.
“How…”
She burst out laughing; she couldn’t help it. “You want a lesson about the birds and the bees, detective? We were in quite a, ah, hot and heavy state that morning. Protection was the last thing on our minds.”
Mike’s answering grin was slow in coming, filling the depths of his eyes with amusement in spite of the gravity of their discussion. “I was going to say, how do you feel about it?”
“Oh.” Emma felt her cheeks grow warm. She was ecstatic over having his baby. She could see in his eyes that her answer mattered to him. How did he feel about becoming a father again, at his age?
As the silence grew between them, she knew she had to say something; they couldn’t go on staring at each other. In the end she decided honesty was the only recourse. “I want this baby, Mike, as much as I want you. I couldn’t be happier.” Her voice caught. She was almost afraid to ask, “How do you feel about it?”
An emotion flared in his eyes, a desperate sound escaping him before he could rein it in, revealing more than words. Losing control, he crushed Emma against him as though never to let her go. For a moment there was nothing but the soft muted sounds of the party swirling around them.
“I love you too, sweetheart,” he finally rasped. “And I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.” He pulled back enough to meet her eyes. “Will you forgive me for hurting you, Emma? Will you put me out of my misery and marry me?”
Marry him? She hadn’t expected that, yet as quick as the elation washed through her, reality hit her like a ton of bricks. “Because of the baby?” She couldn’t bear it if that was the only reason he asked.
“Hell no!” Mike retorted heatedly, quickly putting her at ease again. “I’m happy over having a baby with you. But I want you for my wife for strictly selfish reasons.”
“Are you sure, Mike? Melissa is almost grown up. You’d be starting over again, at an age when…” She couldn’t finish. Not while her mouth was being devoured by his. However, the sweetly passionate kiss was ending all too soon.
“Are you saying I’m not up to it?” he asked with mock ferocity, the devious gleam in his eyes causing a flutter in Emma’s belly. “Because if you are, there’s ways of proving my point.”
Emma’s heart sang for joy. “Why detective, that sounds like a threat,” she returned, nipping his chin playfully. She purred like a cat when his hand glided from her neck down the curve of her breast, splaying over her flat belly. His tender touch brought tears to her eyes.
“Well? What’s it going to be, honey? Are you going to make an honest man out of me?” All of a sudden his expression turned to worry. “If you need time to think about it…”
Mike’s words broke through the silken cocoon of euphoria that gripped Emma. As she gazed into his eyes, her heart swelled with love for him. She didn’t want him believing for one moment that she needed to think about anything.
“Yes!” she nearly shouted, kissing his face wherever she could reach him until her mouth finally settled upon his for a brief kiss. “As long as it’s okay with Melissa,” she continued, after pulling away.
“Oh, I don’t think we have anything to fear,” he responded, with the crooked grin she loved so much. When his gaze moved past her to the door, Emma swung around, her eyes widening with surprise to see Melissa watching them through the small window in the door. She had a smile on her face that stretched from ear to ear. And standing right behind her was an ecstatic Amanda.
Emma turned back to Mike, surprised to see the faint glistening of emotion in his eyes. Her heart over flowing with love, she raised her hand, laying it upon his cheek as her own eyes filled with stinging moisture. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could get a word out, he lowered his head and kissed her, tenderly, passionately, holding nothing back. It didn’t matter anyway. No other words were necessary. Their fate was sealed now. She wound her arms around Mike’s neck, holding on tightly as they began a journey into forever after.
The End
Kiss Me Page 19
