She supposed that made sense, and certainly explained why he never spoke about her or even seemed happy about his own wedding. But she still had to ask, for some reason she had to know.
“Do you love her?” Emily couldn’t look in his eyes, just in case her instincts were wrong.
He took a couple of steps toward her, closing the gap between him and he lightly touched her hand. “I never knew what love even was before I came into this shop.”
Chapter 12
It had been almost a month since Nora stormed out of the bakery and more importantly since the day Abdul had tried to confess his love to Emily. He’d said as much as he could to her without leaving his heart lying on the floor. He’d wanted her to know how he’d felt, but not at the expense of hurting Emily. After all he was still getting married and the date was quickly approaching. Nora had been hard to calm down but he reminded her that it was still his money and they weren’t married yet. He was a business man and he could invest as he saw fit. He could tell his stern way with her made her blood boil but he had no intention of backing out of his deal with Emily.
That argument was much easier to calm than the argument that they were still having about where they would live. She was still insisting on moving and Abdul was still insisting on staying. Unfortunately their stubborn ways were not allowing for either to give even one inch toward the other so they continued to fight. It would be a much easier life if the bride and groom were getting along instead of fighting all of the time, yet that’s all they seemed to do. Every time they spoke he just wished she would call off the wedding. He couldn’t imagine what life was going to be like if this was the way they were going into it.
Of course a large part of him wished she’d call it off for the sheer fact of him being in love with Emily. He wished every night that he could just tell her he loved her, kiss her perfect lips, and never let her go again. A feeling inside of him told him that Nora knew how he felt and wondered if that’s why she was holding on so tightly. As a woman who didn’t like to lose, he knew she would hate to have to admit losing her pending marriage to mild little Emily. Oh but he had learned that Emily was anything but mild. Through his business wheeling and dealing he saw exactly how feisty she could get and he loved it.
Sometimes she would argue with him, about advertising ideas or the location, and sometimes she would argue with realtors or vendors about what she needed. But when she got the fire inside of her he couldn’t help but smirk a little as he thought about how cute she was. She always thought he was being smug but the truth was, when she got angry her nose scrunched up and made the cutest face that he couldn’t resist her. They kept their relationship mainly professional, and as often as she could she would put Kara on the case to talk with him. They hadn’t at all discussed either of their feelings, though they both knew them loud and clear.
A call jingled in his pocket while he was at work and he quick checked the number. It was the realtor that they were using to find a location for the new bakery. His slid his finger across the accept button to answer the call. His realtor quickly explained that there was a brand new location for sale and if they wanted to take a look they should jump quickly due to its excellent location. Abdul hung up and called Emily, hoping she wasn’t too busy to meet him there. Fortunately she said that Kara was in and she could take a second to check it out.
When they met his eyes always took her in quickly, never able to get enough of her natural beauty. She smiled easily at him and his heart jumped.
“This is a great location,” she told him. He had to agree, this spot would be ideal to have a bakery and he hoped that maybe their searching was over.
The inside was non-descript but Abdul watched as Emily’s eyes lit up as she spoke of the possibilities the place held. She talked about décor and paint schemes, how they would set up the dessert counter and the way she would display the menu. He loved watching her when her passion came through with so much enthusiasm and light.
“I’m going to check the kitchen,” she said excitedly.
He followed her to the back where he watched her eyes light with joy. As she walked from place to place, he could see her baking here and he knew she could see it too. He didn’t even need to ask because her face told him everything but he did anyway.
“Should we take it?” He was leaning against the side of the doorframe, his arms crossed in front of him. He always found it easier to keep his arms busy when he was around her, less likely that he would succumb to the urge to wrap them around her.
Emily turned to him, her eyes bright with possibilities. “Let’s do it!” she said and threw her arms around his neck in a celebratory hug.
When she pulled back from him, he couldn’t resist a moment longer. His lips found hers and he could feel his entire body shake with so many feelings it was hard to contain. He’d been holding back for so long that everything came surging from him at once. But she pulled away.
Tears welled in her eyes and she took a couple steps away from him.
“I can’t. You’re getting married, it isn’t right.” She was shaking and he wanted more than anything to make things better.
“But I lo….”
“Please don’t. I can’t handle you telling me how you feel and then not being able to have you. It’s too much. I’ll call the realtor and sign the papers to buy the place tonight. I’ll get them to you tomorrow and then you can’t start working with Kara. I’m sorry.”
She rushed away from him with her heart on her sleeve and he felt his world crumble around him.
Chapter 13
The bakery was going to be perfect, Emily knew that. The location and the building, even the stainless steel kitchen was going to be excellent. But she couldn’t help that her heart was breaking. Maybe she wasn’t strong enough to be a part of his life. If she couldn’t deal with it when he wasn’t even married, how could she deal with it all once he was?
The feel of his kiss was fresh on her lips and she had no idea where she’d found the strength to pull away from him. If anything she’d wanted exactly the opposite. She’d wanted more. But she knew it was something she couldn’t have, and she had to stay strong. She had to keep herself together when she was around him. Luckily, once she signed the papers, she could begin using Kara to be the middle-man so her need to be around Abdul would be much less. That would hopefully help ease the pain of not being able to have him.
That night she went to what was soon going to be her new bakery to sign the paperwork. Her realtor was there and let her in where she unceremoniously signed her name on the dotted line. He handed her the keys, shook her hand, and was off. That was that. It was slightly deflating really. She could have called Kara, could have made it a big deal but it wouldn’t have mattered. The only person she had wanted there she was having to push away.
Alone, she walked through her new bakery again. She thought about all the details that she was about to decide upon and she felt happy that Kara was going to be such a big part of it all. She was going to make an excellent manager. All of Emily’s dreams were coming true, the keys to her happiness right in the palm of her hand but still she didn’t feel what she’d hoped she would. Instead of feeling joy inside of her heart, she felt sadness. Back in the kitchen she imagined the bowls and spoons, the bags of ingredients and the decadent smells that were soon to waft out of the kitchen. The thought made her smile but it didn’t reach to her heart.
Without her little bell it was hard to hear the front door open, but all the same Emily became on high alert that she thought someone was inside with her. Should she call out? She was all alone in the dark. Maybe she should just wait until she heard a sound?
Footsteps came closer to the kitchen entrance and Emily took out her phone, ready to dial in case of emergency. But when the figure stepped into the kitchen, her heart began to soar.
“Abdul! What are you doing here?”
He stepped further inside and she realized something was different about his eyes, but she coul
dn’t put her finger on what.
“I knew you were signing the papers tonight. I needed to see you.”
Emily started to ask why but he cut her off instead.
“I broke the engagement to Nora tonight.” Abdul took a few steps toward Emily, but she stayed rooted to her spot. “I couldn’t go through with it. It wouldn’t have been fair to anyone to marry someone I didn’t love, and pass up on the one person who has finally taken my heart.”
Emily’s eyes filled with tears, but they were tears of the purest happiness.
“Do you really mean it?”
He didn’t answer her. Instead he took her face in his masculine hands and kissed her. There was a need, a fire burning between them that made their lips fuse in pure passion. His hands traveled from her face and became entwined in her hair. Her kissed her more fiercely and she accepted, neither one of them willing to hold back a moment longer. So lost in his lips and the taste of his tongue, she hadn’t even realized that his hands had left her hair until she had felt the searing heat from his hands under her shirt.
He was burning her skin with his passion and she could feel it travel until she was throbbing for him to touch her everywhere. She wanted to make him feel the same so she lifted his shirt above his head tossing it aside. Her fingers traveled the smooth muscle of his body and she knew she’d never get tired of the feel of him. In one swift move he had her in his arms completely and had led both of their bodies to the floor. It was animalistic between them, the need they’d been holding off for so long finally coming out of them.
Their hands roamed every part of each other’s bodies, learning every tender part. Without even realizing what was happening, they were unclothed and he was pushing inside of her. Both of them cried out as the shock of the pleasure racked their bodies. Emily began to tremble underneath him, feeling his every move inside of her. She knew in that instant that she could spend the rest of her life that way and live in complete ecstasy. When their bodies came undone, they came undone together in bursts of satisfied cries and with bodies quaking.
When it was over, they lay together, spent and panting. He held her closely as her body came down from its ecstatic high. He loved her, he really did. He had broken off his engagement just to be with her. He had given her her dreams and now was giving her him. Emily lay in his arms wondering what it was she could ever give him. He had been able to give her everything when she had nothing.
“I don’t know what it is I can ever give you,” she admitted.
“You never need to give me anything.” He kissed her forehead. “You are enough all on your own.”
Her smile spread wide across her face. “I love you,” she told him.
“I was wrong. That was the best thing you could ever give me.”
THE END
Accidentally Yours
Norah Quinn drained the last her coffee and waved a goodbye to the very patient barista who had opened the coffeehouse for her a half hour early.
“Interview,” she had croaked, putting on her most beguiling expression. Geoff had rolled his eyes and opened the door.
“Only for you, Quinn.”
“I’ll give you my first born. Instant is fine.”
Geoff looked her up and down, taking in the dark gray power suit that was only a little creased from where Norah had dragged it from the back of her wardrobe. Norah’s dark, tumbling hair was pulled into a messy bun at the nape of her neck and was already escaping its clip.
“You’re unusually smart this morning, Miss Quinn.”
Norah sighed and checked her watch. “Like, I said, interview.” She named the media company and Geoff whistled. “Very nice.”
Norah swallowed a too hot sip of coffee and coughed violently. “I had to beg and scrape to get it. According to the very uppity woman I spoke to, Mr. Harrington isn’t in town much longer so it’s in a half hour or never. Also, he’s all about experience so my Summa Cum Laude from Harvard means nothing to him.”
Geoff pushed another cup of coffee to her. “You’ll do fine.” He didn’t think he ought to mention the large spot of coffee that had landed on her shirt. You couldn’t see it unless she moved. Norah waved the coffee away.
“Only got enough for one.”
Geoff pushed it back. “On the house — can I get you something to eat?”
Norah smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you but no. I need to get across town — and it’s the bike race thing today so I need all the time I can get.”
“You go get ‘em, killer.”
Ten minutes later and seventeen blocks later, Norah skidded to a halt, breathless. Somewhere, somehow she’d taken a wrong turn. She pulled out her phone to check the directions, cursing softly under her breath. She turned and then the world went haywire. Screeching brakes, screeching tires and all the air in her lungs seemed to disappear. The Mercedes that had almost hit her seemed like it had grown out of all proportion, towered above her until she realized she was lying on the ground. Her head spun as a man, a very tall, dark man sprung from the car and bent over her. He was talking but she couldn’t quite understand what he was saying. All she could see was the vivid green of his eyes, ringed with the darkest lashes, the beautiful classical angles of his man, his maleness. She must be dead. Damn, and she wasn’t even a believer but if this was what angels looked like then…
“Hey, space cakes? I don’t think she can understand me. Let’s just get to a doctor.”
Not an angel then. Norah fought the dark spots that were crowding in at the corners of her eyes.
“No…I’m fine, just let me down.” He had her in his arms by them and was moving towards the death car.
“No way, baby girl. I’m not having a million dollar lawsuit on my hands.”
Norah felt a jolt of anger. “I’m fine, I just got shocked, is all. Let me down, I’m all good, I have to go.”
The angel — no, definitely not an angel, more like a pain in the butt — ignored her and Norah thought up a million ways to kick and bite her way free, or to cuss him out. Instead, she did the most humiliating thing possible.
She fainted.
***
Norah opened her eyes and stared up an unfamiliar ceiling. By the smell filling her nostrils and the mechanical beep and the irritating i.v. line in her arm, she guessed the angel/ass had brought her to the hospital. She raised her head and groaned. Yep, this wasn’t the local emergency room. A private room and nurses in exquisitely fitted uniforms, the hushed, serene atmosphere.
Shoot. There goes next month’s rent…and the next…and the next…
Someone cleared his throat and she started, her head whipping around to see her annoying savior, sitting in a very plush armchair in the corner of the room. He was dressed in a beautiful dark gray suit, a dusky blue shirt which made his green eyes pop and the angles of his face were softened by his smile. Gorgeous….Norah shook herself and glared at him.
“You nearly killed me.”
He chuckled. “Technically, you ran out in front of me. Too busy texting — or sexting — maybe. Oh, the youth of today.” He shook his head somberly but his eyes twinkled with merriment.
Norah gaped at him. Sexting? But she felt a flush climb up her face as he gazed at her, his eyes dropping to her mouth in a way that made her pulse quicken. A weird fluttering feeling stole into her belly. He stood and approached and suddenly she felt panicky. He sat on the edge of the bed and touched a finger to her burning cheek.
“Hi,” he said softly. Oh that voice, deep and resonant, soft and sure, “I’m Jay.”
She swallowed. “Norah.”
He smiled and she was lost. “Hello, Norah.” His face was so close to hers, she could see the dark blue rings around his green eyes. They dropped to her mouth again and Norah could feel her heart beating too fast. Surely he wasn’t about to kiss her? In the split second after the first thought, she realized she had already made her decision. Let it happen.
“Hello, you two, sorry if I’m interrupting.”
&nb
sp; The doctor beamed at them both as he barreled into the room. Jay stepped away and sat back down in the armchair as Norah silently invented new and gruesome ways to murder the doctor. Also, the way Jay was smirking behind the doctor’s back infuriated her. She glared at him.
“Doctor,” her voice was gratifyingly steady, “I’m terribly sorry to have wasted your time. I just got a little light-headed is all.”
The doctor smiled at her. “No trouble, Miss…?” He looked down at the notes. “Miss Quinn.”
Norah frowned. “How did you know…”
The doctor nodded at Jay who beamed cheekily at her. “I gave admission all your details, darling.”
“But…”
“When I paid the fees, darling.”
That shut her up. Jay met her gaze with an amused look as the doctor told her to take care of herself and eat some breakfast the next time. Norah thanked him and swung her legs off the bed. Jay offered her his hand. It was big, and warm and dry and felt as if it were made to fit hers. Damn it. The doctor said his goodbyes and Jay handed her bag to her. It was only then she remembered and she sat back down on the bed, dropped her bag and buried her face in her hands.
SHEIKH'S SURPRISE BABY: A Sheikh Romance Page 83
