Friday, April 8, 2016

Wait For Me by Samantha Chase (Part 10) - Free Newsletter Serial

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He liked his solitude; he liked his privacy.

But his need for Emma? That was something that went way beyond like.
 

 

Chapter 10
 

Together they carried the boxed-up bookcase into Emma’s house and placed it on the floor of her living room. “I need a minute,” Emma panted. “I’m not used to moving furniture.”

“No problem,” Lucas said as he sat down on the couch. “Are you okay?”

Emma sat down beside him. “Fine. Like I said, I’m just not used to moving furniture.”

“That was more than moving furniture, that was moving furniture after doing a marathon.”

She gave his arm a playful nudge. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“That store just never seemed to end,” he said in dazed amusement. “It just went on and on and on and on. I didn’t think we were ever going to get out of there.”

“I told you, I have been known to get lost in there.”

“And I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” he teased, leaning over to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Where do you want this set up?”

“Just leave it for now. I’m not ready to deal with it.” Emma stretched and yawned before settling in more comfortably beside Lucas. “Where were you thinking about going for dinner?”

Truth be known, earlier in the day Lucas has been looking forward to taking Emma out, but after their big shopping excursion, he was a little less than thrilled with the prospect. “Someplace quiet,” he began cautiously. “Someplace intimate and private.”

Emma pulled back and looked at him. “Are you afraid to be seen with me or something?” Her words were said lightly but Lucas sensed a small amount of panic in her voice.

“No, of course not. Geez, where’d that come from?”

She stopped for a moment. “This is because of what happened earlier.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied.

Emma made a face at him. “So you got noticed while we were out. Everyone was super nice and thrilled to get your autograph and some pictures with you. What’s the big deal?”

Standing, Lucas walked to the kitchen and got himself a drink and then asked Emma if she wanted one. It was hard to disguise the limp. “It wasn’t that it was a big deal, Emma, it’s just that it was the first time in a really long time that I’ve gone out and had that happen. It’s not something I enjoy.”

“But everyone was so nice. What’s wrong with that?”

Lucas sighed. “It just reminds me of…”

“What you lost,” she finished for him and watched as he simply nodded. “Oh, Lucas, no one plays football forever. You just finished sooner than you wanted. You made that kid’s day by taking your picture with him. Don’t let it upset you; think about what a great memory you gave him. Make it about the boy and not about you.”

Lucas knew she was right. He handed her the drink and sat back down. “It still doesn’t change the fact that I want to take you somewhere intimate and have a quiet dinner with you.”

Emma gave him a sexy grin. “I know just the place.” She went to the kitchen and Lucas watched as she opened a drawer and turned back to him with a folder in her hands. She flung it at him.

“What’s this?” he asked, confusion written all over his face.

“Take-out menus.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You wanted intimate?” she reminded. “Well, how about dinner in bed?”

Lucas smiled. “Is it anything like breakfast in bed?”

“It’s way better,” she promised.

“Well, I’m all for new experiences.”
 

***


Emma woke up early Sunday morning with Lucas beside her and smiled. They had shared Chinese food in bed in between lovemaking, and then had indulged in a hot fudge sundae. That had led to some steamy shower sex. Between the sex and the chocolate, Emma was a very satisfied woman.

“I don’t suppose you’d want to make French toast again,” she asked as she snuggled more tightly against him.

“I think you’re getting spoiled,” he replied sleepily.

As if, Emma thought to herself. It was the end of the weekend, and although she felt that they had made some progress in their relationship, she still had no idea what was going to happen from here. Would Lucas stay in town? Was he heading back up to the mountains? Was he going to want to keep seeing her? Sleeping with her? It was all too much to think about.

“You’re awfully quiet over there,” Lucas observed.

“Just thinking of how I could possibly top yesterday’s breakfast.”

Lucas chuckled. “You think about food way too much, Em.”

“That’s because you constantly have me working up an appetite.” Rising up to look at him, she smiled. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Same here,” he said. “If you really want that French toast…”

Emma placed a hand on his chest. “No, you stay put today. I will whip us up something. You just relax. I’ll even bring you the paper.”

“I don’t want you to go out,” he said, sitting up in the bed.

“I’m not. I get the Sunday paper delivered, so all I have to do is open the front door and there it is.” Grabbing her robe, Emma strode from the room and went to get their coffee started. Then she headed to the door and reached out for the paper. Making up trays as Lucas had done the day before, she set a mug on one along with the paper and then went in search of what she was going to make them for breakfast.

Frowning at the contents of her refrigerator, she decided to do some scrambled eggs and home fries. Pleased with her decision, Emma glanced over and saw that the coffee was ready. She made Lucas’s cup first and carried his tray in, smiling when she saw him sitting up in bed waiting for her.

“To hold you over until breakfast is ready,” she said as she placed the mug on the nightstand and handed him the paper. Then, before she could stop herself, she leaned in and kissed him.

He hummed his approval and wrapped an arm around her to bring her closer. “I think I can wait on breakfast,” he growled, and tried to coax her back into bed.

“Oh, no,” she said, wiggling out of his grip. “I’ve got everything all set up and I would like to eat breakfast on the first try this time,” she said laughingly as she quickly sauntered from the room.

Lucas watched her go with a look of pure male appreciation on his face. She was something else. He had no idea what he was doing here or where any of this was going, and if he were completely honest with himself, he’d admit that it scared him to death. He’d been careful not to get involved with anyone since his injury and yet for some reason he’d let himself get involved with Emma.

Involved. That didn’t even come close to what he was feeling. One look at her and he ached. Being in the office with her all week and not talking to her, seeing her, touching her? He’d nearly gone mad. How the hell did he move forward from here? This wasn’t part of his plan. Lucas knew that he could never be what Emma needed because he refused to be a part of the world that she lived in. He liked his solitude; he liked his privacy.

But his need for Emma? That was something that went way beyond like.

Off in the distance, Lucas heard her making their breakfast and smiled. There was no need to come up with an answer right now anyway. Right now he was a man who had a beautiful woman waiting to join him in bed again. He’d find the answers to where they were going soon enough.

Unless they found him first.

As was his habit, Lucas always went for the sports section of the paper first and there, on the front page was his own image staring back at him. "Lucas Montgomery finally out of hiding?" the headline read. Lucas found his grip tightening as he continued to read.

"In the almost two years since all-star quarterback Lucas Montgomery’s career-ending injury, no one has seen him. Was he in rehab? Was he in hiding? Nobody knew and no one in Montgomery’s camp was talking. Lucky for us, he emerged today seemingly from nowhere to meet and greet with some lucky fans…"

Lucas looked at the photo of himself and a couple of the teenage boys he’d posed with and felt sick. Hell, was nothing sacred anymore? He’d stopped and signed their papers and smiled for the camera and what did he get in return? Sold out to the local paper. Dammit.

"With a fairly obvious limp, it seems that Montgomery still suffers from his injury. Though he was mum on whether or not he’d be returning to the NFL in any capacity, he’d certainly made these fans’ day."

A string of curses was coming from his mouth as he stood and reached for his clothes. Suddenly the room was too small; he was suffocating. This was what he’d wanted to avoid. He didn’t want to be in the spotlight in any capacity. He didn’t want anyone’s pity or speculation on why he wasn’t the man that he used to be.

Lucas was pulling his shirt on when Emma walked in. “What’s going on?” she asked, clearly confused as to why Lucas was turning her room upside down in his haste to get dressed.

“I have to go.”

She placed the tray of food down on the bed and stood there staring at him. “I don’t understand, Lucas. What’s the matter?”

He snapped. There was no other way to describe it, but something deep inside Lucas finally broke. Maybe it was because he’d kept all of his anger and frustration bottled up and it was just time to let it out. Or maybe this was his way of getting out of a situation that he didn’t have the courage to do on his own.

Snatching up the paper from the bed, he shoved it at her. Emma looked at the story Lucas had indicated, and once she was finished reading, she looked at him quizzically. “I still don’t understand, Lucas. You’re in the paper, it’s a nice story. No big deal. Why are you so upset?”

“You don’t understand!” he started out, his voice louder than she’d ever heard it. “This is why I don’t go out. This is why I live where I do! I don’t want people prying into my life, speculating about my injury!”

“But you have an injury, Lucas!” she yelled back. “If you don’t want people speculating on it, then have the surgery and get it fixed!”

With a growl of frustration, Lucas snatched the paper back from Emma. “What good will that do? Will it make me a quarterback again? Will it give me my career back? Geez, Emma, I can’t even have a full night of sex with you without needing therapy on my knee afterward!”

Although his words were full of rage, Emma couldn’t help but laugh. “Seriously?” she mocked. “Most guys would want a medal for that kind of stamina, Lucas, and not look at it like it’s a bad thing!”

“This isn’t a joke, Emma,” he warned. “This is—”

She cut him off. “This,” she snapped, taking the paper back again, “is an article about how a former football star stopped and signed some autographs for some fans. This,” she said again with emphasis, waving the paper in front of his face, “is a positive story about how your fans have missed you and just want to make sure that you’re doing okay.”

“I’m not that guy anymore!” he yelled. “Don’t you get it? I don’t want to be associated with that!”

“Why?” she demanded. “What is so horrible about being associated with Lucas Montgomery, the athlete? Huh? Tell me, Lucas! Those kids thought you were a hero!”

“Because that man is dead, Emma!” he roared. “He’s gone, he’s never coming back, and now I’m just some guy sitting at a desk, pushing papers around! That’s not a hero, that’s a nobody.” His breathing was ragged and he just wished that Emma would let him be. Taking a deep breath he waited for her next attack. He was ready for it.

What he wasn’t ready for was the look of utter disappointment on her face. “You’re a coward, Lucas,” she said with an amazing amount of calm. “I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it. It’s not you, exactly, that’s cowardly, it’s your actions. You have the ability to make this right. Have the surgery, Lucas. Do the world a favor and stop this pity party and have the damn surgery.”

“It won’t change anything, Em,” he said in a voice devoid of emotion. “I’ll still never be that guy again.”

“You know what? Nobody cares if you’re ever that guy again. Be somebody else. Go into coaching, go into league management, go into broadcasting or whatever it is that the guys in the booth do! You have a ton of options, Lucas, and you’ve cut yourself off from all of them because you’re too scared to try. You want to play it safe in your little mountain cave, cut off from the world, and you know what? That’s the guy you should be trying not to be.”

With the newspaper still in her hand, Emma walked over to their now cold breakfast and threw it down on top of the plates before scooping the tray up. “I’ll tell you what, Lucas, I didn’t know you before your injury and I think that I probably wouldn’t have liked you. Go on back to your hiding place; go back to living your empty shell of an existence. Me? I’ve got a life to live.”

And with that, she exited the bedroom and went into the bathroom to do her own form of hiding until she was sure Lucas was gone.

 

***

 

Original post: kkmalott.booklikes.com/post/1376168/wait-for-me-by-samantha-chase-part-10-free-newsletter-serial

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Wait For Me by Samantha Chase (Part 9) - Free Newsletter Serial

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Click here to catch up!

 






 

“I tried to stay away, I honestly did, but I couldn’t do it anymore.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

 

Chapter 9
 

Something wasn’t right. William Montgomery looked around his office and knew without a doubt that something most certainly was wrong. It was only ten a.m. and the tension in the office was enough to make him scream. His plan had been perfect; there was no way for anything to go wrong! One look at Emma, however, had told him that something was off and Lucas had pretty much scared anyone who had tried to talk to him.

He was just about to go in search of his son when Emma knocked on his door. “Emma! Come in!” he beamed, hoping to get one of her famous smiles out of her. She came to stand in front of him but her expression was fairly strained. “I take it you got the car this morning. No problems, right?”

“Oh, no, sir. The car was waiting for me right on time. But, um, I was a little concerned that you sent me one of the company cars. I had thought that you would just get one from one of the rental companies in town.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Well, you tend to only use the company cars for family. It’s far too luxurious for me. I would have been more than happy with one of the economy cars from the rental agency.”

“Emma, it’s not a big deal. We have the cars and you needed one. There was no need to go through an agency.”

She sighed. “I just…well, I’m not comfortable driving such an expensive car, that’s all.”

William laughed. “I don’t think you’ll have a problem. In all the years you’ve worked for us, you’ve never been in an accident until I sent you out in dangerous conditions.” His tone became serious. “I cannot apologize enough. I never meant to put you in harm’s way.”

“I didn’t think that you did it on purpose, sir,” she replied kindly. “It was an accident, no one’s fault. But about the car…”

William waved her off. “It’s one of the safest cars on the market. Please, I’d feel better knowing that at least for a short time, I’m protecting you while you drive.”

Her expression remained wary and she was standing ramrod straight in front of his desk. William noticed the large white envelope in her hand. When Emma saw where his attention was at she spoke. “Oh, I forgot to give this to you earlier. It’s the paperwork I was trying to get to you.”

“Oh, right, right,” he said distractedly as he took the envelope from her hands. William sat back and studied her. “Are you sure you’re all right, Emma? Have you gone to a doctor to make sure that you’re okay?”

She smiled sadly at him. “No, I don’t think that it’s necessary. I feel fine.”

“I know you’ll think I’m just being crazy, but I would really feel better if you went and had a checkup. A head injury is nothing to take lightly.”

“I’ll see if I can get an appointment after work…”

“I’d feel much better if you went now. Rose can handle whatever we have going on. It’s my fault that you’re hurt and it would ease my conscience a little if I knew from the doctor that you were truly all right.”

How could she possibly argue with that? “I hate to miss out on any more work; I have some stuff piling up…”

“I’ll have Rose take care of it; it’s more important that we take care of you. Paperwork can wait.”

“I hate to inconvenience anyone,” she said, clearly searching for a way to convince her boss that she really didn’t need to go and see anyone.

“Emma, it’s not often that I have to use a stern voice with you or demand that you do something, but I’m doing it now. This is nonnegotiable. I need you to go and see a doctor and get a clean bill of health before I allow you to come back to work.”

Emma’s mouth gaped. In the years she’d worked for William Montgomery he had never spoken to her like this, and in her fragile, emotional state, it almost brought her to tears. She mumbled a quick and quiet “yes, sir” and quickly left his office.

William felt as if he’d just kicked a puppy, but he really needed to know that Emma was okay. She was definitely out of sorts, and while it could have something to do with the accident, he had a gut feeling that it had something to do with Lucas. Once he was certain that Emma was gone, he called Rose into his office to go over his schedule for the day and then summoned his sons to his office.

By the end of the day, William Montgomery was going to figure out just what happened over the weekend and where his plan had gone wrong.
 

***


Lucas hated being summoned to his father’s office.

Sure, it made working easier when they were in the middle of a big project like the one they were on now, but right now he didn’t want to have to walk through the outer office and see Emma. He’d done a fine job of avoiding her all morning and if he had any hope of holding on to his sanity, he’d have to keep from seeing her.

He grabbed the required paperwork, and like a man facing execution, headed toward his father’s suite. Keeping his head down and pretending to read something, he quickly walked by Emma’s desk and noticed that she wasn’t there. He breathed a sigh of relief, and then his mind started churning with thoughts of where she could be. Would she be in the office with his father? Was he going to have to work with her?

Lucas stormed through the door leading to his father’s office with more force than necessary. All eyes turned to him—his brothers’ and his father’s. He mumbled an apology and set up at the conference table and sat down.

“Everything all right, Lucas?” his father asked.

“Fine.”

William was about to speak when Rose walked in carrying a tray with a carafe of coffee and several cups. “Thank you, Rose,” he said. “And when Emma calls, please put her through to me immediately.”

“Yes, sir,” she said as she walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.

Lucas was pretending to read over his paperwork. “Everything okay with Emma?” Jason asked, concern lacing his voice.

“I sent her home and told her that until I got clearance from her doctor stating that she was all right, she couldn’t work.”

“Was she not feeling well?” Mac asked.

“She said she was fine, but she seemed a little pale to me, and head injuries can be tricky. I hated to be firm with her, but it was for the best.”

“Is she okay to drive herself to the doctor?” Jason asked. “Maybe you should call her and I can meet her downtown and—”

Lucas slammed his hand down on the conference table, and everyone turned to stare at him again. He had told Emma to go to the doctor and she had refused, but his father said it and she goes. True, he had forced her hand a little bit, which was what Lucas should have done.

“Is there a problem?” Jason asked, his lips twitching with amusement at his brother’s obvious displeasure.

“Don’t we have work to do?” he snapped. “I mean, I was told that I needed to be here because of this project and all we’ve talked about is driving Emma around. Seems to me if she needed help she would’ve asked for it. Now can we please get started?”

His brothers exchanged smirks while they took their seats at the conference table, and William soon joined them.

A new plan began to form in his mind and William did his best to keep his expression neutral, giving nothing away. If he played his cards right he’d get things back on track in no time.

“Ready to begin, boys?” he boomed and pulled up his chair at the head of the table. It was shaping up to be a great day!
 

***


Emma closed her front door and dropped her purse before heading into her living room to crash on the couch. A mild concussion. Unbelievable. If she and Lucas were on normal speaking terms, Emma knew she’d never hear the end of it. The doctor had cleared her to go back to work, but for today, she was staying put. Knowing that Lucas was in the office, she figured she’d take the day to recuperate and by tomorrow, he’d be gone.

Kicking her shoes off, she reached for her phone and dialed the office. Rose put her through to Mr. Montgomery immediately.

“Well?” William said expectantly. “What did the doctor have to say?” His tone was soft and it was almost as if he was trying not to be heard by the people around him.

“I’m sorry, but is this a bad time? I could have just given the update to Rose.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Are you okay? What’s the prognosis?”

“Mild concussion,” she said wearily, “but the doctor said that I’m fine to work. If it’s okay with you, however, I’d like to take today to just rest and then I’ll be in tomorrow.”

“That sounds good. Did they have to do a lot of tests? Do you need me to drive you home?”

Where had that come from, she wondered? “No, that isn’t necessary. I’m home already and don’t plan on going out.”

“It’s probably for the best, Emma,” he said gravely and Emma had to wonder if he was really paying attention to what she was telling him. From her end of the conversation she was fine, but he was acting as if she’d given him bad news.

“I don’t think you’re following me, sir,” she began. “I’m fine; there’s no need to be so concerned.”

“I’m very concerned, Emma,” he replied. “I need to know that you’re going to be okay. Is there anything you need? Anything I can bring you?”

It was as if he wasn’t listening to a word she’d said! “I’m fine, Mr. Montgomery, really,” she repeated with more emphasis. “The doctor even said I could come back to work right now. I’m just asking for the day for personal reasons.”

William could hardly contain a laugh. Lucas was nearly falling out of his chair straining to hear the conversation that William had deliberately taken on the other side of the room and Emma must think he’d lost his mind. “Well, I’m sure the doctor knows best,” he said with a sigh. “Take all the time that you need. Your health is what matters most here.”

Unable to take any more of the crazy conversation, Emma told him that she’d see him in the morning and hung up. “That was bizarre,” she said as she stood and went in search of something to eat.

Back in the office, Lucas waited for his father to fill everyone in on his conversation with Emma.

But he didn’t.

He waited for one of his brothers to inquire about how Emma was.

But they didn’t.

Lucas was beyond frustrated and he sighed angrily and finally gave in to the need to ask for himself. “What did the damn doctor say?” he snapped.

William arched an eyebrow at his son. “I don’t see what you’re so upset about, Lucas. Emma’s the one with the injury.”

“Yeah, well, I was the one who pulled her from the damn car when she was unconscious, if you remember correctly. And I was the one who looked after her all weekend, so I think I have a right to know what the doctor said!” His tone was more demanding than it needed to be and his father’s expression was a combination of shock and amusement.

“I didn’t say that you couldn’t know, Lucas, I merely pointed out that there was no need for you to be upset.”

“You know what? I don’t need this,” Lucas griped as he stood and collected his paperwork. It was only three o’clock in the afternoon, and if he played his cards right, he’d be back in his own home before dark. “I’ll fax you my portion of the numbers tomorrow,” he said as he stormed out the door.

There was silence in the room for about ten seconds before Jason turned and asked, “What the hell’s gotten into him?”

William held up his hand and went to close the door so no one would be privy to the conversation he was about to have with his sons. “Boys, I think I’ve stirred up a bit of trouble,” he began and then went on to tell them about the weekend.

“So wait a minute,” Mac interrupted, “you mean to tell me that you purposely sent Emma up there in a blizzard? Dad, she could have gotten killed!”

“In my defense, I didn’t know there was going to be a blizzard. I thought it was just going to snow a bit and then Lucas wouldn’t let her drive in it. I’m just sick inside with the thought of what happened to her but in the end, she’s okay.”

“Is she?” Jason asked. “What did the doctor say, and why wouldn’t you just tell Lucas?”

He laughed. “What fun would that have been? I’ve seen more emotion in your brother in the last couple of hours than I have in the last couple of years! Emma’s fine; she has a mild concussion and the doctor told her she was fine to work.”

“Then why were you being so secretive? From where we were sitting you made it sound like she was giving you bad news over the phone,” Mac said.

“I was poking the bear,” William replied simply. “Did you see the way he was acting while I was on the phone? That boy was desperate to know how Emma was and it was damn near killing him to sit back and wait. Those are not the actions of a man who has no interest in a woman.”

“I don’t get it. You think that Lucas has feelings for Emma? That’s what all this is about?”

“Hell yes! I’ve been noticing it more and more over the last couple of months, but I knew that Lucas would never act on it so I put a plan in motion to make him do something about it.”

“How can you be sure it did?”

William shook his head in disbelief. “Were the two of you not in the same room here with me? Was that normal behavior for Lucas? And earlier today, you both interacted with Emma. Did she seem like her normal self to you?” Both men shook their heads. “I don’t know exactly what happened this weekend, but something sure did, and I’m guessing that it scared the hell out of Lucas.”

“So what are you going to do now? He’s heading back home,” Jason pointed out.

“We’ll see,” William said cryptically and sat back down at the table. “Now, where were we?”
 

***


By the time Lucas reached the parking garage, he was calling himself every rotten name in the book. Way to draw attention to yourself, he mocked silently. He never should have touched her, never should have given himself the opportunity to have the best sex of his damn life, which left him craving more. He cursed and made his way over to his truck.

“Lucas?”

He dropped his head down and cursed again. There was no way to escape now.

“Where are you off to? It’s a little late for lunch.”

“Hey, Mom,” he said dejectedly. “What are you doing here?”

She was a tiny little woman, maybe five feet two, and Lucas towered over her. In her hands was a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a balloon that read “Get Well.” “I came as soon as I could. I wanted to give these to Emma. She’s such a sweet girl and she keeps me spoiled with those brownies that she makes.”

Lucas’s mind wandered to the brownies they’d shared while watching movies at the cabin and his stomach growled at the recollection. “Yeah, they’re good.”

She smacked his arm. “That is the understatement of the year!” She looked around and then focused on her son again. “Anyway, I was out and about and wanted to give these to her.”

“She’s not here. Dad sent her to the doctor.”

His mother gasped. “Oh, no! Is she all right? What did the doctor say?”

Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose and reminded himself that he loved his mother. “You’ll have to ask Dad. He spoke to her.”

“Oh, well…okay. But that brings us back to you. Where are you off to?”

“I’m heading home.”

“No you’re not,” she said firmly.

“Excuse me?”

For a tiny woman, Monica Montgomery seemed to expand before his eyes. “I said no, you’re not.” With one hand on her hip she looked up into her son’s defiant face. “I have had just about enough of this one-day-a-month nonsense. When you came to the house last night, you promised to have dinner with me tonight and I am holding you to it!”

“I didn’t promise—”

“Are you going to argue with me, Lucas? Seriously?”

He shook his head and remembered his manners. “No, ma’am, I’m not arguing. I just don’t remember saying…”

“I’m making your favorite meal: pot roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, biscuits… I’ve been looking forward to it all day. You’re not going to let me down, are you?”

He shook his head again. “No, ma’am.”

She reached out, hugged him, and then tugged his face down so she could kiss his cheek. “Good. Now walk me back inside so I can at least put these flowers on Emma’s desk.” She made a tsking sound. “Poor girl. I hope she has someone to take care of her.” Taking Lucas’s big hand in her own, she gently tugged him back toward the building.

“I took care of her,” he said under his breath, hating the fact that his mother was dragging his six foot self back to where he didn’t want to go. There was no doubt that his brothers would give him shit for caving and coming back. Lucas knew he had no choice, and it was times like this that reinforced why he tended to stay as far away from the family and business as possible.

When their elevator brought them back up to Montgomerys’ floor, Lucas promised his mother he’d see her at dinner and then made a beeline for his office where he quietly shut his door and collapsed behind his desk. He had been so close to escaping this hell, and now he was stuck for at least another day. He knew that dinner would lead to spending the night, and tomorrow his father would ask him to come to the office, and before Lucas knew what hit him, it would be too late to head home.

“Dammit.” Lucas raked his hands through his hair and growled with the unfairness of it all. Hadn’t he suffered enough? He’d lost his career, his identity, and after one weekend with Emma, Lucas felt as if he’d lost his privacy.

And the girl.

“Just another twenty-­four hours,” he reminded himself, “and I can go back to my own damn life.” It seemed like a simple enough goal.
 

***


Emma was working late on Friday night. Everyone had gone home but there were still some things that she wanted to get caught up on from her time off. There wasn’t much to do, but it was all tedious and time-consuming. Her stomach growled and she cursed herself for not ordering dinner earlier. There was always takeout on the way home, she thought.

By eight o’clock, she could barely see straight. Her filing was done, her computer files backed up, and the spreadsheets that Mr. Montgomery was going to need for a trip the following week were all prepared, copied, and collated. All in all, it had been a successful night. Emma stood and stretched and nearly screamed the place down.

“Lucas! You scared me half to death! What are you still doing here?” She placed a hand over her heart, hoping to slow down its frantic rhythm in her chest.

He stood dumbfounded at the sight of her. “Sorry,” he said gruffly, “I thought everyone was gone.”

“So did I,” she snapped. He had stayed the week. In all of the years she’d worked for Montgomerys, Lucas had never stayed a full week. Why did he have to choose to start now?

“Why are you working so late, Emma?” he asked, stepping closer to her desk, closer than he’d allowed himself to get to her all week. “It’s not safe for you to be here all by yourself.”

Emma wanted to laugh at his words. She’d worked late countless times before; the only thing that made this situation unsafe was the fact that she was alone with Lucas and didn’t trust herself. “I’m fine, Lucas,” she said softly. “I just finished up and was getting ready to leave.”

“Oh,” he said and then seemed to stop to consider something. “Just give me five minutes and I’ll walk you to your car.”

“That’s not necessary, really. Like I said, I do this all the time and there are security guards down by the garage. Go and finish what you have to do.” She was talking faster than usual and gathering her belongings as she spoke. There was no doubt that Lucas would be able to tell that she was nervous, but if she could just make a quick exit, Emma knew she’d be okay.

“It’s not negotiable, Emma. I know my brothers would do the same thing when you’re all working late.”

There was no arguing with that, but she wanted to. With an agitated sigh she said, “Fine. I’ll wait while you finish up.” Watching Lucas turn and walk away, she counted to ten and then quietly moved about the office gathering the rest of her things. His office was at the end of the hall and one of the farthest from the elevators. Emma knew she was acting childish but she didn’t like having Lucas dictate to her what to do and when. Just because he’d slept with her didn’t give him that right.

Tiptoeing, she made her way quickly toward the bank of elevators and pressed the down button and prayed that the ding wasn’t as loud as she thought it was. “C’mon,” she whispered, bouncing on the balls of her feet, anxious to get in the elevator and away from Lucas.

“Going somewhere?” This time she not only screamed but she must have jumped a good foot in the air. He was directly behind her and he spoke softly right into her ear.

“Dammit, Lucas! Why would you do that?” Emma rounded on him, her eyes full of fury.

“You told me that you’d wait and as soon as I walked away, you were sneaking out!” he lashed back.

“And I told you that I didn’t need you to walk me out! Amazingly enough, Lucas, I have managed to get myself down to the parking garage, alone, for quite some time without you!”

Something in him snapped. Reaching out he grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her closer. “I am so sick and tired of you fighting everything I say and do, Emma, you know that? Did it ever occur to you that I’m concerned? Did it ever cross your mind that maybe, just maybe, some of the things I say are for your own benefit?” Without waiting for answer, he pulled her toward his office.

“Wait! What are you doing? The elevator just got here!” Emma’s words fell on deaf ears. Lucas pulled her into his office and gently pushed her into one of the chairs facing his desk. “This is just ridiculous,” she said angrily. “You can’t just shove me around, Lucas! You may be my boss but you have no right to treat me this way.”

She was right. Lucas knew she was right and yet ever since their weekend together, wherever Emma was concerned, logic and reason ceased to exist for him. When she made to stand up, Lucas simply relaxed more into his own chair. “If you walk out that door I’ll simply bring you back.”

Emma was seething with rage at this point. “So what’s the plan here? I just sit here in submission until you’re ready to leave? That’s kind of sick even for you, Lucas.”

She was baiting him but he refused to be baited. He had no idea why he’d dragged her to his office. What he should have done was follow her into the elevator when it arrived and walk her to her car and then come back up here to finish his work. Scrubbing a hand over his weary face, he let out an equally weary sigh.

“Why are you still here, Lucas?” she finally asked.

“Working late, just like you.”

“That’s not what I mean. Why are you still here, a week after you dropped me off? You’ve never stayed for a full week. What’s going on?”

Standing, Lucas came around the desk and stood in front of her. He’d been miserable all week. He’d thought of her. All week. He’d tried to leave a dozen different times, but always found some feeble excuse to stay. He was tired and frustrated and frustrated with being tired.

“I can’t leave,” he finally admitted and felt his entire body sag with relief.

Emma stared up at him, confusion written all over her face. “I don’t understand why. Is it because of the project you’ve been working on?”

Lucas snorted with disbelief. “I can do that project in my sleep, so no, it has nothing to do with the project.” Reaching down, he took hold of one of Emma’s hands and tugged her gently to her feet.

“Then what is it?” she whispered, her eyes lingering on his lips.

“It’s you,” he said simply as he lowered his head to hers and claimed her lips as he’d ached to do all week long.

Emma was on board immediately, and he heard her drop her purse to the floor right before her arms tangled around his neck. She sighed his name and pressed closer to him.

“I can’t sleep for wanting you; I can’t concentrate for wanting you.” He was trailing his lips down the slender column of her throat and lingered at the sweet spot right below her ear that he knew drove her wild. “I tried to stay away, I honestly did, but I couldn’t do it anymore.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” she admitted right before letting out a sexy growl at what he was doing. “I didn’t want you to stay away.”

What followed was madness. Lucas pushed her wool coat from her body and let it fall to the floor. His hands roamed up and down her back and then lingered on her firm bottom, pulling her flush against him so that she could feel his arousal. “I want you, Emma,” he said fiercely. “Let me have you.”

No words had ever sounded sweeter, and in that moment, Emma would have given him anything. She frantically looked around for a place for them. “The sofa,” she panted and then pulled him with her while he continued to nibble and taste her skin.

Emma couldn’t believe this was happening. She was going to make love to Lucas right here in his office. It was something that she’d secretly fantasized about probably one hundred times, but doing this, right here, right now, was better than anything she’d ever imagined.

His hands ignited a million fires within her and all she wanted was to growl with frustration at how long he was taking. “Lucas, please.” Emma kicked her shoes off but her movements were limited by the long skirt she wore.

By now they were reclined on the sofa with Lucas’s big body pinning hers to the cushions. He lifted his head and looked at her. “You are so beautiful,” he said reverently and then paused. “I don’t want to do this,” he admitted, but instantly corrected himself. “I mean, I want to do this, but I want us to be someplace private where there’s a bed. I don’t want to just take you on the office couch. I have more self-control than that.”

A wicked smile crossed Emma’s face. “Self-control is highly overrated.”
 

***


Emma woke the following morning alone and cursed. Sometime after midnight they’d arrived at her place, and after eating some drive-through burgers and fries, they’d picked up where they’d left off. Emma sighed with frustration.

“Bastard,” she muttered as she kicked the blankets from her body and went to snatch her robe from her closet. “I cannot believe that he would just slink off without even saying good-bye.” She was good and mad now, and nearly yanked the bedroom door off its hinges in her haste to escape.

And stopped cold.

There, in her kitchen, bare-chested and more handsome than any man had a right to be, stood Lucas. He looked at Emma over his shoulder and gave her one of his most sincere and sexiest smiles.

“What are you doing?” she asked, puzzled by the sight of him in her kitchen.

“I was hoping to surprise you with breakfast,” he said lightly. “I thought for sure you’d sleep in a little longer.”

Emma blushed. They had barely slept more than a couple of hours the entire night, so often had they reached for each other. She knew that she was exhausted and figured Lucas must be feeling the same. “What are you making?” she asked hesitantly as she slowly made her way toward him.

“French toast. I hope you don’t mind.” He went back to the task at hand and smiled when Emma came to stand behind him and kissed his shoulder.

“How could I possibly mind? What can be more perfect than waking up to someone making me breakfast?”

“I was hoping it would be breakfast in bed, but you woke up too soon.”

“Hey, I can easily go back to bed and just wait,” she said saucily and turned to go back toward the bedroom when Lucas grabbed her around the waist and hauled her against him.

Kissing her thoroughly, he reluctantly released her. “Give me less than five minutes and we’ll bring it in there together.” True to his word, he was soon placing their plates on a makeshift tray while Emma grabbed their coffee.

Lucas walked ahead of her and Emma noticed that something was wrong. “Lucas?” she queried. “Are you okay?”

He kept walking and didn’t answer her until they were both in the bedroom getting situated. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had sex standing up like we did last night”—he gave her a sexy grin—“multiple times. My knee is just a little sore today.” His tone was light, but Emma was beginning to know Lucas better and wasn’t entirely sure he was telling her the truth.

Emma climbed onto the bed and Lucas handed her the tray and then walked around to the other side to join her. She handed him his plate and they began to eat in silence. Lucas was no fool; he knew that Emma was concerned and wanted nothing more than to distract her from obsessing about his knee. He knew he was doing his best not to think about it.

“So,” he began, “what do you have planned for today?”

She finished chewing the buttery piece of French toast and said, “Actually, I was planning on hitting IKEA today. I need a bookshelf for the guest room and that’s a major excursion. I had planned on spending the afternoon there.”

“For a bookshelf?” he asked incredulously.

“Have you ever been to an IKEA?” Lucas shook his head. “It’s like a furniture and gadget mega store. I’ve been known to get lost in there.”

Lucas chuckled. “Sounds like you may need some help to get around.”

Emma beamed at him. “Are you offering to make sure I don’t get lost?”

“Well, I hate to think of store security having to go searching for you.” He winked.

“That’s very generous of you,” she teased back. “But are you sure? You don’t seem like a shopping kind of guy.”

Lucas shrugged. “I’ve got nothing else planned for today, and I thought maybe after we went on a bookshelf expedition, we could maybe go out to eat.”

“You mean like a date?”

He nodded and suddenly felt a little vulnerable. Was he really going to keep this relationship—for lack of a better word—going? If there was no future for them, why was he prolonging the inevitable? “If you would rather not…”

“Oh, no, it’s not that, it’s just…” She nodded toward his attire.

“I am most definitely going to need a change of clothes today,” he said with a small laugh. “Probably before we even go shopping.”

Emma took another bite of her breakfast and let her eyes drift closed. “I do believe that I may have to keep you around for a while if for nothing else than to make this for me for breakfast every day.”

Lucas watched silently as she finished her breakfast and then removed her tray. Emma looked at him quizzically as he settled back in beside her and merely stared at her. “What? Is there syrup on my face?’

“Darlin’, if all you need me around for is to make French toast, then I’ve got to step up my game.” Reaching for her, he smiled when she met him halfway. Lucas wrapped his arms around her and lowered them back down onto the mattress before kissing her.

“I don’t know,” Emma said between kisses. “It’s going to be tough to top that French toast.”

Lucas gave a wicked laugh. “I believe I am more than up for the challenge.”

 

***

 

Original post: kkmalott.booklikes.com/post/1375551/wait-for-me-by-samantha-chase-part-9-free-newsletter-serial

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Renegade (Asphalt Cowboys #1) by Madison Sevier

Review:

Renegade: Asphalt Cowboys, 1 - Madison Sevier

The Road Is His Future...

Longtime steel hauler, Mason Kaine, a.k.a. Renegade only needed a few things to be happy; the whisper of his tires on that long ribbon of highway in front of him, money and a life with no complications. Being an Asphalt Cowboy means long, lonely hours on the road, dedication to the job and going wherever the loads are needed. Mason liked it that way. Meeting a feisty blonde whose allure is more potent than the finest Kentucky bourbon was not on his itinerary. He knows he should just walk away and leave the woman to deal with whatever mess she's in. But can he really just leave her alone and injured at a truck stop when he knows she's in way over her head?

She's Running From Her Past...

Savannah Somers has been on the run and in hiding for more than four years. Working at a truck stop hundreds of miles from her former life, she's been able to blend in and stay safe. That is, until two people from her old life and Mason Kaine walk into her new life on the same day. With her past chomping at her heels and Mason Kaine's scorching sex appeal, Savannah finds herself on a path with twice the danger and more than just her life at risk.

Can Savannah find the safety she's always needed in the arms of a man like Renegade?

Will Mason be able to save Savannah without finding himself chained to a lifetime of complications?

It'll take more than one hot load to find out if they'll make it together...for the long haul.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Review:

 

My favorite line in the whole book - "Do I look like a giant nipple to you?" I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.
Instant love for Renegade he's drawn to Savannah the moment he sees her, cute conversations that make our cast feel like real people that have actually been in those places.

 

Sure some times the trucker environments can be shady but I love that Renegade captures the reality that truckers aren't all bad people and not all of them are participants in "nesting parties" (truck orgies) with chik-lizards (truck lot hookers), there are still some hard working people that are actually decent out there that aren't given enough credit for what they do.


Being a trucker is a hard life for everyone involved for both the trucker and their families. Few realize that most truckers have a story and there's a reason why they choose the job. Same as Mason.

 

Poor Savannah jaded by her life is swooped up and taken in by Mason during one of his stops after a tense situation you get some sense of her innocence and the past she carries on her shoulders as well while you follow her journey.

Mason aka Renegade gets to be hero and opens his heart (which every woman dreams of having)

 

Its kind of funny watching Mason and Sav go back and fourth because they both have the personality and wit but add in the sexual tension and you got a potent mix. They feel like an opposites attract couple until you realize just how much they actually have in common. 
Although I have to admit that the tea drinking trucker cracked me up I like that the life lesson that you can't always run from your past is written into the story.

 

Renegade is fantastic. You get suspense and action, you get romance and reality and you get your happily ever after its great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Rating:

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

Source:
Received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review from The Author

Note:
If any of Krissys Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! Thank you!

 

 

Original post: kkmalott.booklikes.com/post/1374631/renegade-asphalt-cowboys-1-by-madison-sevier

Author Feature: Kayla Stonor

 

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Surrender Collection

A collection of stories focusing on the surrender of a strong, alpha man in circumstances that allow him to fall in love with the woman who has him whipped. The journey to love is tough (especially for the hero), but tests the character of both hero and heroine.

 

Click the link to check them out!

 

http://upvir.al/ref/t1813008

 

 

 

Original post: kkmalott.booklikes.com/post/1374604/author-feature-kayla-stonor

Free ebooks (4-6-16)

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Wrecked by Elle Casey: A doomed Caribbean cruise with 4 teens on board.
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Immurement: The Undergrounders Series Book One by Norma Hinkens: The earth’s core overheats. Leaders disappear. Everything relies on a young survivor … Derry Connelly, her brother Owen, and their group are up against merciless gangs for livable land. But that’s the least of their worries…

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Desperation (The Island I) by C.B. Stone: Reagan is a headstrong teen. Sentenced to Grandy Island Reintegration Camp, she jumps ship and decides to take her chances with the sharks. Only, the island she washes up on is full of them, of the two-legged variety. Then there’s Connor, who’s definitely not a shark, but just as dangerous.

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Guilty Secrets by Ciara Christie: Robyn is a university freshman who has sworn off love to protect a deadly secret. Harry is the hot young deputy sheriff who loves a mystery as much as he loves the single life. Dark secrets in their past are bringing them together. But can they resist their mutual attraction long enough to discover each other’s guilty secrets?

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Mexican Booty by J.J. Henderson: Lucy Ripken, a wind-surfing photographer and journalist, takes a job in NYC photographing priceless works of art imported from Mexico. There’s something sinister about the woman she’s working for, though, and Lucy has reason to suspect the pieces are fakes. So she investigates with the help of some old friends. Things get bad when people begin turning up dead.

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Who Killed Little Johnny Gill? A Victorian True Crime Murder Mystery by Kathryn McMaster: Based on the death of a young boy named John Gill living in Bradford, England in 1888, this story follows a murder that was considered one of the worst in its day. Will the killer be found and justice served? Or will they get away clean?

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She by Pete Brassett: Detective Munro and Sergeant West are up against a serial killer. If they’re to stop the killing spree, they must discover what transpired before the first crime occurred. But the repercussions of the crime have only just begun to be realized.

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Original post: kkmalott.booklikes.com/post/1374600/free-ebooks-4-6-16

Wait For Me by Samantha Chase (Part 8) - Free Newsletter Serial

New to WAIT FOR ME? Missing an issue?
Click here to catch up!

 





 

“You said you’d drive me home when the roads were clear,” she reminded him.

“That’s true. I did say that. But I’m not comfortable driving in these road conditions,” he said lightly as he slowly began to lean toward her.
 

 

Chapter 8
 

There was nothing like a good full-body stretch when waking up. Emma always found that a great way to start her day. The feel of a very warm, hard male pressed up against her back as she stretched, she decided, was an added perk.

Peeking over her shoulder, she met Lucas’s slumberous eyes. “Good morning,” she said softly, and when he chose to say nothing Emma felt the first pangs of panic. She had essentially said last night would be a one-­time thing—well, not one time, but one night. No, they had gone beyond one time multiple times over. Was he regretting their night? Was he angry at her for provoking him until he couldn’t say no?

Even now, Emma could not believe how brazen she’d been. Never in her life had she been so turned on and so determined to have exactly what she wanted. From the way Lucas was staring at her right now, she was beginning to regret being so bold.

She turned her gaze away from him and glanced at the clock. It was after ten. No surprise there, they had finally fallen asleep some time right before dawn. Giving up on Lucas having something to say, Emma made to move from the bed.

Lucas’s arm banded around her waist and pulled her back against him.

Emma turned her face slightly toward her pillow and smiled. So he wasn’t as unaffected by their night as he was trying to make her believe. The feel of him pressed up against her back had that boldness coming to the surface again. “Something I can do for you, Lucas?” she asked sweetly and she heard him chuckle.

It was well after noon before he breathlessly turned to her and said, “Any chance you’d be willing to throw together some more of those grilled cheese sandwiches?”

Emma laughed out loud.
 

***


Later in the afternoon, Emma was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine she’d brought with her when Lucas came in from outside. She looked at him expectantly. “Well, how goes the big thaw?”

“I can’t speak for everywhere but it looks as if the plows have come through around here. It’s still below freezing out so I’m sure that if anything thaws, it’s going to freeze up again quickly. Have you watched any of the weather reports on the TV?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, I got caught up in my reading.”

Lucas stepped forward and before she realized his intent, he’d grabbed the magazine from her hands. “Ten positions to make him crazy in bed?” He looked at her incredulously, reading the rest of the headlines on the cover of Cosmo. With a chuckle, he handed it back to her, then leaned down and placed a searing kiss on her lips. “Trust me, Emma, there’s nothing that article can teach you.” Without another word, he headed into the mudroom to hang up his coat.

Emma merely sat there and fanned herself with the magazine. “Well,” she said quietly to herself, “I guess that answers that.” Tossing the magazine aside, she reached for the remote and turned on the TV to try and find the local weather. Lucas came and sat beside her and together they listened as the forecaster predicted nothing but warming temperatures.

Inwardly, Emma knew this was good news. She could go home safely and get back to her everyday routine. Unfortunately, doing so meant leaving all of this behind. She wasn’t stupid enough to think that what she and Lucas had shared was going to carry over into their lives once she got home. No, they’d go back to the same awkward, quiet relationship they’d always had when he came to the office, kicking and screaming, once a month. That thought made her sad and a sigh escaped before she could stop it.

“What’s the matter?” Lucas asked, concern lacing his voice.

“What? Oh, nothing,” she stammered. “I was just thinking about all that’s waiting for me. I have to call my insurance company and then talk to the repair shop about my car and deal with the rental…”

“I already told you that we’re handling all of that.”

“I know, I know, but eventually, I am going to have to handle it. It’s still my car and I’ll have to get back up here to get it and I hate driving a rental and…”

“You’re rambling, Emma. What’s really going on?” His tone was quiet, serious, and when Emma looked at him, her heart stopped.

“I’m not ready to go home yet,” she said honestly.

A small smile tugged at Lucas’s lips. “I don’t recall kicking you out.”

She relaxed a bit and chuckled. “There’s no reason for me to stay. It’s already Saturday, the roads are clear…it’s time to go home.”

Lucas leaned forward and skimmed a hand down the side of her face. “You can’t leave if you don’t have a ride.”

Her eyes met his. “You said you’d drive me home when the roads were clear,” she reminded him.

“That’s true. I did say that. But I’m not comfortable driving in these road conditions,” he said lightly as he slowly began to lean toward her.

Emma thought that she could really get used to this playful side of him. This must have been what he was like before he got hurt. “There is the possibility of ice,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “I would hate myself if something were to happen to your truck.”

“Exactly,” he said as he lowered his head to her throat and began taking light nips of her skin. “I appreciate your understanding. I would be really upset if something happened to…my truck.”

“I’m a considerate person,” she purred as she let her head fall back to give him better access.

“Very,” he agreed before lifting his mouth to hers and claiming it. He couldn’t get enough. Lucas had been sure that after last night he’d be just fine with packing Emma up and taking her home today. The roads were fine, the temps were climbing, and at this time of day, it was the perfect time to drive without it being hazardous.

Selfishly, however, he wasn’t ready to let her go. Once they left his home, it was over. There would be no repeat performance, no continuing with an affair; once he had her home safely, there was no going back.

So he had to keep her here with him for one more night. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he’d be fine with walking away.

As Emma slid her body beneath his on the couch and wrapped herself around him, Lucas let all thoughts of tomorrow fade away so that he could fully embrace and enjoy the present.
 

***


By Sunday afternoon, they were on the road. Neither felt much like talking, so most of the drive was spent in silence. Emma knew that this time was going to come; there had been no way to avoid it, and yet she wanted very much to. How was she supposed to see him at the office and pretend this weekend had never happened?

True, he only came in once a month, and if she had enough advance warning, she could keep herself busy to the point of not having to really be around him. Chancing a quick look at Lucas from the corner of her eye, Emma gave herself a mental kick. Who was she kidding? When Lucas came to the office, she was going to do as she’d always done: she would smile and bring him his coffee just in hopes of him giving her one of those slow, soft smiles that she loved.

She was pathetic. If Lucas wasn’t sitting right beside her, she’d be berating herself profusely out loud. Instead, she turned her attention to the passing scenery and just hoped that when they got to her home, she wouldn’t do something completely foolish like beg him to stay.

Lucas wished he could figure out what was going on inside Emma’s head. She’d been sitting there like a damn statue since they’d pulled out of his driveway and she was making him crazy. He expected some sort of scene, expected her to try and reason with him on all of the ways they could continue their relationship once she was back at home. But she hadn’t said a damn word.

He thought maybe she’d have regrets and want to tell him how he should have had more self-control. But she never said a word.

Dammit, the woman had been a chatterbox all weekend and now that he really wanted her to talk, to tell him what was going on in her mind, she had clammed up! Women! Gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles were white, he drove on. The faster he got her home, the better. They’d had their time, their fun, and now it was over. She didn’t want to talk about it? Fine.

No, he was lying to himself. It was anything but fine. Lucas thought back to just this morning when he’d found her in the kitchen dressed in one of his T-shirts and making pancakes. She’d looked so damn perfect standing there in his home and after he’d caused her to burn the first batch, he’d helped her make the second.

That batch had gone cold before they even got to it.

By the third batch, Emma had wielded the spatula like a weapon to keep him away. He smiled at that picture. They’d finally sat down to eat and then had showered together, but once he’d left her alone so she could pack it was as if a switch had been flipped. There had been no more silly bantering; they both had gone somber. He’d loaded her stuff into his truck and silently climbed in. Emma had programmed her address into his GPS so they didn’t even have to talk about where to go.

For a man who had thrived on silence for almost two years, it was killing him now.

To break up the monotony, Lucas switched on the radio. It didn’t take long to realize that every song had a message of loving and losing, and it irritated the crap out of him. He slapped the system off. His action must have shocked Emma out of her own reverie because she gasped and turned toward him.

It was the first sound she’d made in almost an hour.

“Why’d you turn the music off?” she asked quietly.

“Nothing on that I wanted to hear.”

“Oh.”

And then the silence was back. How was it that they had talked all weekend and now there was nothing to say? How was he supposed to just drop her off at her place without having spoken a word to her?

He suppressed a groan. This was why he shouldn’t have gotten involved. This whole thing had him looking like some sort of stereotypical player: he’d had his fun with her, his dirty weekend, and then he was done with her. Was that how she was going to remember him? No, he had to do something, say something to clear his conscience.

“So,” he began awkwardly, “those papers that Dad had wanted, did he mention anything about them when you talked to him on Friday?”

Work. A safe topic. He felt dumb asking, as they had already had this conversation, but he couldn’t think of anything else. “Actually, no. We talked more about how I was feeling and he apologized for all of the confusion with the directions. I know he said it was a simple mistake, but that was still kind of odd for him, wasn’t it?”

Lucas agreed but didn’t share his thoughts on his father’s motives. “Yeah. He’s not usually that careless. And it’s still bizarre to me that he never mentioned needing them before leaving to come up here.”

Emma nodded. “I thought so, too. Your father is very organized and meticulous in his planning; to just sort of throw something like that out there was a little weird.”

“Well, clearly he was able to do without whatever it was, since he didn’t call back and ask you to go over it on the phone with him.”

“I don’t think it was something he wanted to discuss.”

“Why would you say that?”

Emma could have bitten off her own tongue. William had specifically said that he didn’t want his sons to know about this, but how could she possibly say that to Lucas? “Oh, um, you know, he was feeling bad about my accident so he probably didn’t want to bother me with work stuff.”

Lucan made a noncommittal sound and put his full attention back on the road. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

“I guess.”

“Will you be at the office tomorrow?” he asked suddenly.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“I just thought maybe you would want to go to a doctor and get checked out to make sure that your head and ankle are healing okay.”

“Oh,” she sighed, secretly hoping that he had been leading up to asking her to lunch or something. “My ankle is just fine and other than an ugly bruise, my head is fine too. My hair hides it so no one has to see it.”

Lucas had seen it plenty all weekend and it broke his heart a little every time. He thought of the many times her hair and been fanned out on his pillows and he’d wanted to kiss the injury away.

“I still think you should see your doctor,” he murmured.

“Please don’t start with that again, Lucas,” she replied wearily. “We’ve been over this like a hundred times and I am fine. Please just leave it alone.”

Lucas felt confident that this was the better way for them to leave things, with Emma being angry and irritated with him for nagging her. He could live with that. He shot one last glance at her, but Emma’s attention was back to the passing scenery and so he let it be.

He’d lived with the silence for two years. What was another thirty minutes?
 

***


Monday morning, Emma woke up and went about her usual routine. She had spoken to Mr. Montgomery the night before and he promised her that a car would be there for her this morning to get her to work. She had showered and dressed and was pouring herself a glass of juice when she heard car doors slamming in her driveway. A quick peek out the window had her 
heart pounding.

There in her driveway were Lucas and Jason. They had dropped off a car for her to use and were getting back into Lucas’s truck. She hadn’t expected the Montgomerys to lend her one of the company cars; she thought a rental car company would meet her here this morning to drop something off. She’d have to talk to Mr. Montgomery when she got in, because she didn’t feel right about driving one of their luxury cars.

Before she could open up her front door to say thank you, the men were gone. What had she expected? Lucas had barely said two words to her when he’d dropped her off last night. He’d helped her bring her things into her house and then said a very quiet good-bye before simply walking out and closing the door behind him.

She wanted to strangle him.

If she were honest, Emma had thought that Lucas would simply turn around last night and go back to his place. Knowing that he was here and he had Jason in the car with him, she figured she’d have to face him at the office this morning.

Not something she was looking forward to at all.

Walking back to her kitchen, she dumped her untouched juice down the drain and placed the glass in the sink. The thought of eating or drinking anything right now only made Emma nauseous. She walked back toward her bedroom to finish getting ready, and when she couldn’t put it off any longer, she walked out the door, toward a car she didn’t want to drive, to a place she didn’t want to be, to see a man she wanted to avoid.

Happy Monday.

 

***

 

Original post: kkmalott.booklikes.com/post/1374598/wait-for-me-by-samantha-chase-part-8-free-newsletter-serial

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Original post: kkmalott.booklikes.com/post/1374596/share-poetry-month-with-penguin-publishing

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