Her phone was in her hand before she had even realised. Alex answered on the very first ring.
‘Come out for a drink with me tonight? I have good news.’
‘Where am I picking you up?’ he asked, without even a moment’s hesitation.
‘My office.’
The floor was completely deserted. Emma’s office was the only one occupied. If anyone walked by they would think that she was pulling long hours yet again. Nothing unusual.
Except she was obsessively rereading the offer.
‘Stare any harder and you might set the paper on fire.’
She jumped at the voice and Alex laughed as he strode in. Heart leaping in her throat, she rose to step into his arms. His lips came down to meet hers in a gentle kiss that had her feeling giddy. Would she ever tire of this man?
‘What’s this good news?’ he asked, keeping her pressed against his body.
Emma plucked the letter off the table and handed it to him. He stepped away from her, pacing as he read it. ‘Tell me you’ve accepted.’
‘Fiona told me to take a day to think it over.’
‘You don’t need one.’
Emma smiled. ‘No, I don’t.’
As conflicted as she felt, and having gone over every scenario a million times, there was one thing she kept coming back to: this was her dream. Surely she should be allowed to pursue that. There was nothing she did at Brown Hughs that someone else couldn’t. No matter what happened after this, with her family or Alex, she would have one thing that made her truly happy.
The letter fell with a smack against the table as Alex dropped it, coming around her desk and yanking her to him. He kissed her hard and quick.
‘This is the best news I’ve had all day. Let’s go and celebrate,’ he said, rubbing his nose along hers.
‘Let’s.’
Sipping the most delicious champagne she had ever tasted, in the most spectacular bar in Melbourne, Emma couldn’t help but feel grateful for the man sitting beside her. Ever since she’d bumped into him her life had become so full. And now, as she stared out over her favourite city in the world, with Alex’s lips on her neck and goosebumps racing along her arms, she understood that, despite her better judgement, she was irretrievably in love with him.
What a stupid,stupidthing to have let happen.
She wouldn’t tell him. No. This was still a no-strings exploration of their off-the-charts chemistry. Nothing more.
‘Do you want to go home?’ he asked.
As if she was conditioned to respond instantly to him, Emma felt moisture pool in her core. The purr of his voice promised an unforgettable night.
‘I want to go for a walk,’ she said.
Telling him she loved him was off the table, but maybe she could share something of herself with him. Maybe he’d treasure it.
‘Where are you taking me?’ Alex asked.
‘Somewhere special.’ She smiled. ‘My favourite place in the city. It may not seem like much to most, but I love it.’
Unlike the last time they’d walked through the streets and alleys, this time they couldn’t bear not to touch. Alex laced his fingers in hers, holding tightly. It was such an innocent thing, holding hands. With them it didn’t feel like it. It was the craving of having the other’s skin on theirs. Feeling their heat and knowing they were one tug or pull away from losing all control.
If anyone had told Emma in the past that holding hands could feel like a sensual experience, she would have laughed at them. Now she knew the strength in those magic fingers. The safety of his touch. Felt the memories of each time he’d made her come apart.
‘I’m going to tell my family tomorrow, after work,’ she said, just to fill the silence that was burning through her so much that she’d almost given up on their walk altogether.
‘Will you be okay?’