I look down at her petite frame and my mind strays into dangerous territory. I wonder what she’d look like if I reached around and pulled the clip from her hair, allowing her curls to tumble down her back. My jaw clenches as I try to push the thoughts from my head. I have no business having this kind of reaction to a woman ten years my junior. Particularly one who also happens to be my employee.
She’s young and innocent; far too innocent for a man like me. The things I want to do to her would have her running for the hills.
“I’m sure you won’t, Miss Emmert.”
I nod and turn away to allow her to eat her donut in peace. My thoughts remain on the beguiling young woman as I leave the conference through the door in the back.
CHAPTER1
Sadie
PRESENT DAY…
“Abreak—as inbreak up?”
I blink rapidly as I try to make sense of what my boyfriend, Tim, is telling me.
“Don’t think of it like that, babe. It’s more like a little sabbatical. You know, when a professor takes a paid leave. They’re still employed by the university and still technically work there, but they go off to learn or research somewhere else.”
I wipe away a few tears that have begun to fall and roll my eyes.
“I know what a sabbatical is, Tim. So you mean you want to stay committed to me, still be in a relationship with me, but you just need space?”
He stops pulling his clothes from the closet and crouches down in front of where I’m sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Kind of. But you know with a sabbatical, the professor is off learning new things so that could mean that he engages in other extracurr—”
“Can you just outright say it? Stop trying to explain it with this sabbatical metaphor. Are you going to be seeing other people?”
He doesn’t answer. Instead, he reaches out and takes my hands in his. His eyes dart down to them before coming back to rest on my face. I tug my hands away and stand up, stepping away from his grasp. He doesn’t need to answer the question, it’s written all over his face.
“Is this about Tiffany?”
He sighs. “Sadie. This again, seriously? I told you, she’s a first-year at my law firm. It’s completely normal for them to blow up us third years, asking for advice or whatever.”
“At ten at night?” I cross my arms over my chest in an attempt to protect myself. I hate feeling vulnerable, but mostly, I loathe feeling jealous.
A good man—one who truly loves you— won’t do things that make you jealous, Sadie. They won’t put your trust on the line for a flirty text or a cheap thrill from someone at work. That’s bullshit, and you shouldn’t stand for it.
I hear my best friend, Karlie’s, voice in my ear, reminding me I deserve better.
My friends have been encouraging me for the better part of two years to dump Tim, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it. The first two years we were together, my friends tried to like him, they really did, but these last two…it’s been like getting blood from a turnip. Can’t say I don’t blame them. Tim never made an effort to get to know them, and even went so far as to insinuate that they were a bad influence on me. Although I still don’t understand why.
Whether they like it or not, I’m in love with him…or I was. Am I still? I’m not really sure, but I’m not ready to give up on trying to get back there and make it work. Maybe I’m just comfortable in this relationship. Or maybe it’s the idea of being all alone at twenty-five and having to start over.
“I’m not doing with this with you. Tiffany didn’t do anything wrong, and neither did I.” His tone is cold and clipped. I’ve noticed something has changed with him recently. He’s easily annoyed and agitated with me, and uninterested in all the things we used to love doing together.
“Tim, wait,” I plead, reaching out to touch his arm. “It’s Christmas, though. What am I supposed to tell my family? Are you not going to come this year?”
“I think it’s best we spend the holidays apart. You can tell them that we’re taking some space to figure things out and focus on what we want in life.”
“Is that what you’re doing? Trying to figure out if you want a life with me?” I search his eyes for some sort of sympathy but find none. It’s like I don’t even recognize him anymore. “I just don’t understand what happened. What changed? Up until even a few months ago we always talked about having a family together, and then all the sudden you decided you don’t want kids?”
“It’s not that I don’twantkids, but I don’t want then anytime soon. Maybe in ten years, but maybe only one. I need to focus on my law career and running for office, Sadie. You know that’s always been important to me.”
He grabs another handful of his clothes from the closet and stuffs them into his suitcase.
“I know that, and I’ve always been supportive of that dream. I’ve said a dozen or more times that I would be happy to stay home and raise our kids. We can travel with you on the campaign trail.”