Back to December (Ward Sisters Book 1) (10 page)

By the time Emily was ready to leave, Becky had long since been gone. She looked at the clock at one point, realized it was after 10 p.m. and thought she better call it a night before she passed out on her keyboard. Poor Liam was patiently sitting in the conference room, feet up, playing a game on his iPhone.

“I'm so sorry, Liam. I didn't mean to keep you this late. You must have someone at home waiting for you.”

“Nope. I live alone. I like it that way.”

Emily could infer lots of things from that statement, but she figured it wasn't really her place. “Well, either way, I'm sorry I kept you so late.”

“It's part of the job. You ready to head back to the hotel?” She nodded. “Let me call Mo.”

“No, don't worry about it. It's late. I'm sure they're gone by now. We can just walk. It's not that far.”

“Even if you were officially Rob's girlfriend, I couldn't make you wait for the car. But I recommend it.”

“Why would anyone be out there waiting for me to leave here at this hour? For all they know, I left a while ago at the back entrance. Let's just go. I'm tired and hungry.” She put on the coat that had been slung over her arm.

“Suit yourself. Do you want me to walk beside you, or would you prefer I keep my distance?” Liam asked as he put on his own parka.

“Well, I might not be worried about paparazzi, but it
is
late and this
is
the city. Do you mind walking next to me?”

“Whatever you want, Emily. I'm at your service.”

She grabbed her purse, hat and gloves and they began walking to the elevator.

“It all seems over the top to me. Doesn't it seem that way to you?”

“I've been doing this long enough to know that Rick has good instincts. I trust them. If he thinks it's necessary, then it probably is. He doesn't do overkill.”

They got in the elevator and Em just shook her head in amazement. She thought this might be Rick's first foray into overdoing it.

They stepped out of the elevator and when she turned toward the main entrance, Em was stopped short by the still rather large crowd of photographers outside the museum. She looked first at the security guard, who shrugged, then looked at Liam, who said, “Told you.”

Em sighed. “It's too late to call the car. Let's just use that other entrance.” Liam gestured for her to lead the way.

They got outside and all seemed well for a few moments, and then a photographer rounded the corner. He yelled to someone, and before she knew it, there was a group – a mob, it seemed – headed straight for her.

“Just walk as fast as you can,” Liam advised. “I've got Mo on speed dial. He'll pick us up around the corner.”

He said “Call Mo” into his phone and he was talking to the limo driver as they walked swiftly to the next block and turned a corner. There was the car. The photographers were right on their heels, and she was almost knocked over when the limo door flung open. Liam shoved her into the car and jumped inside himself as Mo sped away. Emily barely had time to right herself before they were off.

Breathless, both from the walk and from the anxiety, it took her a moment to realize that Rick sat in the same spot as the night before when the same situation had happened at the club.

“Why didn't you call for the car?” he asked.

“I didn't think they'd be out there at this time of night! What the hell are they doing, waiting for me to leave work? This is crazy!”

Rick exchanged a look with Liam. Her bodyguard – she realized that was what he was, now – looked at his boss and said, “I tried to tell her.”

Rick took a deep breath and said, “Emily, Rob hasn't had a girlfriend in over three years. These people want to be the first ones to get all the dirt on you and on the two of you. They're all pretty pissed that some guy in the club got the first pictures and they want dibs on the next ones.”

“I'm not his girlfriend! We just met yesterday! And I just broke up with my boyfriend officially this morning!”

Liam shook his head, an amused expression on his face. “I told her that didn't matter.”

“Emily, this is the entertainment business. Those photographers make their money digging up dirt, any dirt, on famous people. They only care that Rob is doing something they consider newsworthy. He doesn't date. He takes our mom and sister to most of his events. You're an attractive woman who isn't his relative. You were seen kissing him – passionately, I might add – at a club last night. To those people, this is a big deal even if the two of you aren't anything more than bed buddies.”

“I haven't slept with him,” she said meekly.

“I didn't say you have. Frankly, I hope you do. He needs to get laid. He whines too much when he's been celibate this long. My point is that it doesn't matter to the shutterbugs what you and Rob are to one another yet. As soon as you talked to him in that bar, you were a person of interest to them. They'd hound you one way or another, at least for a little while.”

“How is that fair?”

“No one said it was fair, but it's the way it is. Like I told you at lunch, you get used to it. It's insane and stupid and annoying as hell. But it's a lot easier if you just follow the rules.”

“Oh? And what are the rules?”

“For now, taking a stroll is going to be next to impossible. I know it seems ridiculous to drive the few blocks to the museum from the hotel, but it's the only way to get in and out without being harassed. And if Liam, Rob or I tell you what you should do, you should listen. We've been doing this for a long time, so we know how it works.”

“What if I don't want this? What if I don't want to deal with all this and I tell Rob I'm not interested?” The car was stopped at the hotel's back entrance.

“You're not going to do that, Emily. I know you aren't and so do you. But for the sake of argument, it wouldn't make much difference for the next few weeks. They'd still bother you. And I'd still have Liam on you, he'd just be a lot less visible to you. But he'd be there. He'd follow you home for the short term too, even if you decide that you don't like Rob. But you do. So let's stop pretending the what ifs okay? As long as you two have a thing going, however you want to define it, Liam is your bodyguard. Listen to him, listen to me, and listen to Rob. We'll do our best to make this as painless as possible. Liam will escort you upstairs to your room. He'll do a sweep like I did before and then you can choose to proceed from there. If you want to head to Rob's suite, Liam can take you up there and I'll bring you to your room in the morning again. Either way, Liam will be back in time to accompany you to the museum tomorrow. Got it?”

Em could see that she didn't have much choice. She sighed. “Got it.”

Rick knocked on the divider and in a few seconds, Mo opened the door. Liam got out first and waited for her.

As she stepped out of the limo, Emily looked down the street and she could see photographers at the corner of the building. She just shook her head. Liam gave her a half smile and ushered her into the hotel.

They went to her room in silence. She let Liam do the sweep, and when he was done, he said he'd be outside the door and to let him know what she wanted to do. Figuring it wasn't fair to make him sit there too long, she told him she would head to Rob's suite once she gathered a few things. He nodded and she closed the door.

She dialed Rob's cell. He picked up on the first ring.

“Hi.” His voice was a balm on the recent fiasco that had been leaving work.

Emily sighed. “Hi. I suppose you talked to your brother already?”

“I did. Are you okay?” The genuine concern she heard in his words made her heart squeeze.

“I'll survive. Is it okay if I come up there?”

“I'd be disappointed if you didn't. I ordered food. It'll be here in a few minutes.”

Could he be more wonderful?
“You did? That's so sweet. I'll be up in a minute. I have to grab a few things.” He said he'd see her then and they hung up.

She gathered her toiletries and pajamas. When she opened the door, Rick stood outside, waiting.

“Why am I not surprised?”

“I sent Liam home. I'll take you up and my relief will guard you both tonight.”

“Two for one. I guess Rob's budget gets a break?” she said sarcastically.

“If you had decided to stay in your room, I'd have sent a replacement for Liam in the overnight too. It makes no sense to have two guards posted on the penthouse floor when there's only one way to get up there and it requires a key.”

They took the elevator to the lobby and then made their way to the private elevator to the penthouse. As they crossed the lobby, she could still see a throng of reporters at the door. Rick swiped his key card and they were on their way to Rob's suite.

Emily rode with him in silence. She still fumed about the whole preposterous situation. Rick said it mattered very little what she was to Rob or vice versa. They would be harassing her regardless. The thing was, she liked Rob. A lot. Too much, really, given how little she knew him. And he said he felt the same way about her. Which meant that this really was all necessary, from what she'd already seen. Em felt contrite. She sighed, just as the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

“I'm sorry. I know it's not your fault. It's just...”

“It's a lot to take in, I know. Be glad this is Minneapolis. There aren't nearly as many of them here. It'll be worse once the high rollers start arriving for the gala and the opening. But then, they'll have other people to watch, so you might not notice much of a difference.”

He let her into the suite. “See you in the morning.”

Apparently so.

Emily walked into the suite and Rob jumped from the sofa.

“Hi,” he said as he walked toward her. “I missed you. Long night?” He hugged her and kissed her sweetly.

“Very. I missed you too. Is that weird?”

“Yes. I think. This is new territory for me.” He led her to sit down on the sofa. “Give me your feet.”

“You don't have a foot fetish, do you?” she asked, hoping the answer was no.
Not one more crazy thing
, she thought.
Not tonight
. She kicked off her shoes.

“Hmm, I don't recall having one, so I'd say no. I thought I'd massage your feet so you can relax. It's my fault you had to run in heels. Again. Room service should be here any minute. You must be starving. I know I am. I was glad when Rick said you were on the way.”

She sat back and put her feet in his lap.

“You waited for me to get here to eat? You didn't have to do that!” He was the nicest guy she'd ever met.

“I said I would. I've eaten since lunch. Just not recently.”

He massaged her feet and she moaned a little. It felt so nice. She hadn't even realized her feet hurt.

“Careful. I can't promise I can control myself if you keep doing that. And my stomach will be angry with me if I don't let it eat first,” he teased.

There was a knock at the door. Rob got up to answer it and Em felt sad that he wasn't rubbing her feet anymore. Josh never did things like that, even on the days when she had been gone until all hours. Actually, half the time on those days, he'd eaten without her and was in bed before she got home.

“Dinner is served.”

As soon as he took the covers off the food, the smell hit her. Aahh. Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread. It all smelled delicious. It looked pretty and it smelled like home. She smiled at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing. You just keep surprising me.” Who would have thought, when he could have ordered anything on the menu that screamed money and sophistication, that he'd choose meat and potatoes?

They sat down to eat, and he asked her how the rest of the day went. She told him about the gala plans, confessed that she was worried about the interviews because there were a few people who were not in town yet, and there was a storm coming.

He told her about his other meetings – one was about his investments with Raoul, but the other had been with a producer friend who was in town. It looked like there was movement on the book for which he most hoped to buy the film rights. He expected to direct some smaller projects first, then tackle that one in a year or so.

She never had these kinds of discussions with Josh. Em felt bad constantly comparing Rob to her ex, but Josh had been her only serious boyfriend and he was her most recent point of reference. And he had been the only man she had ever loved, to any degree.

And yet, Rob kept surpassing Josh at every turn, even after just over a day of knowing one another. He seemed too good to be true.

Which meant that he probably was.

“What's on your mind?” he asked. She had grown quiet, lost in her thoughts, and some of what was crossing her conscious brain must have passed her face.

“I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Why do you say that?” He looked confused.

“You just can't be this great. How is it possible that you're this great?”

He raised his eyebrows. “I guess I don't know what you mean.”

“We're having a real conversation. About work. And it's interesting. To me, at least. I guess I can't speak for you, but I know that
I'm
enjoying it. You waited for me to eat. You sat down and rubbed my feet as soon as I got here. You've been nothing but sweet to me. You surprised me with lunch. You took all my stress away this morning and then made me feel like I was the greatest girl in the world when I returned the favor earlier. If it wasn't for the insanity that is your security team, I'd be hard pressed to find a single thing wrong with you.”

He shook his head slightly. “And all that is...bad?”

“No! I didn't say it was bad. It's just...mind boggling. How is it that I traveled halfway across the country to pursue the ultimate career opportunity and ended up meeting someone so...”

“Perfect?” She looked at him oddly, mostly because he was right. “I wasn't tooting my own horn. That's how I feel about you.”

She was perplexed, which surely was evident in her expression. And he was looking at her like that, like he was completely smitten with her. It made her insides turn molten. They had been sitting side by side and he turned his body toward her, then. Rob grabbed her hand, gazed at her intently, looked at her lips, up to her eyes, back to her lips. He shook his head, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and opened them. They were a little wet. He blinked and a tear rolled down his cheek.

“Hey,” she said in a voice she hoped conveyed her concern. “What's wrong?”

He shook his head again. “I don't know what to do with this. I have never, in my life, felt like this about anyone. How the hell am I supposed to handle feeling like this about a woman I haven't even known for 48 hours?”

“Rob...”

“It's okay. I don't expect you to return my feelings. I just...I don't want you to think this is my usual thing. That I get girls to like me by pretending I'm falling in love with them. I only ever thought I was in love once, and that was with Rachel. And I never felt like this about her.”

Emily took the hand he wasn't holding and touched his cheek, wiping away the tear.

“I don't think that about you. I don't even know what people really say about you Rob. I just know what I've experienced. I can tell those are real tears. I'm sure you can cry on cue if need be, but that isn't what's happening here.”

He shook his head and sniffed.

“You're a sensitive person. I don't think you could be good at what you do if you weren't. Come here.” She pulled him toward her chest so that she could hold him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lay his head on her breasts.

“I may not be as overwhelmed by it as you are, but that doesn't mean it isn't affecting me too. I just broke up with my boyfriend of five years. I'm not supposed to feel this way about a rebound guy.”

He looked up at her, pulling away a little, with his arms still around her waist. “You...you feel it too?”

“I told you I did earlier. I meant it. I like you way more than I would normally feel comfortable saying at this point. But I can't help it. If you were anyone else, I might not even question it. I think, in the back of my mind, I can't help hearing my mother's voice saying that you're a womanizer. That's not the man I know. Except, I don't really know you. Do I?”

He took a deep breath and sat upright in his chair.

“I guess not.”

“But I feel like I do. I feel like I've known you forever. How is that possible?”

“I have no idea. I feel the same way. If I could explain it, I would.”

He sighed, wiped his eyes, and tried to smile.

“Ready for dessert?”

She returned the smile and nodded. He took the lid off the dessert plate and there sat a huge stack of brownies. Her smile widened.

“How did you...?”

“You like brownies?” he asked, looking pleased.

“They're my favorite dessert.”

“Mine, too.”

“Are there nuts?”

“Nope. Not a one. But there
are
chocolate chunks.”

She bit her lip and took a brownie off the tray. Her teeth sank into it and met all sorts of gooey, chocolate goodness, with melted chocolate hitting her tongue in waves. She sighed in ecstasy.

“These are amazing,” she said around bites.

He laughed as he took a brownie from the pile. “Yes, they are. The chef told me once that they use extra cocoa and hand-chop gourmet chocolate into the batter while they're mixing
and
after they pour it into the pan.”

“It's genius. They're the best brownies I've ever had.”

“I'm glad you think so. It's a perk of staying here. Did you see how many are on this stack? Room service knows I like to snack on them and they'll leave them for me.”

“Oh, good. Does that mean I can take some to work tomorrow? Because I'm going to have to order in at lunch, and this will make all the difference when I hit the wall at 4 p.m.”

“Did our long lunch screw up your schedule?”

“No, it's not that. Okay, it's partially that, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. There's just so much to get done, and I can't afford to take a lunch break before Christmas. Maybe once the gala is done it won't be so bad. The plans for the opening are primarily being handled by the museum itself, since it's all about the exhibits. I just have to work with catering, and Becky is doing a lot of that. But
Art Wurks
is hosting the gala. So, between the gala and the interviews I have to do for the magazine spread, I've got a lot to get done before New Year's Eve.”

“I'll send you lunch so you don't have to think about it too much. And I'll plan for a late dinner again tomorrow. How does that sound?”

“Perfect.”

Emily gave him a half smile. She saw some chocolate on his fingers and before she could think about it, she grabbed his hand and sucked the chocolate off. He inhaled sharply and looked her in the eye, his pupils dilated. He swallowed.

She released his hand and stood, positioning herself in front of his chair. He turned so that she stepped between his legs and he put his face to her belly as his arms came around her waist. He took a deep breath, as though he were inhaling her scent. His own woodsy cologne sensually invaded Emily's nostrils as it had the night before.

She ran her fingers through his hair as he nuzzled her breasts. This felt like so much more than lust.

Rob slowly stood, his 6'2" frame suddenly towered over her and nudged her backward. Emily could have been intimidated, but she was instead aroused.

His hands came up, then, to cup her face. Rob looked at her lips as he had earlier, looked in her eyes. Em was glad to see that there was no longer sadness in his face.

His mouth moved toward her own, lips slightly parted. At the same time, they leaned closer and their lips met. His were soft and warm and heavenly. He sucked on her bottom lip, pulling it down so that he could slip his tongue inside her mouth, and she was gone, swept away in the fog of lust that overwhelmed her senses.

Their tongues danced as their hands explored. He pulled her closer, so that her pelvis was pressing against his own. She could feel the erection she knew lay prominently on the other side of his perfectly tailored pants, and she let her hand wander down until she touched it through the soft wool. Rob groaned and suddenly, she was off her feet, in his arms. His mouth pulled away for a moment and he looked at her, the lust in his eyes as obvious as what she knew was in her own.

Rob carried her to his bedroom and pushed open the door with his foot. He didn't set her down until she was on the bed, and in seconds, he was on top of her. She opened her thighs and he pressed his hips to her center as he devoured her mouth. She moaned and he pulled away, looking at her.

“I want you, Emily. I want you so much.”

She had never felt so brazen, never felt such a great desire to be with anyone.

“Then make love to me,” she said. She kissed him hard, claiming his mouth as he had hers in the car the night before.

He sat up and pulled off his shirt. Oh, what a beautiful chest, with just a smattering of hair around his nipples and trailing down from his navel to the wonder that was inside his pants.

He unbuttoned her shirt as he had in the car that afternoon.
How can he be so patient?
Em thought. She unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, anxious to touch him, to feel him inside her, to put her mouth on him again, anything.

She pulled the hard, smooth member out and began stroking.
God, I want that between my thighs
, she thought. Then,
Who
is
this girl who wants sex so much?

Emily sat up so that he could remove her shirt. He removed the camisole, unclasped her bra and took her breasts in his mouth again. All the while she stroked and his breaths escalated.