Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Wade

I was definitely not nervous.

Fortune 500 CEO, hostile takeovers… I never got nervous. But watching Emma’s headlights pull into my circular driveway had my heart doing embarrassing things in my chest.

Which was ridiculous. I was Wade-fucking-James. I’d closed billion-dollar deals over breakfast and dated supermodels.

This was just dinner.

With Emma.

Who’d previously shot me down at least twice. But who was counting?

I was a little shocked she’d said yes this time. When I called her this morning, I thought I’d get another refusal, but I’d been determined to wear her down and not take no for an answer.

Maybe she sensed that and said yes out of resignation. I frowned, scrubbing a hand through my hair and then fixing it yet again when it flopped across my forehead.

Dumb, Wade. She said yes because she’s finally realizing there’s something worth exploring. Where’s your damn confidence, man?

MIA, clearly. But I really hoped that’s why she said yes.

Either way, over dinner I planned to tell her about that night in college and hopefully jog her memory for her. I couldn’t in good conscience not say anything any longer. It made things weird and I didn’t want weird.

I just wanted her to give us a shot.

Damnit. Tugging the tight collar of my shirt, I stared at myself in the mirror. Was this nerves? If so, this was new territory for me. But the fact that I’d changed three times and reorganized the wine cellar had to be a clue. Either that or I just happened to be particularly interested in alphabetizing vintages today.

By region. Then by year. Then back to region again.

“Get your shit together,” I growled at my reflection, which at least had the decency to look as commanding as usual in my carefully chosen blue button-down. Casual, but not too casual. Plus, the shirt really brought out my eyes––a detail I only knew because my sister commented on it once. Really.

A crack of thunder rattled the windows as the doorbell rang. Perfect. Because all this evening needed was the added drama of an approaching storm. I took my time answering it. No need to shout from the rooftops how eager I was to see her, right? Then I checked my watch––the same expensive one Emma had rolled her eyes at last week––and realized I’d managed to waste forty-five minutes debating shirts and wine arrangements.

Shit.

I sped up my trek to the front door, swinging it open just as another clap of thunder sounded. Emma stood on my doorstep, her hair slightly wild from the wind, clutching Porky’s leash and holding what appeared to be...

“Did you bring your own wine?” I asked, trying not to laugh as the massive dog immediately bounded past me into my foyer like he owned the place.

“Sorry,” Emma said, not sounding sorry at all. “He gets anxiety during storms. Also, yes… it was that or show up empty-handed to your beachside palace.” She thrust the bottle at me. “It’s from the grocery store and probably costs less than your socks, but it’s actually pretty good.”

“I wear very reasonable socks, I’ll have you know. And I even shop at grocery stores.” I stepped back to let her in, my shoulders relaxing a tiny fraction. Porky was already making himself at home, sniffing around my imported marble floors.

“The gourmet ones don’t count.” She paused, taking in the sweeping staircase and crystal chandelier. Her expression was carefully neutral, but I could see the tension in the tight line of her neck.

“So this is how playboy billionaire’s live,” she commented lightly. “Do you have a butler named Jeeves hidden away somewhere?”

“Sadly, Jeeves had the night off. You’ll have to settle for my mediocre hosting skills instead.”

That earned me a small smile.

Progress.

“Your dog is eating my hydrangeas again,” I noted, spotting Porky through the windows. He’d made it onto the ocean-view patio and was happily decimating my gardener’s hard work with the potted plant arrangements.

“He has expensive tastes.” Emma’s lips twitched. “Must be all the time he’s been spending in your company.”

“I suppose I deserve that.” Hiding a smile of my own, I cleared my throat. “I was thinking we could start with a tour?The place is ridiculous, I know, but it’s got some interesting?—“

A massive boom of thunder cut me off, and the lights flickered ominously.

“Maybe a quick one,” Emma agreed, eyeing the darkening windows. “Before your power goes out and I have to watch you try to navigate this place in the dark.”

“I know every inch of this house,” I assured her confidently.

“Uh-huh.” She glanced at Porky, who returned with what looked suspiciously like one of my Italian loafers. “Your doggie door is getting some use, I see.”

“That’s... That’s a five hundred dollar shoe.”

“Was,” she corrected, fighting a smile. “ Was a five hundred dollar shoe.”

I led her through the main floor, pointing out things I thought she’d appreciate––the library with its floor-to-ceiling shelves, the sunroom perfect for reading, the professional kitchen where I’d actually learned to cook instead of relying on my usual private chef.

“And this,” I said, pushing open double doors with perhaps a touch too much flair, “is the dining room.”

“Holy...” Emma trailed off, taking in the long table set for two at one end, candles already lit against the growing darkness outside. “You know we could have just ordered pizza, right?”

“Next time,” I promised, then immediately wondered if I’d presumed too much. But Emma was already moving toward the table, drawn to the wall of windows overlooking the gardens. Lightning flashed, illuminating the rain-swept grounds.

“It’s beautiful,” she admitted. “In a definite ‘haunted by aristocratic ghosts’ kind of way.”

“Just wait until you meet Great-Aunt Gertrude’s spirit in the east wing.”

“You don’t have an east wing.”

“How do you know? We haven’t finished the tour.”

She turned to face me, and something in her expression made my heart skip. “You’re different here.”

“Different how?”

“More...” She gestured vaguely. “Relaxed. Less...”

“Brooding corporate billionaire?”

“I was going to say less guarded.” Her cheeks flushed slightly. “But yeah, that too.”

I stepped closer, drawn by the candlelight playing across her face. My voice lowered. “Maybe I’m just trying to prove I can be more than what you first assumed.”

Her eyes met mine, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. My gaze tracked the movement and she froze just as the lights went out with a decisive snap.

“Well,” Emma said into the darkness, her voice a touch breathless. “This is dramatic.”

“Don’t move,” I told her. “There should be candles in the kitchen?—“

“Ow!” She yelped as something crashed.

“Are you okay?” I asked, trying to remember the exact layout of everything. “Just stay where you are, I can?—“

Another crash from somewhere to our left.

“Please tell me that wasn’t the Venetian vase,” I groaned.

“...I won’t tell you then.” Her voice was practically dripping with amusement.

“I swear I know this house like the back of my hand,” I muttered, fumbling along the wall. “You know, when I can actually see it.”

“How’s that working out for you?” Emma asked as I hip-checked what felt suspiciously like my grandmother’s antique side table.

“The kitchen has emergency supplies,” I said, ignoring her question and the throbbing in my hip. “If I could just figure out which way?—“

A wet nose pressed against my hand, making me jump. “Jesus, Porky!”

“At least someone knows their way around,” Emma laughed. Her phone flashlight clicked on, illuminating Porky’s proud face. He was holding another one of my shoes.

“That’s the mate to the other one, isn’t it?”

Emma snickered. “Look on the bright side––now they match.”

I managed to guide us to the kitchen, where I kept an emergency kit. Soon we had several battery-powered lanterns casting a warm glow around us. Emma perched on a bar stool while I salvaged what I could of our dinner plans.

“So much for my carefully selected menu,” I said, examining the dark oven. “How do you feel about very expensive cheese and room temperature wine?”

“Better than watching you fumble around with fancy china in the dark. Though I have to admit, watching the smooth and confident Wade James stumble over furniture has kind of made my night.”

“I did not stumble. I executed a perfectly graceful tactical retreat from that table.”

“Is that what we’re calling it?” She reached past me for the wine opener, and suddenly she was close enough that I inhaled the scent of her perfume. The lantern light caught her profile, and I completely lost my train of thought. Shit.

“Wade. You’re staring,” Emma murmured, her voice husky.

“Can you blame me?”

A tremendous crash from the other room made us both jump.

“Porky!” Emma called out. “What did you break now, you fuzzy menace?”

No response, which was never a good sign.

“We should probably...” she gestured toward the noise.

“Yeah, we should definitely...”

Following the sound, our lanterns created overlapping circles of light. We found Porky in my library, surrounded by books he’d apparently pulled from the lower shelves, happily shredding what looked like...

“Is that a first edition Hemingway?” Emma asked, horrified.

“Was,” I corrected, echoing her earlier comment about my shoes. “ Was a first edition Hemingway.”

She burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the dark house. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I’ll replace it, though it might take me several decades of saving––”

“Don’t worry about it.” I caught her hand as she reached for the destroyed book. “I never liked Hemingway anyway.”

She didn’t pull away. “Liar.”

“Okay, maybe I liked that copy. But I like this better.” I squeezed her fingers, giving a slight tug to pull her closer.

She didn’t resist as she murmured, “What, having your possessions systematically destroyed by my dog?”

“Having you here.”

The lantern light caught the flush spreading across her cheeks. “Wade...”

Another crash, this time from upstairs, followed by the distinct sound of Porky’s nails on hardwood. Emma winced.

“How the hell did he get up there?” I wondered aloud.

“He’s very motivated when it comes to destruction,” she sighed. “We should go check on him before he finds the rest of your shoe collection.”

“Probably too late for that,” I said, but kept hold of her hand. “Let him explore. I’ve got insurance.”

“That’s a dangerous thing to say. He once ate an entire couch. True story.”

“An entire... you know what? I don’t want to know.” I tugged her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. “What I do really want, is to finish what we started at that chili cook-off.”

Emma chuckled, her tone flirty, but with a note of hesitation. “Which was?”

“This.” I leaned in slowly, giving her all the time in the world to pull away.

She didn’t. Thank God, she didn’t.

I brushed my lips over hers teasingly, the touch more of a gentle question than a kiss. Then Emma’s free hand fisted in my shirt, and gentle went out the window. The lantern I held clattered to the floor as I backed her against one of the bookshelves, deepening the kiss. Her teeth grazed my lower lip and I groaned, sliding one hand into her hair, gripping and tipping her head for better access. “God, Emma, you have no idea how bad––”

“Wait,” she gasped, pulling back slightly. “We should?—“

A third thunderous crash from above made us both freeze.

“Damn, that sounded expensive,” I murmured against her lips, laughter coloring the words.

She blinked up at me, her gaze heated, her lids heavy. “We really should check on him.”

“Probably.”

Neither of us moved.

“Wade...” Her voice was breathy in a way that made me want to forget about everything but stripping her naked and devouring her whole. “This is...”

“Complicated?” I supplied, giving in to my need to press a tiny kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Risky?” Another kiss, this time along her jaw. “Worth it?”

She shivered, pressing against me and tipping her head to let me nibble her ear. “All of the above.”

Something that sounded suspiciously like glass breaking echoed from upstairs.

Emma dropped her head to my chest with a laugh. “Oh my gosh. He’s not going to stop until we check on him, you know.”

“Ugh. Fine.” With a chuckle, I took a reluctant step back, bending to retrieve the fallen lantern. I shot her a wolfish grin. “But we’re not done here.”

“No?” Her smile was both challenging and uncertain.

Giving her a confident wink, I took her hand again. “Not even close, Cinderella. Come on, let’s go save what’s left of my house.”

* * *

We found Porky in my bedroom, proudly surrounded by the remains of what had once been a crystal decanter set. He wagged his tail at our approach, clearly pleased with his handiwork.

“Good news,” Emma said, surveying the damage. “Looks like he’s running out of things to destroy.”

The lantern light caught the curve of her neck as she bent to examine the mess, and something inside me snapped. I stepped closer, close enough to feel the heat of her body without quite touching. She stilled, and I heard her breath catch.

“Emma.”

She turned, and then our mouths collided. Not the gentle exploration from downstairs, but something hungry and desperate. Her fingers dug into my shoulders as I walked her backward until her legs hit the bed. I nipped her lower lip, catching it between my teeth, and when she made a small sound in the back of her throat, I nearly lost my mind.

“Wait,” she gasped as I trailed hot kisses down her neck. “We shouldn’t?—“

I pulled back just enough to look at her, to see the want warring with hesitation in her eyes. “Do you want me to stop?” I growled, my voice raspy and thick.

There was a beat where we just stared at each other. Instead of answering, she dragged me back down, kissing me hard enough to bruise. Her hands made quick work of my shirt buttons while I slid my fingers under the hem of her blouse, tracing the soft skin I found there. When she arched against me, I groaned.

“God, Emma...”

I lowered her to the bed, her blouse falling off her shoulder to reveal the delicate curve of her collarbone. Our gazes locked—her emerald eyes darkened with desire, making my pulse race. Rain hammered against the windows, a steady drumbeat matching the ragged rhythm of my breaths.

Kneeling on the mattress between her thighs, I slipped her shirt up and over her head. Pushing her to lie back, my hands roamed over her body, savoring the rise and fall of her chest, the way her ribs arched beneath my strokes. Every touch, every sound she made, reverberated through me. Unsnapping her jeans, I slid them down her hips, pulling them off and tossing them to the side.

Climbing back up and over her, my lips found the hollow of her throat, and she squirmed, her fingers tangling in my hair with a desperate grip. God, the way she tasted—a hint of sweetness mixed with something uniquely her—made my head spin. I was drowning in her, consumed by the warmth of her skin against mine.

Her nails pressed into my shoulders as I trailed kisses along her delicate collarbone, each touch stoking the fire between us. The need to claim her, to mark her as mine was overwhelming. I wanted to devour her, to lose myself in her completely.

“Wade...” she whispered, a plea that had all my blood rushing south. No way could I deny her. My fingers deftly found the front clasp of her bra, releasing it in one swift motion. The silken material slipped away, baring her to my hungry gaze, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

She was pure temptation—every inch of her. My thumbs brushed over her pebbled nipples, and she writhed beneath me, a small moan escaping her throat. I watched her face as her head tipped back, eyes fluttering shut with her pleasure. I wanted to give her everything—wanted to feel her coming apart beneath my touch.

Pushing her thighs apart with my knee, my fingers traced the sensitive skin of her flat belly, over her lacy panties, drifting down along her inner thighs. I smiled as her breath quickened at the teasing contact and slid my palm up along her belly, massaging along her ribcage. Leaning down again, the stubble on my jaw raked her skin as I kissed a trail downward, delighting in the sounds she made as my mouth found the curve of her breast.

Their soft weight filled my hands, and she arched into me as I licked and nipped. She tasted even better than I’d imagined—a sweet addiction I couldn’t get enough of. The heady scent of her arousal surrounded me, and my control snapped. Damn, I needed to be inside her more than I needed air.

I captured her mouth in another fierce kiss, reaching for the fly of my jeans with urgency. She matched my need, her fingers trembling as she fumbled with the button. The rasp of the zipper sounded loud in the quiet room, mingling with the relentless rain outside.

Pushing myself up, I kicked free my jeans and boxers and stood before her. She sat up, climbing to her knees in the middle of my bed, her gaze roaming over me with a hunger that made my heart pound. Crawling closer, her fingers trailed slowly up my abdomen, sending a shiver through me. “You’re beautiful,” she murmured, her voice barely audible over the storm.

A low chuckle escaped me. “So are you.” I brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, my thumb grazing her cheekbone. “Absolutely breathtaking.” She caught my hand, pressing a tender kiss to my palm, and my heart stuttered. Part of me wanted to yank her panties down, to close the aching distance between us and fill her in one smooth thrust home, but the vulnerability in her eyes gave me pause. I softened my touch, letting the moment linger. If she wanted slow, I could be slow.

Hell, I could be anything she wanted.

Leaning down, I trailed baby kisses along her jaw, savoring the silkiness of her skin as my fingers slipped between her thighs and tugged the tiny scrap of lace she still wore to the side. Her breath hitched when I found the warm slickness waiting for me, and she stilled, biting her lip as if unsure. With teasing, gentle strokes, I caressed her, reveling in the way her hips rose to meet my touch almost involuntarily. Her soft gasps filled the room, intertwining with the rhythm of the storm. She was exquisite—flushed and feverish beneath my hands. She made me feel wild, untamed—like I’d do anything she asked.

Bending lower, my tongue flicked over her tightened nipple, grazing with my teeth and eliciting a tiny whimper. That sound went straight to my groin, and I slid my fingers inside her, my thumb finding her swollen bundle of nerves as I withdrew and thrust again, slowly at first, then faster as her breath quickened. I slid my mouth down her abdomen, tasting her skin, teasing with my teeth, my fingers working her in time with my mouth. “Wade, please...” she begged, her hips thrusting forward to meet me, her fingers tangling in my hair.

I increased my pace, determined to push her over the edge, my thumb circling the hard, tiny little bundle of nerves even as I thrust two fingers deep inside, pressing wet, open-mouthed kisses along her belly and hip bone. I was rewarded when her walls clenched around me, and she cried out, sudden release shuddering through her as she gripped my shoulders. A rush of male satisfaction surged through me. I wanted to capture this moment, etch it into our memories forever, marking this woman as my own.

Pressing kisses against her fevered skin, I stood up and murmured, “Come here.” I shoved her soaked panties down and lifted her, prompting her to wrap her legs around me. Turning, I traded places with her, sinking down on the bed and pulling her atop me. She straddled my hips, her eyes locked onto mine as our lips met in another searing kiss. My hardness slid along her silken folds and a tiny sigh escaped her lips as her eyes fluttered closed for a second.

Sliding my hands up her thighs, I gripped her hips as I lifted her and guided her down. Her small fingers wrapped around my length, guiding me in as she sank onto me in one slow, torturous motion. I hissed and grit my teeth, going still for a moment as we both adjusted. Damn, she felt so good. Even more so when she started to move, tilting her head back and rocking with a rhythm that was both unhurried and desperate.

The candlelight flickered, casting golden shadows across her skin. She was a vision—a fire goddess come to life. Her walls clenched around me, and I gripped her hips tighter, sitting up to meet her movements, my fingers digging into her creamy skin, leaving my mark. Our bodies moved in perfect sync, the world fading away until there was nothing but us. “You’re incredible,” I rasped, pressing my forehead against hers.

Her fingers tangled in my hair as she rode me harder, our breaths mingling. “Wade,” she moaned, her voice raw with need. Hearing my name spill from her lips like that—it was my kryptonite. I thrust deeper, our pace becoming frantic. Her nails dug into my back as she shattered around me, her release pulling me over the edge with her. Pleasure crashed through me like a tidal wave, pulsing and heavy as I emptied myself, utterly spent and completely hers.

We collapsed together onto the bed, panting heavily, the sound of the rain washing over us like a soothing lullaby. She rested her head on my shoulder as I held her close, the beat of her heart against mine slowing and becoming more steady. Eventually she stirred, looking up at me. A satisfied smile played on her lips. “That was...”

“Yeah,” I agreed gruffly, brushing a kiss against her temple. Words weren’t enough to describe what we’d just shared.

With a jaw-cracking yawn, she nestled into me, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my skin.

“Stay with me,” I whispered, tightening my arms around her. Her headed nodded and in that moment, I knew—I was forever hers, whether she felt the same or not.

* * *

Later, much later, I lay watching her sleep in the dim lantern light, the power still out. Her hair spread across my pillow like ribbons of fire. Porky had settled at the foot of the bed, apparently done with his reign of destruction and not interested in what the humans were doing in the slightest.

Tomorrow, I decided.

Tomorrow I’d tell her everything––about that café near campus, about how I’d finally remembered where I knew her from, about how seeing her again had stirred memories of late-night debates and coffee-fueled conversations I thought I’d forgotten years ago. Tonight, I just wanted to memorize this moment: the weight of her against me, the peaceful curve of her lips, the way her hand still rested over my heart.

Sleep came easily, deeper than it had in weeks. I dreamed of fluorescent lights and heated 3AM arguments, of a younger version of myself beginning to question everything I thought I knew about what really mattered.