She laughed. “As much as I’d like to start drinking at three thirty on a weekday, I have to meet your stylist to pick up my dress for Saturday.”
The charity ball. I’d almost deluded myself into forgetting about that. “Why isn’t this stylist delivering everything to you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m not home during the day to accept a delivery?”
“Trust me, Muggs. They can work around your schedule.” I’d have my assistant straighten that out first thing tomorrow. “I’ll take you to get your dress and then we’ll grab something to eat.”
Another laugh. “I have to help Ines prepare for an interview tonight.”
I couldn’t believe she hadn’t pulled away yet. I couldn’t believe I was standing here with her pressed up against no less than twenty percent of my body while I drowned myself in the scent of her hair. This was all I needed. All I’d ever ask. I could survive on this and I could be happy. Or something resembling that.
“We’ll go back to your place, then. I’ll order something,” I said. “We should talk about the event this weekend.”
That did it. That burst the bubble.
A breath rushed out of Emme and she stepped away from me, her eyes lowered as she moved to her desk and sorted through the papers there. “What…is there to talk about?” She shuffled the papers without looking at them. “You’re picking me up at eight, right?”
“Yeah.” I leaned against the side of her desk, my arms crossed. “How should we—hmm—how do you want us to interact?” When she cut a sidelong glance at me, I added, “Am I allowed to touch you?”
“Of course,” she said.
“Like you’re my wife?”
I held my gaze on her hands because I wasn’t prepared to see the reaction on her face.
I was even less prepared to hear her say, “I think you mean fiancée. You’re getting ahead of yourself.”
I realized then that Emme was going to make me work. Even if this deal of ours was all about getting back at her ex and winning over the Wallaces, I still had to put in the work and fuckingearnher. And I would. Iwantedto.
I was no stranger to hard work. I’d graduated with top honors while also leading an underdog team to back-to-back Bowl Championship Series titles. I made a habit of studying my opponents so thoroughly I could recite their playbooks to them,flipping tractor tires to warm up every morning, and training harder and smarter than anyone else in the game.
So, when I found myself staring into the eyes of the only woman I’d ever loved, I knew it wouldn’t feel like work at all.
chapter ten
Emme
Today’s Learning Objective:
Students will get carried away.
“That looks uncomfortable.”
Ines eyed me up and down, a grimace dug into her face. I glanced at her in the mirror as I tried to even out my cleavage. They’d sewn a heavy-duty bra into this dress for me which was amazing because I couldn’t get away with free-boobing. But I must’ve done something wrong because one side looked deflated while the other was right where it should be.
“It’s not bad,” I said, scooping and shifting as best I could in a sequin-studded dress that was tailored to the point that I didn’t dare take a deep breath. I figured it was good that it was this tight. At least I wouldn’t worry about gravity taking over and flashing some nip.
“It looks like there was an explosion of citrus.” She pushed her glasses up her nose and made a face that suggested we didn’t care for explosive citrus. “Or?—”
“I get what you’re saying,” I said.
“How much did it cost?”
“A lot,”was all I was willing to say.
Ines nodded gravely. I wasn’t sure she understood the mindfuck that was wearing a dress that could’ve covered three month’s rent but I accepted it.
“You look better,” she said.
