Tonight would be different because tonight, Ember would be at my side.
The past ten days had passed in a blur of activity.
July had faded into August with barely a pause, and my schedule had only grown more demanding with board meetings, surgical consultations, grant proposals, and the ever-present Lightkeeper obligations.
Ember had risen to meet every challenge, and I'd started to count on her more and more, finally able to relax into the idea of having an assistant who didn't quit after a few weeks.
She'd also become a constant distraction.
The memory of her with her mouth hanging open and my being buried inside her ambushed me at the worst possible moments—during budget reviews, in the middle of conference calls, while reviewing patient charts.
I'd catch myself staring at her mouth and have to force my attention back to work.
We hadn't crossed that line again since.
Heck, she barely spoke to me about anything but her professional duties.
But the tension between us hadn't diminished.
If anything, it'd grown stronger, coiling tighter every time I spoke to her.
I grabbed my wallet and keys from the dresser and headed downstairs.
The car service would arrive in fifteen minutes to take me to the hotel where the gala was being held.
I poured myself a glass of water in the kitchen and drank it slowly, trying to calm the restless energy humming through my veins.
My phone buzzed with a message from Ember.
Ember: 6:47 PM: Ready when you are. Should I meet you at the hotel or do you want me to ride with you?
I stared at the message, considering the options.
Having her in the car with me would be more efficient.
And it would also mean twenty minutes of close proximity in the back seat.
I'd been texting her a few times every day hoping to strike a conversation with her.
At some point, we needed to talk about what had happened, and she'd kept me at arm's length, avoiding that chat.
I typed back quickly before I could overthink it.
Nate: 6:48 PM: I'll pick you up. Be there in fifteen minutes.
This way, she'd have no choice but to share space with me where I could cross that bridge and find out what she was really thinking.
The car arrived on schedule, and I directed the driver to Ember's apartment building.
I'd never been there, but her address was in company personnel files, easy to find.
The driver knew right where it was and we pulled up in front of her building only minutes after I told her we'd be there.
I texted to let her know I'd arrived and she emerged two minutes later.
The door opened and my God, was she exquisite as she walked out.
She wore a floor-length navy gown that hugged her curves before flowing out at the knees—a mermaid cut, I believed they called it.
