Chapter 15
“‘Thak you.’” Emily’s face scrunched up from cuteness overload. “Oh my God, that’s adorable. Michael, you have to frame this.”
“I just might.” In fact, he’d already considered it on the drive home. He’d thought that hearing from the daycare families might just send him over the edge, but he’d been grinning since first seeing the picture. “I might even run out and buy a red cape to match it.”
“I hate to break it to you, but the cape is purple.”
“It’s red, thank you very much. Anyone can see that.” He yanked a laughing Emily away from the stove where she’d been helping him with dinner. “Get over here, woman. I need to check your eyes. You clearly can’t tell the difference between one color and another.”
When he kissed her, she squealed. “Hey, those are my lips, not my eyes.”
“True.” He teased the corner of her mouth with his tongue and cupped her breast. “And these are your breasts.” His hands slid downward. “And these are your hips. Shall we continue your anatomy lesson?”
“You’re an animal.”
His hand strayed between her legs. “And this is your tasty little…”
The timer buzzer went off on the stove.
“My lasagna!” She extricated herself and went over to the stove, throwing on some oven mitts. She opened the oven and pulled out a lasagna so fragrant and juicy Michael almost forgot how much he wanted to taste her body.
As she checked the internal temperature, he scooted behind her and rested his hand on her hip. “Ready for tomorrow?”
“For the reveal? Yeah. I’m nervous too. Having an actual storefront means there’s no going back. I need to do this.”
“Hey.” He turned her around to face him. “Are you having second thoughts? Because it’ll be a while before the show airs, so you’ll have time to get your bearings.”
“I know, I’m just overwhelmed. For so long,From Scratchhas been a dream, something I wasn’t sure I could achieve. Now it’s happening and I can’t stop thinking of everything that needs to be done. Sourcing suppliers. Hiring staff. Preparing the product.”
“You can do it, Em. I have faith in you. And I’ll be with you every step of the way. I want to help you make your dreams come true.”
“I’d like that.” She chuckled. “I mean the part about being with me every step of the way. I’d like that a lot, Michael.”
Sweet vulnerability shone in her eyes. He saw so much more than beauty in her face. He saw trust and honesty and devotion. Damn, he swore his heart beat faster every time she looked at him like that. He slid his hands under her shirt hem, unable to resist the allure of her skin, and breathed through the adrenalin rush. “Em, I love you.”
Her lips fell open. “You love me?”
“Hell, yeah. You’re my angel. I don’t ever want a day in my life to pass if you’re not in it.”
“I love you too.” She molded her body against his. “I love you so much.”
His heart really was beating out of his chest, but for the first time, Michael didn’t dread its wild gallop. This was a good solid beat, one that held excitement and hope. He didn’t fear the future any more. He craved it and wanted to experience all life had to offer with Emily.
He knew in that moment he would spend the rest of his life finding ways to make her smile.
She seemed to feel the same way. Kissing him hard, she backed him into the living room, toward the couch. They tumbled there, ripping at each other’s clothes.
“But,” he managed to rasp between kisses, “your lasagna.”
“Screw the lasagna, Michael.” She straddled him on the couch and whipped her blouse over her head. “Just screw the lasagna.”
As she ground down over him, he stopped arguing.
***
“Emily, are you ready to see your finished store for the first time?”
As the cameras rolled, Michael helped Emily out of the limousine. She took his hand. “God, yes.”
