She’s mine right now.
It’s temporary, but I’m going to enjoy every second of it.
“I’m grateful that you took the time to call me, Archibald,” she says evenly. “I’ll give your offer some thought.”
I take a step toward the hallway but stop when she continues. “No, I haven’t talked to Beauregard. I’m sorry to hear that, but…”
Her voice trails.
I inch closer to the hallway, hoping to catch her coming out of her room. I want her eyes on me when she’s talking about her ex-fiancé. I want her to think about a man who craves her. Hell, I can barely contain the desire I feel for her.
Beauregard Garrington has no idea what he lost.
“When do I have to make a decision?” Her voice quickens. “I should be back in Seattle in a few days. Can we talk then?”
A few days?
I want weeks, months. If life were different, I’d be all in for…
My mind can’t go there.
I don’t get to think about weeks from now or months. Some people won’t see tomorrow. I can’t lose sight of that. I will never lose sight of that.
“Okay.” Emma’s voice carries from the guestroom. “Thank you again, Archibald. Good night.”
I wait until I hear her footsteps approaching before I round the corner to the hallway.
She lets out a gasp when she sees me.
Her hand leaps to the center of her chest. “You scared me. I think my heart stopped.”
Mine sure as hell did.
She’s wearing a white strapless dress that skims the floor. Her dark hair is flowing around her shoulders.
She is so fucking beautiful that I literally ache inside when I look at her.
I drop my gaze.
I need to get a grip if I’m going to fuck her.
“Did your overhear me talking on the phone?”
Lying serves no purpose at any time, so I glance at her. “You were talking to Archie.”
That brings a bright smile to her lips. “I like that. I’d never call him that, but I like it.”
I like you. Jesus, I really like you.
I swallow those words because I’m not a fourteen-year-old kid with a crush. I’m an almost thirty-year-old man with an aching cock who wants to strip this woman bare.
“He offered me a job.” She shrugs. “It’s not the job I was hoping for, but I’ll be back at the Garrington Academy in September.”
“With Bonehead?”
She chews on the corner of her bottom lip. “He’ll be working in the classroom next to the one I’ll be in. I’ll be a teaching assistant, but it’s a prelude to taking over the class in the next year or two.”
It sounds like Archie isn’t willing to trust her to lead the kids on her own. What a fucking fool.
