Page 31 of All Tied Down

OAKEY: Don’t do that

EMERSON: But they’re so similar

OAKEY: That’s the point

OAKEY: Jace is unassuming—he fits in everywhere

Pondering that, I let my eyes travel to the front where Nico appears to be relaxed in the driver’s seat. His hand on the wheel isn’t forced, just draped over the leather as he navigates us through the early morning traffic.

Alert.

But casual.

Until you get to the set of his shoulders, the tension in his posture obvious only because I’m looking for it. He’s just driving but he’s not complacent, and Tom trusts him to keep me safe.

I’m not sure he knows how big of a deal this is, because while it may not be the most exciting detail he ever works, it’s still one of the most important. Because Tom wouldn’t let him be with me if he wasn’t completely sure I’d be safe.

I’ve traveled with security before, but this is the first time I’ve ever had anyone assigned to me for more than a single event. Under normal circumstances, I’d balk at this arrangement, but honestly, having Nico embedded in my day-to-day operations feels like the least of my worries right now.

EMERSON: I think Nico is going to be great for you guys

OAKEY: Me too—send him down after he gets familiar with the floor and talks to Des.

EMERSON: I will

OAKEY: And it should go without saying but let me know if you need anything

EMERSON: Tell your wife I need a girls’ night

And really, I do, because Isla is gone and apparently I’m no longer allowed to hide at my desk to maintain my standard eighty hours a week. At least when she was here, one of us would force the other to venture outside occasionally.

But those days have long since passed and I’m happy for her—I am—but the life she’s created isn’t meant for me. It’s not what I want.

Not part of my plan.

And it’s for the best that I remember that.

13

GARRETT

Ishouldn’t be this comfortable with Emerson in my space but I am. She’s always been stunning, sure, but getting to know her in Vegas was something else entirely, something that’s only intensified since returning home.

Home.

I’ve lived in this house for years now, and never in that time did I think it was too big for one person. I like space, and I like having the ability to accommodate anyone who needs to crash for a night or longer.

But Emerson doesn’t feel temporary and she’s too big to be ignored, her absence noticeable in the deafening silence of these walls. She may have gone to Chicago today but her energy—and her perfume—remains, permeating my senses and leaving me both off-kilter and more settled than I’ve ever been in my life.

It’s terrifying knowing that one woman has the ability to turn my world upside down simply because she was here. Our marriage has an expiration date—one we agreed to—but already there’s this whisper of panic in the periphery.

As if following through on the divorce would be the worst mistake I could possibly make. But that doesn’t make any sense, right? I can enjoy Emerson’s company, body, and mind, and not lose myself in the process.

I’m an adult.

This is just an arrangement.

Then why am I already wondering how her drive into work is? Or if she’s stressed at having to commute?