HAPPY FOREVER AFTER

Daniel opened the door and stepped out of the car. He tried to help her out but she refused his help. Grabbing her bag in one hand and using the other to keep his jacket wrapped around her.

“I don’t need your help” she said as she got out, forgetting about the incredibly high heeled shoes she was putting on and losing her balance. He caught her just in time. Wrapping his arms around her.

“Easy,” he said. His hands around her were incredibly gentle.

“Thanks” she said. Then proceeded to follow him into his house.

Daniel clicked on the right, stood aside as Emma entered, then closed the door.

“Thank you for coming,” he said, deliberately trying to annoy her.

“It’s not like I had a choice,” Emma said.

She glanced around the huge room. She was uneasy, a state Daniel kept her in constantly.

Daniel’s eyes followed hers. He surveyed his home, attempting to view it through her eyes. He had left most of the simple, elegant decor to his interior designer, but scattered among the gray, white and black color scheme were pieces of him, if Emma cared to look close enough.

Next to the god-awful piece of metallic abstract art on the fireplace mantel that he’d never gotten around to tossing stood a framed photo of him with his family.

On top of the white baby grand piano where his sister sometimes played when she came over sat the guitar pick he had forgotten to put away the night before. Peeking from between the couch pillows was the ear of a pair of Bluetooth headphones that he used to listen to music with while working from home.

Yes, if she paid attention, she might glimpse those hints into him. And part of him tensed with the need to go through the room and remove those clues from her sight. But the other half… That half wanted her to spy them, to ask questions. Which was bullshit, since he didn’t need that kind of intimacy. He shouldn’t hunger for that.

The last time he’d allowed a woman to enter into the space reserved for family, she had knowingly betrayed him. She had shown him that placing his heart and trust in a person outside of family was a costly mistake-to his bank account and to his soul. He would never repeat that particular mistake. He wasn’t going to let that happen again. And yet he didn’t quite understand what he was doing with Emma. Didn’t understand what he was feeling for her. He didn’t want feelings and yet here she was. He had brought her to his home.

“Would you like a drink? Wine? Champagne? Water? Champagne?” he asked her.

“I will take a Scotch. This situation calls for something strong that tastes worse than the way I’m feeling right now.” she said.

Her acerbic retort had an inappropriate spurt of amusement curling in his chest. He squelched it, turning to fix her a finger of Scotch and a bourbon for him.

Moments later, he handed the tumbler to her and silently watched as she sipped the potent liquor. Not even a flinch. His admiration grew.

“Should I get you something to eat?” he asked. “You must be hungry”

“I am. But I would like to take a shower first. If that is okay with you… Your highness” she said. Her voice was laced with sarcasm.

“Okay.. That’s it” he said. Dropping his bourbon on the table and stepping close to her. She stood where she was. Determined not to let him know how much he affected her.

“Look Emma” he began. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry for carrying you out of the party like that. I’m sorry I yelled at you and scared you back when we were in the car. I’m sorry I made you mad”

Emma simply stared. While she expected a lot of things from him. She wasn’t expecting an apology at all. She said nothing and he continued.

“I don’t understand what it was but seeing you out there.. Dressed like that. I just didn’t like it.”

His fingers locked around her hair. “I don’t want other men looking at you the way they were tonight. And you may say I don’t own you but that is just the way I feel. I know it sounds really selfish but I honestly don’t care. I’m a selfish bastard and I don’t like to share… But I’m not going to apologize for wanting you Emma… I mean, who wouldn’t?”

Emma let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She didn’t understand the man. One minute he was acting like a caveman and the next he was all calm and stuff. She decided she liked this part of him.

“It’s fine,” she said. “I’m sorry too… About those things I said to you… About you being an annoying, arrogant, pompo…”

“I know what you said Emma” he interrupted her smiling. “You don’t have to repeat them you know”.

She smiled then.

“I like it when you smile at me like that,” he said. “It’s like we have been fighting since we met. And as much as I like seeing you go all Buffy the vampire slayer on me… I like this part of you too”

“I would like for us to stop fighting too and just get along for once” she said.

He leaned closer. His mouth dangerously close to hers. Until she was certain he was going to kiss her. But then he pulled away.

Emma almost groaned in disappointment.

“You said you wanted to take a shower,” He said. “Let me show you to the bathroom”

He led her down the long corridor through folds of creamy canvas, across richly carpeted floor and into a spacious room.

The room was enchanting. Dreamy. And richly exotic. The huge bed was draped in silks and velvet and piled high with sumptuous cushions that just invited a person to collapse into their welcoming comfort.

“The bathroom is over there”. He said pointing towards a door. I will go get you a toothbrush and something to change into.

He left the room and Emma was left alone. She took off his jacket and her dress, dropped them on the floor and walked into the bathroom. Grateful for the deep tub she saw and couldn’t wait to dip herself into. It really had been a long day.

Daniel returned with the toothbrush and one of his shirts. He knocked but didn’t get an answer. He couldn’t hear the water running in the bathroom so he walked in and dropped the items on the table where she would find them.

He walked to the kitchen. Trying not to think of the beautiful naked lady probably lying in his tub. He wondered how she would react if he suddenly went in to join her. Probably throw a towel at his head and get mad at him again. He thought. Smiling as he prepared their dinner. He liked that she was here. Her presence in his house made him happy. That was weird. He thought.

Emma came down minutes later. Dressed in his shirt. She stopped at the doorway.

Daniel looked at her and smiled.

“Stop gloating,” Emma said. “You knew very well this shirt was too big when you gave it to me” she tugged at the voluminous black silk shirt around her and clasped the gaping collar with one hand.

“I think it looks better on you than on me, honey” he said. “I like to tease you. You blush like a schoolgirl, kitten. Even when you are mad”

There was something about being here. Emma thought. Showering at his place, putting on his shirt… Which smelled like him, him making her dinner, calling her honey. It made her miss having someone. They seemed like an old couple. She didn’t want to like it. But she did. Not that she was going to admit that to anyone. And especially not to him.

“I didn’t know you cooked,” she said. “Till you came over to Monica’s truck the other day. You don’t look like you cook.”

“There’s a look for people who know how to cook?… Wow.. I did not know that” he said smiling

“You know what I meant…”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“I don’t” he insisted

“it’s just that… With you… Being rich and stuff… You don’t have to cook… You probably have people who do all that for you” she tried to explain while he just stared at her.

She continued. “You know… With the way you command everyone and expect things to be done your own way all the time… I just assu..”

“Hey” he said with feigned annoyance. “I thought we agreed to get along from now on… You are about to ruin the agreement.. Calling me a rich spoilt brat and stuff”

Emma laughed. “Okay I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean to but I’m sorry”

“Much better,” he said. “Now let’s eat.”

As they ate, he said “I know I might look like I can’t or I don’t do stuff for myself but I do even if I have people who do it for me sometimes. I can cook because my mom taught me how”

Emma nodded and they ate in silence. Just enjoying the meal.

He went to the refrigerator and opened it.

“Coke? Wine?” he asked

Her eyebrows soared together.

“Oh hell Emma” he said. “I’m not going to attack you. We are two adults sharing a bottle of wine.. Maybe two. I promise to keep my hands to myself.