Текст книги "Heart Block"

Автор книги: Melissa Brayden

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

Hovering just above, Emory finished the task she’d started and slowly pulled the bikinis down Sarah’s bare legs. She then crawled forward and braced herself on her elbows and forearms, catching Sarah’s mouth and allowing their tongues to dance sensuously. She lowered her body fully onto Sarah’s as they kissed, savoring the feeling of total connection. So worth the wait. She boldly inserted a thigh between Sarah’s legs and held it firmly up against her, feeling for the first time just how aroused Sarah truly was. “God,” she moaned quietly. She closed her eyes at the revelation and steadied herself once again. Finally, her eyes found Sarah’s and she began to rock softly against her. She didn’t shudder at the next bolt of lightning, but instead rolled with the thunder outside. Sarah kissed her neck, stopping only when her accelerated breathing didn’t allow for it any longer. As Emory moved faster against Sarah, the pain of pressed fingernails on her back signaled her that Sarah was close. She moved downward, parting her thighs gently. She swiped at Sarah with her tongue once, twice, and on the third time, felt hands holding her head in place as Sarah called out loudly, throwing her head to the side. Emory continued to apply steady pressure until Sarah’s body relaxed and finally collapsed into a heap on the rug.

Sarah stared at the ceiling helplessly, grasping for a way to explain to herself what had just happened. Emory, she thought, Emory had happened. She’d been prepared for the desire she knew she’d feel when Emory touched her, but there had been no way to prepare, no frame of reference for the pleasure she’d just received. “Em?” she said softly, finding her voice.

“I’m right here,” Emory answered tenderly from alongside her. Sarah turned and moved into Emory’s arms, nestling herself in the crook of her shoulder. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

Sarah nodded and kissed Emory’s shoulder, needing a few moments with her thoughts.

They lay there quietly for several minutes, Emory gently stroking Sarah’s hair, only the sound of the fire crackling nearby. Finally, she tilted Sarah’s face upward, searching her eyes. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that I’m not able to think…in a really good way. I don’t even know if that sentence made sense.”

Emory grinned. “A positive review?”

Sarah shook her head. “The word positive would be left in the dust by what that just was.” Sarah pushed herself up onto her forearm, looked down at Emory and, for the first time in a while, registered that it was still storming outside. She loved the glow from the fire just beyond Emory and the way it haloed her golden hair. “You look so, I don’t know. Like some sort of beautiful painting.”

“I do?”

“You do. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.” Sarah couldn’t resist any longer. She tenderly brushed Emory’s hair back from her forehead and allowed her mouth to descend slowly to Emory’s. It was time for the tables to turn, and Sarah couldn’t have been more ready. She slid on top, hearing the small hitch in Emory’s breathing when their breasts touched once again. Pulling her mouth from Emory’s, she moved it to her ear, sucking gently on the lobe, taking her time. She reached down between them and trailed her fingertips across the inside of one thigh. Emory inhaled sharply. “Tell me what you want,” she whispered.

“Just touch me. It’s that simple.”

“Like this?” She touched along the inside of the other thigh, teasing. But this time her touch was more firm.

“Yes,” Emory hissed. “God.”

Sarah answered with a firm stroke through liquid heat, a feeling she would never forget as long as she lived. She looked up in surprised response and met Emory’s eyes. The vulnerability looking back at her was almost her undoing. Nothing she had experienced had ever felt so right.

Emory gasped as the fingers returned to where she needed them and she threw her head back against the rug in utter submission. It was the most wonderful torture, but she didn’t know how much more she could take. Sarah’s touch increased in intensity and she rocked her hips harder in response. Somehow, Sarah seemed to innately know what she needed, insistent strokes that brought her just to the brink and then lighter ones that held her there. At long last, and with one final thrust of her hips, she surrendered to Sarah’s touch with a moan of ultimate pleasure. She tossed her head back and felt the intensity of orgasm wash over her in a tidal wave of feeling. She closed her eyes and rode out the last remaining waves. Finding herself once again able to process cognizant thought, she opened her eyes. “Sara,” she whispered, using the original pronunciation of her name. “How did you know?”

Sarah looked down at her reverently. “It felt right.”

“Then you’re the most intuitive person I’ve ever met.”

Sarah grinned proudly and leaned down for one more nip. “I think we just have good chemistry.”

“Off the charts.”

Emory placed her hands on Sarah’s hips and pulled her down so that she rested more fully on top. While usually preferring the top herself, she couldn’t deny how much she loved the feel of Sarah’s weight on her body. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re sexy as hell?” She traced the outline of Sarah’s hips. “Your body has the most amazing curves.”

“That’s funny because my whole life, I always wanted a body just like yours.”

“That would have been a travesty.”

“You really feel that way?”

“I really do.”

“Thank you,” Sarah answered shyly.

“Will you stay tonight? It’s rough out there so you can’t say no.”

Sarah rolled to the other side of Emory and considered the question. “On one condition.”

“Anything.”

She stole a kiss. “I seem to remember you promising me a game.”

Emory laughed and gathered Sarah into her arms. “Are you serious? Okay, but I told you I’m good.”

“You’ll have to prove it.” Sarah grinned back wickedly and captured her mouth yet again. “But maybe we could do some more of this after?”

“Hard bargain.”

Outside, the storm raged and the waves crashed violently against the shore, but inside, they sat together, wrapped in blankets in front of the fire, engrossed in a lively game of Scrabble. In the midst of her laughter, Emory regarded Sarah across the board of letters and marveled at how her life had taken such a fortuitous turn.

Later, their bodies would find each other once more, this time in the warm expanse of Emory’s bed. As slumber at last crept over her, Emory dreamily listened to the sounds of diminishing rainfall. She sighed into Sarah’s soft embrace and knew inherently, that no matter what happened between them, no one could ever take this night away from her. And because of that, her life would never again feel the same.

*

Sarah cruised the 805 the following morning and smiled at the gorgeous day before her. Even the weather seemed happy. The morning after the big storm was shaping up to be quite a contrast to the past twelve hours. The sun shone warm and the sky shimmered its signature San Diego blue. She was headed home where she had plans to rendezvous with her cousin who’d drop off Grace sometime within the next hour.

Admittedly, she hadn’t gotten much sleep the night prior, but as thoughts of her evening clouded her consciousness, she knew she wouldn’t trade a moment.

She’d woken first that morning and spent the initial twenty minutes of her day watching Emory sleep while being serenaded by sounds of the sea. Awake, she was the most beautiful woman on the planet; asleep, she was an angel. Unable to resist the urge, Sarah reached out and traced her cheek delicately, moving on to her slightly swollen lips, then placed a soft kiss on her temple.

Emory stirred then, her eyes fluttering open, before a slow grin took shape on her face. “You’re here,” she whispered. “Hi.”

Sarah slid down so they were face-to-face on the pillow. “I didn’t mean to wake you. You were so peaceful.”

Emory wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled Sarah in. “Just so we’re clear, you can wake me anytime you want, for anything you want.”

Sarah traced the outside of Emory’s breast, causing her to hitch in a breath. “Dangerous declaration.”

“I’m a risk taker.”

They hadn’t had much time to spend together that morning, but a quick breakfast with Walter followed by an impromptu make-out session against the kitchen counter had gotten the day off to a promising start.

Emory was off for a run, and Sarah looked forward to spending the rest of the day with Grace. They would first go school supply shopping and then head to the mall so Grace could pick out an agreed upon three new outfits for the first week of school. Sarah knew she needed to broach the subject of Emory with Grace soon, especially since she’d already hinted at an early understanding. It wouldn’t be the easiest conversation to have, and admittedly, she was nervous, but it needed to happen.

“So how was the slumber party?” she asked Grace, who twirled her straw around her cup to thin out the consistency of her milkshake. They sat at a table nestled in the bustling mall’s food court, on short hiatus in their day of shopping.

Grace took a swig of her shake. “Kind of lame. Millie made us all play Chutes and Ladders for two hours and cried whenever anyone wanted to quit. We had fun once she fell asleep though.”

“Oh yeah, what did you do then?”

“Truth or Dare.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Uh-oh. Aren’t you a little young for that?”

“All we did was dare each other to prank call Uncle Danny until Millie’s mom made us stop. What about you? Did you have fun with Emory?”

“Yeah, I did. It stormed a lot, so we didn’t get to go down to the beach, but we had a good time anyway.”

Grace beamed. “That’s great, Mom.”

“So what do you think about Emory?”

“I like her. She’s sofixicated and smart. Plus, her house rocks.”

“Sophisticated, and yeah, she is smart.” Sarah paused, searching for the right words. “I like her a lot too.”

“I know. I think that’s cool.”

“You know, in the past, I’ve always gone on dates with men.”

“I know.”

“But I wanted to talk to you about something kind of important and get your opinion because what you think matters to me a lot.”

“Okay.”

“Well, lately, I’ve started going on dates with Emory too.”

Grace looked back at her confused. “I know. I told you already, I think that’s cool.”

“Wait. So you knew that we were…dating?”

“You guys make it kind of obvious the way you stare at each other all the time.” Grace was still smiling.

“What are you talking about? We do not.”

“Mom, please.” Grace rolled her eyes and scanned the food court for more interesting pastures. “Can we go to A’Gaci next?”

“So this doesn’t bother you at all?”

Grace offered a small sigh and turned back to Sarah. “Have you ever read a book called Heather has Two Mommies?”

Sarah squinted, shaking her head.

“Well, they have it in our library at school, and I read it during lunch recess last year. You should read it too.”

Sarah was reeling. Her eight-year-old not only knew all about her incognito personal life, but was now offering her advice about coping with adversity. Ordering her head clear, she pressed forward. “I haven’t talked to your grandparents about this yet, but I plan to. Hopefully soon. I would never ask you to keep a secret from them, and I’m not asking you to do that now either. I’m just not sure I’m ready for them to know about Emory yet.”

“I think it’s better if you tell them, not me.”

Sarah’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank you. But if you change your mind and feel like you need to talk to them about any of this, I won’t be upset.”

“Okay. Ready to finish shopping? I have one whole outfit left to pick out.”

Sarah grinned at her, so proud of the person she already was and the one she would someday be. She had the best kid. “Let’s do it.”

*

At nine o’clock on Thursday morning, Lucy stuck her head around the corner of Emory’s office and playfully fanned herself with a document of some sort. Emory stared at her momentarily, but then returned to the pile of work on her desk. Lucy took it one step further, holding the document up to the light and studying the words before hugging it to her heart with a smoldering gaze.

“Is there something you’d like to say, Luce, or is this a new mime routine you’re developing?”

“Oh hey, Em. Strange. Didn’t see you there. Listen, I was just perusing this totally random press release I saw hit the wire. Turns out, it’s about Immaculate Home and its newest division headed up by one Sarah Matamoros. This, by chance, wouldn’t be the Sarah Matamoros, would it?”

Emory shook her head at Lucy’s performance, hating to admit that her overly excited tone of voice was actually amusing. “Yes, they are one and the same.”

“So interesting. I’m going to take the fact that we’re now running pro bono press releases for this little upstart-that-could as a good sign for your love life. Please confirm. Minds are inquiring.”

“I offered them a couple free releases to see if they liked what the exposure could do for them. If Sarah and her company receive a good response, it’s my hope that they’ll open an account with us and voilà, we’ll have a new client. A very basic sales strategy.”

Lucy’s response was a big thumbs down sign. “Lame and businesslike. That isn’t what I asked you. I did like how you worked in a voilà though. You don’t hear that one much.”

“Thank you. And if you must know, things are good,” Emory answered sincerely. “I’m meeting her family this weekend, and…she stayed over on Saturday.”

Lucy balled up the press release and pelted it at Emory. “And you’re just now telling me? This is big news. Huge! She has located the horse, ladies and gentlemen, and she’s climbing back on.”

Emory laughed and threw the ball of paper at Lucy’s now retreating form. “Very funny, Luce. Hysterical.”

“I’ll be here all night.” And then from her office next door, “Tip your waitress!”

Chapter Twelve

Sarah was consistently amazed at the number of people her parents were able to cram into their backyard and feed. Friends, neighbors, and relatives milled around the large outdoor area, snacking at picnic tables or competing in games of badminton or touch football. Platters of burgers, chicken, and roasted pork abounded and a large cooler of beer sat proudly on the patio, all in celebration of her older brother’s thirty-fifth birthday.

Her mother slid her hands onto Sarah’s shoulders and kissed her cheek roughly. “Why are you bustling around like a loco person? Go get yourself a beer from the cooler and enjoy your brother’s party. Everything here is good to go.”

Sarah obediently set down the extra plates she’d brought outside, just in case, and covered her mother’s hands with her own. “If you say so, boss lady.”

“At least you know I’m in charge. You can help me clean up later, I promise, but in the meantime, mingle por favor. Entertain these people for me, and I may have a surprise for you later.” Sarah raised a curious eyebrow, but her mother drifted away, turning an invisible key in front of her lips to emphasize the secrecy of her statement. Cryptic.

Sarah walked through streamers and colorful balloons to survey the fun. In the corner, her father held court as he grilled fresh fajitas, sporting his “Kiss the Cook” apron and tall, billowing chef’s hat. Grace stood alongside him chatting animatedly, always his trusty sidekick.

Sarah had looked forward to the party for the entire week prior. But now that the day was here, the excitement she felt about Emory meeting her family had more than tripled and moved steadily into the nervous category. Things could go wrong, she admitted to herself, and this was, after all, a big deal. Even if her parents wouldn’t be aware of just how big a deal when they met her.

“There’s my baby sister,” Robert called out as she approached. He pulled her into a loose headlock and ruffled the top of her hair just as he’d done since they were kids.

She wrestled herself free and punched him hard in the arm. “No abuse today, birthday boy. Try to act your age.” She smoothed her hair back into place.

Her sister-in-law, Cristina, grinned and rolled her eyes. “Tall order.” She held their son, Lucas, in her arms, and Sarah couldn’t resist scooping the little guy up and peppering his tiny baby cheeks with several hundred kisses.

“My nephew is the handsomest baby boy in baby land. Little girl babies across California better watch out for this one.”

“You don’t have to tell me.” Cristina shook her head. “He already flirts with women mercilessly—like his father.” She smacked Robert playfully in the stomach for good measure.

He doubled over. “Man, I’m getting beat today.”

Sarah laughed and checked her watch and then the door for the four hundredth time that afternoon, bracing against the parade of butterflies in her stomach before moving on to say hello to the next-door neighbors.

It was approximately seven and a half minutes later when she heard the distant chime of the doorbell and excused herself quickly into the house. Damn it, she was too late. Her younger brother, Danny, had already answered the door and stood staring wordlessly at Emory. In fairness, Sarah couldn’t blame him. Emory wore off-white denim Capris and a turquoise top that Sarah could have easily predicted brought out the vibrant blue in her eyes. As she entered the room, Emory turned and smiled (was that shyly?) in her direction.

Sarah beamed back. “You found us.”

“I did. Your directions were perfect. I only got lost three times, which is good for me.”

Sarah turned to Danny who was still blatantly staring at Emory. She resisted the urge to pop him in the back of his head. “Danny, meet my friend Emory Owen. Emory, this is my pesky little brother, Danny.”

“Daniel,” he amended, extending his hand. His voice was suspiciously an octave lower than she was used to. She turned to him curiously and elbowed him in the ribs. “Stop it. Come on, Emory. Let’s go outside and I can introduce you around.”

“Maybe we can talk later, Emory,” Danny called after them.

She smiled. “Definitely.”

Sarah turned around and shot him one last “what’s gotten into you” glare before pulling Emory into the yard. Once on the vacant patio, they had a brief moment alone, several yards from the nearest guests. Someone had put on a CD, and Tejano music now blared throughout the yard louder than Sarah would have liked. She planned to fix that problem shortly. In the meantime, her interests were elsewhere. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.” Emory was smiling.

“Sorry about my stupid brother.”

“Don’t be. He seems sweet. He also looks a lot like you, and that’s a big plus. You’re a sight for sore eyes, by the way. It’s been a long week.” Sarah couldn’t agree more and resisted the urge to touch Emory’s cheek. God, how she wanted to.

“Maybe we could steal some time after this.”

“That would—”

“Sarah Rose, who is this nice person you have with you? Introduce your mother.”

Sarah turned and found her mother standing five feet behind her, hands on her hips. She took a noticeable step away from Emory, who seemed to register the move behind her eyes. Sarah felt the guilt right away.

“Mama, this is the friend I told you about, Emory Owen. She was also a recent client of ours. That’s where we met.”

Emory stepped forward, instantly on. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Matamoros. Sarah speaks very highly of you, and I have nothing but rave reviews from the services Immaculate Home provided me.” Sarah smiled sweetly. If only her mother knew the extent of that statement.

“Emory Owen! Of course.” Not missing a beat, she pulled Emory into a full-on embrace, probably gripping her tighter than Emory had ever been gripped. “Sarah’s told me all about what a wonderful experience she had working for you. I was so happy to hear that you two have grown to be good friends. And you know, Sarah’s phone has been ringing off the hook after that press release you sent out. She’ll have to tell you all about it. We’re so pleased you came to the party. Have you met Robert yet? He’s the birthday boy, you know, right over there. Oh, and, Sarah, introduce her to your cousin, Martin, next. He’s single, Emory, and very, very handsome.”

Sarah suppressed an eye roll and instead smiled obediently. “Will do, Mama.”

“Emory, can I get you a drink?”

“Sure, um, maybe a glass of white?”

Her mother frowned and turned to Sarah. “Do we still have that bottle your Aunt Mariana gave us?”

“How about a beer, Em?” Sarah knew full well the bottle in question was covered in dust and well past its ten-dollar prime.

“Yes! Of course. I would love a beer. Any kind you have.”

Her mother smiled gregariously once again. “Miller Lite?”

“Perfect.”

“Coming right up!”

As her mother scurried happily to the cooler, Emory closed her eyes and sighed. “Sorry. Strike one.”

“We’re just more of a chips and beer kind of a family is all.”

Emory lifted one shoulder. “I love chips and beer.”

“Sure you do. Come on, I’ll introduce you to all the key players. Try to look somewhat attractive, okay?”

Emory couldn’t help a short burst of laughter as Sarah tugged her into the yard. She met several of Sarah’s aunts, uncles, and cousins, who were all very friendly and maybe even a little tipsy. Next, she met Robert and Cristina and their baby. Robert looked like a bulkier, he-man version of Danny with thinning hair. It was fascinating to meet so many people who resembled Sarah and Grace. As if on cue, Grace appeared out of nowhere and threw her arms around Emory’s waist. She looked down at her affectionately. “Hiya, kiddo. How’s your life?”

“Great. How’s your life?”

“Can’t complain. Ready for school?”

“I can’t wait. Only two more days. We did all of our shopping this week. Mindy and I are in the same class this year.”

“Well, that’s a plus. And George?”

Immediately blushing, Grace tugged on Emory’s arm, prompting her to lean down so she could whisper in her ear. “He asked me to go to SeaWorld with his family. I haven’t asked Mom yet. I wanted to get your advice. I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Deal,” she whispered and nodded, taking the situation as seriously as Grace seemed to be. With that, Grace scampered away to play freeze tag with her rather boisterous group of cousins.

Sarah surveyed the action from a few feet away. “Why do you get all the juicy information?”

“Because you’re the mom and are thereby deemed ineligible.” Sarah frowned and Emory laughed. “Cheer up, Charlie. I’ll tell you everything she said if you want me to.”

Sarah was thoughtful. “No. As long as it’s not life threatening or morally threatening, I can handle not knowing every little detail of her life the second it comes off the presses. I want her to know that she can trust you.”

“Well, it’s neither of those two things, rest assured. Now, when do I get to meet your dad?”

And here we go. “How about now? Come on. He’s on grill duty, his favorite pastime in all of life. He’s going to love you, by the way.” Sarah knew this was a big introduction. Her father was the most important man in her life, and she needed for him to see how wonderful Emory was.

There was a spring in her step that took a shuddering leave of absence the moment she took in the scene ahead. Carmen and Roman stood next to the grill laughing. Alongside them, complete with her smiling father’s arm on his shoulder, stood James. Sarah froze, and her mind scrambled to piece together the probable series of events.

“Surprise,” her mother whispered in her ear from behind. Sarah’s fears were confirmed. Unable to form a complete sentence, she felt herself ushered by her mother over to the group, Emory lagging somewhere behind.

“Hey there, beautiful,” James leaned in and kissed her cheek.

She was still in somewhat of a state of shock and answered evenly. “Hi.”

“I hope you don’t mind me popping in on you. Your father invited me when I stopped by the job site earlier this week.”

“I told him to!” Her mother grinned like the cat that swallowed the canary. “I knew you’d be thrilled to see James, and this gives him a chance to meet the rest of the family.”

James wrapped his arm around her mother’s shoulders. “Well, then it’s you I have to thank, Mrs. Matamoros.”

“Call me, Yolanda,” her mother answered dreamily.

Sarah couldn’t believe this was happening, but was determined to keep a cool head. “You’re always welcome, James. It’s nice to see you.” She looked to Carmen, whose eyes widened as if to say “I had no Godforsaken idea this was going to happen. Please don’t kill me.” She offered a tiny helpless shrug to punctuate.

Deciding to stay the course, Sarah pressed forward. “Papa, I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is my friend, Emory Owen. Emory’s the CEO of her own company and went to Stanford.” A few bonus points couldn’t hurt, right?

Roberto Matamoros turned to Emory and extended his hand warmly. “Are you the artist Graciela was telling me about?”

Emory smiled and took his hand. “I suppose so, though I don’t actually paint anymore.”

“My granddaughter thinks the world of you. Welcome to our home.” He patted her hand and bowed his head. But his attention shifted back to James and Roman, the men clearly taking precedent with him in this moment. “So, James, do you have any other big projects lined up?”

“Several actually. It’s hard to juggle them all, but if I want to make partner someday, I have to burn the midnight oil.”

“The corporate world can be cutthroat, that’s for sure,” Emory interjected.

“I do okay.” James turned to her.

“I’m sure you do.”

James eyed Emory and Emory eyed James until finally Sarah couldn’t take it anymore. Clearly picking up on the tension, Carmen swooped in and saved the day. “Emory, we haven’t met yet. I’m Carmen, Sarah’s best friend and, might I add, closest confidant,” she said, emphasizing the words. “She tells me everything. I’m thrilled to finally meet you.”

Emory beamed. “Thank you. I’ve been anxious to meet you too. Sarah tells me that you two have quite a history.”

“You can’t even imagine.”

“Sarah,” her mother interrupted. “Why don’t you introduce James to your brothers, and maybe later he can meet Grace.” She shot her a not so subtle wink, which Sarah refused to return. Sarah looked apologetically at Emory, who stared back at her blankly. Feeling caught and unsure how to proceed, she begrudgingly gave in to the pressure.

“Sure. Follow me, James.” She walked James across the yard, and when they were out of earshot, tugged on his sleeve bringing them to a halt. Yes, they were in the middle of the yard, and yes, people were watching them, Emory included, but she had to figure out this situation and quick. “James, I just need to be clear. I’m seeing someone else. I thought you understood that.”

“I do and I respect it entirely, but it doesn’t mean I’ve completely given up on you forever. We’re still friends, right?”

Sarah softened. “Yes, but that’s all it can be. I just want to be sure we’re on the same page.”

“We are, beautiful.”

She closed her eyes momentarily in frustration. “See, right there, that’s what I’m talking about.”

“The fact that I called you beautiful?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry. If it makes you uncomfortable, it will never happen again.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Unless you want it to.”

“James.”

Over the next ten minutes, she introduced him to all the same people she’d introduced Emory to. There seemed to be a markedly different reaction to James. At the mention of his name, her friends and loved ones lit up, a sign that they’d been prepped by her mother well in advance about who he was and his potential place in Sarah’s life. In response, he was universally given the careful attention she’d hoped they’d show Emory. It was disheartening and entirely counterproductive to what she’d hoped to accomplish that day.

Leaving James to continue his in-depth discussion on drafting techniques with Robert, Sarah located Emory across the yard, who much to her horror was standing with her mother and cousin Martin, the creepy funeral director. Realizing that her mother was already in matchmaker mode and a rescue mission was now necessary, she wasted no time. Sliding up next to Emory, she briefly squeezed her hand. She needed to explain things, and now was as good a time as any. “Can I borrow you for a sec?”

Emory turned to her with immense amounts of gratitude in her eyes. “Sure. Excuse me, Martin. Maybe we can finish the uh, embalming story later.”

Sarah led Emory back into the house and down the short hallway. “Where are we going?” Emory asked.

“Shhh.” She quickly pulled Emory into the small hallway bathroom, closed the door, and locked it. As she turned around, Emory offered a plastic smile and it didn’t escape Sarah that she stood about as far away as the tiny bathroom would allow.

“Let me explain.”

“There’s no need. I know you didn’t invite him.”

Sarah closed the distance between them and tucked a strand of hair behind Emory’s ear. “All the same, I’m sorry.”

“I know.” But Emory didn’t seem convinced.

“It bothers you. I can tell.”

Emory stared past Sarah at a stack of decorative hand towels. “It’s just been a while since I’ve had to hide who I was. I don’t like how it feels. Your parents are very excited about the prospect of you and James, and I get to watch that play out. It’s…less than fun.”

“I know, trust me, I know. I guess I just wanted to finesse this for them a little bit. Parcel out information slowly. I know my family, and it will be better if I can ease them into the idea of you and me.” She let her hands drop from Emory’s shoulders where they’d rested. “I’m sorry. I feel like I’m screwing this whole thing up.”

Emory tilted her head and met Sarah’s eyes. It was clear she was softening. “Sarah, look at me.”

She did.

“So it’s not the easiest of days. Let’s just try and get through it. The fact that James is here just caught me off guard and complicated an already touchy situation for me. But I’d rather not focus on that. I’d rather focus on you, which is all I tend to do lately anyway.”

Sarah let the comment settle and took a step in. She slid her hands onto Emory’s hips and rubbed her abdomen with her thumbs. “In that case, I should probably confess that I’ve wanted to kiss you ever since you walked in the door.”