HAPPY FOREVER AFTER

Emma rolled her eyes. “I think I’m capable of leaving the house alone.”

“I know you are,” he said quietly. “I just worry and I’d prefer to be with you.”

There wasn’t much she could say to that, so she nodded. “I’ll see you at lunch.” she said.

He lifted his hand in a wave and then walked away. For a moment she stared after him and then she closed the door, leaning against it.

One week of attempting to forget the past and forge ahead.

“How’s that working out for you?” she muttered as she traipsed into the bathroom.

She wanted a long, hot bath, then she would go sit in the balcony and get some work done on her laptop.

After drawing a tub full of steaming water, she sank up to her ears and sighed in complete bliss. She hadn’t made the water too hot, and she wouldn’t stay long.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

After twenty minutes, regretfully, she toed the lever for the drain and then hauled herself out of the tub. Her stomach growled and she hurriedly went through the motions of dressing.

She devoured the food Daniel had left for her. After downing an entire glass of juice, she smacked her lips in pleasure and went to her room to get her laptop and a towel. Then she went to the balcony. She spread the towel out on the floor, then sank down, drawing her knees up as she enjoyed the view.

She worked for an hour on her laptop, then she decided to rest. She put the laptop beside her and lay down. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and enjoyed the breeze dancing across her face. Her muscles relaxed and she felt the tension about her and Daniel gradually fall away.

Soon it was hard to keep her eyes open, so she stretched out on the towel and turned on her side. There was plenty of shade and a nap was too tempting to pass up. She’d simply wait for Daniel here. She thought.

Shortly after noon, Daniel let himself into the room and looked around for Emma. He called out to her but got no answer. He checked the bedroom in case she was napping, but found that she wasn’t there either.

He sighed, knowing she hadn’t paid the least bit of attention to his concern over going for a walk without him. It wasn’t as if he thought anything would happen to her or that she was incapable of being alone, but her safety and the baby’s concerned him. And yeah, he was probably being a little overprotective, but he found with Emma -just as he always had-he tended to overreact.

He searched for her around the house. When he got to the balcony, he saw her lying on her side, eyes closed and looking so damn beautiful- and vulnerable-that it made his chest ache.

He watched the soft rise and fall of her chest. The mound of her belly moved in a ripple across the floral sarong she wore. Her feet were bare and he was relieved that she hadn’t gone out without him.

He eased down onto the towel beside her and stroked his hand through her silky dark hair. He slid his fingers down her arm, over the curve of her hip and then down to the tight ball of her belly.

She sighed in her sleep and shifted closer to his hand. The urge to pull her into his arms was so strong that he jerked his hand away so he wouldn’t do just that. He had been wanting to touch her so bad since they had returned from her mom’s. And it had taken a lot to stop himself from touching her and taking her to bed. But he didn’t want to rush her into anything. It had been a while since they had been that intimate and he wanted it to be her decision the next time they made love. But so far, she hadn’t given him any reason to think that she wanted that. Sometimes he felt like she didn’t want to. They still slept in different bedrooms and he had promised himself to let things go at her pace.

Reaching out, he shook her, not wanting her to be exposed to the midday rays of sun. She came awake slowly and blinked sleepily at him. Her soft smile of pleasure warmed him to his toes.

“When did you get back?” she asked in a groggy, sleep filled voice.

“A few minutes ago,” he said, smiling at her. “Are you ready to go eat?”

She nodded and pushed herself up. He reached down to help her up, and she slid her fingers into his, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he guided her back into the house, enjoying the few moments of intimacy afforded him..

When Emma reemerged from her room, there was a lightness to her eyes that had been absent for a while. She was gradually becoming her old self. He noticed that now. She looked a lot like the old Emma. The Emma he’d been crazy about. The one who always had a ready smile, was quick to laugh and who offered her affection freely.

The reserved, angry Emma was someone he didn’t know.

She seemed a little nervous and unsure as she came to stand by the bar, and he hated that there was a tangible barrier between them. He thought about their brief friends with benefit relationship. Then she wouldn’t have hesitated to launch herself into his arms and give him one of her big, squeezing hugs.

Now? He ached to get close enough to her and hope that she didn’t withdraw

“You ready?” he asked, forcing a casual note into his voice.

She nodded. He put his hand to her back, noting the expanse of flesh bared by the sundress. The dress fit her like a dream, molding in all the right places. The bodice was held up by ends tied at the nape of her neck; but her flesh was bare all the way down to the small of her back.

Where his palm rested, he itched to caress and stroke until she responded to him, until he proved that the attraction between them hadn’t died. They walked down to the restaurant and were seated in a private alcove that had a huge glass window, giving them an unobstructed view of the place.