Call
him.” She wasn’t good at playing the damsel in distress.
“No. You’re being
ridiculous, Em.”
Emory shifted in her
seat. “Call him.”
Christian laughed, but it
lacked humor. “You’re still as stubborn as hell. Will you please swallow some
of that pride and let me help you?”
“And you want what in
return?”
Apparently, her words
struck a sour note with Christian, because he veered the SUV off the shoulder
so fast, she nearly suffered whiplash.
Facing her with
furrowed brows, he said, “I don’t want anything in return. Is that why you think
I’m doing this? Because I want something from you?”
“I don’t know what to
think. Why are you doing it? Why are you being so kind to me? Just a
week ago you were ready to strangle me in my conference room. Why the change?”
His jaw flexed, then
relaxed. The fight she saw in his eyes fizzled, and the tension present in his
shoulders relaxed.
“We loved each other
once, Emory. You’re going through something. I just want to help. That’s all.
Nothing more, nothing less.”
They stared at each
other for a long, hard moment. If she’d wanted to say more, she wouldn’t have
been able to. Not after what he’d just said. After what felt like an eternity
connected to him, she turned away and settled against the seat.
A beat later, he pulled
back into traffic.
“Thank you,” she
mumbled. “I’ll pay you back every cent.”
“And I won’t accept
it.”
Emory folded her arms
across her chest and rode that way until Christian pulled into the parking lot of
her favorite breakfast spot. A place she hadn’t visited since they’d split. Why
here of all places ?
Christian pulled into a
space alongside the Citi Café, popped the gear shift into park, killed the
engine, and opened his door. “Are we going to have breakfast, or are you going
to just sit there and pout?”
Oh, he played dirty .
He knew she couldn’t resist. Giving him the evil eye, she said, “Well, if I
have to put up with you, I guess I shouldn’t have to do it on an empty
stomach.”
He released a hearty
laugh, then shook his head. “You don’t spare a punch, do you?”
Before he could get
around to her side of the vehicle, Emory was out and moving toward the
restaurant. Jesus, her legs hurt. Why had she chosen last night to go overboard
with the squats? She tossed a glance over her shoulder at Christian. He was
why. She’d needed some way to quiet the sexual frustration he’d caused.
Christian reached
around her to open the door, but she plowed through before he could. Admittedly,
she was being a brat to the one person going out of his way to help her. It
wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate his efforts, because she most certainly did.
It was that his kindness reminded her of why she’d fallen in love with him in
the first place. That big heart of his. She didn’t need any more reminders that
she still loved him, dammit.
The second they were
inside, someone called out to them. When Emory rotated in the direction of her
name, Passion Phillips, Citi’s proprietor, waddled across the room toward them.
The woman was as pregnant as pregnant could get.
“Oh, my God. It’s like
seeing two ghosts.” Passion hugged Emory, then Christian.
“You look amazing,
Passion,” Emory said. “You definitely have a motherly glow.”
Passion rested hand
against her forehead. “I look—and feel—like I’m about to explode, but thank you
for the compliment.”
“How far along are
you?” Emory asked.
“Six months.”
Christian’s eyes
widened. “Six months? Are you having twins?”
Emory swatted him
playfully.
“It’s okay,” Passion
said with a laugh. “Everyone has the same reaction. No. There’s only one in the
oven.”
Emory couldn’t believe
Passion still had three more months to go. The woman looked over baked.
Passion rested her
hands on her hips. “Where have you two been?”
Emory dreaded the
question. How did she answer it? She looked to
him.” She wasn’t good at playing the damsel in distress.
“No. You’re being
ridiculous, Em.”
Emory shifted in her
seat. “Call him.”
Christian laughed, but it
lacked humor. “You’re still as stubborn as hell. Will you please swallow some
of that pride and let me help you?”
“And you want what in
return?”
Apparently, her words
struck a sour note with Christian, because he veered the SUV off the shoulder
so fast, she nearly suffered whiplash.
Facing her with
furrowed brows, he said, “I don’t want anything in return. Is that why you think
I’m doing this? Because I want something from you?”
“I don’t know what to
think. Why are you doing it? Why are you being so kind to me? Just a
week ago you were ready to strangle me in my conference room. Why the change?”
His jaw flexed, then
relaxed. The fight she saw in his eyes fizzled, and the tension present in his
shoulders relaxed.
“We loved each other
once, Emory. You’re going through something. I just want to help. That’s all.
Nothing more, nothing less.”
They stared at each
other for a long, hard moment. If she’d wanted to say more, she wouldn’t have
been able to. Not after what he’d just said. After what felt like an eternity
connected to him, she turned away and settled against the seat.
A beat later, he pulled
back into traffic.
“Thank you,” she
mumbled. “I’ll pay you back every cent.”
“And I won’t accept
it.”
Emory folded her arms
across her chest and rode that way until Christian pulled into the parking lot of
her favorite breakfast spot. A place she hadn’t visited since they’d split. Why
here of all places ?
Christian pulled into a
space alongside the Citi Café, popped the gear shift into park, killed the
engine, and opened his door. “Are we going to have breakfast, or are you going
to just sit there and pout?”
Oh, he played dirty .
He knew she couldn’t resist. Giving him the evil eye, she said, “Well, if I
have to put up with you, I guess I shouldn’t have to do it on an empty
stomach.”
He released a hearty
laugh, then shook his head. “You don’t spare a punch, do you?”
Before he could get
around to her side of the vehicle, Emory was out and moving toward the
restaurant. Jesus, her legs hurt. Why had she chosen last night to go overboard
with the squats? She tossed a glance over her shoulder at Christian. He was
why. She’d needed some way to quiet the sexual frustration he’d caused.
Christian reached
around her to open the door, but she plowed through before he could. Admittedly,
she was being a brat to the one person going out of his way to help her. It
wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate his efforts, because she most certainly did.
It was that his kindness reminded her of why she’d fallen in love with him in
the first place. That big heart of his. She didn’t need any more reminders that
she still loved him, dammit.
The second they were
inside, someone called out to them. When Emory rotated in the direction of her
name, Passion Phillips, Citi’s proprietor, waddled across the room toward them.
The woman was as pregnant as pregnant could get.
“Oh, my God. It’s like
seeing two ghosts.” Passion hugged Emory, then Christian.
“You look amazing,
Passion,” Emory said. “You definitely have a motherly glow.”
Passion rested hand
against her forehead. “I look—and feel—like I’m about to explode, but thank you
for the compliment.”
“How far along are
you?” Emory asked.
“Six months.”
Christian’s eyes
widened. “Six months? Are you having twins?”
Emory swatted him
playfully.
“It’s okay,” Passion
said with a laugh. “Everyone has the same reaction. No. There’s only one in the
oven.”
Emory couldn’t believe
Passion still had three more months to go. The woman looked over baked.
Passion rested her
hands on her hips. “Where have you two been?”
Emory dreaded the
question. How did she answer it? She looked to
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