Emma screeched. “What the hell?”
“I heard you moan and though you hurt yourself,” he stammered, but his eyes never looked away.
“I wasn’t moaning in pain,” she said feeling rather embarrassed. “The water and the jets felt good. I didn’t realize I was that loud.” She wanted to dunk herself under the bubbles and hide until he left.
Lucas knew he should leave and yet couldn’t make himself take the step out the door. Emma had her hair twisted up high on her head somehow and had bubbles up to her chin and all he could think about was what was underneath. Why didn’t she warn him that she was going to take a bath?
“Um, Lucas?” Emma said, breaking the silence. He finally seemed to snap out of his reverie and looked at her face. When she nodded to the bubbles and then looked back at him, he got the picture.
“Oh, right. Sorry,” he said and backed out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Emma sagged with relief once the door was closed. What in the world? For a minute there she thought Lucas was going to strip and join her. Wouldn’t that have been nice! But no, clearly she still was looking too much like a troll to tempt him.
“Not going to let it bother me,” she chanted softly and let the jets do their magic on her body. It really seemed to work and twenty minutes later she had to force herself from the tub. Drying herself off with a towel from the heated towel bar Emma couldn’t help but wish once again for her overnight bag. Besides wanting her toothbrush, she’d kill for some moisturizer right about now.
Wrapping the towel around her, Emma realized that she hadn’t brought Lucas’s robe in with her. Opening the door, she stepped into the bedroom to grab it and ran directly into Lucas.
“Oh!” she cried as his arms came around her to steady her. Dammit, why here? Why now? Why couldn’t she have just stayed in bed all day and avoided all of this? If she’d listened to her original instincts she wouldn’t have to fight the urge to snuggle closer into Lucas’s arms and beg him to finally kiss her.
A muscle ticked in Lucas’s jaw as he stared down at the damp and barely covered Emma. He had knocked, dammit, and when she hadn’t answered he’d felt confident in the fact that he could come into the bedroom and grab an extra sweatshirt without seeing Emma.
This was way more of Emma than he could handle seeing.
He stared down at her and swallowed hard. “I was able find a towing company to come out and get your car,” he said, his voice sounding like gravel. “They should be here within the hour.”
“Oh.” Emma took a deep breath and simply inhaled the scent that was solely Lucas. Slowly she raised her eyes to his and released her breath, bringing her body into closer contact with his.
“Emma,” he sighed, so ready to say to hell with his doubts and just take what he so desperately needed from her. “I…”
“Yes, Lucas,” she whispered and he swore she became more beautiful right before his eyes.
“I…” he hesitated and studied Emma’s face. He saw desire there for sure but he saw something else; trust. She trusted him. He silently cursed because he knew he didn’t deserve her trust. Emma did not strike him as the kind of woman who would be okay with a one time encounter and he was in the awkward position of being somewhat of an employer to her and as much as it pained him, again, Lucas knew that he could never betray her trust. “I just needed to grab another sweatshirt. The snow has stopped but it’s still below freezing outside.”
He released her immediately and Emma nearly wept at the loss of his warmth. Frantically she reached for the robe and turned her back to Lucas as she put it on; all the while cursing him for sending her such constant mixed signals. Before she could turn around and speak her mind on the subject, she heard the door close and knew he was
“I heard you moan and though you hurt yourself,” he stammered, but his eyes never looked away.
“I wasn’t moaning in pain,” she said feeling rather embarrassed. “The water and the jets felt good. I didn’t realize I was that loud.” She wanted to dunk herself under the bubbles and hide until he left.
Lucas knew he should leave and yet couldn’t make himself take the step out the door. Emma had her hair twisted up high on her head somehow and had bubbles up to her chin and all he could think about was what was underneath. Why didn’t she warn him that she was going to take a bath?
“Um, Lucas?” Emma said, breaking the silence. He finally seemed to snap out of his reverie and looked at her face. When she nodded to the bubbles and then looked back at him, he got the picture.
“Oh, right. Sorry,” he said and backed out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Emma sagged with relief once the door was closed. What in the world? For a minute there she thought Lucas was going to strip and join her. Wouldn’t that have been nice! But no, clearly she still was looking too much like a troll to tempt him.
“Not going to let it bother me,” she chanted softly and let the jets do their magic on her body. It really seemed to work and twenty minutes later she had to force herself from the tub. Drying herself off with a towel from the heated towel bar Emma couldn’t help but wish once again for her overnight bag. Besides wanting her toothbrush, she’d kill for some moisturizer right about now.
Wrapping the towel around her, Emma realized that she hadn’t brought Lucas’s robe in with her. Opening the door, she stepped into the bedroom to grab it and ran directly into Lucas.
“Oh!” she cried as his arms came around her to steady her. Dammit, why here? Why now? Why couldn’t she have just stayed in bed all day and avoided all of this? If she’d listened to her original instincts she wouldn’t have to fight the urge to snuggle closer into Lucas’s arms and beg him to finally kiss her.
A muscle ticked in Lucas’s jaw as he stared down at the damp and barely covered Emma. He had knocked, dammit, and when she hadn’t answered he’d felt confident in the fact that he could come into the bedroom and grab an extra sweatshirt without seeing Emma.
This was way more of Emma than he could handle seeing.
He stared down at her and swallowed hard. “I was able find a towing company to come out and get your car,” he said, his voice sounding like gravel. “They should be here within the hour.”
“Oh.” Emma took a deep breath and simply inhaled the scent that was solely Lucas. Slowly she raised her eyes to his and released her breath, bringing her body into closer contact with his.
“Emma,” he sighed, so ready to say to hell with his doubts and just take what he so desperately needed from her. “I…”
“Yes, Lucas,” she whispered and he swore she became more beautiful right before his eyes.
“I…” he hesitated and studied Emma’s face. He saw desire there for sure but he saw something else; trust. She trusted him. He silently cursed because he knew he didn’t deserve her trust. Emma did not strike him as the kind of woman who would be okay with a one time encounter and he was in the awkward position of being somewhat of an employer to her and as much as it pained him, again, Lucas knew that he could never betray her trust. “I just needed to grab another sweatshirt. The snow has stopped but it’s still below freezing outside.”
He released her immediately and Emma nearly wept at the loss of his warmth. Frantically she reached for the robe and turned her back to Lucas as she put it on; all the while cursing him for sending her such constant mixed signals. Before she could turn around and speak her mind on the subject, she heard the door close and knew he was
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