Arrogant Boss

Forgive me. Love me. Never leave me.

Julian smiled against my lips, a sweet, intimate smile that spread warmth through my body. We were starting something much deeper, something real-something I knew would change me forever. I wanted it all.

“I’d love to,” he murmured. “Does this mean I don’t have to park a block away?”

I laughed, loving the way his eyes danced with happiness. “You’re cordially invited to use the driveway.”

The feel of Emily in my arms and her relieved smile stayed with me long after she had left. She was all I thought of as I showered and dressed, and as I made the short drive over to her place for dinner.

I had said that she would have to come to me when I walked away on Friday, but I knew it had been a lie. I would do anything to get her back.

How could I not? Emily was everything I wanted, everything I hadn’t known I needed. But I’d made a deal with myself-I had to let it go three full days. I had to give her the chance to come to me first. If we were going to last, and if I would get the chance to call her mine, she had to come willingly.

And she had.

My body still felt the weight of her in my lap and against my chest. Touching her again after these days apart felt like heaven. Her scent, her hands on my skin, those perfectly plump little lips… If I kept up reminiscing, I would have to readjust myself in my seat.

I glanced at the digital clock on my dashboard. 06:58 PM. Perfect. Punctuality was important in their household and I wanted to knock on the door at exactly seven.

Was I overdoing it? Maybe. But I knew what a massive step this was for Emily, so if I could ease it for her, I would.

I pulled up at her house. There were candles lit in one of the windows, but otherwise it was entirely calm, front lawn mowed and their car neatly parked beside mine on the driveway.

The house was cute and ordinary and didn’t match its extraordinary inhabitants at all. Emily was strong, funny, determined. She said things that surprised me on the regular. Turner… well, he was a prodigy. There was no other word to describe what he could do with the zeroes and ones, and I could say that without a shred of jealousy.

I put the car in park and grabbed the large bouquet of flowers I’d picked up on the way. The Porsche suddenly felt garish, ostentatious, parked outside on this residential street. I should have taken the Jeep.

Focus, Julian. I was thirty-three years old, experienced and successful, and I was nervous for this.

While I’d been joking with all the comparisons to high school, that was exactly what I felt like-a teenage boy going to meet his girl’s parents for the first time.

I rang the doorbell. There were a few sounds of a scuffle, and then the door opened. Emily’s cheeks were rosy and flushed, and she had an apron tied around her waist.

“Hi,” she breathed.

A slow grin spread across my face. “Hey, Ace.”

“I can’t believe you’re actually here.”

“Neither can I.”

She pushed the door wide. “Come on in.”

I followed her into a small hallway, filled with shoes. The house smelled like fresh bread.

“I thought you didn’t know how to bake?”

Emily shot me a smile. “Turner’s the one doing the baking tonight”

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She bit her lip as she looked over at me, still paused in the hallway, her dark hair swirling around her face.

“Stop that,” I said darkly.

“Stop what?”

“Looking at me like that.”

Emily gave a low laugh and the sound shot through my body like adrenaline. Taunting me, reminding me… I caught her around the waist and pulled her up flush against me.

“Julian!”I pressed a kiss to her cheek. “It’s been four days since I last had you in my arms, properly. That’s four days too many.”

Emily melted in my arms, her eyes filling with desire. I could feel the soft swell of her breasts against me and need pulsed through my lower body. If she continued looking at me like that…

I caught her lips with mine, and as we kissed, the world felt right again.

She finally pulled away with a chuckle. “Come on, let’s go to the kitchen.”

“Must we?”

“My brother,” she said with a raised brow. Her hands slid down my chest before she caught my hand in hers. I was tugged through a maze of hallways and little rooms, woven rugs and bookcases. On the walls hung painted pictures of landscapes and old photographs.

It was a family home and seeing it made my heart twinge, both for her and for her brother. She’d told me about her parents and the terrible accident.

Turner was taking bread rolls out of the oven when we emerged into a small, cozy kitchen.

“Hello, Julian.” He said but didn’t look at me, brushing the rolls with melted butter.

“Hi, Turner.” I took a seat on one of the high stools. “The bread smells delicious.”

“I agree.”

They moved in silent harmony around the kitchen, the ease between them obvious. Neither Turner nor Emily needed a lot of words to communicate with one another. Next to the fridge hung a small whiteboard with meals planned out for ever day of the week.

For a long while, I just sat and watched them interact. Emily was a firecracker at work, and always around me, but with her brother… she was calm. The ultimate big sister.

“I think the lamb is done. Julian, can you put this on the table?”

I was handed a big bowl of salad and a little jar of sea salt. Despite myself, I smiled as I did as instructed and set the table. There was a homeliness here that I had missed being a part of for a long time. And interacting with Emily in this way… it was enough to make a man dream. One day I’d make sure we shared our lives like this, too. That we had family dinners together on the regular.

Turner wasted no time-questions began the second we were all seated.

“So, you’re dating my sister.”

“I am, yes.””Why?”I resisted the urge to shoot Emily an amused glance. “Because she’s a great person. Being around her makes me happy, and I hope I make her happy in return.”

He gave a slow nod and reached for the potatoes. “Does he make you happy, Em?”