Layers Crossed (27 page)

Once I heard
her moan into my mouth and felt her curves soften, I eased my grip
and lifted her into my arms. Since we were already near the
kitchen, I sat her on the counter, our lips never pulling apart. I
swept across the cold marble, spilling whatever was on it to the
floor, including the fruit bowl, which shattered. Neither one of us
cared or broke the needy kiss. Whatever happened, I had to remain
connected to Emma. I needed her now more than ever, and even if she
didn’t admit it, even if she was as mad at me as a raging bull, I
wouldn’t let her go. I couldn’t. When she pulled away, I saw tears
in her eyes. I touched my lower lip, which was cut from her bite,
and held her gaze. Emma’s mascara began running down her cheeks,
and she looked so vulnerable and beautiful, I couldn’t take it. I
grasped her shirt and tore it open, and then scrunched up her skirt
to her waist and cupped her wet pussy with my hand.

“I can’t,” she
said quietly.

“Shh, Em. Just
be quiet. If there’s nothing else you can give me, please give me
tonight. Please give
us
tonight. No questions, no words. I
need to be inside you, even if it’s for the last time.”

She sucked in
a quick breath, leaned back willingly on the counter, and spread
her legs open for me. I was so ready by that point, I couldn’t take
it. Lowering my jeans to my thighs, I pulled her ass to the edge of
the counter, moved her panties to the side, and dove into her tight
wetness in one swift prod. Holding onto her hips, I couldn’t stop.
I wouldn’t stop. She writhed underneath me like a temptress from
hell, pinching her nipples, pushing herself onto me, and lifting
her feet to my shoulders. God, she looked so beautiful! How did I
fuck this up? How could I let her go after this – this beautifully
sensual and strong woman who’d been raised with so much passion
that anyone who got near her had to feel it? They had to know how
special she was. I adored her, admired her, and loved her beyond my
sound mind.

Fuck! I loved
her. And she needed to know that, but now was not the right time.
At this moment, seeing her this way, succumbing to my most carnal
need as I crushed our bodies together over and over again, teasing
her clit with my thumb, rubbing it just the way I knew would drive
her insane was all that mattered. Once we figured this out in the
morning and made everything right again, I’d tell her. I leaned my
cheek against her calf, smoothing it over the faint lines of
beautiful scars that decorated her legs, kissing each beautiful
ripple. Telling her in my mind and showing her with my body just
how desperately I loved her.

And when she
broke into a cry combined with a scream, I pulled out of her,
watching my seed spill onto her tummy and breasts, her smoothing it
over her body as if she wanted to cover every inch of herself with
my essence. I lifted her up into my arms in her torn clothes and
carried her into my tub. She curled in a corner without saying a
word. I washed her and myself, thoroughly, dried her up, and again
carried her to my bed where her body naturally curled into mine. As
soon as my dick felt her soft ass, I found her opening again. She
spread her legs willingly. We remained locked with me inside her as
I whispered into her ear. “I’m so sorry, Emma.” She let out a long
exhale, and we fell asleep.

I didn’t
exactly expect her to be in a good mood the next morning, or even
to talk to me for a few days, but instead of her soft blond curls,
I found a note on her pillow that crushed any hope I’d had in my
chest.

Dearest
Eric,

I’m sorry, but
I cannot do this. By the time you read this I’ll be landing in New
York. I’m a city girl and New Jersey is my home – it always has
been and always will be. Secrets are not a good foundation to build
a relationship on – I know this better than anyone. We’re much
better off on our own, in our own nooks of the world. I’ll send a
replacement to finish your case. Huntz is being tracked and it
shouldn’t take long until we get another ping near Ogden.

Love always,
Emma

“What the
fuck?” I pulled on my hair, searching my house for any remaining
evidence of her. Her clothes and toiletries were gone, and I
couldn’t find one item to remind me of her, except for the cowboy
hat. She’d left it here. Leaning against the mantle, I felt
something underneath my foot and lowered to pick up the shining
button. A memory of it bouncing on the floor after I ripped her
shirt open tumbled through my mind. Was all I’d had left of Emma?
Did she really leave? Didn’t last night mean anything to her, or
was that just her saying goodbye?
Have I lost the only woman
I’ve ever loved? Have I lost Emma?

C
HAPTER
25

Emma

I sat at the
bar patiently waiting for Grace and her betrayer boyfriend Hunter
to join me. Honestly, Hunter was the last person I wanted to see.
Part of me wanted to kill him for going behind my back, and another
part wanted to hug him and kiss him for helping fate unite me with
Eric – at least for the little time I got to spend with him. Except
it wasn’t fate. It was Hunter, conspiring with my brothers, whom
I’d refused to speak to for the past week. I shouldn’t have let my
guard down so quickly, either. I should have made the connection
that Reeve was not a first name, but last. I swear the way Eric
swept me off my feet in Ogden, my brain lost half its functioning
ability. At home I’d thrown myself back into work, trying to forget
about Eric (which of course was impossible), skimming over his case
for hours a day to see whether I’d missed anything. The trail on
John Huntz had gone cold, and waiting for the next ping was like
waiting for a Christmas that only came every ten years.

My last night
with Eric seemed so long ago. It was fading too quickly and
beginning to seem like a dream. I shook off my memory. I couldn’t
do this now. I didn’t want to remember what I’d had and lost – not
in public.

The crowd was
already lining up in front of Kissed, Kendra’s nightclub. My
brother’s wife had run this successful venue for the past ten
years. Feeling all sorry for myself, I sat here on my own,
listening to Matt doing last sound checks and watching Sandra stack
the bottles of liquor on the shelves. I downed my third shot of
tequila to drown my sorrows. There was no other way out of my
misery. I couldn’t go back to Ogden. Eric had lied to me. He’d only
walked into my office because my brothers had hired him to do so.
Had he lied about other things as well? How was I supposed to trust
him now? And Hunter of all people, my best friend’s boyfriend whom
I introduced to ‘the love of his life,’ as he stated, had
orchestrated the entire operation.

“Need someone
to talk to?” Kendra’s voice came from the side.

Slouched, I
swiveled on the stool toward her. “Yes and no. You know, this
should not be allowed in a club.” I pointed to Kendra’s growing
belly.

“Why?”

“It ruins the
vibe for those who come to get lucky.” Seeing my sister-in-law
wobbling around had to be the best contraceptive ever. I took
another shot between my fingers and threw my head back.

She laughed.
“I’m only here for a few minutes. Besides, I really hope no one
here is having sex in public. Wanna chat? Julian’s worried about
you.”

“I don’t
really care what Julian feels.”

“He loves you,
Emma. We all do. At least tell me what your brothers have done this
time. I promise to be impartial.”

“Oh, K.” I
lowered my head onto the bar. “I’m so confused.”

“I haven’t
seen you show so much emotion since David passed.”

“That’s
because I haven’t met anyone worthy of it, until Eric.”

“Your
case?”

“Yes.
Everything is such a mess, K. They fucking meddled in my business
again
. They set everything up. Me meeting Eric, him taking
me away to his ranch. It was their idea. They asked Hunter if he
knew anyone out of town, and of course he pointed them toward Eric.
But I think my brothers didn’t plan on us having such a
connection.”

She
laughed.

“What’s so
funny?”

“I bet Julian
and Tristan are both slapping themselves silly.”

“Why?”

“Because they
didn’t realize they’d hired a man you’d fall in love with. I heard
them talk about cowboys being not your type and all, so I’m sure
they didn’t expect to be the cupids they ended up being.”

“It serves
them right. I should tell them that cowboys who ride horses develop
a stamina and a rhythm I’d never seen before.”

“Yes, that
should really force them to ease up. Em, you gotta talk to them.
Tell them how you feel. Make your own decisions not because of what
you think they’ll say or do, but because what you feel is right for
you.”

“But it’s all
over now. There’s no way this can work. How can I trust him
again?”

“Well, let me
give you one piece of advice I hope you’ll take. People make
mistakes, Emma. Every single person, including me and you. I once
believed I attracted trouble like a bleeding seal in the harbor of
Cape Town. Don’t let a good thing pass you by when you’re lucky
enough to have it in your life. It doesn’t matter what the
circumstances are or if you met under a pretense you didn’t expect.
Grasp it and hold onto it. And give your brothers a break. They’ve
been worried sick about you since the accident. I think they’re
worried now too.”

“I just want
to die.”

She passed me
another shot. “I’ll make sure you get home safely. Think about what
I said, Emma. Not all is lost. Eric’s still on this Earth. What
would you do if you found out something had happened to him?”

“I don’t even
want to think about it.”

“Can you
really go on not seeing him again?”

“I don’t think
so. No, I know I can’t. But what do I say?”

“Think it
through. Forgiveness is a powerful attribute. Believe me, I know,
because I’ve been on its receiving end for years. It can make
everything right again. It can heal that broken heart of
yours.”

“Thank you,
K.” I threw back the tequila. It didn’t even sting anymore. In
fact, it was almost like water. “But right now I just need to clear
my mind.”

“I gotta go.
This one’s not letting me sleep through the night.” she rubbed her
belly. “Plus, Grace is here.”

I turned
around and rolled my eyes at the man beside Grace. Hunter was
walking close to her side, obviously aware at the damage he’d done.
I hoped Grace had the wits to put him in his place. Although that
might have only led to a long night of sex. Nope, I didn’t want him
to get any pleasure out of my misery. Whatever punishment Grace had
for her boyfriend, it better have been one that included him
hanging by his balls.

“He’s the one
who came up with the brilliant idea,” I said to Kendra.

“Then you
should thank him for introducing you to the man I think you
love.”

I gasped.
Kendra kissed me on my cheek, saying, “I’ll have Matt call you a
cab when you’re ready to go home.” And she left.

Did I love
Eric? Was that the feeling I’d had with me the entire time? I
should have gotten over the lie a long time ago. The agony of being
so far away from him was tearing me apart. It was worse knowing he
was so far away than it was being angry with him for lying to me.
It wasn’t the same as when I was with David. We were younger and
more prone to stupidity, living without a care in the world, taking
it one day at a time while making plans for our entire lives. We
lived on pure adrenaline, and the idea of being each other’s
sweethearts kept us going. We grew up at the same time, and I’d
never known what true love should be like and assumed it was what
I’d had with David. Part of me felt like what I’d experienced with
David was just the tip of the iceberg. What I felt for Eric seemed
so much stronger and fiercer. What we had was like that root
underneath the ocean, holding the iceberg steady, the mass of its
foundation much stronger than the white tip bobbing on the surface.
It didn’t matter to Eric that I wasn’t a girl from his town, or
that I couldn’t square dance for the life of me, because no matter
how silly I acted, he still wanted me. Me over Claire, me for who I
was, accepting my job, knowing the dangers I could be in and not
being threatened by it. I could count the ways when men I’d gone
out with were afraid the moment I’d mentioned my last name.

I wanted Eric
so badly, yet I hated him for betraying me.

“Hey, you.
Still mad?” Hunter asked.

“Furious.”
Maybe I could punch Hunter instead? Get my anger out on his
wickedly sharp jaw line. Would Grace mind?

“Wow, there
killer. Get that murderous look off your face. It doesn’t suit
you.” Grace stood between me and Hunter.

“I better
become scarce,” he said, kissing Grace on her cheek. I grabbed his
arm when he stepped to the side. His gaze lowered and a hint of
fear sparked in the corner of his eyes. Hunter was never afraid of
anything – not anymore.

“Look, Hunter.
I know you did it for my brothers.”

“You’re wrong,
Em,” the tension in his shoulders eased. “I did it for you. I’ve
known Eric for a long time, and when Julian and Tristan asked me to
keep you occupied and out of trouble, I knew you two could be a
good match. And getting away from the city and the fast life was
exactly what you needed, wasn’t it? Didn’t I do the same thing for
you that Grace has for the past year with the bets and dares and
gambles – make you forget the past for a moment? There’s no time to
stop in New York. How were you supposed to let David go if you kept
yourself busy with work? How were you supposed to experience life
again when the guys you picked to date were assholes and jerks not
worthy of one of your minutes? You were the one who got me and
Grace together. I just wanted to return the favor. That’s why I
never told Julian or Tristan how perfect you two were for each
other.”