Episode 187
EPISODE 187
HELPING EMILY
Sienna
Emily whisks away from Sebastian and walks inside the mansion.
I turn to Brett. “I’m going after her. She seems...bothered about something.”
He kisses my lips. “All right. I guess I can live without you for a bit. Especially after that amazing gift you gave me earlier.”
My cheeks warm. He’s talking about the anal. I know it’s off limits for most women, but I really enjoy it. Leroy wanted to try it after we’d been together for a while, and admittedly I was curious. Turned out that I loved it.
I especially loved it with Brett.
“Love you,” I say.
“Love you more.”
I wave and walk into the mansion. The kitchen is abuzz with staff. I catch a glimpse of Emily heading up the staircase. I follow her to her suite and knock lightly on her cracked door .
“Come in,” she calls.
I enter. She’s sitting on her sofa.
“Hey there,” I say.
She sighs. “I’m sitting here twiddling my thumbs. I’m really missing my cell.”
“Yeah. I feel naked without mine, too. At home—especially at work—I’m pretty much married to it.”
“Married, huh? So are you going to marry Brett?”
I gesture to the spot next to her on the couch. “May I?”
“Be my guest.”
I sit down. “He asked me. Sort of.”
“And what did you say?”
“I said yes. Sort of. It wasn’t really a proposal.” I sigh. “I mean, it wasn’t a proposal like you think of when you think of a proposal, if that makes any sense.”
“Oh? How did Leroy propose to you?”
Wow. Even though only days ago I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be with Leroy or not, I haven’t thought about his proposal in ages. But damn. It was good.
“He went all out,” I say. “He rented out this little Italian bistro we both loved, filled the entire place with roses, and had a violinist play our song. He was down on one knee before I even walked through the door. He pulled out this beautiful ring from his pocket. It was a classic diamond solitaire with tiny emeralds on either side.”
Emily smiles. “That sounds truly magical.”
“It was.”
“And what did you say?” Emily asks.
“I was shocked, speechless even,” I confess with a small laugh. “But then he looked up at me with his gorgeous dark eyes, and I just nodded. I didn’t even say yes. I just nodded and cried. ”
Emily’s smile widens. “That sounds so romantic.”
I shrug. “It was. At the time, I thought I had everything I wanted. Until he screwed me over for a stripper.”
“What do you want now?” Emily asks. “From Brett, I mean.”
I let out a chuckle. “Fidelity would be a good start.”
Emily lets out a soft laugh. “Fair enough.”
“But more than that,” I continue, “I just want respect, honesty and love... especially love.” I pause. “Leroy used to lavish me with things . I don’t need grand gestures or expensive gifts, and I know that’s ironic because Brett has way more money than Leroy could ever hope of having. I just want someone who cares about me, really cares. Someone who is there for me when I need him the most.”
“That doesn’t sound like too much to ask for,” Emily says.
“I thought so too.” I let out a sigh. “But it seems like it’s hard to find.”
“Do you think Brett can give you those things?”
“This is going to sound ridiculous,” I say, “since Brett and I really have only just met, but yes, I think he can. We seem to get each other in a way Leroy and I never did.”
“Sounds like you’ve found something special then.”
“I hope so,” I reply. “It’s so different with Brett. We just... click, you know? And the sex...” I warm, remembering our recent encounter.
Emily chuckles softly. “Well, that certainly doesn’t hurt.”
We sit in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Emily asks, “Do you think you may have rushed into this?”
I ponder her question. “Maybe,” I admit. “But it doesn’t feel that way.”
Emily nods at my answer. “You know, Sienna, love isn’t about how fast or slow we fall into it. It’s about how deep we’re willing to dive and stay submerged in it.”
Her words resonate with me deeply, but I sense a different meaning in them. “Emily...”
“Yes?”
“Are you...having feelings for one of the men?”
She doesn’t reply, but her cheeks turn a telltale rose.
“Sebastian?” I ask.
“Oh! Good God, no.”
“Who then?” I clamp my hand to my mouth. “Not that bartender.”
“No, not Zion, though his cock is lovely.”
“It is.” I smile, remembering. “I think I had about ten orgasms in twenty-four hours when I first got here. I look back now, and I see I was trying to drown out the pain of losing Leroy with pleasure. Did it work? To an extent. But it also made me realize that I wanted something more, something different, something real. And when I saw Leroy again, I knew it wasn’t him.”
Emily nods knowingly. “And you’ve found it in Brett.”
“Yes. And I say yes with all my heart.”
“Like I said outside”—she smiles—“I’m happy for you. Bloody fucking ecstatic for you.”
Her words and tone sound sincere, but something is still off with her.
“Who is it?” I prod.
“It doesn’t matter,” she says.
“If it’s not Sebastian, and it’s not Brett... Oh, no! It’s not Alex, is it?”
“Alex? Certainly not.”
Only one billionaire is left, though it may not be him. Emily has made it clear that she’s willing to fraternize. Hell, I did it too. And there are many men here on staff.
But in her eyes, I see the truth.
It is a billionaire. The brooding cowboy. Brett’s best friend who is his complete opposite.
“It’s River,” I say softly.
“Who it is doesn’t matter,” she says succinctly, “because he doesn’t feel the same way about me.”
“Are you sure about that?” I ask.
She rises. “I’m certainly not going to make myself miserable over a man. Come on. Let’s go find Ariel and help out with her wedding plans.”
I stand and give her a hug. “Yeah,” I say. “Let’s.”