Chapter Twenty-Four #2
We returned to the table and finished the remainder of our dinner without incident. Afterward, my parents—thankfully—returned to their hotel, leaving me alone with Emmett.
“Did you drive?”
“Nope, my parents picked me up.”
We were standing on the sidewalk outside Gianni’s. I shivered. Ever the gentleman, Emmett removed his jacket and slung it across my shoulders.
“For someone I’ve witnessed bundling up for a short walk, you seem to have forgotten your layers tonight, Miss Winters.”
I rolled my eyes. “My mother always said we should sacrifice comfort for fashion.”
“Ah, well, how about I get us a cab back to my place?”
I smiled and nodded. A quick ride later, I was naked and sprawled across the plush rug in front of Emmett’s fireplace.
* * *
Sated and sleepy, I lazily traced patterns over the solid chest of the man dozing next to me.
“So, boyfriend, huh?”
He hummed, pulling himself from a near slumber to respond. “Would you have preferred another term?”
I looked up from where my head rested on his shoulder and kissed his jaw. His eyes were closed, but a smirk played across his lips.
“I can live with ‘boyfriend,’” I said.
“You want to live with me? Callie, don’t you think it’s a little soon?”
“That—that’s not what I meant! It is absolutely too soon. Plus, you’re still my boss, and I can’t afford to live in a place like this. Seriously, I did not mean that. I just meant that I’m okay with the term ‘boyfriend’.”
That was when he roared with laughter.
“You’re an ass.” I swatted his chest. He caught my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing my palm. Then he rolled over and pinned me beneath him.
“For what it’s worth, girlfriend, I would be happy to have you live with me. But I have a feeling that’s not in the Callie Winter’s six-month plan.”
I snorted. “It’s cute you think I only have a six-month plan.”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s more like six years. I was just hoping I made it into the twelve-month plan.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah,” he said. And then he kissed me lazily, lovingly. When he pulled back, he brushed a few stray strands of tangled hair from my face. “Are you sure you’re okay? After dinner, I mean.”
Dinner with my parents had dredged up a slew of emotions—anger, resentment, pride, and even a touch of guilt. But most of all, I felt a creeping sense of unease that threatened to overshadow my blissful contentment.
I offered him a weak smile. He deserved honesty, even if it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “Honestly? I’m...not sure.”
“Talk to me. What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
I sighed, gathering my thoughts. “It’s just...my mom. She drives me insane, you know? The way she looks at you, at us, like you’re some kind of status symbol or trophy to flaunt around.”
His expression softened with understanding. “I know she rubbed you the wrong way, but try not to let it get to you too much. I could tell you were getting upset, and I’m sorry I put you in that position.”
“No, don’t apologize. I’m glad you were there.
I honestly don’t know how I would have gotten through that dinner without you.
” I stroked the sharp line of his jaw, my heart swelling with affection.
“You were amazing, Emmett. Charming her socks off while still somehow making me feel like the only person in the room.”
“Well, you are the only one I see.”
I leaned in to press a tender kiss to his lips, but a niggling doubt in the back of my mind prevented me from losing myself in the moment. Pulling back, I studied his face, searching for any sign that he might be having second thoughts about getting involved with someone like me.
“But that’s the thing. I’m worried that I’m somehow holding you back, you know?
That by being with me, you’re sacrificing something.
” I worried my bottom lip. “What if my mom is right, and I’m just not enough?
What if you want the perfect little wife to stay home with the kids and have dinner ready at five o’clock on the nose? ”
“Callie...” He gathered me into his arms, and I nestled my face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his comforting scent.
“You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long, long time.
And if I wanted any of those things, I’d have chosen differently.
But you are what I want—who I want. Just the way you are. ”
He leaned back so he could look at me, one hand coming up to cradle my cheek. “And as for your mother, her opinion doesn’t mean a damn thing to me. The only person whose thoughts and feelings matter is you.”
A lump formed in my throat at the raw sincerity in his voice. “But what about everything you’ve built here? Your career, your legacy? What if being with me wrecks all of that?”
He let out a rueful chuckle. “Callie, don’t you realize?
You’re a part of that legacy now. Everything I do, everything I hope to accomplish—it all means so much more because I get to share it with you.
” He kissed my forehead. “You’re not holding me back, baby.
You’re pushing me forward. Inspiring me to be better, to do better. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I blinked back tears, overwhelmed by the depth of his feelings. “But what about your family, your company? Won’t they see our relationship as some sort of scandal or conflict of interest?”
Emmett’s expression turned thoughtful. “You know, my dad actually encouraged me to pursue this with you. He knows how much you mean to me.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “And as for the rest of the company, they’re just going to have to deal with it. I’m the vice president of Special Projects, for Christ’s sake. If I can’t even date the woman I love, then what kind of message does that send to the rest of the team?”
Warmth blossomed in my chest at his casual use of the L-word. “I hear what you’re saying—I do. I just need a little more time. Can we continue keeping things between us for now?”
“Of course, Callie. You’re it for me. The only woman I want by my side. I’ll wait as long as you need.”
I let out a tremulous laugh, my doubts and fears finally unraveling in the face of his steadfast devotion. “I guess I better get used to the idea of being the VP’s girlfriend, huh?”
“That’s my girl,” he murmured, pulling me in for a passionate kiss.
As we lost ourselves in each other’s embrace, the last of my reservations melted away.
Sure, navigating our relationship in the professional sphere would come with its own set of challenges.
But in this moment, wrapped in Emmett’s strong arms, I knew that whatever obstacles came our way, we would face them together. And that was more than enough.
I caught his eye and smiled coyly. “So, Mr. Price, any other perks that come with being the VP’s girlfriend I should know about?”
His grip on my hips tightened, and he gave me a wolfish grin. “Oh, I think I can come up with a few.”