Chapter 22 Emma
Emma
I awoke with a start and sat straight up with a gasp.
I was in a bed.
Oh shit. I was in the Henderson Manor, in the attic bed.
No, wait. I wasn’t in the bed. I was on it, sideways, legs hanging off the mattress. I leaped to my feet in horror, staring at the sunlight streaming through the window.
Heart pounding, I grabbed my stuff and hightailed it to my car like a bat out of hell. Which wasn’t as easy as it had used to be. Ever since Ricky’s trailer had gone missing, the gates at both entrances of the property had been faithfully locked and covered by surveillance cameras.
But no other cameras had gone up, at least not yet, which meant a person on foot could walk through the woods from the street below, slip through the section of fence that was still down from the storm, and bypass the cameras at the gates.
The second I got to my car, I sped off down the road, pulse at stroke level, brain whirling, religiously checking my rearview mirror as guilt tried to choke the life out of me. It being a Sunday, it was highly unlikely anyone would come by today, but that did not reduce my panic.
How could I have been so stupid?
It had been one week since I’d gotten stuck on-site with Caleb—or, as I was calling it, Stormgate. Yesterday, buoyed by my latest paycheck, I’d driven around town, checking out the available rentals.
I’d done the math. I was so close to having the money I needed, closer than I’d been in a long time. Close enough that I now had a list going with two columns: places I loved but couldn’t afford, and places I could almost afford but hated.
I’d been diligent about getting campground reservations, but last night had been stormy as hell, and I’d needed a moment inside. I came here, just to hide for a few minutes. I sat on the bed, remembering being in it with Caleb, the things we’d shared in the dark of the night.
And then I had fallen asleep.
Unbelievable.
I hated myself for it, but I’d never ever planned on sleeping there.
That was a line I’d promised myself I wouldn’t cross.
But now I had. I couldn’t imagine what Caleb would think if he ever found out.
I still hadn’t figured out where we stood.
My brain and my heart wanted two very different things.
Who was I kidding? They actually wanted the same thing, but I was shaken by how quickly my feelings had grown for Caleb. Shaken and…scared.
Twenty minutes later, my heart rate had mostly recovered as I parked in front of the apartment building at the top of my list. It was decently priced, but not the greatest neighborhood. Still, it was the best of my options, and according to the manager, they’d have an opening next month.
It was going to be mine, I could feel it, and I couldn’t wait to turn the empty space into my own. I’d finally have a place and be able to stand, walk, sit, sleep, or eat wherever I wanted without stress.
I was close. So close to having a real life.
And yet all I kept thinking about was that stormy night, the long, scary hours passing in the dark, made less scary by Caleb’s comforting presence.
Whenever I needed calm now, I focused on those memories of rushing heat, Caleb touching me, his mouth at my ear, whispering dirty little nothings before kissing and nibbling his way south, paying such close attention to me and my every reaction that he would stop and linger at all my secret favorite places…
Whew. Maybe calm was the wrong word, because all I felt now was revved up.
Shaking it off, I left the lot and headed to the grocery store.
I didn’t keep much with me, didn’t have the room for it, but I’d eaten just about everything.
I stocked up, grabbing enough to cover me for the next few days.
Back in the car, I thought I’d go into the office for a bit to get through work emails and catch up on some reports I needed to submit.
I took a quick glance at myself in the visor mirror to make sure I was presentable enough in case I ran into any coworkers, then stilled.
My necklace…it was gone.
I frantically tore through my bags—nothing. The one thing I had of my mom was gone, and I couldn’t accept the loss. With dread deep in my bones, I headed back to the site to search there.
Again, I parked a few streets away and squeezed in through the hole in the fence, carting the bag of groceries with me because I’d forgotten ice.
I’d put everything in the fridge while I searched the manor.
Once I found the necklace, I’d be able to think.
I moved slowly toward the manor, retracing my steps in case I’d lost the necklace out here.
But I hadn’t.
And though I searched the manor top to bottom, I didn’t find the necklace anywhere.
In the big kitchen, I pulled out my food so I could eat my despair.
I had chips, salsa, cut-up veggies and hummus, plus the three ingredients needed for microwaveable mug cakes, which had been proven—by me—to lower anxiety.
I’d also splurged on a pack of face masks guaranteed to rehydrate your skin and take years off your appearance.
In my case, I was hoping it could erase the effects of my teary pity party.
In less than ten minutes, I was wearing a DayGlo-pink face mask and had just made a mug cake in the guys’ microwave and was waiting for it to cool off while leaning against the center island, eating some chips, when the back door opened.
I nearly swallowed my tongue as Caleb’s team strode in. Danny, Hawk, Miguel, Bill, even Tucker and Ryder, and…of course…Caleb himself—along with Calvin and Klein.
Everyone stopped short and stared at me. Well, everyone but Caleb’s dogs, who bounded their way to me before sitting sweetly at my feet.
I stilled, a chip loaded with salsa halfway to my mouth, horror filling me. Caught red-handed. To stall, I crouched low and loved up on the big, goofy boxers, who dropped dramatically to their backs on the floor, exposing their bellies for rubs.
All while everyone else stared at me oddly. Well, everyone except Bill, who gave me a small understanding smile.
Caleb pushed ahead of everyone else, looking like his usual big, tatted up, badass self. I meant to say Hey all casual-like, but what came out was a defensive, “What?”
With a smile, he gestured to his face. I automatically put a hand to my own and…
Oh, goodie. I was still wearing the DayGlo-pink mask.
Before I could rip it off, Tucker picked up the rest of the pack from the counter.
“Takes years off your appearance,’” he read.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to try one of these. ”
“Help yourselves,” I said faintly, then watched, stunned, as these big, alpha, tough guys fought for the box. In seconds, there was a sea of pink faces looking back at me. Even Ryder.
Caleb grinned like some twisted anime character.
Tucker gave me a quick hug. “I’m coming off a forty-eight-hour shift and had to skip breakfast because this clown”—he jabbed a thumb at Caleb—“wanted to get the weird electrical gremlins on the top floor beaten into submission today—my only day off.” He stared at the food, practically drooling.
“And you brought us food. You’re incredible, you know that? ”
I stared at him for a beat, unable to find words. They didn’t know, I assured myself. They had no idea I’d accidentally slept here. I would be okay as long as I kept my cool—admittedly not my strong suit, but…
“No one eats her food,” Bill said.
Shit, shit, shit. “It’s okay,” I said cheerfully. “Help yourselves; it’s all for you guys.”
Bill opened his mouth, but I gave him a beseeching look, and in return he gave me a barely there nod.
My heart was trying to beat its way out of my chest as I pushed the now-perfectly cooled mug cake toward Caleb without meeting his eyes. “Happy Sunday.”
He picked up the mug and sniffed. “Smells like I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
I tried to ignore that his hair looked damp and a little wild, like he’d just gotten out of the shower and had done nothing more than run his fingers through it.
He smelled so delicious, it should be illegal.
I handed him a spoon, laughing as I watched everyone attempting to eat around their face masks.
“You laughing at us?” Caleb asked with mock outrage.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Nope, my dreams were filled with other visions of him, such as the way he’d looked bare-ass naked in the beam of my flashlight. Or how easily he’d taken me apart and put me back together in the sexiest way possible.
“Not that you’re not a sight for sore eyes,” he said, bringing a spoonful of mug cake to his mouth and carefully taking the bite without messing up his mask. “But what are you doing here? I wasn’t alerted to anyone coming or going by the cameras, and I didn’t see your car.”
Suddenly, once again, my blood rushed through my veins.
“Oh, um…I parked down the hill, needed some exercise. I had to check on the doorway between the pantry and mudroom, to make sure the redesign worked out. I’ve got a meeting with Rosalind on Monday, and I know she’s going to ask me about it.
” I found a broad smile. “It looks amazing, guys. The food is just my way of thanking you all for being so great.” He’ll never buy it.
But he was deep into the mug cake and was moaning sinfully. “I want to marry you and have your mug-cake babies.”
Something weird happened to my ability to form words. And my heart rate.
“Didn’t you already ask Penny to marry you?” Tucker asked from behind his mask, stealing the mug and spoon from Caleb and taking a massive bite.
“That was just to piss off Ry.” Caleb grabbed the mug back. “Mine.” He pointed to me with the spoon. “You’re a genius.”
“Genius this.” Tucker stole the cake again and dodged out of Caleb’s way.