5. Emma
M y heart was pounding so hard in my chest I could hardly think straight. Harrison’s words replayed over and over in my head.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into the library and nearly tripped over myself at the sight of you.”
“You have curves and a body any man would want to put his hands on and explore.”
When the hotel manager who oversaw the meeting spaces started to speak, I could hardly stay focused. Whereas Harrison seemed perfectly fine. As if he hadn’t turned my world upside down. Had he said all of that simply to be nice?
I looked over my shoulder to where he stood with the woman who spent more time laughing and touching his arm than she did even glancing my way.
She went on about how they had set up the tables in the past as I walked around the room and stopped.
I turned to face them and cleared my throat, hoping to get her attention away from Harrison.
“This is where they had the dance floor last year. Do you think we should keep it in the same place?” I asked.
My eyes caught Harrison’s. He wasn’t looking at the beautiful woman to his right. He was staring at me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
A slow smile appeared. “Nothing. I’m simply enjoying the view.”
He winked and I felt my entire body warm.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, are you two together?” the hotel manager asked.
Not wanting her to give the wrong impression, I quickly said no at the same time Harrison said yes.
Yes? Did he just say yes?
“We’re planning this together, right, Emma?”
Of course, that was what he had meant. I felt like a stupid idiot. Maybe I had misheard her question.
“Yes, we are planning it together.”
“Well, thank you so much for showing us the ballroom. It was good to see it with a fresh set of eyes so we can make our own plans. Don’t you agree, Emma?”
All I could do was nod and force a smile. It had been nice to see it empty of all the previous year’s dinners. It was like a clean slate. I could envision our own plans much clearer now. Harrison’s mother was right saying we needed to see it empty.
“Do you have a theme?” the manager asked.
Harrison and I exchanged a look. We weren’t telling anyone about the theme. At least not yet.
“We’re tossing a few things around,” I stated as I glanced around the room again to avoid eye contact with her. Wendy was right, I was a terrible liar.
“Is there anything else I can show you?”
Harrison kept his gaze firmly on me. “Emma?”
I felt my chest rise and fall. The way he was looking at me made me feel warm from the inside out. A rush of awareness raced over my skin. I wanted Harrison like I had never wanted any other man in my life.
“Where will they bring the food in from?” I asked, getting my wits about me before I melted into a freaking puddle on the floor.
As the manager ushered me to a door, I glanced over my shoulder to see Harrison had pulled out his phone and was making a phone call. Most likely to check on Noel.
I focused my attention on the manager who I still hadn’t gotten her name.
Or hadn’t heard it when she introduced herself.
Why wasn’t she wearing a darn nametag! She showed me the area the wait staff would be using.
We talked about where the caterer would be able to set up and work.
The hotel didn’t normally allow an outside caterer, but with Harrison’s name carrying the weight it did, they made an exception.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she finally said she would leave me and Harrison alone for a bit to make any notes.
We could just leave when we were finished, and she would make sure the ballroom was locked up.
When I stepped back into the ballroom I came to a stop. Harrison was staring out over the Boston Harbor. It was dotted with lights from house boats, as well as a few ships making their way either out of the harbor or in. I couldn’t tell.
“It’s beautiful,” I softly said as I came and stood next to him.
“I think we can keep the decorations to a minimum and let the beauty of the room and the surrounding harbor do most of the work. The chandeliers in here are breathtaking. With some flower arrangements on each table, maybe a few more areas with decorative lighting, and we can really give it an elegant feel.”
Harrison turned and faced me. “I agree. We have one more thing to look at.”
I frowned in confusion. “We do?”
“Yep.”
Harrison took my hand in his and led us back to the second floor of the lobby of the hotel and to the elevators. He dropped his hold on my hand and hit the button for up.
“Harrison, where are we going?”
He simply looked at me and winked. Every single part of my body was warning me that wherever it was we were going, I needed to not step onto that elevator. So, when the doors opened and Harrison motioned for me to get on, I did without so much as a moment of hesitation.
Another couple joined us and said hello as the doors shut. I watched as Harrison held out a room key and punched the top floor. The woman looked at him, then to me.
“You’re in the Admiral’s Suite?” she asked with a curious smile.
My head jerked as I looked at Harrison. Where had he gotten a hotel key?
Harrison smiled at the woman but didn’t reply.
I backed myself up against the back of the elevator and watched as we went higher and higher. When it stopped and the other couple stepped out, the woman glanced back and said, “Enjoy your evening.”
I smiled at the retreating couple while Harrison said, “Oh, we will.”
Harrison hit the button to close the doors.
When the doors shut, I spun to face him. “Where did you get a key…and to the Admiral’s Suite?”
“I called and booked the room while Joyce, was that her name, or maybe it was Judy? Anyway, while she was showing you around. They brought me up the key.”
“Who brought you the key?” I asked.
He winked and replied, “Someone from the front desk.”
The elevator opened, and he once again took my hand in his. We stopped at the door to the suite and Harrison faced me.
“Tell me right now that you don’t want me to open this door, Emma, and I won’t. We’ll turn around, go back down to the lobby, and I can call you an Uber to take you home.”
My eyes went to the door, then back to Harrison. “I…I don’t ever do this. I can’t do this. Harrison, we can’t.”
He swallowed hard. “I don’t make it a habit of doing this either, Emma. But I cannot stop thinking about how I want to slowly peel your clothes off and touch every inch of your body with my hands and mouth.”
I sucked in a sharp breath and tried to ignore the instant pull in my lower stomach.
“Noel?” I asked. “I thought you had to get home to her.”
“I called my mother first before I did anything. She is staying the night, so I don’t have to rush home. If you don’t want to or if I misread something.”
“You didn’t,” I quickly said. “It’s just, I don’t want this to interfere with the dinner.”
“It won’t,” he whispered as he moved closer to me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as he backed me up against the door.
“I swear to you it won’t. But I’m not going to deny it any longer, I want you, Emma.
I want you so fucking badly I can hardly think straight.
I’ve wanted you since I first laid eyes on you in that dress that hugged your body and made my knees weak. ”
“What?” I whispered as I placed my hand over my chest. My heart raced.
He leaned down and rubbed his nose softly over my face, then placed a soft kiss on my forehead. “Please tell me you want this as badly as I do. I ache for you, Emma.”
My shaking hands came up to his chest and I grabbed onto the coat he was wearing still. Lifting my head, our eyes met. “For my entire life I’ve always played it safe. Thought everything through from top to bottom. I don’t do this type of thing, Harrison.”
He closed his eyes and slowly nodded as he took a step away from me. I reached out and grabbed him.
“You have to promise me this won’t interfere with the dinner. It will just be a one-time thing.”
“Emma, I can easily promise you it won’t interfere with the dinner, but I will not promise you it will be a one-time thing. Not with the way you make me feel.”
“Oh,” I softly said as I lifted my hand and ran my thumb over his lips. I wanted those lips everywhere on my body. Wanted to feel if they were as soft as they looked. “You should probably open the door now, Harrison.”
With a low growl from the back of his throat, he pressed his mouth to mine and somehow managed to open the door and guide us in all while giving me a mind-blowing kiss.
The second the door shut our coats came off. Then my hands were all over Harrison and his all over me. We only broke away from the kiss when we needed to pull off our clothing. When I was down to my bra and panties, Harrison dragged his mouth from mine, and I heard myself whimper.
I actually whimpered.
What is happening to me? No man had ever brought out this side of me before. The need to feel him on me, inside of me. Everywhere. It almost scared me.
“Let me look at you, Emma.”
I felt my entire body blush from the weight of his eyes taking in every inch of my body. When he licked his lips, my knees felt weak.
“I’ve seen anyone more beautiful and perfect as you.”
His words made my chest warm, and my heart feel as if it tripped over itself.
“There is no way this is just happening one night.”
“What about Noel and what you said earlier about her being your priority?” I asked.
His eyes slowly moved up my body and met my gaze. “Do you honestly think I’d have invited you to my home today if I hadn’t wanted you to spend time with my family?”
I drew in a sharp breath.
“I’ve done nothing but laid in bed for months fantasizing about you, Emma. About this moment, about watching you read a story to Emma, about simply sitting in a restaurant and getting to know you.”
My hand came up to my mouth where it still tingled from his earlier kiss. As if I momentarily thought this moment with this beautiful man was all a dream.