Chapter 3
Chapter three
Asher
Henry, my driver, expertly navigates the busy streets of the city as Emma sits next to me.
"I would turn here." Emma's gaze darts to me before swiveling to Henry, and then back to the window when the street passes by. Her brow furrows in confusion and she opens her mouth to say something, but then she closes it again and scoots back against the soft leather of the seat.
"Or, here. This street will get there." She points as an alternative route comes up a few minutes later, watching out the window silently when we pass it once again. She turns to me with a huff, sucking in a sharp breath as we lock eyes.
I haven't stopped staring at her since she got in my car. The scent of her perfume is everything I remember, slightly floral and citrus. It reminds me of vacations as a kid. I'm overcome with the need to touch her, but I can't.
Emma has always been gorgeous, but now, her body is plush, boasting mouth-watering curves that have my cock hardening uncomfortably in my pants.
It's like she's unlocked a new level of vivaciousness.
Emma is bubbly and warm, with a smile that has always made me long for a different life. Long for her.
"Where are we going?" Emma asks in a loud whisper.
"I'm taking you home." My voice is strained even to my own ears, and she furrows her brow again.
"Yes, you've said that. But I don't live in Uptown, Asher."
My gaze drops to her bare legs for a split second, before I force my eyes forward. I've instructed Henry to drive to my place, and I have no idea how to explain this to Emma without admitting that I've essentially kidnapped her. I choose to remain silent instead.
When we arrive, I open the door and climb out, stepping aside to give Emma room to join me as I hold my hand out to her.
"Asher –," Emma starts, but Henry interrupts whatever nonsense is about to come out of her mouth about needing to go home.
"Will you need anything else this evening, Sir?"
"No, thank you, Henry. What is Carla making tonight?"
"You think I'm going to have her cook on Valentine's Day? There's a reason we've made it twenty-seven years, Mr. Rockwell." Henry grins and I chuckle, everything in me envious of a man who has found the love of his life and had her choose him back.
"Um, well," Emma glances at Henry hesitantly, and then sighs, probably realizing his allegiance lies with me.
When she places her hand in mine, a warmth spreads throughout my body, and I am not sure how I will ever let her go again.
Emma allows me to help her from the car but quickly pulls her hand away when she gets to the sidewalk.
"Good night, Sir. Good night, Ma'am."
"Good night. And it's just Emma," she calls back before I shut the door.
Henry pulls away from the curb, and I gesture for Emma to lead the way as I steer her toward my building.
We ride up in the private penthouse elevator with Samuel, my head of security, in silence.
Emma actively avoids looking at me in the mirrored doors.
It's for the best. One glance at my reflection and I realize I'm not exactly hiding my desire for her.
I look like the broody vampire from the movies my sisters made me watch on repeat from breaks home from college.
"Are you in for the evening, Mr. Rockwell?" Samuel asks, holding the door for us as we step into my foyer. Emma glances at me and shakes her head quickly.
"Yes, thank you, Sam."
"Good night, Sir."
Emma chews her bottom lip, shifting from foot to foot, while I key in the code for the front door.
"I can't stay here, Asher," Emma finally spits out, her eyes wide with panic when I hold the front door open for her.
"Why not?"
"Because you're Donovan's friend."
A derisive snort is my only response.
She shakes her head at me in confusion, but she follows me inside, so I count it as a win. I was half afraid she might insist on sleeping in the hallway.
"I need to go home. My home."
Am I actually jealous of an apartment?
I narrow my eyes and turn quickly, crowding her against my door as I stare down into her eyes. She gasps, startled by my quick reaction.
"Getting to your place would take hours tonight and Henry needed to get home."
Emma's chest heaves as she stares at my mouth.
We're close enough I can smell the sweet fruitiness of her drink on her breath, and there can be no mistaking what is pressed against her stomach right now.
However, touching her without her explicit consent takes this kidnapping up a notch, so I force myself to take a step back and remove my coat.
I hang it neatly in the front closet and reach for a second hanger.
I hold my hand out for her coat, but she tightens it around her body like a shield.
"Then you should have let me take the subway."
"No."
It comes out as a growl and Emma rolls her eyes, baffled by my behavior. I don't blame her. I have always been the life of the party, never taking anything too seriously. My greatest joy in life, prior to her divorce, was getting Emma to smile at parties.
But seeing Emma tonight has unlocked something I've attempted to bury for years, and I'm a cranky beast with the thought of not getting what I want.
The door to my secret desires has been thrown wide open and I know, from the depths of my soul, that I will never experience happiness again without her.
"Why are you so stubborn!" Emma exclaims, jamming her hands in her coat pockets, but she can walk out the door anytime, and, yet, she hasn't.
I'll show her stubborn.
"Follow me."
I stride down the hallway to our right. Emma's footsteps eventually sound behind me, and I breathe a silent sigh of relief. I open the door to a guest bedroom and she peeks inside, staring at me with wide eyes as she realizes my intent.
"I can't sleep here, Asher!" Emma whirls around on me incredulously.
"I can think of a dozen other things I'd rather do with you than sleep, if you'd prefer." Any plan that I might have had to ease her into the idea is completely out of the window. Let's face it. I didn't have a plan. This is all lust-fueled instinct.
"Are you hitting on me? What is happening?" Emma stomps her foot, looking all huffy and irritated. It's so damn cute, I do the one thing I shouldn't. I grin.
"Excuse me? Is this funny to you?" Emma asks incredulously, but the corner of her mouth tugs up the longer I stare at her like a grinning fool.
Eventually, our smiles drop and we are left staring at one another in earnest. Emma's throat bobs as she swallows. Her lips part as she eyes me with a sexual hunger reflected in my own gaze. Finally, she clears her throat and drags her eyes away from me. She glances around the spacious room.
"You don't have anything bigger?" Emma quips, and I smirk. I lean against the doorway, enjoying the sight of her in my home. Flustered by my attention, she clears her throat and opens a drawer in the dresser.
"No pajamas, I see. Bad host." She makes a clucking sound with her tongue and takes off her coat.
"Smart host. Guess you'll have to sleep naked."
Emma freezes and I can't help but smirk. I love that I have an effect on her, but why is she trying to run away from me?
Afraid to have her shut down completely, I try a different tact.
"Can I get you something to eat?"
"No. Thank you." Her gaze darts away before landing back on mine. Emma's dark eyes are sparkling and intelligent. As bright as the day we first met, even after everything she's been through.
Donovan has proudly declared on more than one occasion that he made sure she didn't have a penny to her name by the end of the divorce. I asked around through mutual friends and, although he didn't leave her entirely penniless, she is certainly not well-off. Her lawyer should be disbarred.
Remembering my own lawyers' advice to keep things calm with Donovan, I have a moment of self-preservation.
"I'll let you get some sleep," I force myself to say and turn abruptly. I pause at the door. Hell, I may never get another chance like this.
"Why did you stay?" I ask, even though there is not a single answer in this world that will make sense to me.
"You insisted!" Emma huffs, and I turn to look at her, my back to the hall as I stand in the open doorway. She crosses her arms, irritated and glaring in a way that is entirely fuckable.
"Why did you stay so long?" I lock eyes with Emma, who looks at me like I'm crazy until she realizes what I'm asking.
She drops her arms in defeat, refusing to meet my gaze.
Her finger traces a design on the duvet, circling the pattern over and over as the silence stretches long enough that I'm convinced she is hoping I'll give up.
But I have to know. So, I wait her out with the patience of a fucking saint.
"I didn't have a choice," she finally whispers, so softly I barely hear her.
"What?"
"I didn't have a choice," she repeats louder, and her eyes dart to mine. Unshed tears glint at me and I want nothing more than to scoop her into my arms and tell her everything is going to be okay, but I don't move.
"I would have helped you." I take a step into the room, and she looks up, brushing the tears from her cheeks as she nods quickly.
"I know you would have tried." Emma gives me a watery smile, before continuing. "But then he would have ruined my parents."
"How would Donovan have—"
"Not Donovan, Asher." Emma flattens her lips into a thin line before continuing. "My grandfather."