Chapter 12 #3
“I’m sorry about last night,” she said after a moment.
“For what?”
“Um…well…for getting trashed. I hadn’t planned on that.”
“I know, you told me.”
“Right. Well, I’m sorry you had to take care of me. I’m sure I’d have been fine if you had dropped me off at my apartment so you wouldn’t need to babysit me.”
“Em, there’s no way I would’ve left you alone in the shape you were in. You could’ve thrown up in your sleep and choked. Or stopped breathing.”
“Thank you then, for looking after me. I’m also sorry for being so…aggressive. Sexually.”
Craig grinned. “I’m not.” He tilted his head and brought a hand up to finger a dark spot on his neck. “I can’t remember the last time I had a hickey. The guys are going to give me all sorts of shit.”
Ember dropped her forehead into her hand. “Crap. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. Thinking about how you sucked on me…it’s hot as hell, Em. And just saying…turnabout’s fair play. I thought about all the places I want to mark you when I saw my neck this morning.”
Ember wasn’t sure what to say about that. Some people thought hickeys wouldn’t show on Black people’s skin, but they were wrong. Maybe they weren’t as noticeable, but they’d definitely show up.
And now she couldn’t stop thinking about where Craig might want to suck on her.
“Then thank you for being so…honorable last night. I was kind of obnoxious.”
“Do you remember what I said about what I wanted to do to you our first time?”
Ember’s cheeks heated. “Yes.”
Craig nodded. “Good. I was worried that might’ve been lost in your alcohol haze.
The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life was leave you half naked in my bed, Em.
But hear me loud and clear, I’ll never take advantage of you.
Not your wealth. Not your fame. Not when you’re drunk or not feeling yourself.
I’ll protect you from everyone—even from myself and my libido, if necessary.
When you’re with me, you’re safe. Period. ”
Ember wanted to cry, but she controlled herself. “Thanks.”
“And for the record? Your tits? Damn, woman. You almost pushed me over the edge with that arching-your-back move.”
Ember giggled. “Um…sorry?”
“No, don’t be sorry. I dreamed about them last night. And it was a damn good dream.” Craig smiled at her.
“I wish I didn’t have to pick up Julio and Marie at the airport today,” she said. “Now that I’m sober, I want to go right back upstairs to your bed and have you do all those things you told me we’d do last night.”
“What time does their flight arrive again?”
“Noon, in Austin. I’ve paid the deposits on their apartments, but their stuff isn’t supposed to get here until later this week. I was going to take them to lunch, give them a tour of Killeen and the gym, then bring them to their hotel.”
“You must be pretty close with them,” Craig said.
Ember did her best to get her mind off sex so she could have a normal conversation with Craig.
“Yes and no. I mean, I’ve known Julio for a few years.
He started training at the same gym where I did back in California about four years ago.
He’s the resident expert at fencing and helped me improve a lot. He’s in his late twenties and…”
“And what?” Craig asked.
Ember shrugged. “That’s just it…I don’t know a lot about him. I mean, I saw him at least twice a week for four years, and all I know is how old he is. And I only know that because in some competitions, the participations are grouped by age.”
“You want me to run a background check on him?” Craig asked.
“Can you do that?”
“Well, not me, but I know people who can,” he said mysteriously.
Ember shook her head. “No, I’m sure he’s good.
I’m assuming he’s single, because I don’t think he would’ve agreed to come to Texas and help me if he wasn’t.
I think he was born and raised in California, so I’m not sure what made him agree.
I was just so thrilled that I’d have help, I didn’t stop to find out his motivation. ”
“Maybe you should do that,” Craig suggested.
“I will.”
“And Marie?”
“I’ve only known her for two years, but when I mentioned moving out here to Texas after I got back from the Olympics, and what I wanted to do, she was the one who actually asked if I needed any help.
I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but it made sense.
Bringing in people I know seemed a lot better than trying to find people who knew what the pentathlon was all about. At least to start with.”
“And neither seem resentful of your success, wealth, or fame?” Craig asked.
“No, of course not.”
“Hmmm.”
“What does that hmmm mean?” Ember asked.
“Just that it seems a little weird to me that they were both so willing to give up everything to move out here with you, to a place they’ve never been. I’m just wondering what their agenda is.”
“Do they have to have an agenda? Can’t they just want a change of pace and scenery…and maybe to do some good in the world?” Ember asked, a little frustrated.
“Of course they can. I didn’t mean to upset you.
But my job is to have your back. To make sure no one takes advantage of you or does anything that will come back and bite you in the ass.
That makes me suspicious of everyone, but I won’t apologize for it.
My background has made me understand that even the most innocent-looking person can secretly be planning your demise. ”
Ember stared at Craig for a long moment.
She couldn’t deny that his questions made her feel a little stupid.
She probably should’ve asked more questions before spontaneously hiring Julio and Marie.
Her parents had called her na?ve before she’d moved out, and they were probably right.
But she could admit she also liked the fact that Craig was trying to have her back.
She hadn’t really had anyone put her welfare before everything else before.
“I’m sorry you’ve had to learn that the hard way,” Ember said at last. “And as uncomfortable as what you said made me feel, you still made some good points. But I know Julio and Marie. I’ve sweated and worked out with them, side by side, for years.
They were both disappointed not to make the Olympic team, but I think they knew it was a long shot.
With only two places for each gender on the team, it’s very hard to make the cut.
And they both have their weaknesses. Julio’s is the swim, and Marie’s is the shooting.
I think they jumped at the chance to help me because four years until the next Olympics is a long time.
And they’re both getting older, as am I.
So maybe it’s also that we all need to move on with our lives and figure out what comes next. ”
Craig nodded. “That makes sense. But, with your permission, I’d still like to have a background check done on both of them.
See who they hung out with back in California, if they have police records, see what their finances are, that sort of thing.
I know you want to be just another businesswoman, but the fact remains that you’re Ember Maxwell.
You’re famous, rich, and beautiful, and there will always be those who want to take advantage of that. Of you.”
“I don’t like the thought of prying into their lives,” Ember hedged.
“If they have nothing to hide, then they won’t even know,” Craig retorted.
“I’ll know,” Ember said softly. Then she sighed. “But I get it. I do want to be normal. But I’ve been privileged to grow up the way I have, and I need to deal with it. Fine. Do your background check. But if you find anything, I want to know right away.”
“Deal,” Craig said immediately. “So you’ll get back here around five or so?”
It took Ember a moment to bring her mind back around to the original conversation. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“And what’s your schedule on Monday?”
“More of the same. Working out, meetings, getting Julio and Marie situated, and chatting with a woman who owns some land outside Killeen. I think it’ll be great for setting up a running course.
If that conversation goes well, I’ll set up a time later this week to go check it out with Julio and Marie.
See what they think. Depending on how the meeting goes with the local Boys and Girls Club on Tuesday, I could possibly have my first class as early as Wednesday. ”
“Wednesday? Seriously? That soon?”
Ember shrugged a little sheepishly. “What good is having money if you don’t use it, right? I’m paying out the nose to get things moving as fast as possible. And the building was in pretty good shape to begin with. Not everything will be done, but enough that the space will be useable.”
“It’s all falling into place for you, isn’t it?” Craig asked with a smile.
“Amazingly, yes. I never dreamed everything could happen this fast.”
“Well, when you have a motivated and enthusiastic CEO, it can.”
That was true. Ember knew she’d been a little crazy about her schedule and getting things up and running, but this was important to her. She couldn’t wait to share her love of the modern pentathlon sport with those kids who might never otherwise have a chance to experience it.
“How about if I make us dinner tonight then?”
“You don’t have to constantly wait on me, Craig,” Ember said with a frown. “I’m not going to starve if I’m left to my own devices.”
“I know, but I want to. I want you back here tonight. I want you to spend the night again, so I can show you how amazing you are. So I can do all those things I promised you last night.”
Ember swallowed. “Are you making a date for us to have sex?”
He grinned. “If you want to put it that way, yes. I have a feeling between your schedule and mine, we’ll need to pencil in time to make love more than we’d like.”
That was true. “So…I’m going to have to think about you making me come three times all day?” she asked with a grin.
“Yup. And I’m gonna have to think about how good your pussy’s gonna feel around my cock. And how hard I can get those nipples you showed me last night.”