Chapter 13
13
M alcolm
“I love this place,” Emma says, glancing around the beachfront restaurant we chose for dinner.
Our table is on the outdoor terrace facing the sand, and a plethora of little string lights make the area seem a lot more intimate.
I look at Emma, mesmerized, and my heart skips a beat. I’ve never fallen for a woman so quickly in a relationship. I was upset when Erin broke up with me, and now I wonder if it was because her leaving me messed up my plans versus being viscerally heartbroken.
Does it matter? Not anymore.
Emma is mine. She loves me. She’ll let me take care of her and make it official. I know it.
Earlier, she beamed after meeting Anna Armand. Excellent. I want her to be fulfilled, and being part of it adds another layer of satisfaction. I’ve funded one of Anna’s sisters, who also works in the fashion industry. Her profits skyrocketed after I injected resources into her business, and Anna owed me a favor. I thought Anna would talk to Emma, but to offer her a work opportunity? That was all down to Emma’s talent.
I sip my wine and glance at her across from me. The breeze curls the ends of her red wavy hair, and she tosses it to the side.
“You’re stunning,” I murmur.
“What I am right now is happy. Thanks to you,” she says. “In my wildest dreams, I wouldn’t have imagined this.”
“What’s your next step?”
She drums her fingers on the table. “Well, I have to think about it. I mean, I certainly want this opportunity, but I need to think about logistics. Forget about losing my deposit with Laura. How could I afford to live here? Anna was vague on the details, and I need more to know the right course of action.”
I shuffle in my seat, impatience getting to me. I appreciate Emma’s independent spirit, but she must see how this possibility surpasses her pride. “I’ll fund you. You can live here,” I say. Hell, I’ll move with her. I sure as hell won’t let her come to LA alone. I can’t. I need her.
She frowns, a sober expression crossing her face. “Yes, but for how long? What if you change your mind, and my ass is out on the streets of one of the most expensive cities in the world? Away from my friends and family?”
That she thinks I’d do that to her is ridiculous. “Emma. I’ll call Anna’s sister. Get things straightened with her.”
She tilts her head and leans closer, eyes narrowing like she’s registering what I just said. “What do you mean, Anna’s sister?” she asks in a low voice.
“Tess. I invested in her business some years ago, and Tess owes me. I’ll call her and suggest Anna make her proposal more straightforward.”
Emma lowers her shoulders, sinking into her seat. “Oh.”
I lean closer. A strange sensation tugs at the pit of my stomach. “What’s wrong?”
She puts her hands in her lap. A touch of sadness flickers in her green eyes. “So, she was doing you a favor?” she asks, bitterness coating her voice.
Favors are part of any business. Especially when it comes to paying back someone who helped you. I glance at her in silence, my heart beating faster as I notice the tension in her body. “Yes, but don’t you love how it turned out?” I ask lightly to ease the heavy energy bouncing between us.
She clears her throat. “No. Because… you gave me hope. I thought I was being recognized because you showed her my work, and she saw potential. But now it’s clear she only did it as a favor. In which case… why would I move here when she might fire me if you tell her to?”
“Emma. Listen to yourself. If I tell her to fire you? Why the hell would I do that when I just told you to move here?” Why does she think so little of me? Irritation crawls under my skin.
“What’s in it for you? You want me to move away? You’re in Texas.”
“Honey, I could live anywhere I want. I’m at a time of my life when where I live doesn’t matter,” I say, then hear my own words. Is that what this is about? Once again, I’m pressing too much, and she’s not ready. Not ready for all I want to give her. Not ready… for me.
“You’re too rich and powerful. These big changes don’t mean a thing to you because if they don’t work out, you’ll be okay. But as for me… I don’t know what to think. I… I need a moment.”
Emma stands, leaving me alone at the table with a weight on my chest and a hole in my heart.