but she said nothing, again motioning toward the next room. Emma walked forward but stopped abruptly as soon as she crossed the threshold. A photographer and a woman Emma had nearly worshipped from afar ever since starting her career were sitting on the plush sofa. Jessica swept in ahead of Emma, introducing her.
“Emma, this is Alicia Shepherd, the editor of American Design and her photographer, Jeffrey.”
Emma was trembling as she shook the woman’s hand. “I know who she is, Jessica. Her magazine is the bible of interior design. I’ve followed her since my first day of class.” She turned to look at the woman who had just fulfilled one of her dreams. “But why is she here?” she asked.
“To photograph your design, silly! Why else would she be here?!” Jessica said. “I called her as soon as I saw what you had done and she came right over. Alicia and I are old friends. I wanted her to see it before anyone had a chance to move or change anything.”
Emma’s head was whirling. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. They were actually here to photograph her work! She had finally done it!
Emma was still flying high when she pulled into her driveway later that evening. They had spent all morning photographing the cottage and Jessica had called for lunch, the three women talking as if they had known each other for years long through the afternoon. Mrs. Shepherd had quickly put Emma at ease, drawing out her history effortlessly. She was moved to tears by the story of losing her brothers then her father so soon after and caring for her mother through her depression while struggling with her career. After asking permission to use the personal information in the article she would write, she promised to let Emma read the final draft and have complete control over the content the public would see. The pictures and story would be the feature of the next issue due out in a week.
Emma fairly danced through the front door, dropping her keys onto the table.
“Mom! You here?” she called out as she went through to the kitchen. She spotted the note pinned to the message board she and her mother used to communicate. Her mother hated cell phones, refusing to even touch one except in absolute emergencies. She pulled it down, frowning as she read it. Her mother had gone to spend the weekend with her sister. There was nothing unusual in that but she rarely went anywhere on the spur of the moment. Emma picked up the phone and dialed her aunt Alice just to be sure everything was okay. Her protective instincts ran deep. Sure enough, her mother was there. The two women had talked early in the day and when an opportunity came up to spend the weekend shopping they jumped on it. Her mother adored shopping and Emma made sure she had unlimited access to money. It was the only thing she would disrupt her routine for and as long as she was with her sister, Emma could rest easy. She hung up, sighing deeply, her mood somewhat deflated at having no one there to share the news with. She thought briefly about calling Blake but she never knew where he would be at any given time. Their relationship sometimes bordered on strange because Blake could be almost too private, but Emma wasn’t interested in being fodder for the gossips in Houston, either, so if he wanted to spend their time together out of town that was fine with her.
She poured herself a glass of wine and sipped it as she walked upstairs. She didn’t need to turn on the light as she undressed, her bedroom well lit by the full moon shining through the floor to ceiling windows. Not bothering with a swimsuit, she stepped through the sliding glass doors leading to the private deck attached to her bedroom. A flip of a switch and the cover of the hot tub slid back, steam rising into the night air. It was finally late enough in the summer to have cool nights and Emma sank into the heated water gratefully, setting her wine on the nearby table. She leaned her head back against the pillow and smiled, reliving the day. Who would’ve thought that a simple message on a sticky note could change her life?! She laughed out loud at the thought that if her mother had misplaced it or she had not given it a second glance, God only knew how long it would have been before she got the exposure that was now headed her way. She knew that this was the proverbial calm before the storm and she couldn’t wait. All these years of hard work and sacrifice was finally going to pay off.
Emma was almost asleep when the sound of tires on the gravel of her driveway made her open her eyes in irritation. Who in the world could be coming over this late? It was almost nine, well past social hour and Emma didn’t have any close friends who would just drop by unannounced. When she heard the engine cut off, she reluctantly got out, drying quickly and pulling on a robe determined to send whoever it was on their way and return to the soothing water. She barely made it to the stairs before someone started knocking loudly. She pulled the belt tightly around her waist and hurried down, not bothering to look out the peephole before she yanked open the door.
“What in the world is going on?!” she asked angrily before looking up and straight into Blake’s deep blue eyes. Her breath caught, trapped in her lungs at the look on his face when he saw her. When she had pulled on the thin robe she hadn’t realized that the material clung to every curve, nearly transparent in some places where she hadn’t quite got all the water dried and the effect on Blake when she had opened the door had staggered him. His eyes were immediately drawn to her breasts, the nipples tightly puckered from the cold air and he followed the lines of her body down, finally seeing what his imagination had only tried to create. Her waist was small, her hips curving generously into long, sleek legs revealed by the short hem. His gaze was arrested by the sight of fire engine red toenails.
He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes briefly before looking back up. Emma stood very still, one hand on the open door watching him with widened eyes. Blake had often kissed her and even fondled her on a few occasions but he had never pushed for more, respecting Emma’s hesitance. Her inexperience was obvious and he was willing to wait until she was ready. Suddenly, his need for her was overwhelming. The realization that she was naked under the thin material tore through him, taking his breath away. The tension of his body was reflected in the visible clenching of his jaw. His restraint was suddenly at a breaking point and he struggled to move slowly. He knew that if he rushed her like his body was demanding, she wouldn’t think him much better than a caveman.
Breathing deeply, he wrestled with his desire and finally won at least for this moment. His hand visibly shaking, he slowly reached out, circling her nipple with only his fingertip, the touch so light she could barely feel it. He watched as it drew tighter, harder from his caress. When Emma didn’t pull away, he moved his hand down, under her breast, lifting the weight of it, cupping it and squeezing gently. He glanced up at her face to see what her reaction was and watched as Emma bit down on her bottom lip, stifling the moan rising from her throat. His groin tightened, almost painful as he swelled quickly to full arousal. His hand slid away from the sweet burden, molding the curve of her waist and reaching around to her firm, full behind as he slowly pulled her to him. Emma came willingly, taking the two steps necessary to lie fully against him. Her soft gasp as she felt the hardness pressed between her legs echoed in the darkness. Before she could close her mouth he was there, kissing her, tasting the sweetness within. He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, lifting her to better fit himself between her legs, wedging his muscular thigh between hers forcing her to spread her feet so he could be even closer to her softness. The kiss deepened as he thrust his tongue deeply, stroking hers, encouraging her to do the same. Emma met his demand eagerly, sliding her hands into his thick hair, holding him tightly as she sucked lightly on his tongue. Her body was on fire, heat pouring through her to settle between her legs. An ache like she had never felt before was deep within her and she knew that Blake was the only one who could satisfy her need. He broke the kiss, sliding his lips down the sensitive skin of her neck as her head fell back. He reached the tender spot where her neck joined her shoulder and bit down gently, sucking the skin against his teeth and then licking it tenderly, soothing the sting. The silence of the night was broken by her cry of need and his answering murmur of reassurance as their breathing became more labored, each struggling to draw a deep breath. Blake abruptly stopped, pulling his leg from between hers and stepping back, trying desperately to cool the fire in his blood and regain control of his raging body. Emma watched him, confused. What had happened? He
