Page 66 of Not Part of the Plan
“Sorry, Am. I was working. What’s up?”
“Working? Well, that’s a good sign. I was beginning to think you were going to give it all up to play scarecrow up there.”
He hadn’t exactly explained to Amara why he was taking a sabbatical, but she was smart enough to put two and two together.
“I have no plans of giving up Manhattan for Blue Moon,” he promised. But his gaze tracked back to the screen where Emma beguiled him.
“I know you’re not taking assignments right now, but I thought I’d pass this idea on. You know how if you’re off the scene longer than it takes to recover from rhinoplasty, everyone in the industry forgets about you?”
Niko picked up an apple out of the bowl on the counter and bit into it. “Uh-huh, sure.”
“Well, I’ve got an idea that could tide everyone over until you’re back from playing farmer. I’ve got a friend of a friend who owns a gallery in SoHo. He’s looking for a new exhibit, and I thought you could pull together some shots. Maybe do a retrospective with some of your favorites?”
He stared at his screen again. “Actually, I have a better idea.”
By the time he hung up, his agent was ecstatic and he was feeling a little psyched himself.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Niko found Emma in her office at the brewery swearing at her computer screen. “Unfreeze, damn you!” She slapped a palm down on top of the desk. The office had been built into the barn’s original silo and was tucked away from the chaos of the brewery and its kitchen, which was probably one of the reasons Emma spent very little time in here. He’d noticed she preferred to work from a laptop in the restaurant where she could keep an eye on things.
“You’re beautiful when you’re annoyed.”
Emma startled and then smiled a sleek, female grin when she spotted him in the doorway. “Well, isn’t this a nice surprise? Miss me already?” she teased.
“Maybe,” he admitted, crossing to her. He eased a hip on the corner of her desk and stretched out his legs. “How are you today?”
Emma pushed back from the desk and swiveled her chair to face him. She looked up at him through her thick curtain of lashes and wet her lips. He went instantly hard.
“A little sore and a lot satisfied. How about you?” There was a smile in her voice that he liked hearing.
Niko tugged on the end of a red curl. “Not nearly finished with you. That’s how I’m feeling.”
He couldn’t quite gauge her reaction. Emma was a little too good at masking her thoughts. “Is that so?” she asked innocently.
“Before we explore this in-depth,” Niko winked, “I need to know if we’re still friends.”
Emma cocked her head to the side. “I feel very friendly toward you,” she promised.
Everything this woman did or said seemed designed to make him want to tear her clothes off and pleasure them both.
“It looks like you’re feeling pretty friendly, too,” she said, eyeing his erection through his jeans.
“Stop looking at me like that. You’re making it worse,” he groaned.
“I could probably help you out with that,” she said, trailing a hand up his thigh.
“Jesus, woman.” He stilled her hand with his own. “Let me get to the point before I lose any more blood flow to the brain.”
She leaned back in her chair looking pleased with herself and opened her palms. “By all means.”
“I need you to look at something and tell me what your honest opinion is.”
“Your cock is spectacular, and you know it.”
“Emmaline.” His voice was stern. “This is serious.”
“I was being completely serious.”
