Page 41 of The Photograph

She leans closer. “What happened?”

I don’t know. I hook my leg on the sofa to face her. “He wants me to go away with him this weekend and when I told him I couldn’t he kisses the hell out of me and … walks away.”

Emma brushes her fingers on my hand. “Did you tell him where you were going?”

When I shake my head, she exhales slowly. “Are you going to tell him?”

No, I don’t want him to look at me like that.I bite my lip. “No, it’ll change things and I don’t want that.”

When she loops her arm around me, I bury my head in the crook of her shoulder.

“Maybe it won’t,” she murmurs against my hair.

I sit up to look at her. “It will. It always does, and I like that he treats me like a real woman.” When she frowns, I wrap her hand in mine. “When … when he touches me, he’s careful and gentle but he’s also forceful and … commanding.” Heat floods my face. “In a sexy way. And if he knew, he wouldn’t be.”

Em grins. “Commanding huh? Tell me more.”

I groan and roll my eyes, but I can’t help my smile. “You know what I mean.”

After a throaty giggle, Emma’s blonde curls tilt to the side.

“Actually, looking at you, I’m not sure I do. Babe, you’re vibrating just talking about him.” She leans in until we’re nose to nose. “And no man has ever looked at me like he’d die if he didn’t fuck me.”

I laugh with her, but when her expression sobers, I take a deep breath. “Have you told Cara?”

Sitting back, I chew on my bottom lip. “No, I asked Chris not to tell her. Did you know she wanted to refuse the Chefs of the World tour because she worried about me?” I don’t wait for Emma’s reply. “Em, C.O.W. has been her dream since she’s finished school. This is the only thing she ever truly wanted. That and her own restaurant. So, I’m not going to tell her anything that’ll have her running here. She’s given up enough for me, and I can handle it. I feel good. Cara’s happy, I’ll be fine.”

Emma being Emma, she nods as her shoulder hits the smooth velvet of the sofa. “Let me come with you, then. I can—”

I reach for her hand and squeeze. “No, you need to organize your move to New York. I’ll be fine, sweetheart. Chris will be with me. He has been since the beginning, and hopefully this will be the end of it and the last time I’ll have to see them. I have to see the end of this and stop my father for good.”

When she shakes her head, I tug on her hand. “I’ll be fine.” I bring the back of her hand to my lips. “And if I’m not, I’ll come running for a hug.”

My best friend makes a sound between a hum and a growl. “And wine.”

I laugh. “And cheese.”

Her grin turns mischievous. “And you can always let Gabe fuck your brains out.”

I open my eyes wide and gasp. “What? But I’m a lady.”

“Yep. A lady who fucks.”

Yes, that I am, now.I grin at my best friend.

It’s Wednesday, so Em and I close the office and go to the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine, cheese, and bread. We do this every week and have only one rule—no talk about work. Well, at least for the first hour.

After we kick off our heels in the hallway, Em plugs her playlist into the sound system and opens the window facing the street to let in the cool breeze and the din of the residents coming home.

I wriggle my bare toes on the shaggy burgundy carpet and groan.

Em, whose legs are folded under her, takes a mouthful of wine, and turns to me. “Are you still on for taking Sam tomorrow?”

“Of course. I’ll never miss a day with my goddaughter.”

When she dips her head and chews on the inside of her bottom lip, my chest tightens, and I sit up. “Was Tony supposed to take her tomorrow?”

She twirls her finger through a loop of her hair and her mouth curves down. “Yeah, I don’t get what’s so hard about spending time with his daughter once in a while.”

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