Page 12 of Never Finished

There was a tightness in my chest I hadn’t felt in far too long. “Goodnight Emma,” I answered gruffly. I was fairly certain there wasn’t a drop of blood actually making it to my brain, and every bit had rushed to my dick. I’d never been so grateful to have a bar in between us, otherwise I would have thoroughly embarrassed myself.

She smiled and turned to leave. As she walked towards the exit, the light from the lobby silhouetted her figure, and I couldn’t decide if it made her look like an angel or vixen.

But when she turned one last time, making eye contact with me over her shoulder, giving me a small wave before she stepped out of sight, I decided she was definitely more vixen.

And just like that, Emma Carter was back, and I knew with certainty I was in serious trouble… and I couldn’t wait to enjoy every minute.

Emma

Ididn’t remember getting on the elevator or walking down the hallway towards my room. I just remembered the overwhelming rush of heat and disbelief that I had just reconnected with Jaime Acosta.

What were the odds that we’d be here at the same time? Hell, what were the odds that he’d be working at the resort? That in itself felt like hell freezing over, considering the hatred I knew he felt towards my father. There was definitely no love lost between the two men, especially after my father forbade me from seeing “that boy”. I still remember the way he spit out those words, as if Jaime was a pesky insect who needed to be squashed.

I stopped short of my door, leaning against the wall because it felt like the world was spinning. Maybe it was the Gin Fizz… or more likely, it was the man who prepared them.

The whole evening blew my mind. We’d slipped into conversation with one another, as if the last time we’d spoken was mere hours before and not more than a decade ago. And yet… there was something new there.

There’s no denying I’d been sexually attracted to Jaime when we were younger. He was tall, dark and handsome—but he was also smart and so interesting to talk to. I loved the stories he would tell. He could spin a yarn out of something as simple as a trip to the gas station. Obviously, that hadn’t changed.

What had changed was that tall, dark and handsome Jaime Acosta had filled out. Those wide shoulders I’d loved when we were younger also had impressive musculature attached to them. Those dark, sexy eyes had picked up some experience along the way and it showed in the way they’d quickly assessed me. The way his eyes lingered across my chest could have offended me, but then his eyes also lingered on mine, as if they were searching for something. Being studied like that made me feel vulnerable, but it also felt like the first time I’d been truly seen in a very long time.

The memory of it made my skin prickle, along with the realization that Jaime now had a deep, sexy voice that rolled down my spine and caused sensations in my core unlike anything I’d ever felt.

This was all just too much. What the hell was I doing making plans to see him again? This could only end in heartbreak.

The last few days had been a whirlwind, and I needed a good night’s sleep. Only then could I figure my next steps.

But first, I needed to get myself off this wall. Too bad it was the only thing holding me up at the moment and even though I wanted to blame the Gin Fizz, something in me knew it was simply the Jaime effect. I never would have imagined he’d still have this kind of effect on me after all these years.

Sucking in a deep breath, I straightened and faced my door, fumbling with my key as I unlocked it. Opening the door, I nearly screamed in shock when Caroline emerged from around the corner, smiling sheepishly, “Surprise!”

It took me a moment to process what was going on and that’s when Caroline approached me, looking concerned. “Oh no, I should have called first. That was dumb of me. I didn’t even consider that you’ve probably had more than enough surprises over the last few days.”

I looked at her in disbelief, a stupefied smile overtaking my mouth. “You have no idea.”

***

An hour later, Caroline and I were both in our jammies, devouring room service cheeseburgers and fries while I filled her in on my unexpected reunion of the night.

“So tell me. What was it really like—seeing him again?” she asked, delight in her eyes.

“It was… nice,” I finished lamely.

Caroline rolled her eyes. “Emma, come on, it’s me.”

I averted my eyes. “What?” I insisted, shrugging indifferently.

“Oh, you are so full of it… it was nice? You have been carrying a torch for this guy for twelve years. That either means you have a really unhealthy attachment or he’s really that amazing. Now you’ve seen him in the flesh, and talked to him for over an hour. Was he worth pining over for all these years?”

I pursed my lips together in displeasure. This was what I both loved and hated about Caroline—she did not pull any punches. Right about now seemed like a good time to entertain my denial, but I knew she wouldn’t let me get away with it. “Who said I was pining after him?”

Caroline snickered, pausing in between bites. “Please, Emma. I have eyes and ears and know you better than anyone. You can play coy all you want, but you came in here all hot and bothered after your rendezvous. And while I realize my schlubby travel attire of yoga pants and t-shirt is knuckle-bitingly sexy, I don’t think it was me who caused that flush in your cheeks.”

I let out a long sigh, pausing before I finally admitted, “it was no time had passed. We could always talk for hours, sometimes about nothing at all, and still have fun together.”

“A man you can talk to? Wow,” Caroline muttered sarcastically.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t just that, Caroline. I mean, I’ve always thought he was hot, but tonight there was something else I can’t really explain. It was new and unbridled and like…” I trailed off, struggling to come up with the proper explanation.

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