Page 55 of Make It Without You

This kiss is months in the making. Gaining Emily’s trust and her slowly knocking down her walls was what we needed to move forward.

I peek an eye open and walk us back towards her SUV. Pushing her up against her car and deepening the kiss. The way her body moves as my thigh maneuvers between her legs. The sounds she makes as our tongues tangle is a sound I want on repeat.

Breaking the kiss, I trail my lips down her neck. Sucking on the spot between her neck and shoulder.

“Oh, that feels too good.”

My lips move up her neck and I pull her earlobe between my teeth.

“Oh god, Adam.”

Her pants and moans drive me forward until she gently pushes me back by my shoulders. I take in her swollen lips and beard rash on her neck. Her chest heaves as she catches her breath. Emily’s eyes are wild from our kiss. I want to dive into them and never come out.

“I’m glad your nerves are gone.” Emily says while still holding me at a distance by my shoulders.

I can’t stop myself from wrapping my hands around her wrists. “Totally gone.”

“As much as I want to stay here and make out with you in a parking garage,” she looks down at her watch checking the time again. “I really have to get home and you have to close up your restaurant.”

Logically I know what she’s saying makes sense. But tonight was huge for us.

“I wanna cook you breakfast.” I blurt out.

Her eyebrows scrunch up. “What about Dylan?”

I love that she’s concerned for him. “He’s at a baseball camp for the rest of the week.”

The color drains from her face. I’m not sure what I said, but I wanna know. Emily blinks and the look is gone. “Breakfast is good.”

“Okay.” I draw out the word so as not to push her. Maybe tomorrow I will. “I’ll text you in the morning.”

She opens the door to her car and gets in. Once it’s started, she rolls the window down and leans on the edge. “Thank you for tonight. I had fun.”

“Just wait until my world-famous pancakes,” I state and lean my arms on the roof of her car.

“What makes them world-famous?”

Leaning down, I press a quick kiss to her lips. Even though everything in me wants to lean in further. “You’ll just have to wait until the morning to find out. Get home safe.”

I step back from her car and watch as she puts the gear in drive. “Bye, Adam.”

“Bye, Emily.”

I watch as she drives out of the parking garage and I follow the path back to my restaurant. The band should be wrapping up the last of their set. When I walk back in, Matt is standing behind the bar with his arms crossed.

“What?” I pointedly ask, knowing his answer will be in regards to Emily.

“Don’twhatme. You had a girl here. You never have a girl here.”

“What are you, five? And she’s not a girl, she’s a woman.”

He holds his hands up in surrender. “I’m just saying, boss man. I’ve never seen you like that. It’s a good look on you.”

Shaking my head, I wave him off and head down to my office. If I want to attempt to get out of here before midnight I need to tackle my latest to-do list.

But as soon as I’m at my desk, my mind flits back to Emily and her reaction to me talking about Dylan and baseball camp. Against my better judgment, I pull up my internet browser and type her name in.

I don’t find anything too alarming from a simple search. Just a few articles on her playing the violin, which surprises me as she’s never brought it up. I scroll some more until I see a linked article with the headline ‘Fatal Car Crash Claims Two’. And against all common sense, I click on the link.

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