Page 35 of Storm's Embrace

At least she never had been before.

And as disbelieving as she was over her own actions, she was just as shocked over Eli’s part in the whole thing. He was one of the most honorable men she’d ever known, so the idea of him cheating onanyonewith her just didn’t make sense.

“Maybe it didn’t really happen.” She reached up and touched her still swollen lips as she hurried across the parking lot. “Yes, it did.” She dropped her hand and opened her purse when she got to her car. Luckily her keys were sitting within easy reach. So she quickly unlocked her door, jumped inside, started the engine, and backed out of her parking space.

On the way home, she attempted to reason away what had happened while trying to keep her focus on the road, muttering, “He was just trying to comfort me and it got out of hand,” as she pulled into her driveway.

Sure. That was exactly what it was. “He couldn’t possibly want me.” She wriggled in her seat as the memory of his hard body pressing against her backside told her he most definitelydidwant her.

And his hands…

God, she could still almost feel the rough brush of his fingers over her flesh. With each touch, her sense of excitement had bloomed while her panties had dampened and her body readied to take his. And if they hadn’t been interrupted, there’s no telling how far they would have gone.

Holy crap, what if Ms. Bennett had walked in and they had been…

“Oh, this is so not good.” Miriam turned off her car and closed her eyes before letting out a long breath.

She definitely couldn’t keep working for him anymore now.

* * *

How long can a day be?

The minutes had dragged by, with each interminably long tick of the clock finding Miriam either pacing the floor or sitting in her living room blindly watching television while waiting for the phone to ring. Surely Eli needed to excuse what had happened between them just as much as she did.

But he’d never called.

And she didn’t dare close her eyes, because each time she did, the scene in Eli’s office came flooding back at her, with her cheeks and other parts of her body flaming with desire—that is until Ms. Bennett’s visage burst in on the goings on.

She checked the clock for what surely had to be the hundredth time since she’d gotten home and changed into a pair of leggings and mid-thigh top. Now 5:00 had come and gone, and her mom would be expecting her to pick up Zoë. But she needed to pull herself together first, so she spent a few minutes freshening up before going out to her car and making the short drive to her parents’ house.

“Oh, no.” Leah’s car sat in the driveway. Of all the days for her sister to get out of class early from the local university, today wasn’t the day.

Miriam got out of her car and made the short walk up onto the porch, but hesitated going in the front door. If she ran into Leah before she managed to leave with Zoë, she would just have to play it cool. Because it was a given Leah would know something was up. Her sister was slightly psychic when it came to knowing whenever things weren’t right with her, and Miriam was fairly certain she wastransmittingall over the place. She steeled herself before opening the door and then quietly shutting it.

The house was silent.

“Where is everyone?” she murmured before walking further into the sprawling rancher. “Zoë, let’s go.” Hopefully her daughter was within earshot and was ready to leave. Then she’d be able to get in and out with the least amount of fuss.

“So, how’d it go? Did you give your notice?”

Miriam tensed at Leah’s words coming from behind her and nodded as she slowly turned to face her sister.

“What’s wrong?” Leah asked, her eyes slowly narrowing and head tilting as she gave Miriam a quick up and down perusal before moving closer. She frowned. “Did he yell at you or something?”

“No,” Miriam said, letting out a shaky breath. “I wouldn’t call what he did yelling.” She didnotwant to elaborate, so she looked past her sister into the den. “Where’s Zoë?”

“Why are you changing the subject?”

Miriam’s face suffused with heat as Leah’s expression went from confused to speculative. “Okay, so, he didn’t yell.” At Miriam’s continued silence, Leah threw her hands up in the air in obvious exasperation. “Oh, come on. What’d he do?”

Miriam glanced around, whispering, “Seriously, where’s Zoë?”

Leah’s brows rose as she stepped even closer, saying just as quietly, “Why are we whispering?”

“Because I don’t want her to hear what I’m about to say.”

“She and mom are in the backyard with dad. He’s raking leaves and Zoë’s jumping in them so he has to rake them again.”

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