Page 37 of Emma's Element

“Nothing we can do. He made his decision, and it worked for the most part. They followed him back to LA and left me alone.”

“But not before labeling you a slut and the Titan’s castoff,” she hissed.

“Yeah, that wasn’t so fun.”

“He left you so fast after those pictures; it was no wonder they called you a whore. His reputation as a player was firmly intact, while they tore you down.”

Emma’s frown deepened as she watched the condensation on the side of her glass slide down the smooth surface. It hadn’t been fun to be characterized as another notch on Marcus’s bedpost, even knowing the truth. She was just thankful another scandal had erupted in Hollywood to distract the media from digging more deeply into her past and reviving the Coastie Siren story.

“Just leave it, JoJo. I’m okay. Besides, it was only a couple of kisses. It’s not like we declared our undying love to each other.”

“A couple of scorching hot kisses if the one I saw was any indication,” mumbled Jolene.

Emma threw her head back and laughed at the defeated tone in her voice. “Too true.”

The pictures had never bothered her because she could see the real man hiding beneath all the Hollywood fakery. It made her sad. But now, she was in the same room as Marcus and ill-equipped on what to do about it. Should she go to him first, say hello? Or should she wait for him to come to her? And if they did finally talk, how should she play it? Greet him warmly as an old friend. Or coolly, as someone whose heart had been slightly broken. Even if she understood his reasoning, she still couldn’t help the feelings of abandonment that smacked her heart every time she thought about that night.

She was still debating what to do as he made his way across the room to their table, causing her heart to race. Of course, he looked good in formal wear, it was like second nature to him, and he wore it well. The butterflies in her stomach took flight; he still looked insanely handsome.

She reached for her wrist to twist her father’s watch, forgetting she wasn’t wearing it. The frumpy accessory wouldn’t have matched all her finery, so she’d left it in her hotel room. Now, as her nerves intensified, she’d wished she’d worn it anyway.

Graham, bless his heart as Jolene would say, intercepted Marcus before he could reach her. They greeted each other like old friends. Then came Natalie, who hugged him. So did Annika, Maddie, and even Jolene. The men all shook his hand and slapped him on the back. Then it was her turn. She stood and gave him a hug like the other girls had done.

“Emma.” He whispered her name in her ear, causing the butterflies to flutter furiously. That was it. Just her name and she melted. This was going to be harder than she thought if her body was going to keep reacting to him as it was.

She stepped back from him, missing his arms, his heat, instantly. “Good to see you, Marcus.”

“You too,” he replied. Then they were at a loss as to what to say to each other next.

Jolene came to their rescue, linking her arm with Emma’s. “We didn’t know you’d be here tonight, Marcus.”

“Umm, yeah. That’s because I request that my name not be announced beforehand at these things. That way, the press won’t make it into a madhouse.” Emma couldn’t help the wince at the mention of the press. While they had left her alone after a few weeks, she was still dealing with some nasty circumstances from the offending articles they had written about her.

“That makes sense,” Jolene replied. “You’ve been missed. Emma here has been teaching me to fence, but I’m nowhere near as good as you. I’m afraid I’m a poor substitute as an opponent for her skill level.”

“I’m sure under Emma’s tutelage, you will be an expert in no time,” he asserted.

“Ha! Bless your heart, but no. I’m just not coordinated enough. I’d rather duel with my frying pans than a sword,” she joked.

Finch joined them and took Jolene’s hand. “Let’s dance,” he said. Jolene looked at Emma as if to ask if she’d be okay. Emma gave a slight nod. Then she was alone with him, the object of her daily fantasies for months. And she had no idea what to say to him.

Thankfully, the governor approached Marcus, saving her from having to come up with some mundane conversation. As she pulled him away, he sent her an apologetic look over his shoulder. She gave him a small smile reassuring him it was okay.

As she turned away from them, she nearly collided with a man who put his hand on her arm to steady her. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“No problem. Always nice to bump into a beautiful woman,” he stated.

Emma looked up at the man who was smiling in a way she figured he thought was seductive but ended up coming across as creepy. “Well, aren’t I the lucky one to have the opportunity to talk to a beauty such as yourself,” he drawled. Emma refrained from rolling her eyes. The man chatted with her about nonsensical things as they stood near the tables together. Emma searched for her friends, eyes darting around the room, hoping one of them would come and rescue her from the man who was trying way too revoltingly hard to hit on her.

“You’re with those Nighthawks, aren’t you?” he asked. “Are you one of their dates?”

Emma shot him a disgusted look. Son of a doormat, another man who thought a woman couldn’t do the job. “No, Iama Nighthawk,” she answered, none too kindly.

“That’s amazing. You must be very good at your job,” The tone of his voice insinuated something different. For freak’s sake, yet another man who thought she’d be an easy lay. Emma looked him over. He was handsome, she supposed, but he did nothing for her. Tall with brown hair and blue eyes. Ordinary. Dressed like every other man in the room in a pristine tux. A dark blue tux. Who wears a blue tux?

“I am,” she stated, slowly backing away from him. But for each step she took away, he took one step closer to her.

“I bet,” he answered. “You look like you’d be good.” She could hear the impliedin bedin his tone of voice.

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