Page 79 of Emma's Element

“The last time I was thrust into the spotlight, it didn’t go well for me.”

“I know. But there is a huge difference between then and now.” She raised an eyebrow waiting for him to continue. “You’re not alone this time.”

“But they’re going to dig it all back up. I’d hate for my negative publicity to affect your career.”

“When I say you’re not alone, I mean you are notalone.There is an entire team of people behind me?behind you?waiting to eviscerate anyone who has anything negative to say about you. They are paid extremely well to set the record straight. And if anyone still decides to print that drivel about the accident, I will sue them. I’ve learned my lesson on having the right people working for me and not settling. If something is not working, if you ever feel attacked again, we will fix it. I love you, Emma, and I will stand by your side through it all.”

Emma’s smile slowly grew larger as he talked. By the end, the vice that had been clamped on her heart ease. She could do this. With him by her side, she could do anything. She kissed him, wanting to deepen it but not willing to smear her lipstick. “I love you, too,” she murmured against his lips.

“You okay now?”

She nodded. “I’m good.” Glancing out the window, she noticed it was nearly their turn to exit the vehicle. Her nerves had been soothed over for the most part, but her stomach still turned over with anxiety seeing the sheer number of photographers out there. “Do I look all right?”

“Sweetheart, you are gorgeous. But there’s something missing.”

Her brow creased as she looked down at herself. The dress shimmered in the low light of the limo, the aquamarine hue a perfect match for his eyes, by design. The sweetheart neckline cut low, showing a modest amount of cleavage. The thin straps holding the dress up crossed over on her back, leaving it mostly bare. She didn’t think adding anything to the dress could make it more perfect. But then Marcus reached into his tux jacket pocket and pulled out a long, skinny box. He opened it to reveal the most stunning necklace she’d ever seen. A delicate silver chain held a large square cut aquamarine jewel the exact shade of her dress.

He took it out of the box and helped her put it on. The jewel rested in the hollow of her throat. “Perfect,” he announced.

“I love this color.”

“The same shade as the lake we love.”

“And your eyes.”

His eyes flared. “You picked your dress out to match my eyes?”

“Absolutely. How could I not when every time I look into them, I feel a deep sense of peace?”

“I said you were gorgeous before, but now . . . truly stunning. It’s all I can do to hold myself back from ordering our driver to circle the block a few hundred times, raise the privacy shield, throw your skirt up and take you right here in the back of this limo till you’re screaming my name.”

She flushed bright red. “Fuddruckers, Marcus. You can’t say things like that to me right before we have to face all those cameras.” She waved her hand in front of her face trying in vain to cool her heated blood.

The limo stopped at the edge of the red carpet, and the driver got out to open the door for them. Before Marcus could move, she grabbed his arm. “I changed my mind. Let’s do your plan instead.” She leaned close, her lips brushing his ear. “But how ‘bout we forgo the dress, and you make me scream while I’m wearing only this necklace,” she whispered seductively.

“Fuck,” he muttered, his gaze burning a path from the necklace, past her breasts with their suddenly hardened peaks, to the apex of her thighs. She squeezed her legs together, trying to ease the instantaneous ache. Indecision flashed in his eyes, and she smiled. He was seriously thinking about it.

She laughed. “Just kidding, Titan. Come on. Let’s go greet your fans.”

He kissed her neck behind her ear, making her shiver. Laughing, he climbed out of the limo, and the crowd erupted. He ignored it and reached his hand down to help her out. Standing on the curb, she straightened her skirt before linking her arm through his. A groan escaped his lips when she took her first step, her leg exposed by the dangerously high slit. She laughed and patted his chest.

Finally, she looked up into the crowd, nearly blinded by the flashes of dozens of cameras. People screamed Marcus’s name, and he smiled while waving to his fans. Most were women pressed up against the temporary fencing, pens and autograph books in their hands. One little girl was nearly swallowed up in the rabid throng. She was probably eight years old and, in one hand, held a pen with a pink fuzzy ball on the end, and a unicorn spiralbound notebook in the other.

Marcus noticed her as well. “Give me a minute,” he requested before kissing her cheek and handing her off to one of the security guards he’d hired for the event.

He walked over to the little girl, two other guards flanking him. He crouched down in front of the girl and smiled. Emma couldn’t hear what he was saying but noticed the crowd had backed away a bit, no longer crushing the girl up against the fence. Emma smiled at the beaming joy she saw in the little girl’s face when Marcus took her notebook and pen and scrawled his name. The girl asked a question, and Marcus glanced over his shoulder at Emma before answering. Whatever he said had the little girl’s mouth dropping open in awe.

He handed the pen and notebook back to her and shook her hand before moving on to others in the crowd. The girl stared at Emma, the awed look still on her face. Emma winked at her, making her giggle. She wondered what Marcus had said to her to put that expression on her face.

Watching Marcus work the crowd was a new experience for Emma. She’d seen him plenty of times talking to fans in Jolene’s, but this was entirely different. He chatted with his fans, took selfies, signed autographs, all while keeping the horde of people from becoming too aggressive. He kept the peace and order with a skill that amazed her.

After he rejoined her, they posed for pictures, his arm wrapped around her waist, his warm palm resting on her hip. The lights were blazing, their strobe light effect giving her a slight headache. Even her cheeks were beginning to ache from smiling for so long, but surprisingly, she was enjoying herself. True to his word, Marcus hadn’t left her side except to sign those few autographs.

Before entering the theater, they stopped to answer a few questions from journalists.

“Everybody I’m sure has been asking you about your lovely lady here. But what I really want to know is what you said to that adorable little girl earlier.”

Marcus chuckled, a charming glint of humor in his eyes. “She wanted to know who the pretty lady I arrived with was. After I told her, she asked if she was a princess.” Marcus glanced down at her, love shining in his eyes. “I told her she was something better than a princess. She was the fierce warrior who’d slayed all my monsters.”

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