Page 36 of Married to My Master

He nodded, taking a deep breath. “Right. Yeah, you're right.”

“She's probably just here checking in on me,” she reminded him.

He glanced away, his jaw muscles working so hard she was surprised she couldn't hear his teeth grinding.

She touched his arm and maneuvered to the side to get a good look at him. “Relax, okay? Everything's going to be fine,” she said, as she squeezed his bicep.

He grumbled as his eyes bore into hers, like two diamond-tipped drills. “Just remember,” he growled, as he snatched up her wrist, “I might not be armed, but I can snap you in two.”

There was the man she remembered. She took a step back and nodded. Plastering a smile on her face, she turned away from him. She ran her fingers back through her hair as she approached the door and put her eye to the peephole. She had been right. It was Jas standing on the front porch, checking her phone, and looking awkwardly around.

Emily closed her eyes and tried to channel the spirit of Geraldine West. She remembered how her mom would always receive producers and directors she was working with, men she couldn't stand. She remembered how she'd deal with the press, more people she couldn't care less about. The trick was to seem exuberant when you saw them, and to remember one of their good features while you spoke to them.

Compared to what mother had done, this was easy. She genuinely loved Jas as a friend, not just an employee. If this had been any other situation, she'd have been overjoyed to unexpectedly see her.

After a fraction of a moment, she nodded to herself and opened her eyes. “Jas!” Emily called, as happily as she could manage, and began to unlock the door. “How are you?” she called, as she swung the door open.

“Em?” Jas asked. She peered inside, a wide, somewhat uncertain smile on her face. “Hey! Just stopping by so I could check in and see how everything was going.”

As Jas spoke, Emily felt Dane step up behind her, his body a looming presence that was somehow both menacing and comforting at the same time. She could hear him breathing and could feel his strength behind her, so close he was almost pressed against her body.

“Things are great,” Emily replied, still grinning from ear-to-ear.

Jas glanced around as she stood on the doorstep, did a little rocking motion and settled back on her heels. “Well, that's great!” she said, looking around again, her eyes settling back on Emily. “Mind if I come in?”

“Let her in,” Dane whispered, then took a step back into the entryway, still out of view of the front door.

“Oh my God,” Emily said, shaking her head at herself. She pulled the door open all the way and waved Jas in. “Where are my manners? Come on in.”

“I always forget how beautiful your house is,” Jas said, as she stepped over the threshold.

“I try,” Emily said. “It's a big place, and it gets lonely sometimes.”

“Not too lonely, I hope,” Dane said, as he stepped around the corner, a warm, transformative smile on his face.

Emily was struck by how his body language had changed in just those few short moments, with the smile even reaching up to his eyes. He looked genuinely happy to have an unexpected guest. It was stunning enough that she mused to herself that Geraldine West could have learned a couple lessons.

Jas took one look at Dane and glanced at Emily, a confused look on her face. “So, this is the guy you met?” she asked, laughing. “How'd that happen?”

“Long story,” Emily said, honestly, as she closed the front door.

“It was fate, I guess,” Dane said, still smiling like a hunky charmer. “She got into the accident, and I happened to be right in the same area, so I hopped out to help.”

“Right,” Emily agreed, as she moved around Jas. Dane slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, his strong arms almost seeming to fit perfectly around her tiny body. She had to keep herself from melting into his crazed warmth.

“And we've been inseparable ever since,” Dane added, laughing.

“Well,” Jas said in a slightly sing-song voice, “I know you two are sort of in the honeymoon phase still, but you really need to check in at the office. There's always something going on, and I can only run cover for so long.”

“I know I've been keeping her from you guys,” Dane said with a laugh, “but it's just tough to let this little beauty go.”

Jas laughed, a broad smile on her face. She glanced at Emily and raised her eyebrows appreciatively.

Emily smiled and stepped back a little from Dane's grip. “You know, Jas's probably right, babe. I should go into the office and at least check in. Especially if I want to, I don't know, keep my job. Why don't you stick around here for a little while, and I’ll just run in for the afternoon and get caught up with some of what's on my desk?”

All three of them laughed.

“Tell you what,” Dane said, his smile still wide, “why don't you just run in and leave Jas here with me? It'll give us a chance to get to know each other, and I can show her around the garden you and I've been working on. What do you think, Jas?”

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