Page 110 of Reputation (Tempt)

“Come ’ere,” he said, tugging me down onto him. Holding me in his arms.

In that moment, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. And that all the trials I’d faced, all the struggles, had led me to this man.

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Ifinished my coffee and placed the mug in the dishwasher. My body was still adjusting back to LA time now that we’d returned from Abu Dhabi, and I needed the extra caffeine, especially with how busy Emerson and I were at night. My body wanted more sleep, but all I wanted was her.

Emerson was curling her hair when I walked into the bathroom. Her dress dipped low on her chest and showed off a big swath of her toned stomach and back. She was so fucking gorgeous. So fucking mine.

Pierce would’ve told me this was a mistake, but I didn’t care what anyone else thought. He didn’t know Emerson. Regardless of what happened between us, I trusted that she’d always put Brooklyn first.

And with the court date set for the custody hearing, hopefully we wouldn’t have to have that hanging over us much longer.

I leaned against the counter, watching her get ready.

“Keep looking at me that way, and we won’t make it to dinner,” she said.

I laughed. But when she set down the curling iron, I slid my hands over her ass, pulling her into me.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Oh yeah?” she asked, her eyebrow arching. Her breath catching.

“My agent has an opportunity for us. Well, it’s more for you.” I felt bad about the fact that I’d ruined her nannying career, even if I still thought she’d been using it as a crutch.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Peloton wants you to teach a class.”

“They do?” She seemed surprised, though I didn’t know why. She’d be a natural. “That could be fun.”

“I think you’d be great at it,” I said, and I meant it. It was right up her alley. She had great energy. She was captivating. And she was good at motivating people and pushing them out of their comfort zone. She certainly had me.

“Would you join me?”

Her question surprised me. “Would you want me to?”

“I think it could be fun. I mean, I’m guessing that’s what people would tune in to see. To watch our relationship dynamic.”

“You mean to watch you punish me,” I joked.

“That too.” She smirked.

I chuckled, releasing her so she could continue getting ready.

She gnawed on her bottom lip. “I should probably talk to my dad about it first.”

I appreciated her loyalty, but I knew he’d most likely say no. That said, I didn’t want to argue with her about it, not when we were about to leave for dinner at her parents’. She was already stressed enough, and I refused to add to it.

So, I simply nodded.

“Also, these are for you,” I said, removing a small velvet box from my pocket. “A gift.”

She arched one eyebrow. I opened the lid to reveal a pair of earrings in the shape of roses, and she gasped. “Those are stunning.” She reached out but didn’t touch them, almost as if she was afraid to.

“They were custom-designed by a viscount for his wife in the late nineteenth century.”

“Wow. They’re so intricate and detailed.”

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