I stared at my phone and waited for the reply.
Emily didn’t respond right away. Not even a bit later. Seconds ticked into minutes, and I decided to return to looking at documents on my computer. No matter how badly I wanted Emily to go on the trip with me, I couldn’t sit around like some lovesick teenager in his bedroom waiting for his prom date to say yes.
My phone dinged. I snatched it up immediately to check the text. Okay, apparently, I was a bit more like a lovesick teen than I realized.
A snicker escaped my mouth as I read the text.
When?
I thought about making her wait, but figured it’d be better just to hammer the details out right away when she was paying attention. Assuming she responded quickly.
Next week. We’d fly out on Monday.
Juniper’s with Lionel next week. Can we reschedule?
It’s for a business trip, so no. Still, plenty of time for us to sightsee even with the business stuff.
Okay. Just you and me, then?
Yes. Don’t worry I’ll pay for everything. I think you’ll have a great time. This way you can add a country other than Mexico to your travel list.
A couple minutes passed. I wondered if she was thinking about it or busy doing something at work. This time, though, I didn’t return to my own work. I sat and waited for her response.
Lucky for you I still have a valid passport. I’ll call you later to talk about it. Gotta work now.
A broad grin took over my face. I’d wanted Juniper to come, but her not coming might be better.
A little girl on a trip with us was a natural barrier. She’d keep us from doing anything stupid or too enjoyable, depending on how you thought about it.
Just Emily and me, though, meant we had a chance of something more. I’d kissed her when she was drunk with passion. I’d kissed her sweetly to surprise her ex. But I wanted more. So much more.
I felt no shame in that. I just wanted to kiss her when she knew what she was doing, hearing her moan a little as I ran my hands over those wonderful breasts of her. Not that I would demand it, but our first kiss proved she wanted me as much as I wanted her.
I shook my head, glad that I was alone in my office. I wasn’t inviting Emily with the expectation of anything more than sharing an interesting city with a woman I liked, but the trip was a good way to move us to the next level. No problem with hoping for a best-case scenario.
The more time I spent with her, the more I knew I didn’t want just another friend. I wanted a woman who wanted me as a man and not only as a tool to annoy her ex-husband.
Japan would be the key. We’d either come back as a couple, or I’d move on. This wasn’t about my mother, our agreement, or anything else.
Damn it. I wanted Emily. I wanted her far too much.
Chapter Fifteen
EMILY
I bit my lip as I stared at my suitcases sitting in front of the door. Monday had seemed so far away when I’d read that first text from Logan, but now that the day of reckoning was here, my heart pounded furiously and sweat coated my palms.
All weekend long, I’d bounced back and forth over going on the trip with Logan. I mean, it was insane. He wasn’t a weird stranger, so I knew he wasn’t a serial killer, but we’d gone out a few times, and now we were taking a trip across the world.
True, he was already going there anyway, but it wasn’t like he had to invite me. No matter how I looked it, this little jaunt to Japan meant our relationship, whatever it was, might becoming something more, and I didn’t know how I felt about that.
“Stop with that face,” Mama said.
I sighed and looked over at her. She’d come to see me off. She said it was about making sure I had everything, but I suspected she wanted to make sure I actually left.
“And you think this is a good idea?” I said.
“Of course, I do.”