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Chapter 16: The Opening of Floodgates

The lustrous sunlight spilling in through the window shades stirred Emily from one of the best nights of sleep she had experienced in months. With a long lazy stretch and a smile on her face, she pulled the mountain of tangled blankets tight around her chest, sat up, and leaned against the headboard. Her eyes scanned the expansive room for Gavin. The sound of the shower running in the bathroom echoed through her ears as her senses soaked in just how incredibly awesome her body felt.

Normally, she was never one to worry about the way she looked upon rising; however, this morning was different - very different. Knowing that her hair must've looked like a rat's nest and her face was most definitely sporting last night's smudged makeup, she promptly slid from the bed, dragging the blankets along with her, in an attempt to study her reflection in the mirror. When her bare feet hit the cold marble floor, so did something else. Looking down, she found a large box with a red bow tied around it. Picking it up, she sat back down on the bed. It was addressed to her - well, not her, but Molly.

"Such a wiseass," she laughed.

Shaking her head, she started to open it, only to see movement in her peripheral vision. Lifting her gaze to its source, she was rewarded by the sight of Gavin coming out of the bathroom - a white cotton towel wrapped around his waist. Swallowing hard, Emily clutched the blankets around her chest and slid back against the headboard. Running his hand over his dampened hair, Gavin smiled at her from across the bedroom, his tendons rippling in his abdomen as he stretched. Sheepishly smiling back, Emily took in the sight before her. He was magnificent to say the least. She couldn't help but let her eyes roam over him; it was simply impossible not to. He was beauteous, not just his amazing stature but also his face. That strong angular jaw that complemented his high cheekbones, and the light stubble on his chin only added to his masculinity - and further added to her quickened breath.

And. God. Bless. That. Tattoo.

"You found your gift," he said, smiling.

Emily cocked a brow and smirked. "Well, I found a gift for Molly. But yes, I found a gift."

Chuckling, he padded over to the bed and took a seat next to her. "If I recall correctly, you're the one who said I'd never let you live that one down, so I'm just holding up my end of the bargain." Shaking her head, she playfully smacked his arm. He laughed and slowly tucked her hair behind her ear. "Mmm, I knew you woke up pretty."

Biting her lip, noticeably embarrassed, she averted her gaze away from his.

Mesmerized by the look in her eyes, Gavin felt captivated by the fact that she clearly didn't realize how beautiful she was. Her lips, the hue of a deep ruddy wine, alluring green eyes, and the subtle curves of her body - all tantalized his senses. Staring at her, his heart beat as her devotee while his eyes mapped out every inch of her face. It wasn't just her physical beauty. It was everything about her, right down to the smell of her flesh - the things he would do just to obtain her scent. She brought him warmth the entire night like an autumn's day sweater, and there wasn't anything he wasn't willing to sacrifice in order to keep her for himself. His long drawn-out thoughts and daydreams of this very moment - when he would share with her his cravings and she would do the same, trusting as only lovers could - unfolded with such vibrancy as she brought her gaze back to his.

High.

Gavin felt completely f*cking high. No amount of money could buy this feeling, and he knew it.

Placing his hand under her chin, he stared into her eyes. "You look beautiful," he whispered, gently coaxing her face toward his.

Slowly, he brushed his lips over hers - gentle, passionate, and soft. Emily's fingers instantly delved into his hair, tugging just hard enough to make him groan into her mouth. They sat there making out like two teenagers on a date - both content in just that...nothing more...just kissing.

After a few minutes of reveling in the minty taste of his lips, Emily pulled back. Gavin looked at her, his eyes essentially making love to her in the process.

"What's wrong?" he asked, a boyish grin tipping the corners of his mouth.

"I, uh...need to brush my teeth," she said, tightening the blankets to her chest.

Letting out a light laugh, he reached for the unopened gift and handed it to her. He placed another luscious kiss on her lips. "You taste delicious to me, but here. Open it."

She smirked. "That's a pretty big box for a toothbrush."

He laughed and stroked his knuckles along her jaw. "It is, isn't it?"

With furrowed brows and a smile, she stared at him suspiciously.

"What?" he asked.

"When did you have time to go out and get me anything?"

"Well, sleepy head, it's not that early," he said, motioning to a clock highlighting that it was nearly eleven in the morning. "But, to answer your question, I had my assistant run out to pick up a few things for you from a list that I gave her."

"Ah, your assistant."

"Yes, my assistant," he laughed. "But I'd be willing to replace her for this stunning brunette who's sitting in my bed right now."

"Oh, you'd hire me as your assistant, huh?"

"Without hesitation," he whispered, the words spoken into the crease of her neck as he grazed his teeth down her shoulder. Emily's body nearly went lax under his touch. "Though, I'm not quite sure we'd get much work done." Pulling back, he smiled. "Now open your gift."

With one hand holding the blankets against her chest, Emily attempted to open the box with the other. Gavin laughed, realizing she was trying to keep her naked body covered. This he found insanely cute and sexy at the same time. Without saying a word, he smiled and helped her.

Upon opening it, she found two medium-sized boxes and one thinner box. With a huge grin on his face, Gavin opened one of the medium boxes for her, pulling out and holding up a hooded New York Yankees sweatshirt and sweatpants outfit.

"You've completely lost it," she laughed, plucking it from his hands. She shook her head and tried to give him a disapproving glare, but she was inwardly approving too much at his cute gesture of attempting to turn her into a fan. "If you think I'm going out in public wearing this, you're wrong."

He arched a perfect brow. "Who said we're leaving my place today?"

"Hmm, we're not?"

"No, we're not. I'm holding you hostage here," he replied, his voice low, as he leaned in to kiss her. "The outfit's purely for my own personal entertainment."

"Sounds interesting," she replied and kissed him back. "And what do you have planned for us today?"

Nipping at her bottom lip, he smiled. "I figured we'd order in all day."

"Uh huh, food is a necessity," she half moaned as he continued to ghost his mouth over hers.

"Sleep a little since we were up so late."

"Yes, we do need to keep our strength up." She ran her hand across the back of his neck.

Still kissing her, he lifted her other arm around his neck, the blanket falling from her chest. "Curl up on my couch and watch scary movies."

"I like scary movies," she said, massaging her fingers into his hair while sexual heat pulsed through her system.

Catching her bottom lip between his teeth, he slowly smoothed his hands across her now exposed breasts. He smiled when she moaned, loving the way she responded to him. "In between all of the food eating and movie watching, I'd like to reenact last night's events play by play." He pulled her onto his lap, her hair cascading over his shoulders as their kiss deepened. "Over...and over...and over again," he added.

Right about the same time Emily started peeling away the annoying barrier of the towel wrapped around his waist, his cell phone rang. Gavin showed no intentions of retrieving the call.

With quickened breathing, Emily pulled back and looked at him. "You really should answer that, Mr. Blake."

He threaded his fingers in her hair and guided her back down to his mouth. "No way," he groaned as he leaned back against the headboard, his kiss becoming harder. "Whoever it is can wait."

"Uh, uh, uh." She pulled back again with a teasing smile on her face. Though it took massive efforts, she figured she'd play a little game - one that he thought he was the master of. "It could be your mother calling."

He ran his palm over his face and let out another groan. His lips curled into a sensual smile. "You're killing me, Emily - literally killing me."

She smirked, reveling in the fact that she could make such a powerful man crumble. Rolling off him, she started to laugh. "Hmm, who's begging now?"

Shaking his head, he swung his legs over the side of bed and laughed. "Oh, you will pay for that one, I promise."

As she listened to him speak with whoever was on the other end, she smiled and ran her fingers across his back, hoping he would make good on his threat.

"Can't it wait?" he asked the caller.

Emily sat up on her knees and feathered kisses along his shoulders.

Loving the way she felt, Gavin rolled his neck to the side, inviting her into his mouth. She smiled and kissed him for a few seconds before he spoke again.

"Alright, give me a minute," he groaned into his cell. Cupping his hand over it, he turned to face her. "It's Colton. I have a few things I need to go over with him about some bullshit at work. I might be a while."

Emily nodded.

He touched her cheek with the back of his hand, stroking the curve of her chin. Settling his lips over hers, he kissed her tenderly. "Open the rest of your gifts, go take a shower, and I'll make us some breakfast when I'm done talking with him."

Again she nodded, her eyes following him as he made his way out of the room. Trying to tame her heated senses, she drew in a deep breath and started going through the rest of the items. Along with a pair of pink-and-gray Nike Shox sneakers, she also found the necessities needed for her to take a shower. From shampoo to an array of body wash and razors, he seemed to have covered all the bases. There was also a bottle of Jimmy Choo perfume. Emily figured he must have spoken with Olivia because that was her favorite kind. Opening the thinnest box, she smiled when she found a pair of black lace panties and a matching bra.

After gathering everything together, Emily slipped from the bed and padded into the bathroom where she indulged in a hot, soothing shower. Though her body felt physically at ease in complete bliss, her thoughts were anything but. Overwhelmed would have been an understatement. She had a lot that she knew she had to face when Dillon got back. Frankly, it terrified her right down to her bones. She ran over the things she would tell him. However, she still couldn't push away the feeling that somehow the whole scenario was about to go up in flames - torching her, Gavin, and Dillon in the process. Stepping out from the shower, she grabbed a towel off the rack and tried to push away the festering negative thoughts that were taking residence in her head.

Once dressed in her less-than-appealing Yankees attire, she made her way into the living room, her eyes sweeping over Gavin's collage of black-and-white photos; most were massive in size. Unlike the time before when she was there, this time she actually studied them. It was then that she noticed every picture hanging on the wall was a building or famous structure of some sort. She recognized one as the Pantheon located in Rome. Another was a French portrait of the Palace of Versailles. Her eyes scanned over the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, and the Gateway Arch. She wondered if these were places Gavin already visited or if they were on his list of places to see.

With that thought, she followed the voice of the man she wanted to know more about. She found him in his office, sitting at a large mahogany desk with Manhattan's skyline just beyond the floor-to-ceiling window behind him. Although the structures of the most powerful city in the world towered over his frame, in her eyes, he looked like a king seated on his throne.

And now that king was hers.

With his eyes downcast, staring at his laptop, still in business mode with his Bluetooth receiver in his ear, Gavin didn't notice her observing him while she leaned against the doorframe. To her disappointment, he'd already gotten himself dressed. However - as casual and relaxed as he appeared in a pair of black sweatpants, a white V-neck T-shirt, and reading glasses - in that moment, she felt drawn to him. Quietly, she moved across the room, bridging their distance. It wasn't until she was within an arm's length of him that his head snapped up, a contagious smile washing over his face.

He held his finger up, signaling her another minute - but she didn't want to wait. No. Instead, she found herself slowly sliding the sweatpants off her body, her gaze intent on his.

Today, she was the huntress...and Gavin was her prey.

She watched him swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing, as he leaned back in his leather chair, crossing his arms. His smile widened further. He kept his voice cool and monotone - continuing his conversation as if unaffected by her striptease - but his physical reaction rising up through his sweatpants told another story.

Positioning herself directly in front of him, she planted her foot on his chair between his legs. A salacious grin tipped the corners of his mouth as she leveraged herself, slow like a snake, slithering her body on top of his desk. With his head at even height with her stomach, he rolled forward in his seat, his hands gripping her waist as he looked up to her. Sucking in his bottom lip, he smirked and shook his head as if warning her of the wonderful things to come.

"Colton, it's not a good move," he said. Then he paused a moment and listened, his eyes never leaving Emily. A wave of heat coursed through her body as his hands gripped tighter around her waist while the pads of his thumbs stroked slow circles against her sensitive stomach.

She showed no mercy in her actions either as she teasingly pulled her sweatshirt off, her bare foot gently sliding against his crotch.

The come-hither look in her eyes nearly sank Gavin right there.

If Emily wasn't mistaken, a light groan rumbled in the back of his throat, and she swore that it was the most erotic sound she'd ever heard. Her awareness of him was quickly becoming physically painful as the flesh between her legs tightened viciously. With that, she tipped her head back and seductively ran her hands over the black lace of her bra, kneading her fingers against her breasts, in hopes of shortening his conversation.

"Right, I understand, but that account is months away from going live, so it's not something I'm worried about right now," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "Look, I have to go. I'll talk to you about this later," he finished, yanking off the earpiece and tossing it on his desk.

Bingo...

He went to pull off his glasses, but Emily caught him by the wrist, stilling his movements. "No, keep them on," she rasped, her gaze sweeping over his face. "You look sexy in them."

Wearing a boyish grin, he tilted his head to the side and studied her. "I look sexy in glasses?" he asked, his hands spreading her thighs wide open.

Nodding, she let out a breath as her palms slid against the cool surface of the desk.

"Mmm, I don't know about that," he remarked, his voice low. He eased her panties to the side and slipped one finger inside her. He pulled it out, licked her juices from it, and then gently pushed two back in.

"Gavin, yes...please don't stop," she moaned, her back bowing under his assault as her hips circled shamelessly against his thrusting fingers. While the fingers of his one hand worked inside her, the other tore and snapped the panties away from her body.

"F*ck, you're so wet," he hissed through gritted teeth as he quickly rose from his chair. With his free hand, he swiftly shed his clothing while his other continued to push in and out of her. His rhythm was steady and unhurried as his thumb circled her sensitized *. Emily's sex rippled eagerly around his stroking fingers, her grip white-knuckling the sides of the desk. "I do this to you, Emily. I make your body get like this."

A moan left her lips, and she reached for his dick, sliding her hand up its length from root to tip. She helped him guide it through her saturated folds, and when he was finally snug inside her, she sucked in as he deliciously stretched her out. After lifting his shirt off over his head, she unhooked her bra and tossed it to the side.

"Ah, Christ, you're so f*cking tight," he bit out, his blazing blue eyes intense as he watched her. "I love the way you feel around me."

With his hands fisting her waist, Gavin's head fell back, letting out a deep guttural groan. His pace was fast and hard - and Emily loved it. Her face flushed, her skin misted with sweat, and her body shook as he pounded into her, driving the message home repeatedly. Holding onto his neck, she pulled him down to kiss him, but he resisted.

"What are you doing?" she asked, panting as he thrust inside her again - this time slower but with more force. "I want to kiss you, Gavin."

Pulling himself out a fraction of the way, he stared at her, his mouth curving wickedly. "I know, but I'm not letting you kiss me."

With her nails digging into his shoulders, she leaned forward again in an attempt to catch his mouth, but he steadied her, his hand cupping the curve of her neck. He brushed his thumb over her lips as he pushed deeper, and she gasped, arching her back. Her body felt like it was about to combust into flames.

"Why won't you let me kiss you?" she breathed out. Ripping his glasses from his face, she flung them to the side as waves of screaming pleasure tore through her.

He smirked, and with another slow, rough thrust, he groaned. "I want to see your beautiful face the entire time. See what you look like when I'm inside you - when you come for me." He jerked his hips forward, harder, and deeper as his hands gripped the sides of her thighs. Her folds sheathed every stiff inch of him, her body shaking and clenching around his. "You're going to let me watch you come, Emily."

Finding his demand excruciatingly carnal, her mind went wild for him, its ferocious desire needing to give him what he wanted. Her entire body shuddered, and within a matter of seconds, her core convulsed with rippling orgasms tearing through every cell in her body. It radiated outward until she was trembling from head to toe, mindless in her ecstasy.

As soon as she did, Gavin caught her by the nape of her neck, slamming his mouth against hers. He growled and Emily's name tore past his lips as he licked his tongue across the side of her jaw.

Still battering into her, Emily felt his body tip over the edge, fraying. She felt his hot liquid warmth flow within her as he groaned into her neck, his body shaking with his own climax.

As the scent of sex filled the air and a seductive mixture of love and pheromones raced through every nerve ending in their bodies, Gavin picked her up from the desk and carried her into the living room. Dragging her down with him, they collapsed onto the couch. With ecstatic spasms still rushing through each of their muscles, Gavin reached for a blanket, tossed it over their naked skin, and pulled Emily against his chest.

"You're amazing," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

She let out a satisfied sigh and smiled at him.

They held each other close, both absorbing the aftershocks as their breathing slowed and evened out. Gavin brushed the damp tendrils of hair away from Emily's face, his fingertips gliding across her lips and down the curve of her jaw. Arms, legs, and bodies intertwined, they both drifted off into a glorious haze of sleep, neither wanting to wake from this dream.

With the sun dipping below the horizon, the only sound in the penthouse that Gavin could hear was Emily's shallow sleeping breath as it whispered against his bare chest. Stroking her hair from her shoulder, he was all too aware that the minutes they had left together were fading quickly. Closing his eyes, Gavin breathed her in, trying to hold onto the moment, but his thoughts were consumed with something he wasn't used to.

Fear.

Gavin feared nothing, and now he felt overtaken by it. Though Dillon wouldn't be back until Tuesday, Gavin knew that when he returned things could possibly change for him and Emily. Gavin had no doubt in his heart that she loved him; she'd spent the last twenty-four hours proving that. However, he couldn't ignore that there was still a possibility she might change her mind about him once Dillon returned. Staring at her sleeping form curled against him, he kissed her forehead. Inwardly, he prayed that the woman who delivered more than she'll ever know - who filled his empty life with her mere presence - didn't crack under Dillon's pleading demands.

Trying not to wake her, Gavin gingerly slid from the couch and moved to the kitchen where he pulled out a menu to order them dinner. Since he so clearly recalled their encounter in front of the sushi restaurant, he figured that it was a safe bet. After the order was placed, Gavin padded into his office to retrieve his and Emily's discarded clothing from earlier. He got dressed, and when he returned to the living room, he found Emily awake, looking in his direction. She smiled at him and stretched out her long arms while she rose from the couch, dragging the blanket along with her. Gavin watched the woman who now owned his heart make her way toward him, his breathing spiking instantly the closer she got. With the blanket wrapped tightly around her body, Emily shoved up on her tiptoes, draped one arm over his neck, and started kissing him. Smiling, Gavin slipped his arms around her waist, holding her close as he willingly reciprocated - soaking her sweetness into his mouth, her scent into his nose, and her touch into his skin.

"It's almost dark outside," she said, pulling back, her eyes lazy with sleep. "I can't believe I slept that long."

A smart-ass smirk crossed his features. "Well, you've kept us very...active since last night."

"And you partook in every moment of it, Mr. Blake," she said matter-of-factly, laughing. "And, if I'm not mistaken, you enjoyed every second of it as well."

"Mmm, you caught me. I enjoyed every millisecond of it to tell you the truth." She laughed, and he brought his hand up to cup her jaw, his thumb stroking her cheek. "I just woke up myself actually," he said, flashing his dimpled smile. "You're hungry, right? I mean, considering we slept through breakfast and lunch, you must be."

"I'm starved."

"I ordered sushi. Good?"

"Perfect," she answered, placing a kiss upon his cheek. "I'll be right back. I'm gonna go clean up and get myself dressed in the wonderful Yankees attire you've forced me into wearing today."

Leaning against the counter, he chuckled and watched as she slipped into the bathroom.

"Wiseass," she called out before closing the door.

Emily giggled to herself when she heard him laugh at her comment, but her smile soon fell once she glanced at herself in the mirror. Though her body may have been brought to extreme heights of ecstasy over the last few hours, her disheveled appearance said otherwise. With her hair matted, lips swollen from frenzied kissing, and eyes showing lack of sleep from the night before, she decided a quick shower was in order.

After finishing up, she realized she had forgotten to bring that fashionable Yankees outfit into the bathroom. Wrapping a towel around her wet body, she opened the door, only to find Gavin standing there with her clothing in his hands. He poked his head in, dangling the attire in front of her. Every time she tried to grab it from him, he'd yank his arm back, keeping it from her.

"Would you stop?" she laughed, once again reaching for the clothing.

"Do you have any idea the self-control I'm exercising right now?" She cocked her head to the side and smiled. "However, you've lucked out. The food's already here, and I don't want you to starve any more than you already have," he laughed and handed her the clothing. "But I make no promises after we're done eating though."

"Sounds like fun."

He leaned in to kiss her and went to walk away, but stopped in the hall and turned around. "Emily."

"Gavin."

"Don't forget," he said, smirking mischievously. "My impatient hands ripped the panties from that pretty body of yours earlier, so it looks like you're going commando, doll."

"Gavin," she said with an alluring smile.

"Emily."

"I enjoyed every millisecond of you ripping those panties from my body."

As Gavin tried to walk back into the bathroom, Emily closed the door in his face and locked it.

"The food will get cold," she yelled out, trying to stifle a laugh.

"It's sushi; it's supposed to be cold. And I'm giving you five minutes to come out here and eat it," he groaned. "If not, I'm beating the door down, and you'll be what I'm having for dinner, Miss Cooper."

Laughing, she heard him walk away and found herself trying to hold back the sudden urge of allowing him to acquire her as his main dish. Though his threat held massive appeal, she got dressed, blew her hair dry, and made her way into the living room.

To her surprise - and very much to her liking - he'd dimmed the lights throughout the penthouse, turned on the gas fireplace, and set up a makeshift picnic on a blanket in front of the crackling flames. Again, she found herself observing him without his knowledge. Mystified by everything about him, she watched as he poured them both a glass of red wine, his body relaxed as he sat Indian style on the blanket. Leaning against the wall, she crossed her arms and wondered what the last year of her life would've been like had he been the one to visit Olivia with Trevor instead of Dillon. However, in that moment, a sickening paradox occurred within her thoughts. No matter how bad her scenario with Dillon had ended, Emily could never forget the things he'd helped her through, and a part of her would always love him for that. Nevertheless, her heart now lay in Gavin's hands. He was her new love, a new path, and the new road she wanted to follow.

On a sigh, she walked over to Gavin and knelt astride him. He smiled at her as he curled his arm around her waist. She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips, and when she did, the heat that he resurrected in her body made itself acutely present - but, at the same time, guilt filled her soul. Some of it was guilt for Dillon, but more so, guilt that she was the reason Gavin was about to step into a catastrophe, considering they had opened up the floodgates to something that could be devastating to them both. The only thing she could do was pray that he was strong enough to endure the turmoil they would find themselves in once Dillon returned.

"I love you, Gavin," she whispered, her voice sullen.

Pulling back, he searched her eyes. "I love you, too, Emily," he said, brushing his fingers through her hair. "I honestly do."

She gave him a weak smile and moved herself across the blanket, being careful not to knock anything over. She started to open some of the containers and then placed a few rolls of sushi on her plate.

Handing her a pair of chopsticks, Gavin studied her for a moment, picking up immediately on the shift in her demeanor. He couldn't help but feel his heart sink, if only for a second. "Are you alright?"

She took a sip of wine and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Are you sure?"

"I am." She leaned over and stroked his cheek. "Thank you for all of this. It's perfect."

Her reassuring touch settled his thoughts. Letting out a breath, he smiled. "It's me who needs to thank you."

"Don't be silly," she laughed. "Thank me for what?"

"For everything, Emily," he replied, his voice and eyes soft. She looked at him, her movements stilled by his tone. "Thank you for falling in love with me. Thank you for sharing yourself with me. God, thank you for not wanting to f*cking kill me every time I pursued you during all of this. I know I put you in a bad position, but I couldn't..." He paused, drawing in a long breath as he looked down to his plate. When he brought his gaze back to hers, he could see tears brimming in her eyes. "I just couldn't stay away from you," he whispered. "I felt you the second you walked into my building. Hell, I think I felt you before you walked in. I've never experienced anything like that before in my life. It all flashed in front of me - marriage, kids, growing old together. You pulled me in, and I knew...I just knew right then that we were supposed to be together."

Now she moved to him, uncaring of knocking anything over this time. She sat up on her knees and inched her way across the blanket where she snuggled herself in his lap. Draping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down to her mouth. Any and all doubts she had that he wouldn't be able to endure what they were about to go through together evaporated from her mind.

Vanished. Poof. Gone.

"You're crying," he whispered over her lips, wiping a tear from her cheek. She smiled, and Gavin let out a light chuckle. "I always manage to make you cry."

"These are definitely good tears this time, Gavin," she said, sniffling as she laughed.

"And that's all they'll ever be." He leaned down to kiss her. "I swear to God that's all they'll ever be, Emily."

Still sitting in his lap, she reached for a pair of chopsticks and plucked a roll out of one of the tins. "Open up," she said, holding it to his mouth. "I want to feed you."

He did as she asked, smiling while he chewed. "I can get used to this."

"I bet you could," she laughed.

"But of course." He lifted his glass of wine to his lips and took a sip. "I'll take more," he said, opening his mouth wide.

She giggled and reached for another, popping it into his mouth. "Can I ask you something, Mr. Blake?"

"Anything."

"Have you been to all of these places?" With the sweep of her hand, she motioned to some of the pictures on the walls.

Swallowing, he took a second to look at some of them. He nodded. "I have actually. I went to study them."

"For school? I thought you took business management."

"I did take business management," he said, smiling. "But I originally wanted to become an architect. I'm fascinated with the way things are created - from stories in books to buildings." He traced the curve of her jaw, down to her collarbone, and then over her shoulder. She smiled at him. "I find it amazing that a thought in someone's mind can turn into something so beautiful and so life changing - just from a simple vision or idea."

"Why didn't you go to school for that then?"

His gaze swept over the pictures again for a moment. "After my grandmother on my father's side passed away, Colton and I were each left a considerable inheritance. He came to me wanting to open Blake Industries." Reaching for another piece of sushi, he popped it into his mouth and shrugged. "He needed my half of the inheritance to start it up. Instead of becoming a silent partner as we had originally discussed, I went in as part owner. Essentially, the advertising industry creates things, so I figured why not - and besides, it was something he really wanted, and I didn't want to let him down."

Emily looked up to him, cupping her hand over his cheek. "You did it for him."

"Kind of." He smiled. "But I'd never let the prick know that."

"Do you like it though? I mean, are you actually happy doing it?"

"I'm happy with how successful we eventually became." Quirking a brow, he smirked. "And I don't usually go into work until ten in the morning most days, so that's a plus."

"Lucky you. I wish I could go in that late," she laughed. "But you didn't answer my question, Blake." He smiled, and she adjusted herself in his lap. "Are you actually happy doing it?"

"You want honesty?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I'm shooting for here," she laughed.

"I hate it. It bores me pretty close to death."

"You should be happy with what you do for a living," she said, leaning up to kiss him. "Have you ever thought about selling your portion off?"

Stroking the hair away from her face, he kissed her forehead. "I have, and I will eventually. Considering we just got her back on her feet again within the last few years, I want to make sure she's solid before I do."

"You're a good brother, you know that?"

"Oh, I'm as pretty f*cking cool as they come." They both laughed, and Gavin pulled her closer. "Enough about me. What made you decide on a career in teaching?"

"Well, I'm dyslexic actually. When I was growing up, I attended a school that either didn't recognize that I had it or didn't have the staff that was able to help me." She reached for her glass of wine and took a sip. "Other kids made fun of me because it kept me from advancing in my studies to a point. With that, as I struggled through high school, I decided that I wanted to become a teacher because us dyslexic folk can notice right away when a child has it. I figured if I could help just one kid get diagnosed early on, it would be worth it."

He stared at her for a few seconds and smiled. "You know, you're as pretty cool as they come."

"Oh, am I?" she asked, laughing. "I've never been referred to as cool. Ever."

He gently pulled her up and positioned her legs around his waist. Stroking his hands through her hair, he brushed his lips against hers. "Yes. You're undoubtedly the coolest woman I know," he said, sucking on her bottom lip. She smiled. "And I promise to always refer to you as being cool."

"Well, thank you for that." She laughed against his mouth. "And I promise to always refer to you as a wiseass."

"Mmm, you have my permission to call me whatever you want."

She smiled and continued to indulge in his overly skilled mouth.

After a few minutes, Gavin pulled back, the proverbial "elephant in the room" resting heavy on his chest. "Could I ask you a question now?"

"Absolutely," she replied, placing a kiss on his jaw.

"How are we going about telling Dillon?" Gavin felt her body tense as she bit her lip. He brought his hand around the back of her neck and cautiously coaxed her face within inches of his, his eyes soft. "Emily," he whispered. "We. I said we. I'm not letting you tell him alone, do you understand me?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded. "I do, but could we not talk about him right now?"

Gavin searched her eyes. He could tell she was nervous, and he knew the risk she was taking was far greater than his was - but he also felt confused at that point. "We have to talk about him, Emily."

"I know we do," she answered, lifting her hands to his cheeks. "It's just that he doesn't get back until Tuesday. It's Sunday night, and I just want right here and now to be about you and me. Not him...just us, Gavin." She found his perfect mouth again and kissed him ferociously with nothing more than wanting to rid Dillon from her thoughts. Gavin tightened his hold around her waist and groaned into her mouth. She slowly pulled back and looked at him. "Tomorrow night, okay? We'll go over everything tomorrow night."

"Alright, but you have to swear to me that you won't say anything to him before." He smoothed his hands through her hair. "I want to be there. Again, this is us."

"I know this is us. Thank you," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his. "But, honestly, I haven't even answered his phone calls."

"Okay, I just want to make sure - "

Emily placed a silencing finger over his mouth, and he smiled. "Stop," she said, removing her finger as she replaced it with her lips. While his tongue swept through her mouth, she tried to relax her nerves down from the conversation.

That didn't take too long at all.

"You're staying with me tonight again, I assume," he whispered, his mouth grazing over her jaw.

She tilted her neck to the side as his kisses moved down her collarbone. "I can't. I've been substituting for someone, and I have papers to grade when I get home. Besides, I have to be at the school by seven tomorrow morning."

"You teach first grade, don't you?" he asked as he lifted her arms up, gently pulling her sweatshirt off.

"Yes, that would be the grade I teach." She unclasped her bra and tossed it to the side. "Why do you ask?"

Focusing his eyes on her luscious breasts, a reverent smile broke out across Gavin's face. Wetting his lips, he remained silent.

Emily placed a finger under his chin, bringing his gaze back to hers. "Why?"

He pulled her into his mouth and started kissing her. "Why what?" he asked, nipping at her lip.

"Gavin," she laughed. "You asked if I teach first grade."

"Oh, right," he chuckled, swiftly removing the shirt from his body. "You said you can't stay with me because you have papers to grade, correct?"

"Yes."

"Don't they all just automatically pass at that age?" he clipped, sweeping his hand beneath her knees as he rose to his feet and carried her to his bedroom. "I mean, it's only coloring and shit like that."

"No, they don't automatically pass," she laughed. "And they don't just color."

Placing her on the bed, he watched as she slid her naked body toward the pillows.

He quickly shed the rest of his clothing and climbed under the blankets with her. "There's nothing I could say to you - wait, strike that. There's nothing I can do to you that would make you change your mind about staying with me tonight?"

She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "I really can't. But I'll let you try to convince me," she laughed.

"Mmm, you run a hard bargain," he breathed out, feathering his lips along the curve of her neck. "But I'll take it, Miss Cooper."

Over the next several hours, both Gavin and Emily thoroughly enjoyed...dessert multiple times. Though he hounded and harassed her a little bit more about spending the night, he couldn't get her to stay. By the time he brought her home - despite his best efforts with the passionate tender kiss he left on her lips and even going so far as offering to pay her a year's salary for the night - he watched as she closed the door to her apartment. He cursed the fact that tomorrow was a Monday, and she had to work.

With his body racing with excitement and his heart soaring with a love unlike any that he'd ever felt, it was all that Gavin could do to make his way home without getting into a car accident. His mind replayed the last twenty-four hours repeatedly - like a vivid movie, a vivid love story. To hell with Casablanca, he was in love - and now he truly felt like a god.

Now he had it all.

He knew he looked like a goofy lovesick fool as he padded into his building, whistling to himself. The door attendant greeted him with the tip of his hat and a curious expression on his face, showing that he even knew something had changed in Gavin. Smiling, Gavin patted him on his shoulder, shook his hand, and headed for the elevators.

Deciding to forgo a shower - wanting to hold onto the smell of Emily's scent emanating from his pores - it was well past eleven by the time Gavin sat down in front of his laptop to get some work done. It was also well past eleven when his front door buzzed. Snapping his head up, he couldn't help the smile that washed over his face as he made his way down the hall. Emily had promised that if anything changed, she would come back. He reached for the doorknob, and upon opening it, he was met by familiar green eyes staring back at him.

Unfortunately, they weren't the eyes he had expected to see.

Feeling the blood drain from his face, confusion clouded his head. "What the f*ck are you doing here?"

"That's a nice way of greeting someone you spent a half a decade with," Gina replied, wiping tears from her face as the smell of booze wafted through the air around her.

Gavin poked his head out from behind the door and glanced from side to side down the hall.

"What are you doing?" she asked, stumbling back.

"I'm looking for the f*cking hidden camera crew - that's what I'm doing," he bit out. His brows furrowed like raven's wings over his darkened eyes. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No, Gavin, it's not a joke" she choked out, slurring her words. "I know I'm the last person you want to see, but the only reason I'm here is because my father died."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he looked down to the ground and shook his head. "Gina, what do you want from me?" he asked, his voice calmer.

"Jesus, Gavin, I just told you that my father's dead," she sobbed, moving closer. "My brother's in Greece right now. You know I have no one else," she cried, burying her face in her hands. Bringing her bloodshot, swollen eyes back to his, her lips quivered. "Can you at least let me come in for a few minutes?"

Swallowing hard, he stared at her for a long moment as his thoughts ran over every possible scenario that might allow him to escape the situation. Watching the woman - whom he had spent so many years with - tremble and shake before him like a lost, broken-hearted child, he couldn't stop his thoughts from weaving over to Emily. He wondered what the woman - whom he was now in love with - would think if he actually let his ex-fiancee come in.

"Please, Gavin. I just need someone to talk to right now," she whispered, staring at the ground as her body swayed slightly.

"Gina, you do understand that you're only coming in to talk, right?" She wiped the tears from her face and nodded. "I want to make myself very clear. I'm giving you fifteen minutes, and then you have to leave."

"Okay," she cried, looking into his eyes. "Thank you."

Without another word, he ran a nervous hand through his hair and reluctantly stepped out of her way to allow her into his penthouse. His mind struggled with his decision as he snapped the door shut. She stumbled into the living room, removed her jacket, and discarded it onto the floor as though it were a used tissue.

"Do you have any alcohol?" she asked, sinking herself into the couch.

"I think you've already had enough to drink," he replied, taking a seat on a chair across the room. "What exactly happened?"

"He hung himself," she sobbed, folding her hands across her stomach as if she were in physical pain. "He got himself in deep and lost everything. I'm messed up. Financially, he dragged me down with him this time."

Gavin knew immediately what she was talking about. He'd spent five years of their relationship digging her father out from one gambling mess to the next - everything from horse race betting to long weekend trips the a*shole spent in Vegas. The tally was close to a $300,000, if not more.

With a heavy sigh, Gavin folded his hands together and leaned forward. "Do you need help with the funeral expenses or your rent? Which is it?"

Plowing her hand through her blonde hair, she sucked in an indignant breath. "How could you even say that to me right now? You think I came here for money?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm pretty f*cking sure that's why you came here."

Using the back of her hand to wipe her nose, she stared at him, her mouth wide open. "I can't believe what you're saying to me, considering - "

"Considering what?" he cut her off, his tone harsh. "You walked out of my life, and now you show up at my door out of nowhere, laying all of this on me. If you're looking for a shoulder to cry on, I'm not your guy." He rose from his chair and padded into the kitchen, flinging open one of the cabinets. Yanking a bottle of bourbon from the shelf, he poured himself a shot and tossed it back. "I'm sorry to hear about your father - I honestly am - but I don't know what you want from me."

"Gavin, I came here because you're the only person in the whole world who really knows and understands me," she gasped, her tear-stained eyes wounded. "You know my mother left us. I have no one. How can you be so heartless?"

"Yeah, I'm the heartless one. I learned from the best; let's not forget that. If you need money, just f*cking say it already. Goddammit!" he snapped, slamming the shot glass down on the counter so hard that Gina jumped, startled by his anger.

Somewhere in between the spiked level of adrenaline coursing its way through his veins and her sobbing, Gavin faintly registered the sound of his cell phone ringing in the office. For a moment, he felt as though his feet were frozen to the ground. He couldn't believe that the woman who'd hurt him so badly and put him through so much heartbreak was sitting on his sofa - asking him to alleviate her pain. Shaking his head, Gavin finally turned away from her without another word and shuffled out of the living room to answer the call.

By the time he made it into his office, it had stopped ringing. Picking it up, his heart dropped when he realized it was Emily that'd called. He reclined himself into his leather chair, stabbed his passcode into the damn thing, and retrieved the message she had left for him.

"Well, hello there, wiseass. I know it's pretty late, and I was about to go to bed myself, but I just wanted to call and thank you for one of the best nights and days of my life. I know you and I have a tough ride ahead of us..." She paused and lowered her voice. "But as afraid of all of this as I was, I'm not scared anymore, Gavin. I'm really not. You depleted me of any doubts that I had about us. I don't know. I'm just rambling on now, but I wanted you to know that I do love you, and I'm excited to see just how amazing we're going to be together. I'll see you tomorrow night. Sweet dreams."

Gavin lost count of the amount of times he listened to Emily's message, her voice like an angel amid the nightmare that was in sitting in his living room. Sighing, he scrubbed his palms over his face and debated on sending her a text. He decided against it, considering she said she was going to bed.

Rising from his chair, he made his way back into the living room - only to find his nightmare ex laying on his couch sound asleep, wearing only her sweater and panties. On the floor, next to her jeans, the bottle of bourbon was tipped on its side nearly empty.

"How can a day so f*cking good end so badly?" he mumbled to himself as he moved across the room toward the couch. "Gina," he said, leaning over her as he nudged her shoulder. "You need to leave."

She swatted her hand at him but severely missed her mark. "I'm too drunk to go anywhere, Gav," she slurred. "Don't worry; I won't steal your millions while you're asleep."

"No, Gina, you're not sleeping here," he replied, his voice insistent. "Get up."

"Pick me up if you want me out then," she said, giggling as she reached for the blanket.

Gavin cringed because the blanket she was now draping across her drunken body was the blanket that he'd spent the day tucked underneath with Emily.

He pretty much decided that he would torch it after this.

"I'm not picking you up. You're not even dressed," he said, his voice showing his patience was wearing thin by the second. He nudged her shoulder again. "Get up, Gina. I'm not kidding."

She didn't verbally answer. However, her light snoring did all the talking, showing signs that she wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Picking up the bottle from the floor, Gavin walked into the kitchen and emptied the rest of its contents into the sink. Letting out a heavy sigh, he chucked it into the garbage, leaned himself against the counter, and grudgingly peered at Gina from across the room. Short of removing her, couch and all, Gavin resigned himself to the fact that she was indeed staying the night. With that, he flipped the lights off and headed into his bedroom, his muscles tensing with aggravation and anger with every step he took. It was well after midnight by the time Gavin climbed into bed. It was also well after midnight when he decided that his conversation with Emily tomorrow night would be about more than just Dillon. It would also consist of his unexpected house guest sleeping over.

He only prayed that Emily would understand.