Page 19 of Christmas with Brother's Best Friends

But not all the risks that I want to take.

Emma pauses when she spots a food truck parked in front of the office, a small line leading up to it. She lifts up on her toes to look over shoulders at the menu, the wind making her skirt flutter around her pantyhose-covered thighs.

Those damn thighs. I should stop this now. These thoughts. These feelings. I’ve tried to rationalize them away, tried to tell myself it’s just a phase, just admiration. But every time I see her, the truth settles deeper in my bones—I want more than this project. I want her. And that’s a problem. A big one.

I pause my music and take out my earbuds before heading over to her. “They have some pretty good sweet stuff.”

Emma jumps a little, her hand flying to her chest. “You scared me.”

A half smile forms on my face. “Boo.”

Emma pushes my arm. “Well, what do you like from here? I know you have a major sweet tooth. My mom’s chocolate chip cookies never stood a chance around you.”

“I like sweet things,” I reply as I peer at her. Her cheeks are already red from the wind, but I swear they become pinker. “They have really good cinnamon rolls.”

“Tempting,” Emma says, her eyes not leaving mine.

Very tempting. So tempting that neither of us notice that the line has moved forward.

“What can I get you guys?”

Emma looks away first and heads up to the window of the food truck, her eyes lingering on the menu. “I heard your cinnamon rolls were good.”

The young woman at the window smiles and nods. “I’d have to say they’re some of the best in the city.”

“We’ll take two of them,” I say as I hand her a twenty-dollar bill. “Keep the change.”

“Thank you!” the woman quips before disappearing into the food truck.

Emma faces me with a pointed look. “You guys have to let me pay for something. You can’t keep loading me up with hot chocolate and sweets without something in return.”

“Your company is more than enough,” I assure her as my hand briefly grazes her elbow.

Curiosity lights up her face. “My company or my help?”

“Both,” I reply as I step toward her, hearing her inhale sharply. “We don’t have you for long. Let us spoil you a little.”

Emma’s teeth briefly catch her bottom lip as she smiles, and it makes my stomach flip. She can’t be biting her lip around me. Even if it’s only for a second.

“Here you go!” the woman says as she holds a paper bag out of the window.

“Thank you,” I tell her as I take the bag and motion for Emma to follow me into the office.

When we get to the penthouse, we say a quick hello to Max as we head toward the meeting room, nodding toward Josh as he rambles on a phone call.. I push down my annoyance at the sight. I can tell it’s a personal call. Not a business call.

Emma steals the bag from me once we sit down next to each other at the conference table. She slides over one box to me before opening hers, revealing a huge cinnamon roll covered with white icing. “It smells amazing.”

“Wait until you taste it,” I say before picking up mine and taking a bite at the same time as her.

Emma’s eyes widen in wonder. “That is the best thing that I’ve ever put in my mouth.”

My eyebrow uncontrollably shoots up, making her swat at me.

“You know what I meant, Ryan,” she scolds me before licking the icing off her lips. “Dirty mind.”

I tear my eyes away from her tongue as it darts out to lick icing off the corner of her mouth. Heat floods the lower part of my body, and I have to dig my nails into my palm under the table to keep my arousal at bay.

“You thought it too,” I point out before taking another bite to busy myself.