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CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Emerson

“Good morning, Kelton.” I wake to the sound of Liz hollering out as she passes by. Smiling before I even open my eyes, I roll over in search of my phone. Being awarded his chuckle first thing in the morning is something I am getting used to.

“She’s up early,” he says in reference to his sister.

“She starts the internship this morning,” I say and am met with silence. We’ve done better but I know whenever something new develops for either of us that means we can’t just pick up and move ourselves to be closer to him, it hits a little harder.

“Oh yeah, I remember her saying something about that.” There it is, the push through.

“It’s only for six weeks,” I tell him with a smile. He has no idea what she and I have both been up to over the last few weeks since we’ve been home. “Her professor wanted her to get a little hands-on in the stock exchange world so she is shadowing some powerhouse.”

“She may even teach the guy a thing or two,” he adds in reference to his sister and I couldn’t agree more.

“I am sure you are right, but the he is a she.”

“This could end badly.” I can hear him rustling around and I know already he is making a morning power shake. I’ve watched him make them, a bunch of yuck in a blender, a few yummy things to make it not so blah, and some protein powder.

I hear the blender, and smile, knowing I know him well. It’s a good feeling.

“When do you leave for St. Louis?” I’ve been counting down the days until I see him again. It’s helped keep my mind focused on the fact that I’ll get to kiss him soon.

“The team is heading out later today.” He yawns. “We’ll get there in time for bed.”

“Then tomorrow?”

“Field first thing.” He takes a drink. “Then I’ll have the day before the game. When are you guys getting in?”

I bite my lip, not wanting to lie but knowing it will be worth the surprise. “We’ll be really late tonight.”

“Okay, and you have your room info?”

“A two-bedroom suite, under my name. It is on the floor directly below the team floor.” I look around the room, thinking he’s gone a little excessive. It’s a bit much for us.

“The suite is under your name,” he says. “Call me when you get there.”

“Don’t you need your sleep?”

“I need you more.” He doesn’t hesitate. “I can sleep on the road, when I get there and then after you and I have ourselves a little reunion.”

“A reunion huh?”

“Yep.” I already know he’s smiling. He’s got the mischievous tone in his voice. “Been playing it all out in my head for days. When you get there, you call me, I’ll come to you then you just let me lead.”

“What if I want to lead?” I challenge him.

“After I’ve got you on the bed and my head is buried between your legs, you can let me know if you still want to lead.” It’s my turn to be thrown and unsure of what to say in response.

His chuckle makes me fully aware that he picks up on how his words affected me. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Kelton sounds very pleased with himself and I don’t even care that he’d one-upped me. Now all I can think about is exactly the image he’s placed in my head.

My hands on his head, pulling his hair as he drives me wild.

“You sure I can’t get you there sooner?”

“You don’t fight fair.” My body feels warm all over.

“Not when it comes to you.”

“We will head out once she gets home and we can get on the road.”

“Be careful,” he tells me, long gone is the dirty talker. “No stopping at rundown gas stations. If you have to stop you go together inside, and,” he pauses sounded frustrated, “Just call me every time you stop.”

“Are you going to climb through the phone and rescue us if we are in trouble?” I bite my lip to keep from laughing when he sighs.

“Em,” he groans. “Will you two please just be careful?”

I sit back on the plush couch, kicking up my feet and pull the soft blanket over my legs. If he only knew we’d called and changed our arriving date to last night. We’d had it planned from the start to be here when he arrived.

“We will be careful I promise and if we have to stop we will make sure we are aware of our surroundings, only go to well-lit places and never go anywhere without one another and our pepper spray.”

“I hate the two of you traveling alone, I wish you would have let me fly you both in.”

We rented a car, because we fully intend to let him fly us back. But if he took control of the arrival he’d know our surprise and well, we didn’t want that.

“It’s fine, daddy, now stop fussing.”

“Some people are into that.”

“What?”

“Their girls calling them daddy,” he clarifies and I snicker. “Nope, nah.” He makes a growling sound. One that sounds more like a gag. “Don’t like it, let’s not do that ever again.”

I laugh. “So what you are saying is if I want to turn you off, I should call you daddy.”

“Ugh, damn, and wait.” He pauses for a few seconds. “Why would you want to turn me off?”

“I don’t, but it’s good info to have.”

We go back and forth a little more about that fact that I would never need to use my new ammunition against him. By the time I end the call I am smiling so big my cheeks hurt.

Joining Liz in the little kitchen of our joined suites she already has coffee waiting and the smell is one I’m not used to.

“What is that?”

“Cinnamon bun.” She looks at the package. “It’s all that we had and I thought why not,” she says with a shrug taking a sip. “Not bad.”

The smell makes my stomach turn.

“What did you tell Kelton?”

“That you were starting your internship today.”

She laughs. “I’m not doing that.”

“I know that, but he doesn’t.” I put two slices of bread into the toaster, needing to get something in my stomach. “Besides it will all be cleared up when he gets here later. He’ll be fine with the little lie when he sees we are already here.”

“But I told him and Gran both last week that I declined the internship.” When I face her again she is smiling.

“Well, apparently he forgot.” I shrug. “He never said a word.”

“Because he is distracted by the reunion sex.”

“Oh my God!”

“Seriously,” she says still laughing. “I brought my earbuds, so it’s okay to be a little loud. I’ll crank up the music on high.”

She stares at me and I stare right back, her lips pressed together in a tight line, because she wants to laugh. When I’ve had enough, because I am about to crack, I say nothing. I turn around and walk off with a plate and my toast and decide I need a shower.