He threw his head back and roared with laughter. Finally, he placed his finger against her lips to stop the flow of words.
“I think I’d better take you home.”
“But what about my car?” she asked, frowning. “I think I’m okay to drive but you can follow me if it will make you feel better.”
He opened the passenger door. “Not hardly, sweetheart.” He gently pushed her inside and fastened the seatbelt around her. “You can tell Jessica a Good Samaritan gave you a ride home when you pick it up tomorrow or else she can have one of her many handsome young men bring it to you.”
Emma looked at him with wide eyes as he got in and started the car.
“They’re not all young,” she said. “As a matter of fact, Scott is pretty old!”
He grimaced at her description. “Emma, Scott’s the same age as me.”
She covered her mouth with her hand, horrified at what she had just said.
“Oh Blake, I’m so sorry,” she said, her words muffled. “I didn’t mean old old! Just older!”
He reached for her hand, pulling it away from her mouth and kissing each finger.
“Emma, hush. Just close your eyes. I’ll wake you when we get there.”
“But Blake, I’m not sleepy,” she protested with a delicate yawn.
“Shhh,” he whispered, closing her eyes with a gentle brush of his fingertips. She was asleep before he reached the interstate two miles away.
Alicia leaned forward and tapped her driver on the shoulder. “Jason, I’m so sorry but I left my purse on the porch.”
He brought the car to a smooth stop then put it in reverse to back up.
“Don’t bother driving back,” she said. “Just pull over. It’s only a short walk.” She slid from the back seat. “I’ll be right back.”
She had just closed the door when a car turned in driving toward the house on the other side of the massive fountain that lay in the middle of the circular drive. She frowned when she didn’t recognize the car. Who in the work would be showing up this late? It was almost one am! She started walking quickly. Whoever it was, they knew the gate code so they obviously had been there before but she was concerned just the same. She had almost reached the porch when she stopped abruptly and stepped back into the shadows. She narrowed her eyes, confused by what she was seeing. She may not have seen the car before but that was definitely Blake Rochester getting out of it. What was he doing here? She had been in the room when he had called last night to talk to Jessica just as he did every night when he was out of town and she distinctly remembered hearing Jessica say he was in Brazil for at least three more days. She was just about to step forward and ask him that very question when she suddenly jumped back, startled by the sound of a woman squealing. When she saw who it was she gasped loudly. The woman who rushed down the steps and threw herself into his arms wasn’t Jessica; it was Emma! She was becoming more confused by the minute. She had never heard Emma mention meeting Blake. Then suddenly, it all became crystal clear. Her stomach rolled with nausea as she watched them. Blake was all but undressing Emma right there in the driveway, kissing her and groping her ass like a teenager! When they finally broke apart, she could hear them breathing heavily, Blake’s erection blatantly displayed by the tight jeans he wore. Their words carried clearly through the clear night causing Alicia to clench her fists in rage. The bastard obviously wasn’t surprised by Emma’s greeting and he certainly wasn’t fighting her off! Her worst fear was confirmed when, after a short conversation, he tucked Emma into the front seat and drove away.
By the time Alicia got back to her car, she was shaking with anger and the urge to vomit. She was torn between the desire to go back to the house and wake Jessica and tell her what she had just seen and the knowledge that she needed to cool off before doing anything rash. She slammed the door when she got back in the vehicle, startling the driver. When he looked at her questioningly in the mirror she didn’t say anything, just nodding curtly indicating to take her home. He wisely didn’t mention the fact that she had returned without her purse.
Alicia paced the floor in her office the next day unable to think clearly.
She just couldn’t decide what to do. Every female instinct in her screamed to call Jessica and tell her what she had seen. But what if she was wrong? She snorted. Fat chance of that! But if she was, she would be destroying her oldest and dearest friend’s world. She sat down in her chair with a heavy heart, turning to look out over the Houston skyline. The view from the twentieth floor was the reason she had paid the exorbitant asking price the realtor had demanded and it usually soothed her, clearing her mind when she had a problem or was wrestling with a tough decision but not today. After a lot of soul searching and what ifs, she finally reached a compromise with her conscience. The only way to be sure was to get absolute proof and the only absolute proof that she would believe if it was her, was to see them together with her own two eyes. She picked up the phone and called Jeffrey, her photographer and right hand man.
Emma sat at her desk, holding her head between her hands, willing the pounding to stop. Why, oh why hadn’t she stopped drinking after her second glass of champagne?! And why hadn’t somebody warned her not to mix it with hard liquor?! She didn’t even remember getting home last night. All she did remember was that Blake had appeared out of nowhere and taken her home. He had tried to help by undressing her and putting her in the shower but one thing led to another and they had wound up using all the hot water before falling into bed. Mercifully, he had set the coffee pot to start automatically this morning before he left. Between the strong brew and an hour of standing in a hot shower, she had managed to get dressed and drag herself to the office but that was as far as she had gotten. She had six interviews scheduled for after lunch and she absolutely had to hire an assistant as soon as possible. Moving slowly, she opened the bottle of aspirin she kept in her desk drawer and swallowed two. She was about to put them up but decided that if two were good, four were better. She drained the glass of water and reached for her daily calendar.
Thank God, today was a slow customer day! She usually kept her Fridays free to follow up on the week’s business and today all she had was a few calls to confirm delivery dates for the last furniture order. She had stopped taking new appointments for the time being and the waiting list was growing by the hour. Maybe it was time to think about a partner. She thought about it for at least two or three seconds then grinned. No way! This was her rodeo and she was having way too much fun even if it was working her in the ground! Her mood was lifted by the thought and the aspirin was finally starting to kick in. She opened the file holding the applications for an assistant and started flipping through them. She picked up the last one to take a closer look. This woman had listed Alicia Shepherd as a former employer. She grabbed her phone and touched the contact list for Alicia’s number. Maybe she could either move her up the line or eliminate her completely if she could get in touch with Alicia.
Alicia looked at the messages Emma had left each time she had called. Her secretary had politely told Ms. Sloan that she was unavailable but that she would be sure she told Mrs. Shepherd that she was trying to get in touch with her. She shuddered at the thought of trying to speak with Emma as if everything was normal. She had set the ball in motion, giving Jeffrey a paid leave of absence and unlimited resources to get the proof she needed. She trusted him to get the job done and keep it quiet.
Emma leaned back against the soft cushions in the boat and closed her eyes. Thank God Saturday had finally arrived and she could relax. She still had to make a decision about the applicants she had interviewed, but for now all she wanted to do was forget about anything to do with the design business. When Blake had called and asked if she was interested in going out on the lake, she couldn’t say yes fast enough. She had been waiting eagerly at the front door as soon as he drove up. He hadn’t quite been able to hide the disappointment on his face at the site of her jean shorts and t-shirt but Emma had ignored him, chattering