Emma walked into the clearing at the exact moment he did, and they both just seemed to stop and stare at each other, his heart pounding erratically as it recovered, his breathing becoming shallow. She looked beautiful, beyond his wildest dreams.
She was wearing a fitted floor-length red dress that left little to his imagination and seemed to defy gravity while clinging to her bust and waist. He could barely swallow, taking in every perfect, flawless curve up to the face of perfection and that wild hair he just wanted to tangle around his fingers at every opportunity.
She looked like a Hollywood star from the fifties, perfection in every way and effortless grace. She stood out from everyone in this room. Hell, to him, she stood out from every woman in the world. She always had. ~Fuck.~ They stood motionless, feet apart.
Tension crackled in the air between them, and neither seemed to know how to react or what to say. All Jake could think about was what it was like to have her in his arms, to feel her against him, and how much he wanted to touch her right now.
âOh, my God, Emma!â Leilaâs excitable voice grabbed her attention as she dove on Emma from the right of Jake; she had obviously followed him when he headed to the bar. Throwing herself around Emma, who was only inches taller, she almost hauled her off her shoes.
Jake didnât move, just continued to watch her, unable to tear his eyes from that face that could stop the world from turning. He didnât care that the women just to his left were subtly trying to capture his attention. âWhoa, Leila,â Emma choked, laughter breaking over her delicate face and changing the apprehension to knockout beauty.
Jake stiffened, trying to keep his emotions in check and trying to hide any reactions she caused him. Being this close to her, unable to be how they used to be, was complete agony, and his heart had continued some rumba inside his chest. âYou look freaking sensational!â
Leila spun Emma around and sent her reeling, losing her footing on high shoes. Jake moved swiftly forward and caught her mid-tumble, pulling her against him despite every one of his senses telling him to let her go.
The feel of her body against his sent an electric jolt through him, heating his blood and making his stomach lurch with emotion. She smelled better than good, and her scent would only keep haunting him even after he left here, now that he had the smell of her on his tuxedo.
Jake stood her up carefully, holding her upper arms until she found her footing, and released her as soon as she was steady. He knew the danger of keeping her close, and he couldnât handle her proximity with her looking as devastating as she did tonight.
âCareful, Leila.â Jake scorned Leila, catching the wicked gleam in her eye of a calculated plot she had brewed up. Jake narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head over the top of Emma, moving to look away as she turned back to him in case she saw what was transpiring.
She seemed to focus on him for a moment, and as much as he wanted to turn back and dive into those baby blue eyes, he couldnât bear it. âI canât help being so happy to see her, Jake. You keep her hidden from me.â She grinned wickedly at him, messages in their silent communication they had perfected from years of being friends.
Jake tried hard not to glare and instead threw her a slight frown and a subtle warning to back off. âIâve been working.â Emma looked quickly from Leila to him and back, an air of confusion about her, but she recovered quickly and smiled softly.
Jake had to tear his eyes from that perfect red-lipped smile and repeatedly push out thoughts of kissing her. She wasnât normally one for bold lipstickânormally subtle shadesâand he was finding it near impossible to stop looking at the perfect pout and curve of lips so obviously made for passion.
Music overtook the conversation as the band heated up a notch, a slow ballad coming across the air, making conversation near impossible. âOh, I promised someone a first slow dance.â Leila turned Emma harshly, shoving her into Jake hard with that wicked smile aimed right at him, a twinkle of trouble in her eye.
His arms automatically caught her and pulled her into his chest, throwing Leila a look of complete intolerance; he would be having words with her later.
Jake quickly put Emma upright and back on her own feet as her perfume hit him again. It was too much for him to handle, combined with how good touching her always felt.
He shifted her away to gain some distance and regain control of his equilibrium.
âKeep her warm for me until I come back, Jacob!â Leila grinned cheekily and took off at speed, knowing that Jake was probably about to explode and hightailing it so she could leave them alone.
She knew there would be repercussions later, but she didnât care.
âThat girl,â Jake said tightly. His irritation was concealed, but his anger was simmering inside.
He avoided looking at Emma, wondering how the hell he could walk away from her and leave her here alone while looking so utterly fucking lost right now.
She had an air of Bambi with big eyes and seemed suddenly uncomfortable with Leilaâs departure. Jake couldnât control the stomach-punching sensation it gave him. âYouâve got to love her, though.â
Emma shrugged nervously, biting her bottom lip and causing yet another wave of excruciating pain. All her little anxiety tells had always been a point of agony for him. He hated seeing her doing it, but right now, any little Emma-ism was killing him more.
He missed everything about her so much. ~Do you really have no idea how goddamn adorable you are?~
The music was moving into full swing as couples moved around them, joining together to sway. Emma immediately went into ultimate fidget mode, twirling her hair like she always did when she was tense, looking around for an escape route, and making him feel like the biggest asshole known to man.
He watched her hand in her hair intensely for a second, lost in so many thoughts and memories, hating the habit yet pining for the familiarity of it. He realized she had caught his look, misunderstood it, and yanked her fingers out of her hair like a scolded child. âGreat!â
âAnother notch of assholeness.â Jake frowned and looked about the floor, making a decision almost instantly. âWant to dance with me, Anderson?â He had no clue why he thought this was the best course of action.
All he knew was that he didnât want to walk away and leave her here and had no desire to see anyone else dance with her. He would kick seven shades of shit out of any guy who dared touch her.
She looked momentarily shocked, color draining from her face and her fingers twitching as though aching to be back in her hair. Jake felt a warmth of compassion, an old memory of her looking this unsure and untrusting of his intentions once before. âI donât bite.â
Jake smiled at the memory of a long-ago moment in his office. Emma seemed to register the memory too, a small smile warming her mouth, and looked a little less shell-shocked.
Jake didnât wait for an answer; his body had been aching to be with hers for so long that it was almost impulsive to reach for her. Pulling her close by the wrist, encircling her delicate, smooth skin, and bracing himself for the onslaught of emotions that hit him with her nearness.
Emma automatically slipped into a dance pose, hand in his and the other on his chest to stop the collision from the suddenness of his maneuver. Her palm was placed directly over his heart, and with a searing touch, he was sure she could probably feel how hard and fast his heart was beating.
As he drew closer, he couldnât tear his eyes from that perfect red mouth. Emma suddenly looked stricken, a mixture of emotions flitting across her face so fast he had no idea what even to think.
âI canât do this,â she whispered suddenly, her voice breaking, and he could have sworn he saw a glint of a tear in her eye, but she was turning from him and trying to break free.
Jake impulsively caught her chin with his fingers, tilting her back to him so he could try to read what she was feeling. He was confused at seeing a look that spelled out complete heartbreak and rendered him almost immobile as he tried to piece together what it meant.
Before he could speak or control the sudden hammering of his chest, she had pulled her hand away and pushed away from him. âI need to go.â
She yanked her chin away, face down, so her hair spilled forward to hide her features from him. Jake felt panic rising within him, confusion and emotion consuming him.
He stood motionless, unsure how to react as he watched her move away out of sight into the crowds. Jakeâs head became a mass of thoughts and feelings, all warring for space, chaos clouding logical thinking as his body seemed to jolt into a mess of heart-pounding, sickening panic.