“Gavin and I are fine.” Shaking her head, Emily’s nerves caught again. “Dillon came to the school today.”
“You called the police, right?” Olivia asked, impatient. “He’s back in jail?”
“No. He’s not. I did call the police, and the asshole who showed up said I was in the wrong, not Dillon.”
For once, Olivia seemed almost speechless. Almost. “What? I don’t understand. How could you be in the wrong? That makes no fucking sense. The order’s supposed to protect you, not him.”
Emily sighed. “I walked over to where he was standing behind the fence.”
Olivia’s eyes went wide. “Why would you even attempt getting that close to him? You know what he’s capable of. If Dick-wad’s showing up at the school, who knows what he planned on doing?”
“Maybe that’s the point, Olivia. Maybe for a second, I didn’t want him having the power to make me afraid of what he would do to me.”
Olivia blew out a puff of air and crossed her arms. Leaning back, she peered out of the kitchen window and tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. “You need to tell Gavin.”
“I know.” Emily’s stomach lurched, but withholding the truth from Gavin was no longer an option. “We had plans to go out to dinner tonight, but I sent him a text and told him I didn’t feel well. I’ll tell him when I get home.”
With a weary smile, Olivia reached for Emily’s hand. “I’m thinking you’d better stop off and pick up a few bottles of wine on your way. It might ease the reaction when you tell him.”
Snorting, Emily stood. “Right. Gavin drunk when I tell him won’t make the situation any better.”
“I didn’t mean him. I meant you.” Olivia rose and shrugged. “You’re the one who’s going to need a few glasses. He’s going to bug the fuck out, but I’m sure you know this.”
She did. Anxiety settled over Emily, but before she could dwell on what she was about to face, a flutter of movement in the hallway caught her gaze. “Is Tina here?”
Olivia bit her lip and shook her head.
“Trevor?”
Remaining quiet, Olivia shook her head again and smiled.
Emily’s forehead crinkled about the same time a tall, slender man sauntered into the living room, sporting nothing more than Olivia’s finest pink cotton towel.
“Oh, shit. I didn’t know anyone was here,” the unnamed guest said, sliding a rugged hand through his damp, chocolate-colored hair.
He went to turn around, but Olivia swiftly made her way over to him. She stood on her tiptoes, placed a luscious, lingering kiss on his lips, and linked her arm in his.
Dragging Mr. Fluffy Pink Towel to the kitchen, Olivia smiled. “Emily, this is Jude. Jude, this is my best friend, Emily.”
After snapping her mouth shut, Emily reached out to shake the hand Jude extended. “Uh… hi. It’s nice to meet you,” Emily said, trying to keep the greeting from sounding like a question.
With a smile highlighting his pearly whites and light green eyes, Jude hooked his thumb in the towel, cinching it tighter to his waist. “Yeah, you too. Sorry. I’d figured the first time we met I’d be wearing clothes.”
“Why?” Olivia asked, curling under his arm. She ran her hand down his hardened abdomen. “I like showing these off.”
Jude grinned, pulling Olivia in for a long, drawn out kiss.
“I have some running around to do,” Emily said, her desperation to get out of there mounting by the second. “It was nice meeting you, Jude. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“Cool. Without a doubt,” he replied, breaking the kiss. He headed down the hall, leaving Emily and Olivia alone.
“Well,” Olivia drawled, “what do you think? I have my own certified eye-candy now, huh?”
Emily pulled on her jacket and slung her purse over her shoulder, a smile toying on her lips. “Where did you meet him, and what happened to Tina?”
Olivia shrugged. “She was too quiet for me, and her family wasn’t exactly fond of the whole girl-on-girl thing.” Walking Emily to the door, her eyes gleamed with sudden light. “Jude came into the gallery looking for a piece, and somehow I convinced him to let me paint him… naked.”
Emily laughed, quickly covering her mouth. “You painted a portrait of him naked?”
“No, friend.” Olivia tossed her arm over Emily’s shoulder, her smile as wicked as the devil himself. “I painted on his body while he was naked.”
“You crack me up. You know that?” Emily pulled her in for a hug. “You really do, and I adore you for it.”
“Oh, I crack myself, but I love the way Jude cracks me more.” Olivia released Emily and elbowed her ribs. “Catch my drift?”
“Yes, I catch your drift, nutter.”
Olivia gave a satisfied smile. Opening the door, her features sobered. “Call me tonight, and let me know how things went, okay?”
Emily nodded, reality coming fast into view. “I will.” She stared at Olivia a moment before her eyes swept over her first home in New York. “I love you, Liv.”
“Love you, too.”
As she stepped into the hallway, leaving her past behind her, Emily felt a surge of unease about her future. But nonetheless, she knew she had to face it. No longer hiding and slowly beginning to change, nothing would chain her to herself… but herself.
And this… this she wouldn’t allow.
The smell of garlic bread coated the air as Emily opened the door to the penthouse. Nervousness raced up her arms when Gavin came into view, but it faded as he started toward her, his smile slow and deliciously sexy.