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Over the next feeeks, Emily fell into her routine at the restaurant with ease and was happy that Dillon found hi in as late in the evenings For Es with a client of his, who held a position high up in the New York City school district, landing Ee She was excited that in less than a month she would finally start her career at what she had spent so e for and was even happier that she’d be surrounded by first graders It was the grade she had wanted to teach because she felt the beginning of a child’s educational start in life was their most important

"Are you al on her couch

"Just give me two more minutes" She pinned up the last few strands of her hair

She studied her reflection in the h the auburn mess was uncooperative on this particular afternoon it would have to do She threw on a green-and-brown boho surabbed a pair of brown heels, and slipped into the living room

"You look quite delicious," Dillon remarked with a smile on his face as he moved toward her "Are you excited?"

"I am, but you don’t have to do this" She snaked her arertips "I have enough clothing"

"Yes, but you don’t have any from the boutiques on Fifth Avenue" He pulled her closer and breathed against her cheek "And, not to erie from there, too"

"I bet you would," she replied, arching her brow

He tilted her neck back, feathering kisses against it "You have no idea"

Olivia cleared her throat, interrupting them from the intimate moment "Where are you two lovers off to today?" she asked, rolling her eyes

With a smart-ass s his arm over her shoulder "Well, if it isn’t my favorite person in the world"

"Get offher smaller fra ," Emily quickly interjected She curled her arms around Dillon’s stomach and pulled him away She slipped her feet into her heels "What are you doing today?"

"I’allery for the show," she replied as she poured herself a cup of coffee "You’re still coht?"

"I wouldn’t , chick"

"Do you want to coet our nails done?" Olivia asked "I so need a pedicure, too"

Dillon slid his ar her toward the door "I hate to break up this feirlfriend to, Ollie"

Emily kinked her neck back to look at Olivia "Yes, Liv, it’s a mani-pedi date I’ll see you later"

Olivia shook her head, and watched the two of them walk out of the apart such a jerk to her," E herself into the seat of Dillon’s car "She’s been nice to you the past feeeks"

"I’ around with her, Em" He closed the door Emily watched as he made his way around the car and slid into his seat "She needs to learn how to take a joke," he said, starting the engine

"I know, but please - forfor her hand, he ht, I’ll leave her alone"

"Thank you"

He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it "No probleh There’s a file in the backseat Can you grab it for me?"

She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for it After adjusting it over her body again, she glanced down at the file Her heart skidded across her chest when she saw the naraceful by any ed to keep her "new friend" frohts the past several weeks, and now out of nowhere, she was essentially holding hi to hand the file to Dillon

"Just hang onto it for now We’re stopping by his penthouse before we go shopping I have son before the weekend’s over" He laughed, running his hand through his dirty-blonde hair "He’s a pain in my ass, I have to ad his damn stocks"

"OhwellI’ll just wait in the car while you go up then" She tried to appear casual as she glanced out the passenger-side

"You’re not going to wait in the car One, it’s going to take a while because I have to go over a few things with him, and two, I want you to see ill eventually be living in one day His place is off the hook"

Eh Nevertheless, fifteenout of the car in front of the building that housed her worst night his keys to the valet, Dillon pointed to the top of the massive structure "You see that?" he asked E the slender ribbon of blue sky all the way up to the top of the building

She nodded

"That’s where he lives like a fucking king overlooking all of this" He spread his ar over the Lenox Hill area of the Upper East Side "One day, we’ll be living like hi his hand on the small of her back

With the tip of his hat, the door attendant greeted the Dillon by his last name like an old friend When they walked into the Italian Renaissance-style lobby, E around, swathed in so and jewelry she had ever laid eyes on Looking down at her summer dress from Walmart and heels from Payless, to say she felt a little out of her comfort zone was an understatement

The elevator ride up to the seventy-fifth floor was torturous for her When she heard the cheerful ding before the doors slid open, she wanted to rains of the wood The long walk down to the end of the hall had her feeling as if she was a bloody piece ofsharks

One particular shark that is

As they approached the door, Emily wiped her hand across her noeat-beaded forehead, her heart druave a quick knock, and after what felt like forever, it opened Behind it stood a buxo nothing but pink-laced panties and abra hidden beneath one of Gavin’s white button-down shirts

Unbuttoned nonetheless

"Wow, you look great" Dillon beamed a smile at the woman, but it quickly dropped when Emily shot him a look

"Hey, Dillon," the wo ti her arms, Emily shifted in her heels and plastered a smile across her face

Dillon quickly eyed Emily, cleared his throat, and returned his attention to the wo the bigby"

"Yeah, he’s out on the terrace with his laptop Like, you kno he is, all work and no play," she laughed "I just happened to be co out of the bathroom when you knocked"

Dillon nodded "Yeah, I kno he is ork"

"Who’s this?" Natasha asked, closing the door behind them

"This is the future Mrs Parker," Dillon smiled and curled his arm around Emily’s waist "Emily, this is Natasha Bradford She’s Gavin’sfriend?"

"I’led Eape at the wos like this," she giggled again as she playfully fingered a diamond necklace

"Well, you’re lucky little duck" E to will herself not to throw up

"I am, I am," Natasha smiled She then cocked her head to the side "So, like, really, you two are engaged?"

"So, like, we’re really not," Eht," she looked to Dillon confused and s, like, you were engaged when you said she was the future Mrs Parker"

"Eventually she will be," Dillon s over to E she didn’t have to hear the word "like" again

"Okay, well, like, cohed

Eet Gavin

"Babe, I have to use the bathrooht back"

Elance, she noticed that the decor was a stark contrast froh extraordinary in its oay, it felt cold and impersonal to her Marble floors stretched from one end of the area to the next Black leather couches, abstract stone sculptures, and colossal-sized pieces of black-and-white photos of the city consumed the enor a sense of business superiority throughout, it was exactly the space Emily had envisioned he lived in when she first met him This wasn’t a home; this was simply what the city expected him to look like Another one of Gavin Blake’s many layers came to herhis surroundings, Gavin stepped into vieearing a pair of blue cotton paja the side of his ribcage - warmed the space almost immediately E into Natasha’s ear She giggled at whatever he said, kissed him on the cheek, and whisked down the hall into one of the roo the door behind her

Gavin’s eyes roved over E froht the last tier stretch felt as if it was his certified death sentence Feeling his body relax by her mere presence, he approached her with a sh his hair "She has distaste for clothing or so"

"But she has love for the word ’like,’ so it all evens out, I guess"

"M his sto to keep her attention on his face and away froins

He moved closer and whispered in her ear, "Of course I’, but don’t tell her I told you that"

Between the close proxiht she was going to pass out for sure "My lips are sealed"

In one swift aze flicked down to her mouth then back to her face "Doany attention to those pretty little lips," he whispered, his blue eyes intense

Emily’s mouth dropped opened and then snapped shut

"Would you like so his head to conceal the s to watchabout this, but I think I have to use my lips in order to do so"

He cocked a brow and smirked "It would be my absolute pleasure"

"What would be your absolute pleasure?" Dillon’s voice cut through the air, returning from the bathroo

"I was just telling Eive her a tour of my place," Gavin replied as calm, cool, and collected as could be

"Well, before you start giving out tours, let’s get this shit done first" Dillon handed hi stack of paperwork "I need your John Hancock on every single one of these bad boys I also want to talk with you about a few risks that I feel you are taking dropping CMEX"

Dillon walked into the kitchen to get a drink

Gavin gazed directly into E risks I think it ree?"

Knowing exactly what he was referring to, Emily’s heart tripled over into a somersault as she stared back at hiood idea to drop the the top off of a bottle of beer He made his way back over to thee funds right now; it ood move"

"You are the professional," Gavin said with a smile "Let’s take care of this in my office" He then turned to Emily "By all means, make yourself at home Natasha should be out in a minute I’m sure she’ll keep youlike, busy" He winked and then disappeared down the hall with Dillon

E room for a moment as she tried to catch her breath She licked her lips slowly as the tingles that Gavin evoked from within her body worked their way up frodangerous

Sighing, shethe fresh air would soothe the chaos wreaking havoc in herthat the penthouse was a corner unit, stunning wraparound views of Central Park and the East River ier than her and Olivia’s living rooether She cautiously peered over the edge to watch the city below her Her hair whipped around in the wind as she breathed in the hot, huhts, Emily found the stillness, the assurance of solitude, and the lack of people that high up to be a cal outside alone was short-lived when Natasha strolled out of the French doors

"It’s, like, co out here, isn’t it?" She joined Elass of ice water

"Thank you," she said, accepting the drink "It truly is beautiful up here" She studied Natasha’s strapless, skintight black tube dress "So where are you froled

"Really?" Euessed"

Natasha kinked her head to the side, her long criht? People tell me that all the time"

"I bet they do"

The tomen sat down on a plush outdoor couch Natasha tucked her feet underneath her legs "So, like, how long have you been dating Dillon?"

"We’ll be together a year next month"

"That’s so sweet," Natasha smiled "He’s such a cutie, too"

"Thanks So how long have you and Gavin, uh" Not sure how to ask the question, Elass of water up to her lips and took a sip