Leaning against the counter, I held my Kindle in front of me. Stephanie glanced down and did a double take at the ring on my finger. She frowned before she quickly replaced it with a smile.

Stephanie’s hand went over her mouth as she did this weird little jump. “Oh, my gosh! Is that what I think it is?”

I lifted my left hand and smiled. “Yes. Emmit asked me to marry him earlier today.”

Stephanie walked over to me and took my hand as she studied the ring. “It’s so . . . simple.”

She did not.

My mouth dropped open as I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Oh no wait, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I just would have thought Emmit would have put a huge rock on your finger.” Letting out a quick chuckle, she looked back down at the ring before looking at me again.

“I think it’s perfect and it’s the same ring Emmit used to ask me to marry him a few years ago.”

Something passed over Stephanie’s face, but before I could read it, it was gone. “Well, I’m so happy for you both. We’ll have to throw you an engagement party.”

With a quick shake of my head, I lifted my hands. “No, no I don’t want anything like that.”

Spinning on her five-inch heels, Stephanie lifted her hand up and waved me off. It was like my mother all over again. “Nonsense. It will be wonderful PR for Emmit. NASCAR’s most-eligible bachelor off the market . . . I can see the headlines now.”

Her happiness seemed sincere, but there was something about Stephanie that had me on guard.

“Um, so listen, we should probably talk about you just walking into the house.”

Stephanie put the last of the food in the refrigerator and said, “Right. Of course. I realize now that you are back in the picture, I’ll need to be more mindful of Emmit’s privacy.”

Back in the picture? Why did the way she said that bother me so much?

“Were you not before?” I asked before I could stop myself.

Stephanie’s head popped back in surprise. “Of course I was. But I mean, Emmit was a single guy living in this giant house. He would often call me to come over and keep him company.”

A tinge of jealousy ripped through me as I looked Stephanie up and down. “I bet it did get lonely.”

Stephanie shrugged as she said, “Yeah. I used to feel really bad for him but we had a lot of fun together so it was okay. My husband used to play Texas Hold ‘em a lot with Emmit.”

The mention of her husband seemed to put the water on my jealousy. I instantly relaxed.

“Well, maybe a phone call first before you pop over,” I said as I tried not to seem like I was being a bitch.

Stephanie grabbed her purse and smiled. “Of course. Do me a favor, when you see Emmit let him know I have that date and time set up with the family from Dallas. I sent it over in an email. He also has an interview tomorrow morning, I’ll get with him later about that.”

I pushed off the counter and followed Stephanie to the door. Emmit walked in and almost ran into Stephanie.

“Hey, Steph. What are you doing here?” Emmit asked as he walked by her and straight into the kitchen.

“Afternoon, Emmit. I just dropped off some things for you. I wasn’t aware Ms. Morgan was here. I need to run, but I’ll call you later about your interview tomorrow.”

Emmit stopped and turned to Stephanie. He looked confused for a second before he said, “Cancel the interview.”

Stephanie stopped walking and slowly turned around. “Excuse me?”

The bags of groceries were set down on the counter as Emmit looked back at Stephanie. “Cancel it. Or if they want to do a Skype interview, we can do that.”

I’d never seen someone wear such a deer in the headlight look before like Stephanie was. “May I ask why you’re changing it, Emmit?”

Emmit glanced over to me and gave me a wink. “I’m flying to Texas tomorrow with my fiancé. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

“Texas?” Stephanie and I both said at the same time.

“Yep. Texas. Oh, and if you need anything else for the rest of the day, just text, Steph. I don’t want any calls unless it’s an emergency.”

The look that passed over Stephanie’s face was one of pure shock. I’m guessing she was used to twenty-four-seven access to Emmit, and this no calling rule put her off.

“Emmit, I mean, we need to talk about a few things.”

Walking toward Stephanie, he took her elbow and guided her toward the front door. “We can talk tomorrow. Today I want my own time. Also, I think it’s best if you give me your key to the house. With Addie moving in and all, I think it’s for the best.”

Stephanie’s mouth dropped open as she searched for her voice. “W-what? You want your key back? Are you sure, Emmit, what if there’s an emergency or something?”

I wanted so badly not to be feeling so gleeful, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to jump and do a fist pump. “My mom’s got a key,” Emmit said in a chipper voice.

Stephanie stood a little taller as she flashed a smile and said, “Of course.” Taking Emmit’s house key off her ring, she handed it to him and looked between us. “You two enjoy your day. Oh, my gosh, I didn’t even congratulate you, Emmit.”

Stephanie gave Emmit an awkward hug as she took a step back. “Okay, well I’ll let the two of you be.”

Emmit opened the front door as Stephanie walked outside. “Bye, Steph.”

Closing the door, Emmit headed back into the kitchen as I followed him. “I think I got everything on your list. I’m starving right now, though.”

I peeked through the bags as I pulled food out and set it on the counter. “I can make you something now if you want.”

Emmit cleared his throat, causing me to turn around. “Oh my,” I said as my eyes traveled across Emmit’s naked body.

“We’ve been making a lot of love the last two days, Addie.”

I nodded my head while I felt that familiar pull in my lower stomach. “Yeah . . . we have.”

“Do you know what I want to do right now?”

Capturing my lip between my teeth, I mumbled a response even I didn’t understand.

Emmit’s eyes burned with desire. “I want to fuck you fast and hard.”

Something about Emmit talking to me like that had me so horny, I could feel the wetness between my legs. The counter seemed far away as I reached out to hold myself up. My body tingled as I began breathing heavier.

Before I knew it, Emmit was standing before me. His hands moved to my skirt, where he reached under it and pushed my panties to the side. Giving me a full-blown sex-on-a-stick smile, he pushed his fingers inside of me as I hissed and dropped my head back. “Yes, Emmit.”

With a relentless pursuit of his fingers, Emmit worked me quickly into an orgasm. I grabbed onto his shoulders as I pumped my hips into his hand and called out his name.

“How do you want it, baby?” Emmit spoke softly against the sensitive skin under my ear lobe.

“Oh God. I can’t think straight.”

Emmit chuckled as he picked me up and carried me over to the other side of the kitchen. Pressing me against the wall, hard. He lifted my hands and held them over my head as he kissed me frantically. Our teeth hit against one another as we devoured each other.

It was raw.

Powerful.

And sexual as hell.

My body was ignited as Emmit fueled my desire more and more with his actions and his words.

“Tell me what you want, Addie.”

I dropped my head back against the wall and dragged air into my lungs as I panted out, “Fuck. Me. Fuck me hard.”

With a grin and eyes that looked almost black, Emmit pushed into me as I cried out his name.

The faster and harder he went, the more my body wanted more.

“Fuck!” I screamed out as Emmit moaned.

More. I need more. I had to have more of him.

“Emmit, more. Harder!”

With a look of seduction, Emmit spoke quickly. “Wrap your legs around me tighter and hold onto me.”

I did what he said as Emmit walked to the living room. Letting me down, he turned me around and bent me over the sofa. Pushing into me, I cried out as he went deeper inside of me this way.