Harrison and I exchanged a knowing look, and when he winked at me, I felt my cheeks heat.
“I do believe the band said this was going to be the last song coming up,” Harrison said as he stood. He reached his hand for mine and asked, “Will you do me the honor, Em?”
Placing my hand in his, I ignored the way my lower stomach pulled with desire. “I’d be honored to dance the last dance with you.”
We walked hand in hand out to the dance floor. The band started to play “As Time Goes By” and Harrison drew me closer to him.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
“You have, a time or two.”
“Em, let me come home with you tonight.”
“What about Noel?” I asked.
“Renee, my cousin who adores Noel, is with her, and had already planned on staying all night. I told her it would be a late night and not to expect me until early morning.”
I raised my brows. “Did you now?”
He smiled that devilishly handsome smile of his and I was lost to him. “I’d love for you to come home with me.”
Leaning closer to me, he kissed me softly. “Can we leave early?”
With a quick look around, I turned my attention to the man I was pretty sure I had fallen in love with the moment I saw him walk into the library holding his daughter’s hand. “I think if we slipped out now no one would notice.”
“You go grab your purse and I’ll meet you in the lobby in ten minutes.”
I giggled like a schoolgirl and made my way back to the table with an excuse that I needed to use the restroom. When Wendy said she would join me, I nearly cried out no. But once we had walked away from the table, she said, “I’ll tell everyone you developed a headache and Harrison took you home.”
Stopping, I faced her. When she stopped and turned to me, I pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, Wendy.”
“What are friends for?”
After kissing Wendy on the cheek and hugging her, I quickly made my way to the lobby where I found Harrison leaning against a pillar looking so damn striking it was unfair. When our eyes met, I had to place my hand over my stomach to calm the butterflies.
“Ma’am,” Harrison said as he took my hand in his. “I do believe I’m to escort you home this evening.”
I couldn’t help the girlish giggle that slipped free. “I also believe there was something mentioned about unwrapping presents this evening as well.”
His eyes turned dark with desire before he placed his hand on my lower back and quickly guided us out of the hotel and down to the waiting limo.
Noel had been over the moon when Emma had shown up on Christmas morning right when she had woken up. Of course, Emma had been there all night, but my daughter had been clueless to that little truth.
“Come on, Em!” Noel said as he pulled on Emma’s hand and guided her to the Christmas tree. I loved that she had picked up on my nickname for Emma. Since the benefit dinner three weeks ago, Emma and I had spent every spare moment together that we could. A good portion of that time was also spent with Noel. I wanted Noel and Emma to get to know each other a little better, and it wasn’t hard to tell that my daughter adored Emma, and Emma felt the same toward Noel.
“Noel, we have to wait for your Grammy before we can open presents,” Emma said as she let Noel pull her down to the floor.
“Daddy has a pwesent for you before Gwammy gets here! Don’t you, Daddy?”
I made way over to my two favorite girls and sat down on the floor next to them. “I do, indeed.”
Taking Emma’s hand in mine, I smiled at her. “Noel and I had a long talk the other day.”
Emma glanced between the two of us. “You did? About what?”
“Daddy wants you to be–”
I quickly put my hand over Noel’s face and tickled her. “You can’t say it, I have to!”
