been too scared in high school - too scared that she would get pregnant and ruin her chances of creating a good life for herself. Too scared that she wouldn't be able to escape the poverty and misery of the foster care system.
At Emma's house, Craig got out to open Emma's door, but she was already standing. She waited for him and smiled up into his handsome face. He put an arm around her and walke d her to her door.
On the doorstep he faced her. "I had a wonderful time today Emma, I sure would like to see you again."
Before Emma could respond, he leaned in, pressing his lips softly to hers in that gentle way he was so good at. Her eyes closed automatically. His masculine smell teased her, pushing her over an edge. Emma's entire being ached for more, more, more.
But no, he broke contact with her lips and pulled away, smiling at her. "I'll call you tomorrow." He turned and walked down the steps to his truck.
Emma watched him get in his truck and lift a hand to her. She managed to wave back, screaming inside her head "Stay! Stay with me!" but she never said it out loud. She couldn't bring herself to.
Emma entered her house and crumpled onto the couch, hugging herself. She ached for him for just a minute, but pushed the feeling aside. It was a first date. He was a gentleman. She felt elated in a way that she never had before. This was almost as good as the feelings the vision had given her.
Oh yeah, my vis ion.
Emma's mood darkened immediately.
I wish I could just forget I ever had that vision, and just date Craig.
As much as she wanted to do that, she knew it would only end in disaster. She remembered the pull of the man in the vision and it was stronger t han Craig's pull.
(Wasn't it?)
With my luck, I'd date Craig, fall in love with Craig, marry Craig, and then meet the man in the vision and my marriage would be ruined in an instant.
Emma grabbed a pillow and pouted a little. Again she wished the vision ha d never happened, but it did, and she knew what it meant for her life. Craig was not the one for her.
Her phone buzzed on the table. She picked it up. A text from Craig.
"Working tomorrow?"
"No," she texted back.
"Want to get some exercise with me? Hiking at Soldier Hill?"
Emma almost cried. He liked her too. A lot. That certainly complicated matters. And he was so sweet and nice, and strong and capable and funny, and sexy, don't forget sexy - everything she ever wanted in a man. So why couldn't she just go for it again?
Emma dug her fingernails into her palms until it hurt.
What can some hiking hurt? It's not like he's asking me to get married.
Emma sat, fingernails still spearing her palms, mind spinning at mile a minute. What could some hiking hurt? Nothi ng. But it wasn't a date.
"Sure. Meet you there. Time?"
"2 p.m.?"
"OK"
Chapter 11.
Craig pushed into the building, feeling like he was walking on air. That Emma was something else. Sweet, kind, funny, pretty, strong, smart. Women like her were hard to find.
He walked down the hallway towards Hawk's apartment, but detoured at the last minute. He needed to recover from the date a little bit. His life was not all sweetness and light right now, and it just wouldn't do to walk into Hawk's place in his curren t mood. Besides, he had serious news to share.
Norman Foster. The thought of that corrupt bastard touching Emma took the bloom off his rose. He could not believe that Emma had been married to him. He also couldn't believe he didn't know that already. Hawk couldn't have known either, could he?
But he and Hawk should have known, if indeed the marriage existed. They were FBI, part of a special task force called the Anti-Corruption Unit, or ACU for short. Craig was working undercover in the fire department, Ha wk directed the operation, and they had a few other counterparts working undercover in the police department, the prosecutor's office, the governor's office, and even in the state's legislative offices. The corruption in Westwood
At Emma's house, Craig got out to open Emma's door, but she was already standing. She waited for him and smiled up into his handsome face. He put an arm around her and walke d her to her door.
On the doorstep he faced her. "I had a wonderful time today Emma, I sure would like to see you again."
Before Emma could respond, he leaned in, pressing his lips softly to hers in that gentle way he was so good at. Her eyes closed automatically. His masculine smell teased her, pushing her over an edge. Emma's entire being ached for more, more, more.
But no, he broke contact with her lips and pulled away, smiling at her. "I'll call you tomorrow." He turned and walked down the steps to his truck.
Emma watched him get in his truck and lift a hand to her. She managed to wave back, screaming inside her head "Stay! Stay with me!" but she never said it out loud. She couldn't bring herself to.
Emma entered her house and crumpled onto the couch, hugging herself. She ached for him for just a minute, but pushed the feeling aside. It was a first date. He was a gentleman. She felt elated in a way that she never had before. This was almost as good as the feelings the vision had given her.
Oh yeah, my vis ion.
Emma's mood darkened immediately.
I wish I could just forget I ever had that vision, and just date Craig.
As much as she wanted to do that, she knew it would only end in disaster. She remembered the pull of the man in the vision and it was stronger t han Craig's pull.
(Wasn't it?)
With my luck, I'd date Craig, fall in love with Craig, marry Craig, and then meet the man in the vision and my marriage would be ruined in an instant.
Emma grabbed a pillow and pouted a little. Again she wished the vision ha d never happened, but it did, and she knew what it meant for her life. Craig was not the one for her.
Her phone buzzed on the table. She picked it up. A text from Craig.
"Working tomorrow?"
"No," she texted back.
"Want to get some exercise with me? Hiking at Soldier Hill?"
Emma almost cried. He liked her too. A lot. That certainly complicated matters. And he was so sweet and nice, and strong and capable and funny, and sexy, don't forget sexy - everything she ever wanted in a man. So why couldn't she just go for it again?
Emma dug her fingernails into her palms until it hurt.
What can some hiking hurt? It's not like he's asking me to get married.
Emma sat, fingernails still spearing her palms, mind spinning at mile a minute. What could some hiking hurt? Nothi ng. But it wasn't a date.
"Sure. Meet you there. Time?"
"2 p.m.?"
"OK"
Chapter 11.
Craig pushed into the building, feeling like he was walking on air. That Emma was something else. Sweet, kind, funny, pretty, strong, smart. Women like her were hard to find.
He walked down the hallway towards Hawk's apartment, but detoured at the last minute. He needed to recover from the date a little bit. His life was not all sweetness and light right now, and it just wouldn't do to walk into Hawk's place in his curren t mood. Besides, he had serious news to share.
Norman Foster. The thought of that corrupt bastard touching Emma took the bloom off his rose. He could not believe that Emma had been married to him. He also couldn't believe he didn't know that already. Hawk couldn't have known either, could he?
But he and Hawk should have known, if indeed the marriage existed. They were FBI, part of a special task force called the Anti-Corruption Unit, or ACU for short. Craig was working undercover in the fire department, Ha wk directed the operation, and they had a few other counterparts working undercover in the police department, the prosecutor's office, the governor's office, and even in the state's legislative offices. The corruption in Westwood
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