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Back The Companion Project Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. Dedication
  2. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  3. ONE
  4. HENRY
  5. TWO
  6. EMMA
  7. THREE
  8. HENRY
  9. FOUR
  10. EMMA
  11. FIVE
  12. EMMA
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. HENRY
  16. EIGHT
  17. NINE
  18. TEN
  19. HENRY
  20. ELEVEN
  21. TWELVE
  22. EMMA
  23. THIRTEEN
  24. HENRY
  25. FOURTEEN
  26. HENRY
  27. FIFTEEN
  28. SIXTEEN
  29. EMMA
  30. SEVENTEEN
  31. HENRY
  32. EIGHTEEN
  33. HENRY
  34. NINETEEN
  35. HENRY
  36. TWENTY
  37. TWENTY-ONE
  38. EMMA
  39. TWENTY-TWO
  40. EMMA
  41. TWENTY-THREE
  42. HENRY
  43. TWENTY-FOUR
  44. EMMA
  45. TWENTY-FIVE
  46. EMMA
  47. TWENTY-SIX
  48. EMMA
  49. TWENTY-SEVEN
  50. HENRY
  51. TWENTY-EIGHT
  52. EMMA
  53. TWENTY-NINE
  54. HENRY
  55. THIRTY
  56. HENRY
  57. THIRTY-ONE
  58. HENRY
  59. THIRTY-TWO
  60. EMMA
  61. THIRTY-THREE
  62. HENRY
  63. THIRTY-FOUR
  64. EMMA
  65. THIRTY-FIVE
  66. EMMA
  67. THIRTY-SIX
  68. HENRY
  69. THIRTY-SEVEN
  70. EMMA
  71. THIRTY-EIGHT
  72. HENRY
  73. THIRTY-NINE
  74. HENRY
  75. FORTY
  76. EMMA
  77. FORTY-ONE
  78. HENRY
  79. FORTY-TWO
  80. FORTY-THREE
  81. EMMA
  82. FORTY-FOUR
  83. EMMA
  84. FORTY-FIVE
  85. HENRY
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ALSO BY CHELSEA CURTO
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

There’s never been a flaring desire. A visceral ache and psychical pain to touch more of her. To explore her. To drag her back into my truck and lock the doors if she’ll let me, having my way with her again and again and again while I study every inch, every dip, every groove of her body.

Instead of acting on these animalistic instincts, I level my breathing and gently squeeze her hand.

“Henry,” she whispers, and I pause, almost to the front door and the start of our charade.

“Yeah, Sunflower?”

I turn to face her, a hesitant gaze meeting my own, measuring the passing seconds in birds chirping. Leaves rustling. Her heart beating in time with my own.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

The count is interrupted by her squeezing my hand in return, smile returning to place. Eyes brighten. Frown creases soften. Shoulders roll back.

“We’re tackling this together, okay? Just like we’ve tackled it so far. Just like the day in the conference room. It’s you and me. Both of us. I’m here with you. I’ll be next to you the whole time.”

The air leaves my lungs at my new favorite word, and I beam at her.

Together.

“Together,” I repeat emphatically, knocking on the door.

TWENTY-FOUR

EMMA

Two beats.

I allow myself precisely two beats of panic before I pirouette, my face taking on a natural smile at the snap of a finger. The door flies open and a stunning woman with long gray hair and a bright expression greets us with outstretched arms.

“Henry!” she exclaims, wrapping him in a tight embrace. I sidestep to my right, giving him a moment alone with his mother. “I’ve missed you so much. Having a good job in the city doesn’t prevent you from coming to visit. We haven’t seen you in almost a month.”

Henry chuckles, hugging her back before wiggling himself free. “I know, Mom. I’m sorry. This is Emma, the reason I’ve been so distracted.”

His arm drapes over my shoulder, pulling me into the crook of his body. I’m slingshotted back to the night in his kitchen when I hugged him and pressed myself against his chest. I didn’t realize how much I missed the closeness until I was back in the safe confines of his hold.

“Emma! It’s so lovely to meet you,” she says, and I hold out my hand for her to shake. She bypasses the formality, giving me a quick hug as well.

“It’s so great to meet you, too, Mrs. Dawson. I brought you some flowers and wine. Henry mentioned red was your favorite.”

“Oh, you’re such a sweetheart! Thank you so much. And please, call me Anne,” she says, taking the gifts. “Gosh, you are beautiful! How was your drive? Did you hit any traffic? Come inside!”