Emma whistled. “Spectacular. Owen has a superb eye. I assume he helped with the gathering right here.”

“Sure, he did, though the gallery supervisor additionally had a hand in it.”

They moved on alongside the wall, stopping in entrance of every portray to share their ideas. Patrick discovered himself struggling to concentrate on the artwork, although. As a substitute, his eyes drifted time and again to Emma. She will need to have gotten modified on the workplace, as a result of she now wore a good white sweater and a pair of darkish brown slacks that hugged her curves in all the appropriate locations. Her hair was again in a easy, no-nonsense bun, and Patrick fought the urge to launch the clip that held it again and let these darkish waves fall round her shoulders — the way in which he appreciated it.

After which it occurred.

They had been standing in entrance of a basic nonetheless lifetime of nondescript spherical objects (one other portray that Patrick didn’t significantly get pleasure from personally, however which he knew was a superb funding). Emma turned from the portray, presumably to say one thing, and got here face-to-face with him. Abruptly, they had been simply inches aside.

Patrick regarded down at Emma. Her brown eyes had been bracketed by these lengthy darkish lashes as she regarded up at him. Virtually with out that means to, he lifted his hand. He needed to run his thumb alongside the aspect of her cheek and really feel if her pores and skin was actually as gentle because it regarded. He needed to lean ahead and seize these full pink lips along with his.

They had been lastly alone. And Emma’s parted lips and flushed cheeks confirmed Patrick that she needed the identical factor. The stress between them was palpable. It had grown ever since that first second he had seen Emma within the orientation, growing in each dialog and turning into nearly insufferable once they’d danced collectively.

Slowly, Patrick leaned down as Emma tilted her head up, after which?—

“The meals’s in all probability getting chilly.” As she spoke, Emma regarded away.

Patrick rapidly straightened up, shocked and somewhat confused. Emma had appeared to really feel the stress between them as a lot as he did, however now she was pulling away. What had occurred?

Nonetheless, the very last thing Patrick needed was to strain her or make her uncomfortable, so he adopted her fast matter change.

“Sure, you’re proper. We should always go eat.”

Emma turned away rapidly and hurried throughout the room to the desk. Patrick adopted extra slowly, nonetheless reeling from what had occurred. Maybe he had imagined the romance of the second and that she felt the identical method.

No. He knew what he’d seen. Emma cared about him, too. He was positive of it. Perhaps she simply hadn’t felt able to take the following step.

“This all appears to be like fantastic,” she stated as she uncovered just a few of the locations. “And smells scrumptious.”

“It actually does.”

“And, Patrick, um…” She flushed and regarded away. “I’m actually having fun with this night with you.”

Heat unspooled in Patrick’s chest. Even when she hadn’t needed to kiss him, she was having fun with the night and he hadn’t made her uncomfortable. Thank goodness.

“Me, too. And if I did one thing?—”

“No.” She shook her head. “I simply…”

“There’s no want to elucidate.”

“Okay. Um, we could eat?”

“I’m fairly hungry.”

So, they started to eat. For just a few moments every part was silent, though it was a companionable silence regardless of the awkwardness of the almost-kiss. As soon as they’d each eaten somewhat, Emma regarded up at Patrick.

“I meant to let you know, I’ve actually loved seeing all of the artwork right here in the present day. You requested for my opinion on the gallery. It’s a really cohesive and intriguing assortment. I’ve to say, although, that I’d be keen on seeing what you’ll select in the event you had been choosing artwork based mostly by yourself style. I don’t imply to be ahead, however you talked about a private assortment?”

Patrick smiled. “I did. Would you be keen on seeing it sooner or later?” The supply slipped out simply, regardless that Patrick not often, if ever, invited anybody to his residence. Emma was simply so… completely different from everybody else he knew. Not solely was she insightful, clever, and delightful, however when he was together with her, he felt completely different, too. Plus, she appeared genuinely keen on his artwork assortment. Maybe he’d discovered one other one that would admire Aurora as a lot as he did.

The grin on Emma’s face on the supply confirmed that he’d made the appropriate selection. She nodded.

“I’d love that.”

“How about subsequent Friday?” It was just a few days away, lengthy sufficient for Patrick to verify his assortment was so as earlier than Emma noticed it.

A shadow flickered throughout Emma’s face, however then she nodded and the smile returned. Patrick may need imagined the shadow utterly. For all he felt a robust reference to Emma, he didn’t know her all that effectively and was no skilled in her expressions.

Supply: www.seynovel.com