Chapter 333

• ~ The Holiday: Part 1 ~
• Jake strolled into his apartment and threw his bag down on the couch. It had been a long trip and an even longer week, but he suddenly felt restless at being back. Normally, getting home brought him joy, but this time it felt empty, and he wished they’d stayed at that damn dance so that he could still be with her right now. Pacing to the window and looking out across the New York skyline, he ran his hand through his hair and cracked his neck in a bid to release some of the tension building up his spine. Flexing his arms over his head and straining the jacket holding him tight. He needed to get out of this monkey suit they called a tux and get comfy. Maybe he just needed to feel less business-like and properly relax. Perhaps he needed a drink.
• He needed to stop fixating on Emma; it wasn’t healthy, and his constant thoughts about her were getting harder to control. She had been too alluring tonight. That dress had driven him crazy, and dancing up close no longer felt safe. He’d made them leave for her sake as much as his own. It was getting to the point he could no longer trust himself not to try kissing her again whenever he was drunk. He wished he had a memory of Chicago, the night she said they had kissed. He wanted to know what it felt like to fully kiss that sexy, pouted mouth. Not just a second of brushed lips but a real, deep, meaningful kiss. He already knew that was an awful idea. She had this much effect on him now, a kiss would seal his fate.