Now and Then Read Online Free

hotness does not make up for it. If he ran into you, and then he showed up for dinner, he wanted to see you.”
    Emma considered Brian’s words. He’d become a friend over the months they’d been sitting next to each other at work, and she liked hearing a man’s take on things. But he had to be reading too much into this one. Cole wouldn’t have shown up just to see her.
    “I’m going on a coffee run, want some?” she asked.
    Brian nodded wordlessly , and Emma grabbed her phone as she left her desk. A waiting text message caught her attention, and she clamped her hand over her mouth when she read it.
    Hey Em, it’s Cole. Are you free for lunch?
    Her wide, goofy smile faded as she considered that he might want to discuss the best way to get together with Layla. She wrote back.
    Sure. Hannigan’s, 12:30?
    So she would get to see him again, in just a couple hours. Emma eyed her outfit, glad she’d worn a dress. Her legs were toned from hours of walking in the city, the one upside to not having a car.
    Though she was prepared for the conversation to be about her sister, she couldn’t help harboring a secret hope that Cole actually wanted to see her. It was too good to be true, but just the possibility made her feel light and hopeful.
     
    *****
     
    Cole tapped his foot under the table, taking a deep breath. Why was he so nervous?
    Because Emma Carson knocked me on my ass Saturday . God, she’s grown up.
    His attraction to her at the coffee shop hadn’t been a fluke. The shy, awkward girl with big glasses was now stunningly beautiful. He had never really noticed her large, brownish gold eyes until seeing her without glasses. And her long, lithe body had left a lasting impression. It wasn’t just her looks, but the air of confidence and sensuality she now possessed, that left him unable to stop thinking about her.
    Emma had always seemed to live in Layl a’s shadow. Her older sister was spunky, smart and gorgeous. Cole had even taken her out a couple times in high school. When he’d been at their house with his parents or to mow the grass, anytime he’d tried to talk to Emma, she’d flushed and stammered and fled as quickly as possible. He’d figured she was uncomfortable about a boy three years older than her trying to make small talk with her.
    When he’d heard she was going to college in Paris, Co le had admired her for it. Moving to the other side of the world was a gutsy move for an 18-year-old. He figured she wanted to escape the stigma of being Layla’s little sister. After a quick stop at her high school graduation party with his parents, he hadn’t thought about her. He’d been 21 then, living the life of a carefree college student.
    Life wasn’ t so carefree anymore. He’d been working his ass off at Murphy and Kline for the past three months. His days started at eight and usually ended 13 hours later. Sometimes they were even longer. The junior attorneys in the firm had to bill obnoxious hours, but he liked the work.
    His work schedule left little time for a social life, but Cole was adjusting. He’d been with one woman or another throughout law school, and it was nice to have some space for a change. There was a paralegal at his firm, Jen, who made it clear she was available for no strings sex anytime he wanted. In the midst of a long sexual dry spell, he’d considered it a couple times, but was leery of any involvement with a co-worker. Maybe the dry spell was why just thinking of Emma left him shifting uncomfortably that morning as he got hard sitting at his desk.
    He had the same sensation when she walked into the restaurant. Her long, silky dark hair hung over one of her shoulders, emphasizing the arch of her graceful neck. Her sleeveless dark turquoise dress was just short enough to allow a view of her long, lean legs.
    “Hi,” she said, flashing a smile she probably didn’t realize was sexy.
    Fuck me. I’m in trouble , he thought as he looked at her. God, he wanted to be responsible