Page 5 of Make Me Love You

Chapter Two

Somewhere between Emma’s arrival and subsequent departure from Mayor Whittaker’s office, the clouds had unified into a single dark mass. Shooting a wary glance upward, she stepped onto the sidewalk...just in time for the sky to unleash a torrential downpour.

Emma yelped and jumped back under the portico. She stared in dismay at the rain falling in heavy sheets, so thick she could barely see two feet in front of her face. Now what was she going to do? She had her cell phone with her, of course. She could call Cesar and ask him to come get her. He’d do it, but he’d say I told you so. Emma didn’t want to hear I told you so. She had suffered enough for one day.

“You’re still here.”

She didn’t have to turn around to know who was speaking. He had said only a handful of words in Mayor Whittaker’s office, but she would recognize his voice anywhere. A deep, quiet voice that made you want to move closer to hear it better. She felt it now, that pull toward him, but she forced herself to stay rooted to the spot.

She didn’t respond. She had said everything she needed to say eight years ago, and there wasn’t anything to add to that.

The rain was loud enough to dampen the sound of his footsteps, but she felt him move closer. Her back tensed and she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. He stopped moving.

“You need a ride?” he asked.

She couldn’t ignore a direct question, no matter how much she wanted to. Her parents had taught her better than that, and the only thing she hated more than Eli Carter was disappointing her parents, even if they weren’t there to see it.

But that didn’t mean she had to use words. She shook her head, still not looking at him.

There was a long pause. A clap of thunder broke the silence, followed by a sharp crack of lightning.

“Yes, you do,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s not clearing up any time soon. You can’t wait it out. Even if you run, you’re going to get soaked.”

All true, but she’d rather be soaked than share space in a car with him even for the five minutes it would take to drive her home.

“And you’re wearing a white shirt,” he pointed out.

She looked down. Well, damn. Her shirt was already see-through in a few places where raindrops had hit her. If she walked home, she’d give the whole neighborhood a show. Main Street had emptied out, but Emma knew people hadn’t gone far. They were in the shops, staring out the windows, waiting for the rain to pass so they could continue their errands.

“I don’t want to,” she said. She knew she was whining and she didn’t care. Why did the universe hate her? Hadn’t she suffered enough?

“I know.” The sympathy in his tone annoyed her even more. Why did he have to be so damn kind? Didn’t he know they were enemies? “Wait here, okay? I’ll pull the car around.”

“Where would I go?” she said bitterly.

He shook his head, smiling slightly, and dashed into the rain. She waited, watching the rain come down. How had life gone upside down? This morning she had been certain of two things: One, she needed to save her business, and two, she was never going to talk to Eli Carter again. A few hours later, and here she was, accepting a ride from him, and now she was...mayor?

That couldn’t be right.

A black truck pulled up to the sidewalk and honked. She blinked. For some reason, she had been expecting the old red sedan he had driven in high school. But of course it wasn’t. That car had already been nearly a decade old when he had inherited it; now it would be ancient. She ran as fast as she could, but it didn’t make a bit of difference. She was soaked by the time she reached the door he had pushed open for her.

She slid onto the leather seat...and then kept right on sliding, thanks to her wet body making the seat slick. She fell against him, her lips making awkward contact with his neck. “Oomph,” she said against his warm skin.

And for the space of a heartbeat, she pretended things were different.