Nolan set his cell to charge after finishing his text exchange with Emily. She had him, and he knew it. He knew it, and embraced it, surrendering himself to the thrill of infatuation. For years he had closed himself off from people, spending so much time behind a computer screen at Nolcorp that it had taken a rude awakening to shake him from the trance and remind him that life was meant to be lived.

He had eased the hours spent at the office, working from home several times a week and what was more, he had tried reaching out for connections. In putting less intense focus on his work, Nolan had taken time to assess his life. Truly, he was happy; the man had built something important, making his mark on the world, he was comfortable with himself and he had a close handful of friends that he could count on when the time came. His ideas and effort had rewarded him with more wealth than he had ever dreamed of when he was younger, and in turn he had been able to do great things with that wealth. There were many scholarships and charities established through Nolcorp, and he had seen for himself that the programs were working.

It was only at night, when insomnia plagued him, that the man admitted a special kind of lonliness. Despite his material success, despite his happiness, Nolan Ross longed for something more.

Sex he could find easily enough, but even the release with another rang hollow when he would find himself alone again by the next day. Simply put, sex wasn't enough anymore.

Nolan mulled over these thoughts as he undressed and headed into the bathroom. He didn't want to sleep, he wanted Emily to be there with him. She was bright and beautiful, irresistible and alluring. He'd broken his word to David by kissing her, and though Nolan worried about the fallout of what he had done, he knew that he would kiss her again, and more, if given half the chance.

Turning on the shower and stepping into the steam, he could picture Emily walking through the door of his bedroom and joining his dream self beneath the sheets of the bed. Before the man knew what he was doing, he'd closed his eyes and let his hands wander his body as the scene played out in his mind. Emily would kiss him again, and smile that secret, cunning smile he'd grown to love. She would laugh at whatever he said, climb over him, her legs straddling his hips. The Emily of his fantasy held nothing back, she took his body into her own in one swift motion, rocking into him, hard and fast-

Nolan gasped in his release and panted for several moments before groaning, irritated now. He wasn't himself lately; he had never even considered kissing the daughter of an investor or client, he rarely told the Porters anything of his romantic life and it was even rarer that he resorted to his own touch when the subject of his interest was so willing...no, Nolan Ross had not been himself since Emily had rattled him with her flirting and her intense curiosity about everything that had made him the man he had become.

He knew that the wise thing to do at this point would be to put distance between he and Emily. In his absence, she would grow bored and her attentions would move on to someone else, someone more suitable in age and relation to her father. Nolan gritted his teeth against the thought of Emily taking up with Daniel Grayson. The man was younger than Nolan, closer to Emily's age, but he was still running around all night with his reckless friends, the alpha dog in a pack of rich idiots.

I need to talk to David, Nolan decided as he lowered his head under the water once more.

The thought of explaining to his friend that he found his only daughter fascinating - not to mention worlds beyond sexy - filled him with anxiety. On the one hand, Emily was an adult and free to decide whatever she pleased. On the other, the plain fact was that Nolan's new connection with Emily was complicated. As much as he liked her, Nolan was still wary and with sound reason; Emily wouldn't be the first woman - or man - who had tricked him by feigning interest at the start to reveal some other intention later on in the relationship.

Stop. You know she isn't like the rest.

He was not so naive as he once was. He knew the signs now: a subtle remark over some long-desired trinket ("I've always wanted a pink diamond bracelet"), a sudden interest in travel ("You've been to Paris? It's been a dream of mine for so long!"), or a blatant sexual manipulation which, at the very least, Nolan saw as being more honest.

Emily had done no such thing with him. She didn't seem to put much value on clothes or jewelry or cars. She seemed to value intelligence and humor above everything else. Nolan didn't want her to be like the others. He wanted her to be different.

She is different, he thought as he stepped out of the shower. He knew she was different, it was just a matter of working past the insecurities that plagued him.

It was not Emily's fault that he had been burned in the past, it was not her fault that Nolan was hesitant because of her father. They were his issues that needed to be dealt with, and he resolved to find a way.

Emily deserved his effort, she was worth it.

Nolan put on a pair of lounge pants and descended the stairs, looking for the Nolpad tablet he'd left on the counter. He slid onto a barstool and swiped his fingertips over the screen, checking his e-mails from work and seeing what the week had in store for him.

He was pleased to see that his product manager had finished a new prototype ahead of schedule. Great job, Nicole, that earns you a box of Do-Si-Dos, he thought happily, glancing over at the Girl Scout cookies in the kitchen.

This worked in his favor. With the prototype now ready for testing, the man would need to go to Nolcorp in person to oversee the study; he could stay in the city for a few days, and while away, use the time to clear his mind where Emily was concerned.

Who said you can't kill two birds with one stone?


Emily rolled a bottle of cherry red nail polish between her palms, intent to give herself a pedicure. It was late afternoon, and she had spent most of the day on the beach. She was getting the vacation she'd longed for at school; for the most part her days had been spent on the beach reading under the shade of an oversized umbrella, collecting sea glass and shells, playing improvised games of bat gammon or volleyball with her father when he was home, and - on the rare occasion when she could escape her nightmare boss - shopping with Ashley at the boutiques in town.

She had gone to several parties already, either the more formal gatherings hosted by the business associates of her father or house parties that had devolved into keggers and she had made a quick exit. The summer was shaping up exactly the way she'd hoped it would, already she was worlds happier and more relaxed than when she'd been at school slaving away on her finals.

Nolan had texted her earlier that morning, claiming that he would be in the city for most of the day but that he wanted to see her when he returned. They had not seen each other since their date night, nearly a week ago now, but it was safe to say that they had been on each other's mind. Ashley had questioned her mercilessly after hearing from Daniel that Emily had been with Nolan at Silver's, but Emily had kept quiet about the man.

She would tell Ashley all about Nolan once they decided where they stood with each other. Emily wasn't one to immediately label things with every man who took her to dinner, but all the same if she was going to gossip to her friend about her connection to the man, she would at least like to have her facts straight.

A few careful strokes saw crimson overtake her buffed toenails, and Emily considered doing the same to her fingertips when her cell chirped and displayed a picture of Nolan she'd taken from one of his early Wired magazine covers. She planned to replace it if he ever let her take a live candid photo.

"Hello?"

"Emily, it's Nolan."

"How was the city?" She asked, excited to hear from him.

"It was all right, but after a few days I'm ready to be back home. I'm starving, what about you, are you hungry?"

Emily shrugged, "I could eat."

On the other end of the line, Nolan pressed harder on the gas, accelerating faster, faster, his appetite and want to see her again urging him home. He regretted not taking the corporate helicopter. "Pick you up in an hour?"

"Works for me."

The exchange lasted less than a minute, and as soon as she ended the call Emily was shuffling to her closet to pick an outfit to wear. She had been hoping to hear from the man, as they had only traded a few texts since their kiss, a kiss that had kept Emily awake at night and set her thoughts to wander during the day.

Heat rose in her neck and chest with anticipation. She refused to jinx things, and simply hoped for a night time out spent with the man.

Not that she needed to worry; she and Nolan were surprisingly good sparring partners and clearly, the attraction was mutual. Even if her father was confounded by it, even though Nolan was hesitant, Emily had never been one to hold back against what might turn into a great thing.

And if their last date was any indication, then tonight would be well worth remembering.


True to his word, Nolan arrived at the Clarke house about an hour after his quick exchange with Emily. David smirked as he watched the younger man park in the drive and approach the house. He wasn't an idiot; he could see easily enough what was happening even though neither of them had explained themselves yet, but he was damned if he knew what to do about it.

He placed enough trust in Emily and Nolan that they would come clean to him before anything went much further, but for now he was content with humoring them both.

"Hey, Nolan." David answered the door and waved him inside. "Let me guess, you're here for Emily?"

Nolan stepped inside, nodding. "Yep, she told me she liked to play pool and I have just the place."

"No flowers this time?" David asked, taking in his friend's more casual attire. No suit this time, Nolan looked more himself in a pair of chinos and an orange polo, its collar thankfully folded down for once.

Guy's a tech genius, but he still dresses like a teenager, David thought ruefully. Nolan's style had gained color over the years, but hadn't gained an ounce of gravity.

"No, why would I? It's not a date, we're just hanging out." Nolan said quickly.

David raised a brow at the younger man, staring him down. "You're sure she knows that?"

"I-"

"Next time we meet, you and I are going to talk." He said firmly. David didn't want to be overbearing with his daughter or his friend, but all the same he didn't like that they had formed a connection and excluded him completely.

"David, we haven't-"

"Nolan, hi." Emily descended the stairs, unknowingly interrupting them. Much like Nolan, she had dressed more casual than when they last met for dinner, she in a chic blouse and a pair of capris, her hair pulled back into a loose curled bun above the nape of her neck.

Nolan smiled as she approached, but faltered when she stepped in close and kissed his cheek right there in front of her father. With that, he was sure she was only trying to embarrass him.

"Bye, dad."

Emily was first out the front door, pulling Nolan along with her and watching this, David eyed him knowingly, to which Nolan could only shake his head and helplessly mouth, "Not a date!"

David rolled his eyes as he heard the two get into Nolan's car and take off, wondering how his little girl had become such a man-eater.


Rather than take Emily to the Stowaway, Nolan opted instead for The Bait Bucket. Much like the Stowaway, it was a rustic seaside bar complete with a pool table and a few dart boards, but it was more private. Despite speaking of her to the Porters, Nolan wanted to keep Emily to himself for the time being.

If things went well, there would be time enough to bring her around his friends when they next saw each other.

They teased each other over an early dinner of crab legs, boiled crawfish and rice, flirting mercilessly and enjoying themselves every minute. Nolan had given up on keeping Emily at a distance, the woman had thundered through his defenses and would not be denied.

Small wonder that David hadn't tried to convince her to leave him alone, Emily had made up her mind that Nolan was an interesting man to know.

After finishing the meal, neither of the pair were ready to part ways and so turned to drinks and the games. With a margarita for her and a short whiskey soda for him, Nolan winced as Emily sank another ball in the table, her skills leaving him two balls behind her in score.

"You tricked me, Ems. I thought you only played the odd game every once in awhile, but it turns out that you're a pool shark."

She smirked at him over her shoulder. "Don't exaggerate, I'm not that good."

"Au contraire, you're nailing all the stripes." He countered.

Emily leaned her cue against the table where the man lounged, his body relaxed but his expression sharp. Of all the things that Nolan didn't like, losing and being tricked were right at the top of the list.

"Beginner's luck, that's all." She reassured him as she reached for her drink and finished it.

Emily signalled the bartender for another margarita and Nolan scoffed at her comment, "You're a beginner in what, exactly? Life?"

"Very funny." Emily took a seat on the opposite barstool as Nolan took up his cue and moved to the table. "But seriously, I don't play that often. Maybe you're just terrible."

Nolan laughed at her candor and chalked his cue. "Hey, even an old pro can have an off night."

The man bent to the table and aimed, hoping to sink the 4 ball into the left corner pocket. It was Jack who had first taught him how to play, and while Nolan liked the game, it was a rare occasion that he had a date who would play with him.

He struck, and the 4 ball disappeared into the pocket. "Look at that, maybe I'm making a comeback."

"Care to wager on that?"

"Ah, so the lady likes to gamble. All right, Ems, what did you have in mind?" He asked.

Emily looked at him coyly, the alcohol and her attraction to him making her bolder. She stepped in closer, tipping her chin up, daring him with her eyes to kiss her again. In that moment, it was all she wanted. "If I win this game, I want...another kiss."

Nolan tilted his head at her, leaning in close, until his lips hovered just over her own. "Oh, Ems. I would have given you that for free."

Emily pulled back in defiance of his teasing. "Really, Mr. Ross? Then let's keep it open for now."

She took her turn and at last sank the black ball, ending their time at the pool table. She smiled in the face of Nolan's scowl, "How are you at darts?"


Later on in the night, after several turns of pool and darts, with Nolan besting her at the boards and Emily narrowly winning at the tables, the pair had abandoned games and moved to sit at the bar for the remainder of their time together.

Nolan gestured to the bartender. "I'll have one more." He had a tendency to nurse his drinks throughout a night, slow sips to better savor the notes of the whiskey.

Ever the gentleman, he turned to Emily. "Would you like a water?"

She shook her head as she saw his signature drink appear before them. The whiskey seemed to suit Nolan, somehow. It was charismatic in its simplicity. "No, I'll have whatever you're having."

Nolan raised a brow, "Whiskey? You're sure? You've already had a few margaritas."

"I...sure, I love whiskey." Emily scoffed nervously. "Drink it all the time."

Nolan only shook his head as she ordered the drink, braced herself and downed it quickly, groaning as the whiskey burned its way down her throat. She shook her head and steadied herself against a sudden wave of dizziness.

Nolan noticed her leaning heavily on the counter and suggested, "Emily, I think you've had a little too much. Let's call it a night."

The young woman set her empty glass on the table with exhaggerated care. She bit her tongue, angry with herself now. "I hate that you're right. I'm sorry, Nolan." Emily hung her head. "God, I'm so embarrassed."

At that, Nolan had to laugh. "It's all right, you can't help that you're a lightweight."

"I was just trying to keep up." She explained, hating the petulance in her own voice. She sounded like the young girl Nolan claimed to see, the very reason the man held himself back from her.

If I get sick in front of him I know I'll die of shame, she thought, cursing herself. What the hell was I thinking?

Nolan put on his jacket and handed over her purse. "Emily you're too skinny to be knocking back whiskey like it's water."

Despite the heat flooding her face, Emily was defiant to the last. "You're calling me skinny?"

Nolan put his arm around her as they left the bar. "Hey, I might be skinny but you forget that I'm a veteran drinker. No worries, I'll take you home."

Their night wasn't winding down in the way he had expected, but despite that, Nolan was glad - he had been right in his belief that Emily was different from the rest. She was anything but predictable.


The house was dark when they returned, and David's car was not in the drive. Nolan bit his tongue against the laughter that threatened to overwhelm him at Emily's embarrassment. She must have apologized to him a hundred times on the drive back from the bar, and each time Nolan had reassured her that he wasn't angry with her.

Truly, he didn't understand why she was so upset; if anything, seeing her tipsy made him like her that much more, as she was less intimidating now that he knew her capable of being humbled. And besides, who in their life had never had too much to drink?

Parking, the man lead Emily into the house and assisted her in removing her high heels when she stumbled in the living room.

"I'm sorry, Nolan. This wasn't supposed to happen."

Nolan tossed her shoes aside, "Oh, come on, Ems. You had one too many, it's not the end of the world."

"I know, but I didn't want you to see me like this."

He smirked at her, "So really, you're just upset that you broke your own cool-girl persona, huh?"

Emily quirked her lips back at him, "Maybe."

As she was unsteady on her feet, Nolan brought her to the downstairs guest room rather than climb the stairs, his intention just to put her to bed and go home. The night not ending as he might have wanted, but interesting nonetheless.

He shouldered open the door and guided her to sit on the edge of the bed.

"All right, I think this should do it for tonight." He said, amused. This wasn't the first time he'd had to take care of a date who had had just a little too much to drink, and he was sure it wouldn't be the last.

Emily, recovered from her humiliation, seemed to recall her attraction to the man.

Here goes everything.

"Nolan, will you help me out of this?"

He turned back to her, taking in the look in her eyes; they were nowhere near as unfocused as they had been earlier, Emily was regaining herself by the moment.

Nolan knew what she was doing, but he resolved not to let her win. It was this game between them, the constant baiting and flirt. Distantly, he couldn't help but wonder if she had planned this, if she wasn't actually stone-cold sober and had put on the act just to lure him back to the house when she knew David would be gone and they could be alone. He wouldn't put it past her; Emily was beautifully clever.

Nolan stepped forward and let his hands wander over her back, ignoring the way Emily leaned into him and her soft sigh against his neck. He found the zipper on the back of her blouse and helped her free of the shirt, but as more of her became exposed to his eyes, Nolan's resolve began to crack.

Emily stood before him, nearly topless but for the navy lace of a bra that cupped her breasts, offering them to his temptation.

Dumbfounded, Nolan couldn't help but stare. "All right, there you go, Ems...shirt's off."

Emily rolled her eyes, men and their fixation with breasts was so predictable, but she supposed that she could find a bit of flattery in seeing Nolan so fixated with hers. She stepped closer and put her arms around him.

The cloud of alcohol surrounding her mind had been burned away in a tide of rising lust. She still remembered the kiss from their last date, it had only left her wanting more.

"Nolan, you like me, right?"

The man nodded. Everything in his mind was urging him to run, but his body refused to leave her. "I do."

She leaned in even closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then don't leave, you could stay with me tonight."

He knew what she wanted of him, he wanted the same, his body was screaming for it...

But not like this. Not with her too deep into drink and their connection still a secret from her father. If they were to take this turn, then it had to be right.

His hands spanned to her waist and he pulled her forward, pressing against her for a moment, letting her feel the arousal he was fighting. He dragged his teeth over her throat, his voice a low rumble in her ear. Emily lifted her hands to his hair, wanting him, hating him for how he was holding himself back.

"Emily, please believe me, if you were sober then I'd have you up against the wall. But you're drunk, and I am a gentleman."

She swatted his arm for teasing her. "Spoilsport, I'm not drunk, I'm just tipsy." Emily fixed him with a wicked grin, her hand suggestively toying with the strap of her bra. "But tell me...what would you do to me against the wall?"

Nolan pulled her hands away, holding them down at her sides. If she didn't stop her teasing...

"Sorry, if I start thinking about that, then tonight will end up like an after-school special about the dangers of drinking with older men."

Emily tilted her head, "Does the difference in our ages really bother you that much?"

Nolan smiled and dipped his head, dropping a kiss on her bare shoulder. "No. It's how much and how quickly I've come to like you that bothers me so much."

Emily furrowed her brow. "I don't understand."

"I know...I'm not sure I do either."

Her eyes held his, she was so close. Too close.

"Will you stay?"

Nolan shook his head, his voice low. He tried to ignore her hand on his chest. "Not in the bed. I'll sleep on the couch. Do you need anything? I could make you something to eat or get you a glass of water."

"I'm fine." Emily paused before asking him, "Nolan, I didn't ruin our night, did I?"

At that, Nolan had to smile. "What, because of this? No, I still think you're great. I was going to take you home soon anyway."

"You still owe me a kiss." She reminded him.

Nolan obliged, and gave a soft kiss to her cheek.

Emily frowned at him. "You cheater."

Nolan pressed his forehead to hers for a moment, then pulled away. He knew if he kissed her, or even held her for much longer, then there was no way he would leave her room that night. Better to pull away now than face a morning filled with regret.

"That's all you get until you learn to hold your liquor." He touched her hair. "Good night, Ems."

Emily sat back down on the edge of the bed, watching as Nolan shut the door behind him on his way to the living room.

"Night, Nolan."


It was not the best night's sleep that Nolan had ever had; he didn't like sleeping in his day clothes and the living room sofa was much too short to be comfortable for his height. Blinking, Nolan woke and painfully moved to sit up, trying to stretch as he did so and finding all of his muscles cramped. He cleared his throat and cracked his knuckles, wincing.

He rose and peeked in on Emily, glad to see that she was still sleeping.

Good, let her sleep it off, he thought, recalling his own last hangover. Sleep was always the best remedy.

Shrugging, Nolan left her and went into the kitchen, setting up to make a pot of coffee. He'd wake her when it was ready, then maybe take her to breakfast if she was feeling up to it.

Thinking back to the night before, Nolan reasoned that she should feel fine. She had drank more than she should have, but it wasn't as if she'd been passing out or gotten sick from drinking. By the time he'd brought her home, Emily had been herself again.

Maybe too much herself, Nolan thought with an aroused shiver. Damn Emily and her pretty face, her sharp eyes, her warm lips. Damn her and her charm, her sharp sense of humor and the temptation she was to him.

If he had been in the room with her for just a minute longer...

Nolan poured himself a cup of coffee and headed back to sit on the sofa, but he stumbled over one of her shoes and spilled coffee on the front of his shirt.

"Oh, damn it!" Nolan cursed.

Thinking quick, he hustled to the laundry room, stripped off his shirt and popped it into the wash, setting the machine to a quick wash and rinse. It wasn't that he put such a value on his shirt, it was that he couldn't stand food stains on anything he wore.

On hearing the front door open and close, Nolan came out of the laundry room, expecting to see a roused Emily but instead came face to face with David Clarke.

David stopped short on seeing Nolan there, in his house, at barely eight in the morning, shirtless. "Not a date, huh? What the hell is this?" He demanded.

Nolan quickly held up his hands to show innocence. "It's not what it looks like."

"You better hope it's not."

He didn't bother with any pretense, Nolan told David the truth. "I went out with Emily last night and she had a little more than she should have. I stayed over last night, but I didn't touch her, I swear."

David rolled his eyes, "Oh, yeah? And what happened to your shirt?"

"I spilled some coffee, I just put it in the wash." He said, motioning to the washing machine he'd just started.

"Where is she?" David asked, obviously meaning Emily. I'm going to kill her.

"The guest room. I slept on the couch." Nolan quickly explained, pointing to the throw blanket there.

"Why not just head home?" David asked him.

"She promised me breakfast if I stayed." Nolan lied easily. Emily had said no such thing, but how could he explain to David that he had wanted to leave, he'd had his keys in his hand, but he hadn't been able to leave Emily alone?

David nodded, unnerved by the connection that had formed between them but taking great enjoyment in intimidating Nolan. "Get your shirt back on."

"It's still wet."

"Did I stutter?"

Nolan disappeared into the laundry room, then reappeared a moment later, his shirt still dripping. David looked at him, mussed and miserable with the wet shirt clinging to his body. "That's better."

"It doesn't feel better." Nolan grumbled as he moved into the living room and folded the blanket he'd slept with that night and set it at the end of the sofa. The material felt tight on him, the wetness was chilling and, most annoying of all, the coffee stain remained.

He was just as irritated with David's obvious enjoyment in bossing him, but who could blame the man? Nolan supposed he'd earned it, carrying on with Emily as he had. He should have talked to David before this, and now here they were.

David sank into the chair across from the sofa. "So Emily promised to cook? We're both in luck, girl makes a great omelette. It'll be nice, we can all sit down to breakfast and you can both tell me just what the hell has been going on between the two of you."

"Nolan? I...oh, hi dad." Upon laying eyes on David, Emily immediately closed the neck and tightened the belt of her robe, keeping whatever she had changed into under wraps.

David eyed her skeptically. "Hi yourself. Nolan was just telling me how he had to pour you into bed last night, should I sign you up for AA on Monday?"

"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad. I was tipsy, not drunk. I'm fine now, I don't even have a headache." Emily huffed. Nothing had gone as she'd hoped in the last several hours - first she'd humiliated herself in front of Nolan, he had refused to share the bed with her and now, her father had come home and intruded on their morning.

"Good, then in that case you can make me breakfast too." David said carelessly, "I'll have pancakes, but go ahead and make Nolan your specialty. You'll need to impress him now that he's seen you sloppy drunk and dancing on tables."

Nolan gave her a sideways look. "Is there a 'Coyote Ugly' incident in your past that I missed out on?"

Emily looked away from Nolan and moved into the kitchen, hurriedly pulling out the ingredients she would need to make a meal for the main men in her life.

"I, um...no comment." She smiled nervously, "Now, do you like bacon or sausage with your eggs?"