I think I annoyed quite a few people with the way I ended the last chapter. To be honest, I never even thought of it as an "evil cliffie", but I'm sorry if I disappointed anyone. It was late at night here when I posted and it just felt like the place to press pause.

No copyright infringement is intended. I'm not trying to be anyone but myself.

Word prompt: hold

Rose's whimper as Emmett brushed his thumbs across her nipples was enough to bring her to her senses. She placed her hands on his wrists, breaking his hold and drawing his arms away from her body. Her breathing was erratic, her face flushed and her voice cracked slightly as she whispered:

"Stop."

Emmett groaned loudly and rested his forehead on her shoulder in a gesture of defeat. His proximity wasn't helping the haze of lust that still enveloped Rose. She ran her fingers through his hair and raised his head to meet her eyes. They stared at each other for an interminable minute and she knew that her message had been received when Emmett straightened to his full height and took a step back from her. She tried to contain her shudder of desire when he adjusted himself in his pants, but Emmett picked up on her sign of weakness immediately, bringing a hand back to her waist and tracing circles with his thumb.

"C'mon, Rose. We both want this. We both need this."

His wheedling tone and the accompanying glint in his eye got Rose's back up. He thought she was a done deal, another woman successfully wooed at the hands of Emmett McCarty.

"You don't know the first thing about what I want."

She gripped his arm and flung it forcefully from her body. For a brief moment, she wondered how Emmett would react, if she were to hit him. If this were a classic Hollywood movie, she would have slapped him, kissed him and then slapped him again, but Rose shied away from such theatrics.

"Oh spare me the bullshit. I wasn't alone in that kiss, Rose!"

Rose laughed and winced at the slightly hysterical tinge to her laughter.

"I was Ms Hale when you questioned my intelligence on a daily basis. Ms Hale when I picked up your arrogant, pretentious asshole coffee every afternoon. Ms Hale when I ordered flowers for your flavour of the month. And I was Ms Hale earlier today when you told me to leave and practically called me a whore!

But now, I'm Rose? You think you can just stick your tongue down my throat, whisper a few pretty words and I'll what, spread my legs for you? Is that your usual MO, Mister McCarty? Fire 'em and bang 'em?"

"Are you quite finished, Ms Hale?"

His return to formality after so much passion was like the sound of nails on chalkboard. Rose shook her head in disgust at his cowardice. She slipped back on her shoes and gathered her purse and coat.

"Mr Masen is sending someone tomorrow to pick up those boxes. Goodbye, Mr McCarty."

She didn't wait for an answer.