Chapter 37: Emma

"I have appointments booked for us at three-thirty." Ruby said.

"Appointments for what?" Emma asked warily.

"Mani pedi's. And I'm getting my eyebrows waxed."Ruby replied.

Emma simply nodded. She usually fought Ruby every time she booked an appointment like this, stating she was perfectly capable of painting her own nails but she was actually looking forward to some pampering.

(It had nothing to do with the fact that Killian had recently complimented her on the color of polish on her toes. At least that's what she told herself.)

"No argument?" Ruby asked, clearly surprised.

"Nah, it's been awhile since you talked me into this." Emma answered.

The nail salon didn't have a wait when they arrived. Emma followed Ruby to the wall of polishes, slightly overwhelmed by the options. Without hesitation Ruby selected her signature fire-engine red color for both her hands and feet.

Emma picked a shimmery gold color for her hands and debated what to do with her toes. "I kind of want to do a non traditional color." She said to Ruby, moving to look at the selection of blue and green polishes.

"Oh, do it! I love that turquoise color." Ruby replied pointing to a color that had caught Emma's eye as well.

Emma grabbed the bottle of polish. "Me too. It's too pretty to pass up."

She sighed as her feet sank into the heated, bubbling water. Ruby did the same, silencing her phone and tossing it in her bag. She grabbed the stack of gossip magazines sitting between them. "Let's see if there is anything we need to know about...another Teen Mom is getting divorced. Taylor went on vacation with her boyfriend and took cute pics. Kanye is still crazy. And Kate has stupidly cute children. Nope, nothing new." She tossed the magazines back into the basket.

"Kate?" Emma asked.

"You know, Middleton." Ruby replied as though it were obvious.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't realize you were on a first name basis with the Duchess." Emma deadpanned.

"Oh yeah, we go way back." Ruby joked.

Two ladies sat down on the stools in front of them and started their pedicures. Ruby laughed and fought to keep her legs straight as the woman scrubbed the bottom of her feet with a pumice stone. Emma never understood how someone with ticklish feet could voluntarily get pedicures.

"Very pretty color." The woman said before opening the bottle and applying the polish to Emma's toes.

They switched over to the manicure chairs, fingernails resting in the warm water. Emma couldn't stop peeking at her toes, staring at the bright turquoise color.

"What are you doing after this?" Ruby asked.

Emma frowned. "I should do laundry. I just don't feel like it. Why?"

"Oh good. Procrastinate and go shopping with me instead." Ruby said.

"Eh, okay." Emma agreed.

"Wait, really?" Ruby turned to her friend in shock.

"Yes. nail polish." Emma gestured toward her wet nails with her chin. "If I do laundry now, I'll just mess them up. And I really, really don't feel like lugging everything to the laundromat."

"I thought you could use the washer and dryer in the main house?" Ruby asked.

"Contractors have been in and out all week. They're remodeling something most likely. I'd rather not get in their way." Emma answered.

-/-

"Emma, that dress would look gorgeous on you. You should try it on." Ruby said pointing to a polka dot sundress in a color similar to the one on her toes.

"It's not too matchy?" Emma asked, thumbing through the hangers until she found her size.

"Not at all." Ruby replied.

Emma tried on the dress along with a few other suggestions Ruby had picked and then some pieces she had found on her own. She rarely went clothes shopping for clothes, choosing to only pick up items as she absolutely needed them. Standing in the dressing room, Emma fastened the button on her shorts and pulled her tank top over her head. She shuffled her feet into her flip flops and eyed up the pile of clothes hanging on the hooks in front of her. Everything had fit and it had been some time since she had bought anything new. Frowning, she held up two of the tops in front of her, trying to decide between the two. A minute later she wasn't any closer to making a decision than before. Sighing, she held up the shirts again, this time grabbing the price tag. Her eyebrows raised as she took in the deeply discounted price. Grabbing the dress and the jeans, she looked at the tags and quickly calculated the cost for everything in her head; pulling out her phone and adding up the prices again to confirm she was correct at the surprisingly low cost of all of the items. She knew they were shopping at a discount store but had failed to factor in the end of the season discounts applied to summer clothing.

"Are you going to let me see the dress?" Ruby called from the next dressing room over.

"Sure, just gimme a minute." Emma replied, pulling off her tank top and taking the dress off the hanger once again. She slid off her shorts and pulled her hair out from under the back of the dress, pulling it out over she shoulders. "Okay." She said, opening the door to the dressing room.

Ruby opened her own door, face breaking out into an immediate grin. "Spin." She instructed.

Emma did as she asked, twirling around slowly so Ruby could see the back of the dress.

"That looks amazing on you. You should totally get it." Ruby told her.

"I'm getting all of it actually." Emma replied, gesturing toward the clothing hanging on the hook.

Ruby blinked a few times, shaking her head briefly before meeting Emma's eyes. "Are you sure you haven't been abducted by aliens? You voluntarily agreed to get pampered and now you're buying yourself clothes." Ruby questioned, suspiciously.

Emma rolled her eyes, giving her friend a patronizing look. "No alien abduction, at least that they've made me aware of. You always tell me I never spend money on myself and here I am trying to do it and you're convinced I've been visited by little green men with huge eyes. Besides, you know the tips were pretty decent this summer."

"They were, but are you sure there isn't another reason. A blue eyed one, maybe?" Ruby pressed.

"No. Well, not exactly. I mean, I'm not buying clothes because of Killian." Emma replied.

"So why are you buying them?" Ruby questioned.

"Because I want to. Killian doesn't have anything to do with the clothes, but I was thinking of something. It's September. His lease ends next month." Emma replied.

"So?" Ruby asked.

"So he could be leaving." Emma replied, exasperated that Ruby wasn't following along.

Ruby laughed. "Leaving his condo? Maybe. Leaving the area? Not a snowball's chance in hell. Plus he agreed to come to my wedding, which is next year and he's going to watch Breaking Bad with you."

"Agreeing to watch a show with me is not a guarantee. He could think we would, I don't know, Skype it or something. And people travel to weddings." Emma retorted.

"You're worrying over nothing. I promise you. Why don't you just talk to him about it?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know. I don't want to come off as needy. He could want to move away." Emma replied.

"He doesn't. That man and that dog are here for as long as you're willing to have them. Then likely even longer. Just talk to him about it." Ruby encouraged.

"I'll think about it." Emma replied.

"You better. Don't stress yourself out over nothing. Now come on, we need to find you some shoes to go with that dress." Ruby chastised.

"Shoes? I don't need to buy shoes too-" Emma started to say but promptly cut herself off at the look Ruby gave her. "Right. Shoes. Let's go look." She amended.

-/-

She hadn't seen Killian in two days. It wasn't intentional, or perhaps it was, because she had managed to work herself up into an anxious state, semi-convinced that Killian was going to simply pack and up leave without a word when his lease ended next month. The logical part of her brain knew it wasn't likely, that there was truth to what Ruby had said. They had talked on the phone and shared a handful of texts, but it wasn't the same. Despite the irrational portion of her brain worried he would leave, she acknowledged that she missed him. That when given the choice to spend the day with or without him, even if only running errands or completing chores, she preferred to be with Killian. Her sleeping patterns had always been erratic; even the nights where insomnia didn't plague her she still woke every few hours. Except when she shared a bed with Killian, she managed to sleep in longer stretches or through the the night entirely. Texts and phone calls weren't the same, even if she was the one who told him to stay home last two nights. Butterflies flitted in her stomach and Emma realized she was excited to see Killian at the party.

Frowning, Emma grabbed her phone and typed out a quick text. Killian replied almost immediately that he would be over shortly.

"Hello, love." He said, grinning as she opened the door. Her eyes roved over him as though it had been more than a few days since she had last seen him. She took in the scruff that covered his chin, noticing a few ginger hairs in between the dark brown ones she hadn't noticed before. Her eyes slid down the hollow of his neck, taking in the tanned skin exposed with his open collar. Three buttons of his shirt were undone, exposing more than a smattering of dark chest hair. She took in the fitted shirt, the light blue only serving to further bring out his eyes. The pearlescent buttons shimmered slightly, the sleeves of the dress shirt rolled up to expose his forearms. On his right wrist he had a simple bracelet, a woven leather in dark brown that stood out even against his sun-darkened skin. The shirt was tucked into a khaki colored shorts, the brass buckle of his belt standing out prominently. Toned legs led to nearly bare feet, a pair of dark brown leather flip flops on his feet.

Emma reached out, her fingers fisting in the fabric of his shirt, pulling him toward her and kicking her front door closed behind them. She registered the shocked look that crossed his face but before he could question her, her other hand wound around his neck, pulling his lips down to hers. It was sloppy and rough at first, noses bumping and teeth clacking, until his hand curved around the back of her neck, angling her head and he took control over the kiss. Emma nearly moaned into his mouth, fueled by how quickly she could feel the desire rising in him.

Removing her hand from his neck, she brought it to join her other one, clumsily trying to undo the buttons. She finally managed to undo them and pull the hem of his shirt free, running her hands from his chest to the waistband of his shorts, feeling the muscles that flexed underneath her touch.

Her fingers slid up again, pushing the shirt off his shoulders and down his arms, tugging when it stuck on his arms until it came free. She turned her attention toward his belt buckle, managing to undo it before he broke the kiss. "Love?" He questioned.

Emma kissed her way across his jaw, moving down the column of his neck as her fingers worked to undo the button of his shorts. "I miss you." She muttered against his skin.

One of his hands came up over hers, stilling her movement the other coming to tilt her chin up to him. "If this is the hello I get for not seeing you for two days, perhaps I should keep away more often." He teased her with a wink.

"Complaining?" Emma challenged.

"Not a bit. Although we don't have much time before we need to leave for the party. Perhaps we should continue this later tonight." Killian said, lips ghosting over hers.

Emma smirked. "Or maybe you shut up and kiss me and see if we can set a new record. I still need to shower."

She watched as his eyes darkened, his fingers coming to slide under the hem of her tank top, teeth sinking into his bottom lip. "Oh love, you know how I love a challenge." He replied, voice low and full of desire.

Emma felt her pulse quicken, want coursing through her veins. "Show me." Her voice came out breathier than she intended but Emma found she didn't mind at all with the way his eyes lit up.

She barely had a second to react before his arm swung under her legs, lifting her up and walking quickly toward the bathroom. He sat her on the counter, pulling her tank top over her head. "Christ, love, no bra?" He muttered, cupping her breasts and ducking his head to add his mouth to the mix.

"I-oh-needed to get in the shower. Seemed...seemed silly to put one on before that." Emma said, tilting her head back to give him better access.

"Hmm." Killian murmured, the vibration teasing her more.

"Shower. With me." Emma managed to say.

Killian pulled back slowly, drawing as much pleasure from her as possible. Emma slid off the counter and unbuttoned her shorts, pushing them down with her boyshorts. Killian paused, eyes slowly working their way over her nude body.

Walking backwards, Emma stepped into her shower. "You're wasting time." She taunted, turning on the water.

She tilted her head back, hands coming up to push the water through her hair. By the time she had tilted her head back again, Killian had removed the rest of his clothing and was stepping into the shower with her. Large hands circled her waist, pulling her flush against him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, turning her face upward to meet his lips. Killian walked them backward another step until she was under the spray. The heated droplets cascaded over her already sensitized skin, her nipples hardening further as his thumbs swept over them.

Killian spun them around, his back against the cool shower tile and pulled Emma's back against his chest, rocking his hips against hers. He pulled the wet strands of her hair away, pushing it over her opposite shoulder; his lips closing over the shell of her ear.

Emma moaned, rocking back against him. One hand cupped her breast, twirling her nipple between his fingers as the other slid between her legs, touching her with the barest hint of pressure. His lips moved to her neck, nipping lightly and Emma found herself rolling her hips into his touch trying to seek more friction.

She nearly whimpered at the loss of his touch when he removed his hands, until she felt him remove the shower head and positioning it over her chest. His fingers slid between her thighs again, teasing her with gentle strokes until her knees were shaking. "Please."

Killian complied, slipping his fingers inside her, nipping harder at her neck. Emma rolled her hips back against him, hands coming up to touch her breasts. "That's it, love." Killian murmured in her ear. "Touch yourself."

He tilted the shower head downward, the droplets running between her thighs. She widened her stance immediately, trying to adjust the droplets to where she needed them. Killian flexed his wrist, the spray teasing her further. She jumped as it hit the right spot, her knees weakening. Killian increased the speed of his fingers, widening his own stance for her to rest against him. Emma rocked back against Killian, her hand wrapping around his wrist as wave after wave of pleasure rolled over her until the sensation took over, her toes curling as she called out his name.

"What is it with us and the shower?" Emma asked when she could form coherent thoughts again, turning around in Killian's embrace.

He chuckled. " I'm not sure, love, but there's something about you wet and wanting."

Emma rolled her eyes at the double entendre. Her hand slid between their bodies, gripping his length. "Seems we still need to take care of this." She said, switching their positions and bracing herself against the wall, stance widened. She looked back over her shoulder to find Killian gaping back at her with wide eyes. "Problem?"

"Not at all, love." He said, coming up behind her.

Emma widened her stance further and rolled her hips back when he pushed into her slowly. She dropped her head to her arm, focusing on the heavy drag of him inside her. His lips found the shell of her ear as his fingers slid over her already sensitized flesh. She rocked back with each of his thrusts, climbing closer and closer to falling over the edge again.

"Close?" Killian asked, breath hot in her ear.

Emma nodded in response, bending slightly more forward and gasping at the new angle they'd created. Killian's fingers increased with the tempo of his hips until she fell over the edge again, Killian joining her.

Emma kept her face pressed to the cool tile until it transferred to her skin and she felt as though her legs could support her again. She turned around, holding Killian to her. "I think we might need to rush the actual shower portion of this if we're going to make it to the party on time." She said apologetically.

Killian nodded and stepped back, letting Emma stand under the spray to wash her hair. They traded places and he washed his own, removing the gel he had put in it before coming to her place. She caught him watching as she lathered up the loofah. "Why do I have a feeling we're going to be late?" She asked.

She met him with an amused look when his eyes finally met hers, grinning that he still managed to look slightly sheepish. "It's not my fault that I have such a stunning girlfriend." He replied.

"Out." Emma said.

"What?" Killian asked confused.

"I can't show up late to the party with you and that smirk." She pointed at his face. "So I'm politely telling you to get out of my shower so I can get ready and we can be somewhat on time."

She laughed as he bowed. "As the lady wishes."

Emma finished her shower quickly and rushed to dry off, putting on lotion while her skin was still damp. She applied minimal make up and twisted her hair back into a French braid, the only style she could think of that would work with wet hair. She exited the bathroom and stepped into the turquoise dress, slipping her feet into the wedges Ruby had talked her into buying.

"I'm ready." She said, coming into the living room to find Killian sitting on the couch, once again dressed. His hair was still damp and messier than when he arrived but she figured it would have to do.

"You look stunning in that dress, love." Killian replied, standing up.

-/-

"I like the theme." Killian said and Emma turned around to see the deck from his angle. The decor that had seemed somewhat tacky and cheap online looked completely different in person, the deck taking on a tiki feel. Torches lined the perimeter, twinkle lights dangled from every available surface and hibiscus flowers were placed throughout. Two rope-light palm trees sat in front of three kiddie pools filled with sand and topped with sandcastle building supplies.

"It is pretty cool. Not at all what I was picturing at first. Come on, let's go grab a drink." Emma replied and they made their way over to the bar, adorned with a stack of coconuts.

"Coconut mojitos are the speciality." The bartender informed them. Emma vaguely recognized him as one of the summer help but she couldn't place his name.

"I'll take one of those then." Emma replied. Killian ordered a beer and drinks procured, they made their way through the crowd to the picnic table where Ruby sat with Victor.

They chatted with their coworkers until a line formed in front of the food tables and David announced that everyone needed to get in line. The line moved quickly, Emma filling her plate with pulled pork and pineapple dishes.

David and Maggie came around once everyone had been seated again. "How is everything?" David asked.

"The food is delicious and the luau theme is pretty cool." Killian replied.

"You know the theme was mainly Emma's idea." Maggie chimed in, before reaching over to shake Killian's hand and apologizing for not introducing herself first.

"I just suggested playing up the name of the restaurant because it hadn't been done before." Emma said, uncomfortable with the attention being on her.

"Are you planning on having a sandcastle competition?" KIllian asked, gesturing toward the kiddie pools filled with sand.

"Yes. Actually that's part of the reason why we came over here. Since you'd beat everyone, Killian, we were wondering if you'd like to be our third judge." Maggie asked.

Killian agreed and David dashed over to where the music was playing and grabbed the microphone, informing everyone that the sandcastle building competition would start in five minutes.

Emma found herself standing next to Ruby and a few other coworkers who chose to sit this competition out. Ashley, one of the waitresses was competing against Mark, a busboy and Joe, one of the kitchen staff. David explained the rules, they only had five minutes to build their best work. The timer sounded and the three got to work, cheered on by their coworkers.

It was obvious that Ashley was the winner, her castle was the only one that hadn't collapsed when the time was up. David awarded her one of the silly prizes and told everyone they would have a limbo game coming shortly.

"I can't do that in these shoes. Or in a dress." Emma told Ruby, watching as the bar dropped lower and lower.

Ruby tilted her head watching as one of their coworkers needed to crab walk under the bar. "Yeah, I'm all for being flexible but I'm cool with sitting this one out."

-\-

As the night wore on and the sun faded over the ocean, David and Maggie convinced everyone to participate in different silly games, keeping the food stocked and the alcohol flowing. It was late when karaoke was finally suggested.

They made it through a few songs before Killian caught Emma yawning.

"I don't know why I'm so tired." She apologized.

"It's fine, love. Perhaps we should make our getaway before we're asked to sing?" Killian offered.

"I thought you liked singing." Ruby asked confused.

"I do. I just don't feel like it tonight." Killian replied.

"Let's say our goodbyes." Emma said, standing up.

They made their way through the crowd, saying goodbye to coworkers before coming up to David and Maggie and thanking them for the party.