Free The Night Off by Meghan O'Brien Page B

worth it.” Another errant tear escaped, dripping onto the sheets. “But this wasn’t real. It was make-believe. So even though I loved every second of it, fucking you has somehow made me feel even lonelier than before. And that wasn’t what I expected.” She forced an unconvincing smile. “I’m okay, though. Honestly.”
    Nat didn’t believe that for a second. “How do you feel about cuddling?”
    Emily shrugged, her smile fading. “Not sure. But I wouldn’t mind trying it.”
    It was hard to imagine how physical contact could be so foreign to a woman like Emily. Certainly it wasn’t for lack of interested suitors. Counting herself lucky to have somehow breached Emily’s obvious defenses, Nat opened her arms. “Another first?”
    Emily moved into her embrace, all warm curves and soft skin. Without looking at Nat’s face, she easily settled against her with the comfort of a longtime lover. Nat buried her nose in Emily’s hair and kissed the crown of her head. Careful to keep her hands away from Emily’s most sensitive areas, Nat caressed her sides and her hips, putting just as much thought into holding Emily as she had into crafting their scene.
    Emily exhaled deeply, her tense muscles finally starting to relax. “Honestly, I have tried cuddling a couple times. It wasn’t like this. I couldn’t relax with her—this girl I dated briefly in college. I remember wondering when it would end so I could leave. The sex was pretty good, but as soon as it was done, so was I.”
    Nat chuckled into her hair. “She wasn’t the right one for you.”
    “Maybe I was the one who wasn’t right.”
    Giving Emily’s hip a gentle pinch, Nat murmured, “Stop.” Emily shifted a little, but Nat tugged her closer and held her tight. From the way Emily practically melted against her, it was clear that she still enjoyed her dominance. Good. “Cuddling is very intimate. I can’t enjoy it with someone I don’t trust. You probably can’t, either. You couldn’t relax because you didn’t trust her. That means she wasn’t the right one for you.”
    Emily was quiet for a few moments, then pulled away, eyebrow cocked. “Oh my God. Are you one of those sappy, romantic types?”
    “Deep down, yes. For the right woman.” Skirting the issue of her very real attraction, Nat steered the conversation back to Emily. “There’s nothing wrong with you. One day you’ll meet someone you trust. Someone you want to cuddle.” Unable to help noticing how naturally Emily fit into her arms, she trailed off. She wanted to lift Emily’s spirits, not freak her out with unprofessional stirrings.
    “This does feel really nice,” Emily whispered, snuggling closer.
    Nat closed her eyes. “So what do you have on your plate?”
    “Excuse me?”
    “You said you don’t date because you have too many other things on your plate. What kinds of things?” As much as she hated to admit it, Nat was hungry for details. So far Emily hadn’t presented herself as ideal girlfriend material, but Nat still needed to know everything. She couldn’t help it.
    “My job, for one,” Emily said. “I’m an accountant at a large corporate firm.”
    “That would be the place where I kidnapped you tonight.”
    Emily swallowed audibly. “Yes.”
    “So you’re a workaholic.”
    “Sometimes.” Emily hesitated. “Raising my sister is what mostly keeps me busy.”
    That was interesting. Nat opened her eyes. “How old is your sister?”
    “Eighteen. I’ve had custody of her since she was twelve.”
    Recalling Emily’s biographical information, Nat did the math. “You’re twenty-five now, so you’ve been raising her since you were, what, eighteen or nineteen?”
    “Almost nineteen.”
    Nat whistled. “Forced to grow up fast.” She knew what that was like.
    “Our parents died shortly before I turned eighteen. It took a while before I could demonstrate that I was able to take care of Colleen. She was in foster care for over a year while I fought to