Cliff’s Descent by Dianne Duvall
Chapter Eight
Cliff had to really fight to keep from quickening his pace. He and his guards were later than usual heading up to the cafeteria. Todd had delayed them while he checked on something. Cliff didn’t know what—he hadn’t really paid attention to Todd’s mutterings because he’d been too distracted eyeing the clock and counting every minute they wasted.
Minutes he could be spending with Emma.
But they were finally on their way.
As usual, Cliff’s attention shot straight to Emma when he entered the cafeteria.
She wore a colorful, casual shirt that hugged small breasts he spent far too much time thinking about and a narrow waist. Short sleeves bared slender arms that bore a little more muscle definition now than they had when he’d first met her. Arms he had on many occasions fantasized about stroking, wondering if her skin was as soft as it looked. Her hair was arranged in a half-up, half-down style, the front pulled back into a puff and the rest left down.
Every time he saw her, his heartbeat stuttered an instant before it began to beat harder.
It took a moment for him to realize that the table was packed today. Only one seat remained unoccupied. The one across from her and next to Cynthia.
His heart sank. Would he not be able to have lunch with Emma today?
Beside her, Sadie glanced up, met his gaze, then turned to smile at Emma. “Well, I’d better get back to work. That darn trainer is going to come get me in an hour for another torture session.”
His time at the network had vastly improved his ability to pick and choose which conversations—of the many that took place at once—that he wished to use his acute hearing to eavesdrop upon.
Emma smiled and patted the older woman’s hand. “Okay.”
“Give him hell, Sadie,” Cynthia called as the woman rose.
Sadie laughed. “Oh, I plan to.”
Apparently nearly every trainer at network headquarters was also a physical therapist. And one had been working with Sadie for some months now to help increase her mobility and strength.
Cliff strolled forward with Todd.
Sadie did seem to move more smoothly and with more confidence now as she approached them with a smile. One of those reusable cloth grocery bags dangled from one hand. “There’s my hero!” she called.
Several heads turned.
Stopping in front of him, she wrapped her skinny arms around him and gave him a squeeze.
Cliff smiled and hugged her back. Had she chosen that moment to leave on purpose so he could sit beside Emma? Or had it been a coincidence?
When she backed away a step, she held up the bag. “I baked you some more cookies.”
He took it when she thrust it toward him. “You don’t have to do that, Sadie.”
“I don’t have to work at my age either. But what the hell else am I going to do with my time now that my Henry’s gone?” She sent Todd a squinty-eyed look. “And don’t think I don’t see you, boy, already drooling over that bag.”
Todd assumed an exaggeratedly innocent expression. “Who, me?”
“Don’t you go pouncing on him as soon as I leave the room. Those cookies are his.” She gave Cliff a sweet smile. “But you can give him one if you want.”
“One!” Todd protested.
Laughing, Sadie left the cafeteria.
Todd and Cliff crossed the rest of the distance to the lunch counter.
“You are going to give me more than one, right?” Todd asked.
Cliff laughed. “Right.”
Todd kept up a rambling conversation as they collected their trays and headed for the table.
Relieved that no one had taken Sadie’s seat, Cliff slowed his steps as he waited to see where Todd would sit.
Yes! He sat beside Cynthia.
Cliff set his tray on the table and lowered himself to the last remaining chair—the one beside Emma.
“Hi,” she said, her greeting friendly but no more so than the one she offered Todd.
He set Sadie’s bag next to his tray. “Hi.”
“Hi, Cliff,” Cynthia said with a smile before she turned to Todd. “Hi, baby. How’s your day going?”
He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Better now that I’m with you.”
“Awww.” She ruffled his hair. “You’re such a sweetheart.”
Some of the others at the table greeted Cliff and Todd, then resumed what became an animated discussion of the latest Marvel movie.
Cliff barely heard it, too focused on the woman seated to his left. He drew in a subtle breath.
Emma smelled of coconuts and cucumbers.
As she reached for her glass of water, her elbow brushed his and sent a shock of awareness up his arm.
Did her heartbeat pick up? Or was that just his imagination?
He smiled and tossed in his opinion of the film, drawing both agreements and protests.
“You’re just saying that because you’re strong enough and fast enough to kick his ass,” Todd proclaimed with a grin.
Laughing, Cliff shook his head while under the table he slid his boots a little farther apart and splayed his knees comfortably until his thigh touched Emma’s. A seemingly innocent contact no one would notice, particularly since his attention remained on Todd.
But Cliff heard her breath catch. And her pulse picked up until it matched his, which now raced.
Time stood still while he bantered with Todd and awaited her response.
Would she pull away?
No. The pressure of her thigh against his increased, the simple reciprocation firing his blood so much it was all Cliff could do to keep his damn eyes from glowing as arousal shot through him. But a lot of employees watched them. A lot. And he could—would—do nothing to start tongues wagging again. Even though he wanted nothing more than to drag Emma onto his lap, bury his fingers in her soft hair, and devour her tempting lips.
The women left first. The others at the table straggled away shortly thereafter, leaving only Todd. Cliff finished his lunch slowly, needing time to bring his body back under control. Though sad to admit, it had been so long since he’d felt a woman’s touch—any touch beyond one of Melanie’s or Linda’s sisterly hugs—that he had a hell of a hard time tamping down the arousal that burned through him.
A brush of her arm. The press of her thigh.
Cliff closed his eyes.
He wanted so much more than that.
