Now and Then Read Online Free PDF

apartment for your hook-up, will you please leave me a note so I can avoid sitting in any wet spots you leave behind?”
    “At least someone will be leaving wet spots on your couch.”

Chapter 3
     
    Emma was taken aback when she walked into the restaurant Cole had texted her the address to. It was an upscale steakhouse, and her jeans, sleeveless shirt and scarf suddenly felt too casual. She chanced a look at her watch to see if she could hurry home and change without being too late. But it was 8:00, their meeting time, and it would take her at least half an hour. She sighed, grateful she had at least opted for heels over flip-flops.
    S he was led to the back of the restaurant, where Cole was already waiting at a small table for two, and Emma breathlessly took in the sight of him. He wore a black suit, with the jacket slung over the back of his chair and his tie loosened. A candle on the table flickered its soft light onto the handsome face she had fantasized about as a teen. She had ached for Cole Marlowe to notice her.
    His chest was broader and his sh oulders wider than they were then. He was an older, hotter version of the teenage Cole she had adored, which made her exhale deeply with anticipation.
    He looked up and noticed her, and his smile spread all the way to his eyes.
    “Em,” he said warmly, jumping up from his chair to pull hers out. She was about to sit down when he gave her a quick, soft kiss on the cheek. She’d always thought “weak in the knees” was just an adage until his lips touched her skin.
    Keep it together, girl . You are a strong, confident woman who doesn’t melt into a puddle over any man.
    “I’m underdressed,” she announced, looking down at her jeans self-consciously. Cole shook his head and waved off her concern.
    “You look great. I’d be wearing jeans but I didn’t get out of the office in time to go home and change.”
    She wanted to keep standing next to him, where she could pick up just a hint of his cologne, but she realized that would get awkward, so she took the seat across from his at the table, and he followed.
    “What kind of work do you do at your firm?” she asked, trying to focus on something – anything – besides his lips.
    “Boring business stuff. I’m working with one of the partners on a big case now. It’s mostly just research with the occasional court appearance. What do you do at Wright?”
    “I create graphics for brochures, make logos … nothing too exciting, but I like it. It’s another side of art.”
    “ How has the rest of your week been?” he asked, sipping from the bottle of beer the waitress had delivered. Emma imagined tasting it on his mouth and had to look away so she could concentrate on the conversation.
    “Um, p retty routine. Drinks with Layla the other night, working on a logo for work and painting.”
    The server approached, and as Emma breathed in the scent of a sizzling steak passing by on a tray, she realized she was famished.
    “I’m starved,” Cole said, as though reading her mind. “I worked through lunch today. You want an appetizer?”
    “Sure, sounds good.”
    There was a glint of admiration in Cole’s eyes as they ordered, and Emma looked at him expectantly.
    “I like that you ordered steak and potatoes,” he said. “I hate it when women order salads.”
    “I ’m not really a salad girl, that’s my sister,” she said, rolling her eyes.
    Cole watched her intently, and she wondered what he was thinking. Was he trying to figure out how to bring up Layla? She’d just given him a perfect opportunity.
    Could he be thinking about me? No, that’s just wishful thinking. He’s an attorney, I doubt he’s into artists. His eyes are so much bluer than I remember. God, he’s sexy …
    “Do you see your parents much?” she asked, clearing her throat – and her mind – as she reached for a piece of bread.
    “Since I moved back a few months ago, I see them a lot more. They invited me to dinner at your parents’