Chapter 241.

Emilia lifted her head.

He was looking out the window now, his jaw relaxed but his eyes distant. He looked down as her fingers slipped between his.

"Look at me, Adrian."

He turned to her, smiled and kissed her forehead. "She likes you, Emilia."

The tenderness in his voice made her expression soften. "How do you know?" She teased him.

"Because my mother has never been particularly good at pretending to like people."

Emilia laughed quietly.

James looked at them in the mirror again.

A small, surprised smile appeared on his face.

He quickly returned his attention to the road.

He had no intention of becoming involved in whatever was happening between his employer and Miss Hayes.

Still, he found himself thinking that he had never seen Mr Ashford look so young.

Not younger in appearance.

Younger in the way a person looked when they were not carrying the entire weight of their life on their shoulders.

Adrian caught the driver’s eyes in the mirror.

Their gazes met.

James immediately looked away.

Adrian’s eyebrows rose. "Something amusing, James?"

"No, sir."

Adrian shook his head and drew Emilia closer.

She smiled and rested her head against him again.

Adrian kissed her hair. "Sleep if you want to, sweetheart."

"I’m not sleepy." Her eyes met his gaze, and trailed down his chest. Her eyes remained on his hard biceps for a second. "It’s really tempting with this position."

Adrian smirked.

He caught a strand of her hair and rolled it around his finger. "Is that so, sweetheart?"

Emilia nodded, returning his smirk. "You have very comfortable arms."

"Just my arms?"

She lifted her head.

His expression was entirely too pleased with itself.

"Don’t fish for compliments."

"I’m not fishing for anything." His gaze moved lazily over her face. "I already have a beautiful woman in my arms. What more could I possibly want?"

Emilia’s lips curved. "Perhaps a little self-control."

Adrian laughed under his breath. "You’re the one looking at my arms like you’ve just discovered them."

She rubbed his biceps.

He caught her hand, brought it to his mouth, and kissed her palm. "Careful, love."

"Or what?" She asked, her voice low, and a bit breathless as she softly shoved her thumb into his mouth.

Something shifted in his expression. His eyes narrowed slightly, and the edge of his lips lifted, as he sucked on her thumb.

Emilia smiled. She made a tut sound, and licked her lower lip. Then, she teasingly took her thumb off his mouth.

Adrian let her. He caught her wrist, and lowered her hand without releasing it. His gaze lingered on her face before drifting to the neckline of her dress.

The V-shaped opening revealed just enough of her décolletage to make him forget, for one thoroughly inconvenient second, what he had intended to say.

He looked back at her eyes, then down again.

Emilia caught him.

Her eyebrows rose. "Adrian Ashford."

He hummed.

"Are you staring at my chest?"

"Yes."

"You’re supposed to pretend you weren’t." She held his face.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you’re supposed to be a gentleman."

"I am a gentleman." His mouth twitched. "I haven’t said a single inappropriate thing. But I do want some milk."

Emilia’s core clenched. Her breath hitched. "Such nasty thoughts." She swallowed.

"Sweetheart, if you could hear my thoughts right now, we’d have to find James another job."

A startled laugh escaped her.

From the front seat, James cleared his throat.

Adrian glanced at the rearview mirror. "James."

"Yes, sir?"

"Is there something wrong with your throat?"

"No, sir."

Emilia buried her face against Adrian’s shoulder, her body shaking with suppressed laughter.

He kissed the top of her head, and his hands settled on her waist. "You’re enjoying yourself."

"Immensely."

"At my expense."

"You started it."

"I haven’t even started, sweetheart."

Her laughter stopped.

Slowly, she lifted her head.

Adrian was watching her with an expression that made the warmth in her cheeks spread all the way to her ears.

"You’re sitting on my lap, looking at me like that, and expecting me to behave."

"I’m sitting on your lap because you put me here!"

"And you haven’t asked me to put you back."

Emilia opened her mouth, and closed it. Rather, she shifted on him, feeling his little man beneath her.

Adrian’s smile widened. "That’s what I thought."

She leaned closer, close enough that her breath brushed his cheek. "Perhaps I like it here."

His smile faded a little.

"Perhaps?" he repeated the invitation beneath her words.

Emilia brushed her lips against the corner of his mouth. "Don’t get excited."

"Too late."

She laughed and tried to retreat, but his arm tightened around her waist. She felt him twist beneath her.

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere."

He turned his face and kissed her.

Emilia smiled against his mouth.

Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt. His hand settled against her waist, drawing her closer until there was scarcely any room left between them.

When they finally parted, Emilia was breathing a little faster.

Adrian rested his forehead against hers.

"Still comfortable?" he murmured.

She gave him a breathless look. "I hate you."

"No, you don’t."

"I could."

"You could try."

She kissed him again just to stop him talking.

It worked.

For approximately five seconds. Then he pulled back, his eyes bright with amusement.

"Darling, if this is how you intend to keep me quiet, I’m going to become a very difficult man to live with."

Emilia’s cheeks burned. "You’re already difficult." She smiled slowly when she felt him rising beneath her. "Wait until we get home."

Adrian went still.

For once in his life, the man had absolutely nothing to say.

Emilia stared at him. Then her smile turned wicked. "Oh, my God. Did I actually manage to silence Adrian Ashford?"

He looked at her for a long moment. Then he reached for the privacy partition. "James."

"Yes, sir?"

"How far are we from home?"

"Approximately ten minutes, sir."

"Make it seven."

James paused. "Sir, I’m already driving at the speed limit."

"Then I suppose we’ll have to endure the next ten minutes."

Emilia’s smile turned wicked.

Adrian lowered the partition, drew her against his chest again, and pressed a kiss to her chest.

"You are going to be the death of me, Emilia Hayes."

She dugged her fingers into the back of his hair. "That’s a little dramatic."

"You have no idea." He drew in a strained breath, his voice a bit rapsy.

His gaze lifted to her lips.

She smiled.

He kissed her once more, slower this time, his hand warm against her cheek. When he finally drew back, he kept his forehead against hers.

"Ten minutes," he murmured.

Emilia traced the line of his jaw with one finger. "Try to survive them, Mr Ashford."

His eyes darkened with amusement. "Okay, sweetheart."

He kissed her fingertips.

"Surviving was never the problem. It’s what you’re planning to do to me when we get home that concerns me."