The Arrangement

Chapter Eighteen: New People and New Articles

Hello, my name is Emerson.  It is a pleasure to meet you.

No, Emerson, that one's too choppy.

Hello, my name is Emerson.

I let out a huff, frustrated and upset, as I hurried out of the closet, clothes in hand, and went to the bathroom to change.

Everything felt like it was moving a thousand times faster than what I was able to keep up with.

"Calm down, Darling," Maverick called from Miriam's new room.  It was just across the hall from our room since we moved into the new house.

"We're going to be late," I yelled back as I quickly began to change out of my lounging clothes and into a black dress that fell to just above my knees.  The dress had a gold band for the neckline, and there was a small section open on my upper chest.

"We have thirty minutes until they're going to be here, Emerson," he reminded me.  With the hamper propped up on my hip, I hurried out of the bathroom and headed down the hall to the laundry room.  Presley would probably be cross with me for doing what we pay her to do, but I switched the loads.

"Yeah, but by the time that we're all dressed and ready, and I get the house all cleaned they'll have been here for half an hour," I said, walking into the nursery to tidy up Miriam's toys.

Before I could even grab one, Maverick set Miriam down on her feet and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling my body against his.  He lifted me off the ground and carried me out of the nursery- where Miriam was playing with her toys- and into our room.  His arms still pinned me to his muscular chest, preventing me from being able to go anywhere or do anything, as he set me back on my feet.

"Emerson," he said in a serious yet gentle tone. "Calm down.  I've been friends with James since I was eighteen, and I've been friends with Kelly for over half that time.  They've both seen me living in a dorm room that I spent about eight hours in a day.  They've seen me living in messier places than this."

"Yeah, but you lived with another guy in the dorm.  Guys are expected to live in messes when they live alone," I said.

"Rude," he replied in a tone of fake hurt. "The house isn't even messy, Emerson.  Presley even said she cleaned it ten times more particular than usual just because she knew you'd have a breakdown."

I frowned, and the corners of his lips lifted into an amused smile.

"Obviously it didn't change anything." I rolled my eyes at him. "Can you calm down, now?  Everybody's ready, and there's nothing left to do."

I smirked and hooked my arms around his neck.

"Well, not nothing," I said, seductively.  He returned the smirk.

"Oh really, what else is there to do?" he asked so quietly it was almost a whisper.  I smiled, going up to my tip toes and leaving my lips hovering just a centimeter away from his ear.

"Me," I whispered so faintly it could almost pass off as just a breath. "You have yet to ravage my body on every surface in our room like you promised... sir."

He sucked in a breath, and I smirked, falling back down to my usual height.  His gorgeous brown eyes were darkened with lust, and his arms held me tighter to him.  I smiled at his state before pressing my lips up to his.  As if I flipped a switch, Maverick shifted his arms, so he could grip my hips in his hands before moving his hands up my body.  The cool air chilled my legs as his hands accidentally pulled my dress up as they travelled up to my chest.

While one of his hands went to the small of my back, holding my body against his masculine frame, his other hand fondled my breast, eliciting a moan from my lips.