Designing Emma (Volume 5): A Friends to Lovers Fashion Romance: Designing Emma, #5

By Clarissa Carlyle

Volume 5 in the Designing Emma A Friends to Lovers Fashion Romance series

Also available as part of the the Desisnging Emma boxed set.

 

Daniel's hot and cold behavior has gone too far for Emma to handle. Her focus needs to be on Delacourt Designs and not on an affair that wrecks her heart. Pulling away from Daniel is painful, but necessary, though it puts her in closer proximity to Nick, the one who helped her when Daniel walked away. As their working relationship blossoms into strange feelings, Emma starts to wonder if her happy ending won't be with Daniel after all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clarissa Carlyle
• Release date: Jun 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533774811

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Love is Blind

EMMA DELACOURT LAY in her bathtub and let the now cooled water circle around her bare legs.

The bathroom in her new apartment had an impressive claw-foot bathtub and walk-in waterfall shower. But she hadn’t used the shower in days. She preferred to sit and wallow in her bathtub. She’d let the water become cold as she lay there, and she’d only get out once she started to shiver. She still had another ten or fifteen minutes left to lay in the tub when she heard her doorbell chime throughout the apartment.

Closing her eyes, Emma decided to ignore it. Two minutes later, it went again.

Dammit. Emma pulled herself out of the bath, wrapped a pure white housecoat around her, and stormed through her apartment to the front door. She didn’t even bother to check who was calling. She threw open the door and found Damion standing there, an apologetic look on his face.

What? Emma demanded.

Ems, I know you’re on sick leave at the moment, Damion began carefully, noticing her soaked hair and pale skin, but I really need you to sign off on some things. Don’t worry, I’ve brought them with me. He gestured to the briefcase he was carrying.

Emma rolled her eyes. Damion, I’m sick. That means no work.

I know but—

But what? Emma asked tersely.

But it’s been over a week now, and we can’t afford to delay some of these decisions.

Fine, Emma conceded and allowed Damion into her apartment. He looked around and nodded approvingly at the shabby chic decor.

The place looks nice. He turned and smiled at her.

Thanks. Emma wiggled her fingertips through her wet hair in an attempt to help it dry quicker.

I’m really sorry to come here when you’re unwell, Damion explained as he began taking documents out of his briefcase.

Yet here you are. Emma rolled her eyes.

What exactly is wrong with you? Damion asked, glancing at her intently. I mean, you never actually said what was wrong, just that you weren’t coming in. Aside from an awful mood, I can’t see anything wrong with you.

Well, thank you, Doctor Flores! Emma cried dramatically.

I didn’t mean—

No, no. You think I’m fine, you just said it. Nice to know you can trust your friends to always have your back.

Ems, you just disappeared on us! Damion cried heatedly. Suddenly both you and Daniel are MIA, and I’m struggling to keep everything afloat.

Daniel’s MIA?

He’s back in London.

Oh. Emma lowered herself onto her sofa and pulled her housecoat tightly around her body as she felt the room suddenly grow colder. She hadn’t actually thought that Daniel would leave again. She kept hoping that somehow they’d resolve their differences and she’d answer her door to find him there with a bouquet of flowers and an apology. Instead, he’d gone again, leaving her cold and alone.

So it’s been a struggle for me and Nick to stay on top of everything, Damion continued. Obviously I completely respect that you’re unwell at the moment, but... do you know when you’ll be well enough to return to work?

I don’t know. Emma was gazing out of her large window, out at Daniel’s apartment building. The thought that he was now definitely gone made her feel hollow inside.

I really hate to dump this on you when you aren’t well. He placed several documents under Emma’s nose. Really I just need your signature on these, he stated. Nick and I have already been over them, and everything is in order.

Okay. Emma nodded and took the pen Damion extended to her and signed her name numerous times in the allocated places.

Want me to swing by later? Damion offered kindly. We could rent a movie, order in some pizza, and just take it easy.

I’m fine, Emma replied quickly. Her nightly ritual included a carton of ice cream and Dirty Dancing followed by The Notebook. She didn’t need an audience when she was attempting to drown her sorrows in chick flicks and high-calorie frozen snacks.

Are you sure?

Damion, I’m sure, Emma snapped. I just need some rest, that’s all.

Okay. Damion began collecting the signed documents together, preparing to leave.

I’ll be back to work soon, Emma promised.

Good, because we miss you.

Emma all but kicked Damion out of the apartment, desperate to be alone once more with only her despair for company.

SO HOW WAS SHE? NICK asked as he looked up from the laptop he was working on. One of the offices in Emma’s family home was complete, so he was able to work on site now.

Odd, Damion admitted as he dropped down behind his own desk, opposite Nick’s desk. Emma had her own office that would eventually be fitted with a huge design table and drawing boards so she could work on her designs.

Odd? Nick frowned.

Yeah, she was pretty wound up and not very nice to me. She seemed more pissed off than ill.

I see. Nick couldn’t help but connect Daniel’s return to London with Emma’s sudden decline in health. He saw through her sick leave excuse and knew that really she was wallowing and nursing a broken heart. While he empathized with her plight, they had a business to run.

She signed everything and said she’d be back soon, but didn’t say when.

We need her to be more on top of things, Nick stated, leaning back in his leather office chair. This sudden sickness is weird, isn’t it? he added.

I think something else is going on. Damion sighed.

Yeah? Like what?

Like... Damion couldn’t come to a conclusion. Even though he had all of the evidence right before him, his own denial prevented him from seeing the truth. Nick appreciated that his colleague’s judgment was clouded when it came to Emma.

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