Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3027

"I know," Charlie murmured.

Emily looked up. Her luminous skin was flushed perfectly pink from his relentless kissing. The corners of her lips curved upward. "I'm opening my own studio."

Charlie held her gaze in silence.

Emily's smile deepened. "I turned down Betty's investment. I want to build this myself. Since you promised to respect my boundaries and stay out of my career, I'm going to fund the studio with the cards you gave me. Expect some massive charges to hit your accounts very soon, Mr. James. Try not to have a heart attack."

A brilliant, devastating light sparked in Charlie's eyes, burning as bright as the moon. "Because of me?"

Emily raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Falling in love was effortlessly simple—a shared glance, a smile, a magnetic pull. But staying in love? Merging two entirely different worlds, upbringings, and stubborn streaks? That inevitably bred friction.

He used to represent everything she despised in a man, and she was the polar opposite of the women he typically dated.

But he loved her enough to respect her independence, and she loved him enough to compromise her fiercely guarded pride.

Meeting in the middle required a massive amount of grace, rooted in pure, unadulterated devotion.

That love gave them the safety to fight, to be stubborn, and to push back.

Did she depend on him?

Absolutely. She had been depending on him for a long time. When Adelaide was making her life a living hell, when her coworkers were gleefully plotting her downfall, Emily had faced it all with total calm. She had meticulously planned her exit and laid the groundwork for her own business because she knew Charlie was standing right behind her.

No matter how hard she failed, he would always catch her.

That safety net gave her the courage to be fearless. She wasn't running through a storm with nothing but the clothes on her back; she had a heavy coat and a warm fire waiting for her.

And Charlie was her fire.

She just had to constantly remind herself that he was a safety net, not a crutch.

Charlie pressed his forehead against hers. He kissed her lips, her jaw, her neck—relentlessly chasing the sweet, intoxicating taste of whiskey on her breath. He would happily drown in her for the rest of his life.

Charlie bit down gently on her lower lip, his breathing harsh and ragged. "What's so funny?"

Emily clung to his shoulders, her chest shaking with laughter. "Just thinking about the guy I whacked over the head with a stick."

Charlie chuckled darkly. "Did you knock me out, or did I just fall into your trap?"

Emily's eyes went wide with mock innocence. "What trap?"

"The honey trap."

Before she could formulate a comeback, he crushed his mouth against hers again.

Tonight was not about reminiscing. Tonight was about asserting his dominance and making up for lost time.

He was done waiting.