The Forbidden Throb (Emma and Daniel) novel Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Emma’s POV:

The morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, painting soft gold across the hotel suite

I woke slowly, reluctantly, my body heavy with the kind of exhaustion that came from too much emotion and not enough sleep. The beside me still held the indent of Daniel’s head, and I reached out instinctively, my fingers finding only cool sheets

He was already up.

I’d collapsed into bed the moment we returned to the hotel last night, barely managing to change into one of Daniels shirts before exha claimed me. I vaguely remembered him tucking the duvet around me, the press of his lips against my forehead, his whispered “Sleep well, baby.”

I got up and heard him before I saw him-the quiet clink of dishes, the soft rush of running water. I found him in the kitchenette area, his back to me as he worked.

He’d thanged into dark slacks and a crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, his movements precise and unhurried as he sliced fruit on a cutting board.

The domesticity of it made my chest sweet.

I don’t want to leave this.

The thought came unbidden, fierce and frightening in its intensity. I wanted to stay in this bubble where it was just us, where the rest of the

world couldn’t reach me.

“Could we just… not go back to Boston?” The words slipped out before I could stop them, my voice still rough with sleep, carrying more

vulnerability than I’d intended.

Daniel turned, and the look he gave me was so tender it made my throat tight. But his voice, when he spoke, was gentle but firm. “We have a

flight tomorrow, baby.”

I buried my face in the pillow, trying to hide the way it affected me. like it better here,” I mumbled into the fabric, knowing I sounded

petulant but unable to help it.

I heard his soft laugh, felt the bed dip as he sat beside me. “Come on. Breakfast is ready.”

“Not hungry,” I lied, pulling the duvet over my head.

His hand found my shoulder through the covers, warm and steady. “Emma.”

Something in the way he said my name-patient but unyielding-made me peek out. He was holding a tray: fresh fruit arranged in neat rows, yogurt in a small glass bowl, a perfectly golden croissant still steaming slightly.

The care he’d taken with it made my resistance crumble.

9:04 am Pppp.

Chapter 157

I sat up slowly, the sheet pooling around my waist. Daniel’s eyes tracked the movement, lingering on the oversized shirt I’d borrowed from him, before he caught himself and looked away.

He settled on the bed’s edge, the tray between us, and speared a strawberry with a fork. When he held it to my lips, the gesture was so natural, so practiced, that for a moment I could almost believe we’d done this a thousand times before.

I bit into the strawberry, the sweetness bursting on my tongue, but my gaze drifted past him to the window. Paris stretched beyond the glass, all slate rooftops and elegant spires catching the morning light.

“I didn’t even see the Eiffel Tower properly,” I said, and hated how wistful I sounded.

Daniel set down the fork, his full attention shifting to me. “Then we’ll come back in spring. Paris is most beautiful in April.

Something in my chest loosened. The panic that had been building since I woke the fear that this was all temporary, that I’d have to let go of this feeling when we returned to real life-began to ease.

Yes. We have time. So much time.

Going back to Boston didn’t mean this would end. We could come back next year, and the year after that. This wasn’t goodbye to Paris-it was just… see you later.

“Okay,” I whispered, and meant it.

His lips curved, just slightly. “Good girl.”

By noon, I’d abandoned any thoughts of going out.

The idea of navigating more cobblestone streets, of being jostled by tourists, of pretending to be interested in landmarks when all I really wanted was to be near Daniel.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify