The Forbidden Throb (Emma and Daniel) novel Chapter 49

The Forbidden Throb

Chapter 49

Emma’s POV

Ax Olivia rushed around getting ready, I stood and surveyed my balf packed belongings.

Okay, opinion time,” she said, holding up two different tops. “Which one says I’m your wife’s best friend and I will murder you if you hurt her but in a classy way

1 laughed for the first time in what felt like days.

“The blue one,” I decided.

“Blue it is.” She tossed the other top aside.

By the time Daniel texted that he was downstairs, we’d both finished getting ready.

We headed downstairs together, Olivia chattering nervously about what she was going to say to Daniel.

“I’m going to be nice,” she promised. “But also intimidating. I need him to know that you have people looking out for you.”

Something warm unfurled in my chest at her words.

We pushed through the dorm entrance, and there it was–Daniel’s sleek black Mercedes, parked elegantly at the curb.

And there he was, leaning against the driver’s side door, hands in his coat pockets, looking every inch the successful man in his tailored charcoal suit.

Olivia’s stride faltered for just a fraction of a second.

I felt the shift in her energy. It was one thing to plan an interrogation in the safety of our dorm room. It was another thing entirely to face Daniel Prescott in person, with his quiet authority and that composed elegance that seemed to fill the space around him.

His eyes found mine immediately

something in my chest tightened.

“Emma.” His voice was warm as he approached, then his gaze shifted to Olivia. “Olivia. It’s good to see you again. Thank you for taking such good care of Emma.”

He extended his hand to her, the gesture polite and professional, and I watched as whatever battle–ready speech Olivia had prepared seemed to evaporate.

“Dr. Prescott, it’s nice to finally meet you properly,” she managed, shaking his hand. Her voice came out less confrontational than I’d expected.

“Daniel, please,” he said, opening the passenger door for me.

“Actually-” I hesitated, glancing at Olivia. “Would it be okay if Liv and I sat together? In the back?”

Understanding flickered across Daniel’s face, he simply nodded and moved to open the rear door instead.

“Of course,” he said, his tone unchanged.

I caught Olivia’s subtle nod of approval as we slid into the back seat together.

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9:24 am

Chapter 49

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Daniel took his place in the driver’s seat, adjusting the rearview mirror. For a brief moment, his eyes met mine in the reflection, and something passed between us.

The car was impeccably clean, the air fresh with a subtle citrus scent that I found unexpectedly pleasant.

“I hope Italian works for you both,” Daniel said as he pulled into traffic. “There’s a place near the hospital that I think you’ll enjoy.

“Italian’s perfect,” Olivia said, and I could hear the satisfaction in her voice.

The contrast between her bold declarations in the dorm and her current carefully composed demeanor was almost comical.

I glanced at her. A small smile tugged at my lips.

Olivia caught my expression and leaned closer, lowering her voice to barely a whisper. “Don’t look at me like that. This is called strategy–Courtesy first, force second.”

“Right,” I whispered back. “Very strategic.”

I raised an eyebrow at her, and she huffed quietly.

‘T’ll get my interrogation groove back over lunch,” she muttered. “Just give me a minute to adjust.”

In the rearview mirror, I caught Daniel’s gaze flicker toward us, and I could have sworn I saw the corner of his mouth quirk slightly.

The drive took less than twenty minutes.

Daniel navigated the Boston traffic with the same precision he seemed to apply to everything else. He asked Olivia about her journalism internship, and I was surprised by how easily the conversation flowed.

He actually listened. Not the half–attention Nicholas always gave to anyone who wasn’t talking about him, but genuine interest. He asked follow–up questions, remembered details from what I must have mentioned about her.

The restaurant was tucked into a narrow street in the North End, its brick facade draped with ivy that was just beginning to turn autumn colors.

Inside, exposed wooden beams crossed the ceiling, and the scent of garlic and fresh bread made my stomach rumble.

“Dr. Prescott!” The hostess brightened immediately. “Your usual table?”

“If it’s available, Maria. Thank you.”

She led us to a corner booth with surprising privacy, considering the restaurant’s modest size.

As we settled in–Daniel beside me, Olivia across from us–I caught my friend’s raised eyebrow.

“Come here often?” she asked.

“When I have time,” Daniel replied easily. “The food here is excellent.”

Olivia glanced at me as I reached for my water glass, then turned back to Daniel with deliberate casualness. “So, have you brought other women here

before?”

9:24 am

Chapter 49

ppp.

I nearly choked on my water.

Liv I started, but Daniel’s calm voice cut through.

“No,” he said simply, meeting Olivia’s gaze without hesitation. “You two are the first.”

‘It’s fine.” Daniel’s hand found mine under the table, the touch brief but steadying. “Olivia’s being a good friend. She should ask questions.”

Olivia’s eyes flickered to our joined hands, then back to Daniel’s face. “Okay then. Another question.”

She leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharp and direct. “Does this- she gestured between Daniel and me, “-have anything to do with Nicholas? Are you doing this because of him?”

The question hung in the air, stark and uncompromising.

“No,” he said, his voice steady and clear. “I didn’t pursue Emma out of some twisted sense of competition with my brother. This is between Emma and me.

I felt a small measure of relief at his words.

The Prescott brothers weren’t at each other’s throats–nothing like those dramatic television storylines where siblings destroyed each other over family fortunes and inheritance.

From what I’d observed, Daniel and Nicholas simply had different personalities. They didn’t mesh well, preferred to keep their distance, but there was no deep–seated animosity or bitter rivalry.

Just two brothers who happened to occupy different worlds, even though they shared the same last name.

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