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Dedicating this chapter to

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Sunday nights used to be blissful, calm and relaxing. It was that one time in the whole week Emma used to sit in her comfy armchair in the lounge area with a book in her hand wearing her reading glasses, children playing on the playmat spread right in front of her in the middle of the living room.

But all that was until Brandan and Oliver came along in the neighborhood. Now Emma wondered, where had that perfect routine of perfection in her life went to.

And right now Emma wondered what was she doing in Brandan's house? Where had the kid's manners disappeared? But could she say - she was unhappy, no, she would never say that because she was actually and strangely feeling the happiest.

Brandan and Oliver had invited them all to their house. Reason - Oliver's birthday and that man-child wanted to cut a cake, blow some candles with people singing the birthday song and all that...

So here they were all cutting a cake. It was good and harmless until Oliver cut the cake with a knife and suddenly the whole cake blasted... and before Emma could blink everyone was covered with cream and chocolate.

Emma looked at everyone's face, all stood shocked but Oliver. That prick was laughing like a maniac while Brandan, Elli and her were glaring at him. Emma looked at the kids to find them licking cream and the contents of the cake from their arms and from their body as much far their mouths and drooling tongues could reach. Thank God, Savanah wasn't here, she said she was feeling under the weather. Emma made a mental note to check on the old lady later.

Throwing one last glare at Oliver who was currently getting beaten up by an angry Elli, Emma gripped Sarah and Sammy's arms. "Stop licking you two."

Sarah looked up at Emma. "But this cake is so tastyyy..." Sarah whined, Sammy joined too. "Yes mommy, it's yum yum!"

Emma chuckled. "Okay now, yum yum... let's go get you two cleaned up."

Brandan said from beside them, "Take them to the bathroom in my room Emma."

Emma looked at Brandan face, there was still a heap of chocolate on his jaw though he had cleaned his face with napkins a moment ago. Unconsciously Emma bit her lip, how would it feel like licking that chocolate clean off his jaw. The erotic image of the deed made her eyes go dilated. She was so much lost that she didn't even notice Brandan leaning closer to her with a smirk.

"What's going in that naughty mind, Emma?" His sudden husky voice made her jump and shake her head to clear the haze. Brandan's eyes were dazed too, she noticed, and her embarrassment lessened a bit knowing that she had that same kind of effect on him too.

"No... ummm... I was actually thinking about taking them back home and clean up, they need fresh clothes." Emma half lied.

Brandan shook his head dismissing her idea. "Don't bother, I have some new clothes for them in my room as well."

No more words formed in her brain after that instead of a meek and surprised "OH!"

Brandan bought new clothes for them and had them in his room. Why wasn't she surprised.

They ended up giving the children a bath together as Brandan was too persistent. The act made Emma feel like they were a family and that thought was another nail to her resistance's coffin. Her walls were crumbling down, she just could feel that. The strange fact was that she should have been scared at the realization just like she had been all the time since Brandan's return in her life, but she wasn't... strangely she wasn't anymore.

And that was a sudden eye opening for her.

"I will get them dressed in the room, you get freshen up, okay..." Brandan said after toweling up the kids, then he dragged the bouncing kids out in his bedroom. He had already cleaned himself up in between giving the kids bath. Now that was another whole new level of torture for Emma when he buttoned down his shirt and shrugged it off his body and began cleaning himself with a wet towel - saying he would have a shower later, Emma instantly felt weak at the knees.

Now, Emma wondered if he was doing it all purposefully. Because she swore, she saw Brandan looking her way with a glint in his eyes when he said that specific sentence.

In the empty bathroom, Emma slowly leaned forward over the sink and watched her reflection in the mirror. Gosh!! With all the dried up cake she looked pretty much like a ghost. She quickly splashed water across her face, and cleaned her neck and shoulder. Damn that Oliver! Who plays pranks on their own bloody birthday?

Opening the bathroom door Emma stepped out only to come face to face with that wicked man.

Brandan kept staring at her, his eyes glazed. There was something in the way he was looking at her, it made her shiver in anticipation.

"Wh.. where are the kids?" She was surprised hearing her own voice which came out raspy.

"In the living room, playing." He said softly, like a whisper. Then he took a step closer to her raising his hand slowly and reaching to touch her face.

"You got something there." His tongue poked out of his mouth as he licked his lips.

Right before his fingers could make contact with her skin he dropped his hand beside him.

Warm breaths were now coming out heavy while both their hearts beat furiously and in synchronization. His face slowly started leaning down, his heated gaze was fixed on her lips. She watched his tongue slowly lick his lips yet again making her lips part instinctively. She was anticipating his lips touching hers as her eye lids closed halfway. But then making her moan he sensuously rubbed his lips on her chin... licking it slowly.

Emma almost fainted and fell down, but Brandan's hands instantly went around her slim waist as he held her up against his body snug. He slowly kissed his way up towards her jaw taking his own sweet time, aiming to taste every inch of her skin, his one hand now held the back of her neck. She put her own hands on his shoulders and around his neck as she brought him even more closer if it was possible, their chests now flush against each other. She could hear him groan low and then he raised his face up making her almost groan in frustration at the loss of his touch upon his skin.

Both of them were completely aware of their helpless body's reactions to one another, the way they responded to such intimacy.

His eyes looked completely dazed, his jaw tightened. She could see he was trying to hold back and that wasn't easy for him. Breathing heavy he rested his forehead against hers trying to control himself, trying not to do anything crossing his limits and ruin everything.

Emma's condition was also the same, if she thought it was difficult to resist Brandan before then she was wrong because it was plain away impossible to resist him right now. And she was now having the suspicion that it would get even worse with time.

"Emma."

And her name coming out of his mouth in a moan - so sensually, was the last nail to her coffin. All the - 'resist him, keep him away' - shit, flew out the window and the next thing she knew was crashing her lips on his. She felt him crashing her against the wall behind and take control of the kiss, soon their tongues and lips tangled, loved and fought passionately for dominance. Her hands were ruffling his hair at the back of his head making him growl and take the kiss to another level of raw passion.

They realized that it was not just a simple kiss, it was finally giving in to all of their pent up - suppressed emotions. While one was ready to name the emotions, the other sadly still wasn't.

After what felt like a lifetime she felt him slowing down leaving her almost breathless, with a few more pecks on her lips that resulted in to restarting another match of devouring each other's mouths - Brandan ripped his mouth from her's.

Both of them were breathless and panting as Brandan rested his face at the crook of her neck pecking there every once in a while.

After a few minutes of soaking in the bliss of staying in each other's embrace - Emma's brain began functioning again, she gasped making Brandan lift up his head and look at her intently.

He could see that she was about to freak out, so he firmly placed a finger on her lips putting a stop to whatever she was about to say.

"Shhh... don't say anything."

Emma kept looking at him with wide eyes, her face flushed, cheeks adorably red. By the gorgeous sight of her red face and knowing that he was the reason of that he wanted to kiss her again and do all those things to her which he had been fantasizing about all the moment... in dreams and awake.

"Please don't say anything. Please." He almost begged.

Emma nodded slowly. If Brandan wasn't looking at her that closely, he would have easily missed that small movement of her head.

He then slowly distanced himself from her, taking her hand in his, he led her down the stairs where everyone was.

"Oh my God sexiest! Elli... forgive me, I'll never blast a cake again, I promise."

They were immediately greeted with the chaos of Oliver and Elli still fighting. Turned out it was Elli who had most of the cake in her hair. She was so furious that she still hadn't bothered to clean up. Trying to castrate Oliver with the very same knife he had cut the cake with, seemed to be her most favorite aim of life at the moment.

The kids were guffawing in one corner while Elli chased Oliver around with a red, fuming face. "It's not just about blasting that damn cake, a**hole, you bloody licked my cheek you perverted dog!"

Emma gasped while Brandan just grinned looking at his friend, he knew Oliver was always like this.

"I'm sorry, woman. I was just..." Oliver leaped over the sofa to create some more distance between them and continued, "... it was the cake damn it - it was so delicious, I didn't realize when I decided to blow it off."

Elli stopped running, she was breathing heavy from all the running. She was panting so much that it felt like she had an asthma attack. As much Elli wanted to want to kill Oliver, she had to admit that she really was getting tired and felt so gross with all the cake all over her.

"I can't believe ... just..." Elli held her head with both hands, she looked down at her feet exhausted.

"Elli - belly, look at me please. I'm sorry. I'm holding my ears, see..."

Elli looked up to see Oliver really holding his ears with a puppy like face. She didn't feel like staying mad anymore. So she nodded exhaling loudly. "Alright now. I forgive you."

Oliver's squeal was instant. "Yeah! That's like my Elli - belly."

Even the kids clapped their hands, a smile formed on Elli's lips.

"... besides I'm sure I would think of something more exciting and creative the next time." And those words out of Oliver's mouth made the chaos to start again and with renewed passion.

Laughing and shaking her head, Emma didn't realize when she had rested her head against a hard yet very comfortable shoulder.

"When are you going to forgive me, Emma?"

Brandan's question made her aware of the way she stood so close to him. Slowly she lifted up her head and looked at him directly.

The things Oliver told him that morning when she had seen the surreal sight of Brandan and the kids sleeping; her own observation of him; the time she passed with this new and changed man for the better - played in her mind like a slide show.

"I think, I already did." Was her only reply after which she watched with fascination as Brandan's eyes moistened - with gratitude.

She returned home with the kids right after and hurriedly for she feared of what more things could occur in that one, miraculous night.

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In his bed, all alone, with a lot of contentment and the same amount of fright of the consequence Brandan reminisced the kiss they shared only a couple hours ago.

Her taste and the feel of her lips on his, the seductive sounds she made, those moans, her pleasure filled sighs...

Damn !!

He cursed tossing and turning in the soft bed which in no way proved to be comfortable to him. How would it be? Emma wasn't on it with him. She was too far away, in another house. He wondered what might she be doing right now. Tossing around in the bed like him, or sleeping peacefully?

What consequence would their earlier intimacy bring ? Did he make any progress? Or had he made himself drop further down the ranking scale? Further down from the point he began.

But she did say that she forgave him.

But that didn't mean she would want a relationship with him. Also there was this another problem of her being already involved in to a relationship. That Jonathon!

Brandan gripped his bedsheet in tight fists beneath him. It wasn't dislike Brandan felt for that guy, it was pure hatred.

With all those tensing mass in his brain he began dozing off only to flinch and jump up at the sound of his phone ringing under his pillow. He cursed loudly again while at the same time fishing out the phone. With the amount of cursing he was surely to end up in hell after his death and earn that special seat next to none other than the infamous Satan.

Then he got really confused looking at the name flashing on the screen. Evan!

Now why would Evan call him? Evan never called Brandan, and never meant never ever. If it was that much necessary for Evan to speak with him, Evan would call Oliver instead using him as a medium.

All the simple things in life, such as communicating with certain people had turned too damn much complicated since Emma left.

Brandan received the call and decided to say something sarcastic. "Well, well. It should come in the news. Some people have been missing me apparently."

When no answer came from the other side - just steady rugged breaths. Brandan realized that his idea of sarcasm was in fact a bad idea. So he sighed and decided to drop the act. "What is it?" He asked.

Only two words were said. "I know."

Brandan froze, now what the hell had Evan come to know. About Emma, of course. His frozen brain answered like a echo from the background.

"About what?" As coolly as possible, Brandan cross questioned to no avail. While Brandan found himself almost slipping in to the pit of depression in the absence of Emma, Evan had crossed one of those lines of insanity. The guy needed serious anger management classes in a lot of people's opinion.

"Listen carefully..."

Evan's voice was grave and dead serious. "You have already done the second greatest mistake of your life by hiding from me that Emma is alive and I have a nephew and a niece. Your sufferings are due in my hands, Brandan. Just wait till I bring them back."

Brandan rubbed his forehead in exhaustion, he was already in too much stress, he had just succeeded in earning Emma's forgiveness after groveling for so long. He didn't need this new crap of brotherhood right now.

"Look Evan..."

But the guy didn't give him the scope for any explanation. "Just stay away from them, from my sister and her children. I don't want you anywhere near them."

The command came out clear and the call was disconnected almost immediately after. For a good ten minutes Brandan kept staring at the phone before dropping it on the bed.

How the hell did Evan know about Emma? Not surely by himself. And that only pointed at one thing, someone had been a nasty traitor. Wait till he find that find that filthy rat out!

Brandan passed the whole night glaring at the white ceiling laying wide awake.

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That night after so long, Emma slept peacefully, because she had made a decision. A decision she should have made a long time ago.

She had to end things with Jon. Yes, she had to. Her life was complicated enough to try working out a relationship with Jon, especially when she had no feelings for him instead of platonic friendship of some sort. Continuing a relationship with him seemed wrong now in so many levels, him being the safe option was not just enough, not morally right anymore. Besides, she couldn't help but feel like she was cheating on Brandan and Jon both. And after that kiss she shared with Brandan, she felt even more confused, even more guilty.

This confusion had to be figured out. And she hoped Jonathon would understand. But then there was chance that he wouldn't. Recently, Jonathon was being so complicated. Emma had noticed Jonathon's behavior getting weirder and rude beyond limits day by day, she had yet to find out the reason why.

She still didn't have any idea if she would give Brandan another chance or not... but that issue had to wait till later. She didn't want to rush with all the complicated matters of heart, not all at once. She just had had enough of heart break and tough luck in love in her life.

So the next day she found herself at the door of Jonathon's office. Taking her by surprise the door creaked opened before she could even knock.

Tessa, Jonathon's secretary with enhanced boobs and fake glowing skin (thanks to the overly done make up) came out holding a bunch of files in her hands. She looked flushed, Emma noticed.

In a hurry to move away, Tessa bumped her shoulder into Emma and hissed when all the files fell down.

Immediately Emma knelt down to help pick them up along with Tessa who had glared at her with so much anger.

"You should look where you're going." Tessa spat at her.

Emma inhaled a deep breath and was about to retort back when her eyes fell upon one of the files which still lied on the floor opened. A few names in bold letters caught her attention. She scanned through her memories to recall where she had heard the names - Hyspienza, Luciano, Marcio...

She stepped into Jonathon's office with the familiar names still spinning in her mind. She felt like she heard them somewhere, but where?

"You seem so aloof, honey!"