All Chapters of The Stranger I Choose: Chapter 21 - Chapter 25

Emma spent exactly thirty-two minutes deciding what to wear.She knew because she'd checked the clock twice.Not because Daniel had told her where they were going.He hadn't.Her phone buzzed.Daniel: Are you free Saturday evening?A smile tugged at her lips.Emma: I think so.His reply came almost immediately.Daniel: Good.She frowned.Good?That was it?Before she could overthink it, another message appeared.Daniel: I'd like to take you on a proper date.Emma couldn't stop herself from smiling.Emma: I thought we'd already been on dates.Daniel: Not officially.Emma: What's the difference?The typing bubble appeared.Disappeared.Appeared again.Daniel: Before, I was hoping you'd say yes.Her heart skipped.Emma: And now?This time, he took a little longer to answer.Then—Daniel: Now I know you will.Emma buried her face in her pillow."...He's impossible."And somehow, thirty-two minutes later, she was still standing in front of her mirror wondering whether the navy dress looked

The hotel room door had barely clicked shut before Daniel reached for her.Not gently.Not cautiously.As though every ounce of restraint he'd carried over the past few weeks had finally slipped through his fingers."Emma..."Her name barely left his lips before they were on hers.She laughed in surprise, the sound disappearing into the kiss."So much," she managed between breaths, "for being the gentleman.""I've been the gentleman all evening.""And now?""I've run out of patience."She smiled against his lips."I noticed."His forehead rested against hers for only a heartbeat before he kissed her again.This time, slower.Longer.Emma's fingers found the lapels of his blazer, pulling him impossibly close.She could feel his heartbeat.Fast.Almost as fast as hers.The realization made her smile."So," she whispered."So?""You were pretending.""I was.""At dinner.""Yes.""In the parking garage.""Yes."She looked up at him with a teasing smile."And the whole drive here?"Daniel

Emma laughed softly, the sound light and a little breathless, and immediately brushed the moment away like it had never happened.“Ignore that,” she said, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of Daniel’s mouth. “I get dramatic when I’m… distracted.” She rolled her hips once against him, playful, as if the vulnerability from a second ago had never existed. “You can continue being very distracting now.”Daniel looked at her for a moment longer, quiet and steady. Whatever he saw in her face, he chose not to press. He simply finished what he had started—slow, deep, careful strokes that left both of them quiet and spent—then stayed. He didn’t pull away. He didn’t reach for his clothes. He drew her against his chest, one arm around her waist, and let the silence settle between them.Emma’s breathing evened out first. Her fingers traced idle patterns over his collarbone until they stilled. Daniel’s hand moved once through her hair, then rested there. Neither of them spoke again. The city ligh