Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 100

James stood tall and straight, his presence alone making the whole room feel a little smaller.

He glanced down at her, voice low and rough. “Just going to the restroom.”

Emmy was still processing his words when Abriella shot her a quick wink and pointed at the corner of her own mouth.

Emmy blinked, confused, then instinctively licked her lips. That’s when she realized there was a dab of barbecue sauce at the corner of her mouth.

Mortified, she snatched a napkin and wiped it away.

When James came back, his face was freshly washed, beads of water running down his sharp jaw and soaking into the collar of his black T-shirt. His long fingers were wrapped around a cold bottle of water.

A little later, Emmy started to feel hot from all the food. She absentmindedly scooped up her hair and twisted it into a messy bun. Instantly, her pale neck was exposed, almost glowing under the lights.

Beside her, James’s breath suddenly caught.

A second later, he pushed back his chair and stood up again. “Restroom,” he muttered.

Emmy glanced at him, a little thrown off.

A few minutes later, she reached for a little sweet bun that was just out of reach. As she stood, her arm brushed against James’s. She had barely sat down when James stiffened, then stood and headed for the bathroom. Again.

Emmy stared after him, totally confused.

Even Will noticed something was off this time.

He scratched his head and tried to explain, all big brother earnest. “Don’t get the wrong idea, Emmy. James never acts like this at the station. Honestly, he’s got the strongest bladder out of all of us!”

“Yeah!” another firefighter chimed in. “He can bench two-fifty twenty times in a row. James is a machine!”

Will nodded hard. “He’s just overheated tonight. Seriously, the guy’s sweating buckets.”

Emmy just nodded, keeping her thoughts to herself. She’d noticed it too—James kept wiping sweat from his brow, even though the air conditioning was on full blast.

Dinner finally ended. When they stepped outside, they realized a heavy rainstorm had started while they were eating. The downpour was so loud it echoed off the pavement.

The restaurant owner dug around and finally found one umbrella.

“No way.” Emmy shook her head, firm. “You take the umbrella. Or go grab one from the station, and I’ll wait here.”

He stared at her for a long moment, his dark eyes unreadable. “There aren’t any umbrellas at the station.”

She was about to protest, but then James crouched down in front of her, his broad back facing her.

“I’ll carry you to your apartment,” he said, voice rough. “We’ll both stay dry.”

Emmy hesitated. “But your back…”

“Better than getting soaked,” he cut her off. “And you’re light. You won’t hurt me.”

The restaurant owner called out, impatient from the doorway. “Come on, honey! Let your husband carry you. You’re married, aren’t you? Don’t be shy—I need to close up!”

Emmy felt her cheeks burn, but she didn’t have a choice. She climbed onto James’s back as gently as possible, trying not to touch his injury.

But the moment she settled against him, she felt James’s whole body go tense.