by Lori Wilde
“I knew you’d know when her birthday was. You can’t fool me,” Trent said.
Nathan gave his brother a narrow-eyed look. “Just because I know when her birthday is doesn’t mean anything.”
“Sure it does.”
Emma had to jump in on this one. “No, Trent, it doesn’t. As Nathan explained, he’s good at remembering numbers and happens to remember when my birthday is. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Then why doesn’t Trent remember when my birthday is?” Sue Ann asked with a pout. “I’ve told him a couple of times, but he keeps forgetting.”
“Trent has the manners of a warthog,” Nathan explained.
Rather than being offended, Trent laughed again.
“Not true. It’s just that while you’re good with numbers, I’m the brother who’s good with his hands.”
“I can swear to that,” Sue Ann said with a giggle.
For one stupid nanosecond, Emma wanted to point out that Trent wasn’t the only talented Barrett brother. Nathan had fogged her windows when he’d kissed her. But thankfully, before she could say something that would embarrass both her and Nathan, common sense returned, and she kept her mouth shut. The last thing she wanted to do was fuel any errant speculation.
But boy oh boy, was she tempted.
“Did you enjoy the rodeo?” Nathan asked on the drive home.
So far, Emma had been pretty silent. Not that he’d set any records for conversation himself, but still, the silence in the car was starting to be awkward.
Of course, that wasn’t what was bothering him the most. What bothered him more was the reason that the silence was awkward. He was way too aware of Emma sitting next to him. All evening, he’d been at war with himself, wanting to kiss her, to touch her again.
How stupid could he be?
Apparently very stupid since despite his best efforts, he couldn’t stop thinking about kissing her. So now he was hoping if he could get Emma talking, it would take his mind off all the other things he had no darn business thinking about. Like how great it felt to hold her. And touch her. And kiss her.
“The rodeo was interesting,” she said. “But I wish I’d had a chance to talk to Leigh. I haven’t seen much of her since I came to Honey. But she obviously had a great time. She seemed so excited tonight at the rodeo.”
“When the words Leigh and excited end up in a sentence together, bad things usually happen,” Nathan said dryly.
Emma laughed. “Oh, come on, your sister isn’t that bad.”
Nathan couldn’t help asking, “Are you certain you’ve actually met my sister? Because if you have, I can’t believe you’d say that.”
“I’ll admit, she has a different approach to life. But she’s smart and fun and determined.”
Nathan pulled the car into the driveway and parked it inside the garage. “It’s the determined part that worries me. You didn’t have a chance to meet Jared tonight, but trust me, he isn’t the type to settle down and raise two-point-five children.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, because I know Leigh’s your sister, but I don’t think she’s looking for a guy to settle down with.”
Emma shifted in her seat, so she was turned toward him. In the bright light in the garage, Nathan could clearly see her face. She smiled slowly, and lust slammed into him. She was so pretty, so sweet and smart. No matter what his brain told him about not being attracted to her, his body had tuned him out.
Almost against his will, he reached out and brushed a couple of strands of hair away from her eyes. Emma seemed surprised by his action, but she didn’t pull back.
“What about you? Are you looking for two-point-five children?” he asked, then wanted to hit himself in the head with a laptop when he did. What was wrong with him? He shouldn’t be touching Emma’s soft hair. Nor should he be flirting with her.
“Sorry about that. I shouldn’t have touched you. I apologize,” he said, meaning it. She worked for him. He wanted her to know he wasn’t trying something.
“Nathan, it’s fine,” she said.
“I also shouldn’t pry into your personal life,” he said.
“Nathan, is this because I work for you?”
“Yes. I want you to know—”
She waved a hand. “I know you would never use your position as my boss to your advantage. I also know you would not use your position as my temporary non-paid landlord. I don’t feel any obligation to repay you in any way.” She smiled and added, “You are not pressuring me in any way, so please don’t worry.”
Emma opened her car door and climbed out. Nathan reluctantly did the same.
“Now, to answer your question, I’m too busy right now to think about things like a family,” she said, shutting her car door. The metallic click the door made seemed to add an auditory emphasis to her statement. “After all these years, I’m finally going to get my doctorate. I’m also going to have a chance to spend time with my father. My future is mapped out.”
Nathan nodded and waited for her to precede him out of the garage. “I wasn’t talking about right now. I know you’ve got plans. I meant later.”
Emma stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading to the garage apartment. She turned her head to look at him. “I haven’t really thought about it. I was an only child who was raised to act more like an adult than like a child. I don’t know much about children. I don’t even know if I’d make a good mother.”
“Of course, you would.” He moved closer to her. “Look at how patient you are with Leigh.”
Emma laughed softly, the sound enticing in the still night air. “You love your sister, and you know it.”
“Yeah, I do,” he admitted. He nodded toward the top of the stairs. “My mother raised me too well not to walk you to your door.”
“You’re kidding, right? I’m what? Fifteen steps from the top?”
“If you’d known my mom, you’d understand why I have to do this.”
Emma rolled her eyes, but her smile made it clear she didn’t object. “Fine. Far be it from me to undo a mother’s training.”
She preceded him up the steps, stopping once or twice to glance around and say, “See any monsters yet? Any robbers?”
Nathan simply sighed and continued to follow her. But when they reached the landing and Emma opened the door, he realized immediately that he’d had an ulterior motive all along. Because the second she opened that door, he followed her inside the apartment without once considering the consequences.
“See, I’m safely home,” she said, turning on the small lamp by the door. “Thanks again for taking me to the rodeo. It was fun.”
The atmosphere between them seemed to crackle. He should never have followed her up the stairs. He should have stayed downstairs, far away from her.
Far away from temptation. But all of the IQ tests he’d taken in school were dead wrong about him—he wasn’t smart. He wasn’t even marginally bright.
He was the stupidest man to ever draw a breath because on the landing, she gave him a flirty smile and kissed him.
Even knowing he shouldn’t, he leaned forward and kissed Emma back.
6
Emma was glad he kissed her back. She’d wanted Nathan to kiss her since the last time on the basketball court. So here she was, getting her wish.
Without questioning her good fortune, when Nathan slid his tongue across her bottom lip, Emma opened her mouth, rose up on her toes, and slipped her arms around his neck. He instantly accepted the offer she made, wrapping his strong arms around her and settling her body intimately against him. Then his tongue met hers in a slow, seductive dance.
Yahoo.
Instinctively, Emma pressed harder against him. He sure could kiss. She felt him everywhere, heat flooding through her. Maybe someday she’d be embarrassed that she’d acted this way, but not tonight. Tonight, she wanted this kiss to go on forever.
He turned her slightly and backed her against the door. Then he cupped her upturned face as he deepened the kiss. Emma
was lost in the wonder of his embrace when the sound of a car engine coming up the driveway finally seeped through her lust-fogged brain.
Nathan heard it, too, and he ended the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers.
“Leigh is home,” he said finally, his voice husky.
It took a minute for his meaning to dawn on Emma, but when it did, she slipped out of his embrace and hurriedly put the distance of the small living room between them. Leigh was home from her date, and the last thing Emma wanted was for her friend to find her kissing Nathan.
Truthfully, calling what they’d just been doing kissing was like calling a tornado a gentle breeze. They’d been on fire, and it was going to take some doing for her to get her pulse rate under control.
Nathan didn’t seem to be doing much better. Unfulfilled desire still heated his gaze, and his breathing was rapid and ragged.
“I should leave,” he said.
Emma nodded. “Probably the best idea.”
But he didn’t leave. He stood looking at her. He seemed as consumed by indecision as she was. They both knew the right thing for him to do was to leave. But a part of Emma, a really nosy, annoying part, couldn’t help wishing he’d forget about doing the smart thing and instead cross the room and kiss her crazy once more.
But Nathan didn’t move. Instead, he remained across the room from her and said, “We need to stop kissing like that.”
Before Emma could stop herself, she asked, “How would you like to kiss?”
Nathan tipped his head and gave her a mischievous look. “You know what I mean.”
Yes, she did. Unfortunately.
“What do you suggest? I mean, we both already agreed not to kiss again, and yet we did,” she pointed out.
“True.” Nathan leaned against the door, obviously lost in thought. Emma waited patiently for any suggestion he might have. She certainly didn’t have one of her own to offer. She wanted Nathan. A lot. And even though getting involved with him would mess up her plans, she couldn’t seem to get her brain to win the war it was fighting with her traitorous body.
“Do you have any suggestions?” Nathan asked.
Give in to temptation was the first thought to cross her mind.
Okay, bad idea.
“Let me think.” But the longer she thought, the fewer ideas came to her. She couldn’t afford to lose any money, and she also wasn’t completely sure that she wouldn’t kiss Nathan again. So that meant that whatever punishment they thought of couldn’t be too terrible. Just on the off chance she lost the wager, of course.
An idea eventually occurred to her. “How about the loser washes the winner’s car?”
“Which one is considered the loser, and which one is considered the winner?”
She frowned. “Whoever kisses the other first has to wash the other person’s car.”
Nathan looked openly dubious. “You think that’s a strong enough incentive to keep us from kissing?”
“It’s the best I can think of. Unless you have a better idea.”
“No,” he said. “Okay, that will be our penalty.” He opened the door. “Leigh’s already inside, so I’m going to head on home. Talk to you tomorrow.”
“See you.”
Right before he shut the door he said, “For the record, I have a feeling that before this summer is over, we’ll both end up with really clean cars.” Funny, she had the exact same feeling.
“Young man, do you have any idea how late it is?” Leigh teased the second Nathan walked into the kitchen. “Have you been hanging out with floozies and ne’er-do-wells?”
Great. Just great. He should have expected his sister to ambush him.
“You haven’t been home long yourself,” he pointed out.
She laughed. “True, but then, I was with a ne’er-do-well, which means you must have been with a floozy.”
“Very funny.”
“Seriously, didn’t you just leave Emma’s apartment?” She gave him a wicked grin. “Anything happen I should know about? Do I need to clear my calendar and make room for another wedding?”
Although Nathan knew Leigh was only kidding, he couldn’t stop himself from glaring at her.
“For your information, I walked Emma to her apartment door when we got home from the rodeo. It’s that simple, so don’t make a big deal out of this.” He walked past her and got a soda out of the refrigerator. Even though it was after midnight, he needed something to help him cool off. The kiss he’d shared with Emma still had his blood simmering.
Leigh leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. Nathan could almost see the gears grinding in her devious mind, and he decided to head her off before she started plotting and planning.
“How about you? Should I start dusting off my tux for a wedding between you and Jared?”
Leigh laughed. “As if. And you know it. So is this your way of telling me to mind my own business?”
“Yes,” he admitted.
For a couple of seconds, Leigh studied him. Just when Nathan had given up hope, she shrugged.
“Fine by me. Don’t tell me what’s up between you and Emma. I won’t pry. But you were the one who pointed out to me that Emma is a woman who’s got her life mapped out and is probably not the right woman for you. I’m only reminding you because I don’t want to see you get hurt when she leaves.”
The warning seemed ridiculous coming from Leigh. She was the one in danger of getting hurt, not him. Still, he appreciated the thought behind her concern.
“I have nothing to worry about, Leigh. I already told you, I’m not getting involved with Emma.”
“Whatever you say,” she said. “But for the record, I look best in bridesmaid gowns that are burgundy, blue, or green. Whatever happens, I do not want to be stuck in a yellow gown. I look like a giant french fry. Got it?”
Nathan frowned. “Go to bed, Leigh.”
“Okey dokey.” Laughing, his sister headed up the back stairs. But long after she went to bed, Nathan sat in his study, wondering what in the world he was going to do about this attraction he felt for Emma. Not only were they all wrong for each other, but now wasn’t the time to let himself get distracted. He couldn’t get involved with a woman right now. Maybe after BizExpo. Maybe after Simplify became a success.
But not now.
And besides, it wasn’t like he could build a future with Emma. In five weeks she was returning to Austin and then moving to Massachusetts. The best they could hope for was a fling. Is that really what he wanted at this point in his life? He was too old not to think about the future.
And much too old to be acting like a lust-crazed teenager. So, the best approach would be to only see Emma at work. He’d make certain he didn’t spend time with her outside the office. That way he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her or kiss her again.
Okay, maybe he’d be tempted, but he wouldn’t be able to act on that temptation. And at this point, he’d settle for what he could get.
Avoidance. That was the key. He had to avoid Emma at all costs. He wouldn’t get caught within twenty feet of the woman.
“It’s really nice of you to invite me to your brother’s house for dinner,” Emma said two days later as she sat in the passenger seat of Nathan’s luxury sedan.
“Ha, like he had a choice,” Leigh said with a snort from the back seat. “Megan and Chase want to meet you. He was told to bring us both to dinner. No arguments.”
Emma turned and looked at her friend. “Still, it’s nice of Nathan to drive.”
Again, Leigh snorted. “You’re thanking him for nothing. He’s one of those guys who always drives. Always. He’s got that have-to-be-in-control thing that prevents him from letting someone else take over.” She tapped her brother on the shoulder. “Isn’t that right, Nathan?”
“Huh? Are you talking to me? I thought you were going to just talk about me the whole drive without once acknowledging that I’m sitting right here. I was worried for a second that I’d gone invisible.”
&n
bsp; Leigh laughed, and Emma couldn’t help smiling at Nathan’s good-natured teasing.
“You’re such a jerk,” Leigh said, laughter still tinting her voice. “Seriously, tell Emma how you always like to be in charge.”
“I only like to be in charge, Leigh, because I’m always right about things.”
Emma had to laugh now. “Oh, please. No one is always right. Everyone is occasionally wrong.”
“Even you?” Leigh teased. “I thought you were always right.”
“Hyperbole.”
“Not Nathan,” Leigh said from the back seat. “I can’t think of a single time when he’s been wrong. It really fries my hush puppies, but it’s true.”
That was ridiculous and couldn’t possibly be accurate. “He wouldn’t be human if he didn’t make mistakes,” Emma said. And she, of all people, knew that Nathan was human. Boy oh boy, did she ever. The man was definitely flesh and blood and kisses hot enough to make her toes curl.
Just the thought of the last kiss they’d shared distracted her to the point where it took a couple of seconds for her to realize Leigh was talking to her.
“...so when the weather people said it wasn’t going to rain, Daddy told Nathan he was about to be proven wrong. But it didn’t rain. It poured. It deluged. Just like Nathan said it would. So even as a kid, he was never wrong.”
Although Emma had missed the first part of Leigh’s story, she’d heard enough to get the gist of it.
“That’s an educated guess,” Emma said. She shifted in her seat to look at Nathan. He seemed highly amused by the entire conversation. No doubt his ego was feeling pretty well fed with his sister singing his praises this way.
But come on! Never wrong? It was impossible.
And blatantly untrue. Two nights ago, when he’d kissed her, he’d been wrong. They both had agreed not to kiss anymore, and yet, Nathan had broken that promise. He’d kissed her. Okay, so she had started it, but he had kissed her back.
But that was an example she couldn’t share with Leigh.
