“He knew that you liked me?”
Emery inclined his head. “But, why did he come onto me if he knew you were interested in me?”
His expression changed, and Rhianna recognized the cold dignity that was the Emery she remembered. “Sibling rivalry.”
“But…but he was your twin.”
“He was my brother, Rhia. Just like Cain and Abel were brothers.”
She never knew, never suspected there had been enmity between the two. If Emery was telling her the truth, then did that mean he was the good twin and Errol the bad one?
“I don’t believe you,” she said in a quiet voice.
“You don’t have to,” Emery countered. “I’d never lie about Errol.” Smiling, his mood changed like quicksilver. Grasping her hands he pulled her further out onto the ice. “Let’s skate before it gets too late.”
Once Rhianna gained her balance and footing, she found herself gliding over the icy surface as she had as a child. As she executed dips and turns the conversation she’d had with her mother came rushing back in vivid clarity: You never would’ve left Shepherd if you’d been in love with Errol. Had Anna seen what she hadn’t been able to see? That it was Emery she loved, not Errol.
She laid her head on his shoulder as he led her over the frozen surface as if they were on a dance floor. She’d always preferred skating with Emery because he didn’t twirl her around and around until she found she wasn’t able to stand upright. And whenever she fell Errol laughed hysterically until she demanded he help her up.
They skated to music without words or sound, and Rhianna could not rid her mind of the fact that she may have convinced herself that she was actually in love with Errol, when in reality it was Emery she really loved and wanted.
Emery used every inch of the pond as he told her that he’d ordered the supplies needed to complete the renovations in the rear of the restaurant, and he would start work tomorrow after Campy’s closed.
They skated and talked about everything—but themselves. A light snow had begun falling when they took off their skates and walked back to the pickup.
He drove to Campy’s, leaving her at the side door; this time he did not have to ask her to kiss him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Rhianna pulled his head down and kissed him with a hunger that longed to be assuaged. The kiss ended, both breathing heavily.
Rhianna was the first one to move. “Good night, Emery.”
He winked at her. “Good night, Rhia.”
They turned at the same time, she opening and closing the door behind her as Emery made his way to his truck. She climbed the staircase to her third-floor bedroom, walked over to a window, and stared out at the snow blanketing the countryside. It was so quiet that she felt as if the world was holding its breath while it contemplated its next move, and she was no different.
Emery had admitted he liked her, but she had yet to admit the same.
And, she did like him.
A lot.
And the liking had nothing to do with his resemblance to her deceased fiancé.
CHAPTER 7
Rhianna sat at Reid Campbell’s bedside, cradling his uninjured hand, always mindful of the IV taped to its back. It had taken twenty-four hours for her father to become alert enough to recognize familiar faces.
Reid stared at his daughter, his gaze softening. He couldn’t speak above a whisper. The tube used to facilitate breathing made swallowing painful.
“You’re back.” His voice was low and raspy.
She smiled. “Yes, Daddy, I’m back.”
Reid closed his eyes as his chest rose and fell in an even rhythm. “Good.”
That was the last word he uttered as Rhianna sat with him for more than an hour, bringing him up-to-date on what had happened in her life since their last telephone conversation.
“Emery is going to finish the renovations on the back porch. He’s hoping to have everything finished before Christmas. Mom told me that you wanted to host an open house, but what I don’t understand is why you did not want to wait until next year for Campy’s thirtieth anniversary.”
Smiling, she continued her monologue. “I know Mom tried to talk you out of tackling it by yourself. But I know once you set your mind to do something, no one or nothing can get you to change it.”
“Don’t…”
Rhianna went completely still. She’d thought Reid was asleep. “Don’t what, Daddy?”
She waited for him to speak again, until visiting hours ended, then left, wondering what her father was protesting.
* * *
Rhianna totaled the daily receipts, prepared a deposit ticket, and put them in the wall safe. She’d had to count the cash twice. The whirring sound of a saw made it hard for her to concentrate.
Things were almost back to normal. Her father had been released from the hospital with a recommendation from his doctor that he limit his daily activities. Anna spent all of her time helping Reid adjust to his temporary disability, while Rhianna stepped into her mother’s role of running Campy’s.
She quickly realized that managing the mom-and-pop restaurant was more daunting than she first thought. She was responsible for opening and closing, ordering foodstuffs, scheduling work shifts, payroll, accounts receivable and payables, and food preparation.
Emery usually arrived before closing time, waited until she locked the door behind the last customer, then began working. He’d erected a large sheet of heavy-gauge plastic over the work area to keep dust and debris from seeping back into the restaurant area.
Leaning back on her chair, Rhianna ran her fingers through her short hair. She still hadn’t done any of her own Christmas shopping, and didn’t know when she would get the time to do it. Her gaze shifted, lingering on the computer. A knowing smile softened her mouth. She would shop online.
“What are you smiling about?”
Swiveling in her chair, she saw Emery standing in the doorway. Her jaw dropped, but she recovered quickly. A damp white T-shirt, a pair of low-rise jeans, work boots, and the white bandana on his head screamed virility.
“I just solved my Christmas shopping dilemma. I’ve decided to shop online.”
Emery pulled off the bandana, pushing it into a back pocket of his jeans. “Smart move,” he said, walking into the office. He’d shopped for his nieces and nephews months before.
His gaze lingered on Rhianna’s face, noting the changes. Her cheeks had filled out and the shadows under her eyes had disappeared. She radiated a delicate sensuality he found mesmerizing.
“I’m through for the night. The walls are up.”
Pushing back the chair, she stood up. “Can I see what you’ve done?”
“Not until I lay the floor.”
Rhianna came around the desk, sitting on a corner, her gaze meeting and fusing with Emery’s. “Have I thanked you for what you’re doing for my folks?”
He angled his head. “I don’t think so.”
She stared up at him through her lashes. “Thank you, Emery.”
Taking two long strides, he closed the distance between them, wrapped his arms around her waist and eased her to her feet. “You’re welcome,” he crooned softly. “I don’t believe I’ve thanked you.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “For what?”
“For coming home,” Emery crooned, as his head came down. His mouth brushed hers, the sensation soft and velvety as the brush of a butterfly’s wings.
Rhianna opened her mouth to tell him that she’d come back, but not to stay, giving him the advantage he needed when his tongue slipped between her parted lips.
She gasped, sinking into his strength. His kiss sang through her veins and heated her blood. His mouth demanded a response and she answered, curving her arms under his shoulders and pressing her breasts to his hard chest as shivers of wanting and delight held her in a grip from which she did not want to escape.
I want him, I want him, I want him so much, sang the silent refrain in her heart and in her head. She drank in the sweetness of h
is kiss, the power in his body, and the virility that made her a prisoner of her own lust. Even when she’d believed she was in love with Errol she never felt the aching desire she felt for Emery.
Emery eased the hem of Rhianna’s shirt from the waistband of her jeans, his fingers caressing the silky flesh on her back. He undid the clasp on her bra, freeing her breasts. Cupping the small, firm mounds of flesh, squeezing them gently, he groaned when they swelled against his palms.
He rotated his hips and permitted her to feel the hardness he was helpless to control. He wanted Rhianna, couldn’t remember when he didn’t want her. He’d loved her for more than half his life; loved her when he’d pledged his future to another.
“Come home with me tonight, darling,” he whispered against her moist, parted lips.
Rhianna rested her forehead on his shoulder. “I can’t, Emery.”
“I’ll make certain you get up in time to open the restaurant. If you want, you can meet my research subjects.”
Her heart pounded in her chest as she struggled to regain control of the runaway passion surging through her body. There was no way she would her permit her desire for the man holding her to his heart to cloud her judgment. She’d told Emery that she would never permit her heart to overrule her head again.
They were adults, not having to answer to anyone, and if she was going to share Emery’s bed, then she owed it to him to establish ground rules for what would follow.
“Not tonight,” she continued. Her voice was low and hauntingly sensual.
Emery didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until the band constricting his chest made breathing difficult. He winked at her. “No rush, no pressure.”
Rhianna closed her eyes, exhaling softly, and when she opened them her steady gaze was filled with confidence. “And no strings, Emery.”
The three words would’ve aroused old fears and uncertainties in Emery, but now he was older, more secure. He’d lost Rhianna once because he hadn’t made his feelings known to her. It would not happen again.
He gave her a long, penetrating look. “Okay. No strings.”
Rhianna’s smile was dazzling. Somehow she hadn’t expected Emery to go along with her mandate, but he had. Perhaps, like her, he wasn’t looking for someone with whom he could settle down, that he didn’t want Miss Right, but Miss Right Now.
She’d stopped looking for Mr. Right after losing Errol. Every man she met she compared with him. Some were intelligent, but lacked the requisite social etiquette. Others had money and social status, yet watching moss grow had elicited more excitement. And there was one who truly was an Adonis, but dumb as dirt.
However, Emery was the exception and not an option. She could not and would not lose her heart to another Sutherland man. She would enjoy whatever he offered, and once her father recovered from his injuries, she planned to return to Los Angeles and the life she’d made for herself.
Emery watched a myriad of expressions cross Rhianna’s delicate features and wondered what it was she was thinking about. Suddenly it hit him. What if she had a boyfriend—someone waiting for her in California? Was that the reason she was willing to go into a liaison without a commitment? Men did it every day, so why not a woman?
“I won’t be by Saturday night.”
Emery mentioning Saturday night reminded Rhianna that she’d committed to attending Shepherd’s Chamber of Commerce dinner-dance.
“That’s okay, because I won’t be here either. I’m going to the Chamber’s fundraiser.”
“So am I. Are you going with your mother?”
She hesitated. Her parents had paid for tickets for two. “No. I’m going alone.”
“You don’t have to go alone.”
“Why?”
“You can go with me.”
Rhianna rested her palms on his solid pectorals. “What happened to your date?”
He smiled at her. “Don’t have one.”
“Why not?”
“I couldn’t find anyone I wanted to go with me.”
She affected an attractive moue, bringing his gaze to linger on her lush mouth. “So, I’m your last choice?”
His eyes crinkled in a smile. “You’re my only choice.”
She sobered quickly. “What if I hadn’t come back, Emery? Who would you’ve taken?”
His expression stilled and grew serious. “No one. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve attended a local function alone. I’ve made it a practice not to date any woman who lives in Shepherd. The town is too small. Folks too nosy and it would be uncomfortable if we decide to stop seeing each other.”
“How is that different from you and I?”
Emery ran his forefinger down the length of her nose. “You don’t live in Shepherd.”
“You’re right, Emery.” He’d just reminded her that she was a visitor, nothing more than a tourist in her hometown. “I’ll come and meet your sheep Saturday night.”
“Before or after the dinner-dance?”
“Before. If it’s all right with you I’ll get dressed at your place.”
“It’s more than all right. Good night, darling.” He kissed her again, then turned and walked out of the office.
Rhianna waited a full minute, then whispered, “Good night Emery.”
* * *
Emery rapped lightly on the door, listening for movement on the other side.
“Come in.”
He recognized the female voice, but it wasn’t the one he’d expected to hear. He pushed open the door and walked in. Anna sat behind the desk, a phone cradled between her chin and shoulder; she motioned for him to sit.
Anna wrote down the telephone number, her gaze shifting from the pad in front of her to the man sitting several feet away. It had been a long time since she’d seen Emery unshaven, but there was something about the stubble on his jaw that made him appear more rugged than usual.
She’d gone to high school with his mother, who’d been prom queen and the prettiest girl at Shepherd High; she’d passed her striking good looks on to her twin sons.
Anna ended the call and smiled at Emery. “Hello. I take it you were looking for Rhianna?”
He nodded. “Yes. I told her that I’d pick her up around five.”
“She’s upstairs with Reid. I’m certain she’ll be down momentarily. By the way, I want to thank you for escorting my daughter to the Chamber dance tonight.”
Emery draped one leg over the opposite knee and stared at the scuffed toes on his boots. “I’m honored that she agreed to go with me. Having her as my date will be quite a change from taking my sisters.”
“How are your sisters?”
He smiled. “They’re quite well, thank you.”
He’d continued the tradition begun by his father of supporting the local Chamber of Commerce. He paid dues and attended the annual fundraising dinner-dance whenever he escorted his sisters to the event.
However, Emery didn’t want to talk about his sisters. He was anxious to spend as much time with Rhianna as he could before he had to bring her home later that night.
“I won’t keep Rhia out too late,” he said in a quiet voice.
Anna sat up straighter and laced her fingers together. “I’m not as concerned with you bringing her home as making sure she’s safe.”
Emery’s head rose up and he met Anna’s steady stare. “You know?”
A mysterious smile deepened the dimples in the older woman’s cheeks. “I’ve known for years, Emery.”
Uncrossing his legs, he placed both feet on the carpeted floor. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“It wasn’t my place to tell my daughter how you felt about…” Anna’s words trailed off when Rhianna walked into the small room.
“Tell me what?”
Emery stood up, his gaze taking in everything about Rhianna in one sweeping look. Her short hair was styled in tiny ringlets that framed her narrow face.
“That it’s impolite to keep your young man waiting,” Anna lied smoothly.
<
br /> “Emery’s not my young man,” Rhianna said, reaching for Emery’s hand and lacing her fingers through his. “We’re friends.”
What she didn’t tell her mother was that Emery was a friend who’d kissed her with a passion that made her knees weak, a friend who’d touched her body and made her hot as a pat of butter on a heated surface. A friend who made her want to strip naked and lie in his strong embrace and experience why she’d been born female.
Emery couldn’t pull his gaze away from Rhianna. Even without makeup she looked incredible. He squeezed her fingers. “Well, friend, are you ready to meet my flock?”
“I have to get my bags.”
“Where are they?”
Rhianna met Emery’s curious gaze. “I left them at the side door.”
There was no way she was going to walk through the restaurant area with Emery carrying an overnight and garment bag. Before they darkened the door, the gossip would be all over town that Reid Campbell’s girl was spending the night with Emery Sutherland. The fact that they would attend the fundraiser together was enough to start tongues wagging.
He nodded and said, “I’ll meet you around there.”
“Thank you,” she said so softly he had strained his ears to hear what she’d said. Shifting, she smiled at her mother. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Anna lifted an eyebrow as she regarded her daughter. “Have fun. Don’t bother about getting up early. I’ll open up.”
“But I usually open up,” Rhianna countered.
A mysterious smile lifted the corners of Anna’s mouth. “Please don’t argue with your mother, sweetheart.” She waved a hand. “Now go and have a wonderful time.”
Rhianna’s smile matched Anna’s. “I will.”
She left the office and made her way down a narrow hallway that led to the opposite end of the structure where the Campbells maintained their living quarters.
She opened the door and seconds after she’d stepped in the small space she found herself in Emery’s arms, his mouth coming down on hers, stealing the breath from her lungs.
Rising on tiptoe, she deepened the kiss that flamed like smoldering heat from joined metals. Her hands cradled his face, the emerging whiskers biting into the tender skin on her palms. She inhaled the smell of soap mingling with his body’s natural scent.
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