Текст книги "Then Came You"

Автор книги: Jill Shalvis

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

Mike poked his head in the room. “Emily? Call on line two.”

“Take it,” Wyatt said. “I’ve got this.”

She shook her head and left.

“Holy cow, you’re bad at that, sonny boy,” Mr. Myers said into the silence.

Wyatt turned to Mr. Myers. “Excuse me?”

“I was kinda hoping you were going to teach me something,” Mr. Myers said. “But I’ve got more game than you. Hell, Buddy has more game than you.”

Buddy licked Wyatt’s face as Wyatt stared at Mr. Myers. “You’re wearing your hearing aid.”

“Nope, I got perfectly good hearing. I just pretend I don’t cuz no one ever tells me anything.”

Twenty-three

Sara had dinner going when Emily came in the door. She paused from stirring the pot on the stove as Emily removed Woodrow’s leash.

“Thought you weren’t keeping him,” Sara said.

Emily hugged the dog into her and he licked her ear.

She hid her face in his fur. It had been a really bad day. She was pretty sure that whatever she and Wyatt had been playing at was over.

It hurt, so much more than she could have imagined.

“Right,” Sara said. “Dad.”

Emily lifted her head. “What the hell does that mean?”

“I don’t know, let’s see,” Sara said. “You’ve got a turtle, a cat, and now a puppy. Our house is starting to resemble another vet’s house—a vet we both know and love, one whose genes we share. I’m just hoping that the next thing you bring home is Dr. Sexy.”

“We’re done doing whatever it was that we were doing,” Emily said, and rubbed a hand over the ache in her chest.

Sara shook her head. “You’ll forgive me if I doubt that.”

“It’s true,” Emily said. “And Woodrow’s only staying until I find his family.” Emily stared into twin pools of warm brown puppy eyes. “Right?”

He licked her chin again, and Emily felt a sharp stab of pain in her chest. “Great. And now I’m going to have a heart attack in Idaho.”

Sara shook her head. “You’re not having a heart attack. Your heart hurts cuz you’re falling for a damn rescue. Like you’re falling for Sunshine, and the people in it.”

“Bite your tongue.”

“Can’t. My new tongue piercing is still sore. Stop being stubborn, Emily, and get your head out of your ass. Plans change. Change yours and move on.”

She’d purposely not thought about her lifelong plan. So much that it’d taken Wyatt to point out to her that she’d forgotten to even look at it, much less update it. The fact was, she didn’t know how to make changes to it and still do the right thing. What did one do when the right thing wasn’t necessarily the right thing for her?

The next morning Emily got online to look at the bidding on the charity auction. Cassandra was now the high bidder. Crap. She had no business even caring who won Wyatt. None. She told herself to walk away. Instead, she bid again and drove to work. She sat in the car for a moment, engine off. Next to her in the passenger’s seat, Woodrow lifted his sleepy head and blinked at her. He wasn’t a morning dog. And since she wasn’t a morning person, they were perfect soul mates.

However temporary.

With a sigh, she got out of the car and turned back for her patient. He was doing much better today, but was still moving slowly. She started to help him down, but he hopped out on his own.

“You okay?” she asked.

He sat at her feet and pawed the air at her. She was pretty sure he did this because he knew exactly how cute he was when he did. “Yeah,” she said, heart squeezing. “You’re okay.” She kneeled in front of him. “I’m working hard at finding your owner, but I need you to be good for me. Can you do that?”

He licked her chin, and she hugged him. “Oh, Woodrow. What am I going to do with you?”

He panted happily in her ear.

“Okay,” she said, pulling away to look into his eyes. “I like your attitude. But since I’m sure whoever lost you is dying to have you back, there’s no use in us getting attached, okay? I get it’s going to be hard, because I have the same problem. I’m temporary here, too. And inside this building there’s this incredibly smart, incredibly funny, incredibly sexy guy. Only I can’t fall for him, and neither can you. I know, he’s got a great smile and amazing hands, and he always seems to know the right stuff to do to make me—I mean you—melt, but no melting, okay? We’re going to be strong. We have to be, because I talked to him and we’re not a thing. Not anymore.”

Woodrow barked his agreement.

That, or he was telling her that she was a complete idiot. It was a toss-up.

“Don’t make this harder than it is,” she said. “It’s best this way. You’re not staying. I’m not staying. So remember, no falling for the hot guy.” They shook on that, and then she rose to her feet. Turning, she plowed right into said hot guy. She thought of the things she’d said to him yesterday and had to lock her fingers together rather than reach for him.

Unlike her, Wyatt seemed to wake up in the mornings completely alert and ready to roll. His gaze was sharp on her, accessing but also somehow warm and affectionate. Either he hadn’t let yesterday sink in, or he wasn’t bothered in the slightest that they were no longer a thing. He was in low-slung cargoes, battered boots, and an untucked button-down, open over a T-shirt that read: I like big mutts.

Her stupid heart skipped a beat. “It’s rude to eavesdrop,” she said.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping.”

She searched his expression for the truth but couldn’t determine whether he was being honest or not. He was good at hiding his feelings when he wanted to. “Good,” she finally said, deciding to believe him, “because I wasn’t talking about you, anyway.”

Wyatt laughed. Laughed. And then he crouched on the balls of his feet and held out his hand to Woodrow. “Come here, little man.”

Wriggling in joy, Woodrow followed the demand.

Wyatt looked him over good, gave him a very careful body rub, working around his bandages. Woodrow’s eyes rolled in ecstasy into the back of his head. “He’s looking good,” Wyatt told Emily. “You did a great job with him the other night.” He rose up to his full height, looking disturbingly wonderful with Woodrow in his arms.

The dog licked him from chin to forehead, and Wyatt pressed a kiss of his own to the top of his head before setting the wriggling pup back on the ground.

Emily started to walk past Wyatt into the building, but he stopped her, a hand on hers. She looked up into his face. His hair was still damp, undoubtedly from his morning shower. It curled around his ears and at the nape of his neck. He’d shaved, and she . . . ached. She wanted to press her face into his throat and try to inhale him up. She had no idea what she’d been thinking, because she couldn’t imagine being just co-workers now that she knew how it felt to be in his arms. The problem was that she knew he wasn’t the guy for her. Not just because he wasn’t on her plan but because Darcy had said so and he hadn’t disagreed. He never lied, never misled, never misspoke. She could take him at his word.

Always.

A comfort.

And now, a nightmare.

He stepped close, until they were toe-to-toe, waiting until she tipped her head back to look at him. “If getting attached is the worst thing you do while you’re here,” he said quietly, the teasing light in his eyes gone, “that’s not such a bad thing.”

“You said you didn’t eavesdrop.”

“It’s not eavesdropping if a person’s talking to herself.”

“I was talking to Woodrow.”

He smiled at her and she was hit with another wave of longing for him that nearly took her out at the knees.

“I’ll be in surgery this morning,” he finally said. “You’re scheduled to shadow. Is that going to be a problem?”

“Of course not,” she said. “Is your shoulder—”

“Fine,” he said.

Not that he’d tell her if it wasn’t fine. He liked to chide her for keeping to a plan, but he’d kept himself a virtual island. He held the door open for her and Woodrow.

They were greeted by Gertie and Jade, who’d returned the night before. Woodrow sat patiently while Gertie sniffed him for the second morning in a row, taking a long time at his bandages. Woodrow’s tail was wagging with an air of hopefulness that made Emily’s throat tighten. When Gertie was done, Woodrow licked her.

Gertie licked him back, flopped to the floor, her hundred plus pounds shaking the place.

“Bed hog!” Peanut yelled.

Emily had put flyers up throughout town, and on several online bulletin boards as well. She’d gone by her neighbor’s house twice but no one had been home.

Jade handed her a stack of messages and watched Emily flip through them. Lots of people had called, wanting to adopt Woodrow. But no one had claimed to be his owner.

“You gonna adopt him out to one of the people who want him?” Jade asked.

“Can’t. He’s not mine.”

They all looked down at her feet. Woodrow was sitting on them, eyes bright, tongue lolling.

Jade snorted. “Uh-huh.”

Emily looked at Woodrow and felt her heart squeeze. Yeah. He was hers to the bone. She looked at Wyatt, who was back to giving nothing away. If the thought of losing Woodrow killed her, it was nothing compared to what she felt over imagining herself losing Wyatt.

But he was no more hers than Woodrow was. And she needed to remember that.

Three days later, Wyatt was spending his Friday night on the Victorian’s roof, a tool belt around his hips, earbuds in his ears blasting loud enough to drown out the voices in his head.

The voices in his head belonged to his sisters, who’d had the blowup of all blowups earlier, over a trip to Target of all things.

Zoe had taken Darcy there on the way home from her PT appointment, and it had gone bad when Darcy got Zoe kicked out of the store. Exactly how this had happened was anyone’s guess since neither of them would say. Wyatt had decided to escape the tension by knocking something off Darcy’s never-ending to-do list.

The roof had been leaking over the attic’s overhang and into the pantry for months. Maybe years. He’d just finished nailing down a new panel when a car drove up. From three stories up he watched Emily and Woodrow alight from her car.

Something clenched deep in his gut. For three days, they’d been perfectly professional at work, in sync.

He’d hated every moment of it.

He saw her look to his truck parked in the driveway, and then at the ladder leaning against the house. He saw her gaze follow the line of the ladder to the second-story roof, where he’d shimmied up the patio awning to get to the very top level.

Her mouth dropped open.

Far below him, he heard the front door open. He couldn’t see who’d done so, but he was betting on Zoe.

Darcy never bothered to answer the door.

Emily and Woodrow disappeared inside the house.

“That can’t be good,” he said out loud.

“Sincerely doubt it.”

He nearly startled right off the fucking roof at the sound of Darcy’s voice. She was in the attic, her face level with his as she peeked out the window she’d opened. “Jesus,” he said. “What are you doing up here?”

She shrugged.

“How did you even get up here?”

“I have my ways,” she said.

She’d walked. Or crawled. Or hell, maybe she’d flown her broom. The woman had amazing staying powers when she set her mind to something.

“So why’s Emily here?” she asked.

“Dunno,” he said. “How did you get Zoe kicked out of Target?”

“Shockingly easy,” Zoe said from behind Darcy as she came into the attic as well. “She grabbed a case of condoms and randomly dropped individual boxes into people’s carts when they weren’t looking.”

Behind Zoe came Woodrow. Attached to the end of his leash was Emily, and she choked out what sounded like a horrified laugh.

Wyatt, on his knees on the roof, shook his head.

“That’s not why,” Darcy said.

“True,” Zoe said. “It was because you also set every alarm clock in Housewares to go off at five minute intervals.”

Darcy smiled. “Still not why.”

Emily stared at her. “How long were you in there?”

“Half an hour,” Zoe said, tossing her hands up. “I was grocery shopping!”

“You weren’t,” Darcy said. “You were lingerie shopping. And I don’t know why, he’s not worth it.”

Wyatt blinked. “He who?”

“Never you mind,” Zoe said, and pointed to Darcy. “This is about her. When the manager put an announcement over the loud speaker to watch out for the crazy chick in the motorized wheelchair wreaking havoc on the store, Darcy put her hands over her ears and screamed ‘The voices are back!’”

“Hey,” Darcy said. “This is what we do, we humiliate each other in public, it keeps us humble. And I humiliate Wyatt, too. Remember the last time he had a date over? We told her how he didn’t potty train until third grade?”

“Which was a lie,” Wyatt said.

“I don’t remember that,” Zoe said. “I remember telling someone that he slept with Petey the Bear until he was twelve.”

Wyatt locked gazes with Emily, who was soaking this all up with avid shock. “Hi,” he said. “Welcome to the house for the criminally insane.”

“So what’s the party for?” Darcy asked.

They all looked at Emily.

She clearly forced a smile. “I just came by to bring Wyatt his latest casserole dish from the Casserole Brigade.”

“Who’s it from?” Darcy asked. “Tell me it’s from Rachel Masters. She makes a great enchilada casserole. I keep telling Wyatt to flirt with her, or better yet, take one for the team and sleep with her so that she’ll make more enchiladas.”

Emily gave another slow blink. “Um, no. It’s not from Rachel.”

“Damn, Wy,” Darcy said. “You’re falling down on the job.”

Emily gestured behind her. “I’ll just be going now.”

“Oh, don’t leave on our account,” Darcy said. “Not when you made up such a good excuse to come out here and take advantage of my brother.”

Emily’s cheeks went red. “What? I didn’t—”

“Sure you did,” Darcy said. “But there’s no need to be embarrassed. All the women in Sunshine go to great lengths to take advantage of him. So far he hasn’t been real good at letting them, but there’s always a shot, and we all know he has a thing for you. So go ahead, take advantage all you want—”

“Out,” Wyatt said, pointing at his sisters. “Both of you.”

“I—”

“Now,” he said, ignoring Darcy entirely and giving the I-Swear-To-God eyes to Zoe.

She correctly interpreted the look and hauled Darcy to the door. “We’re going out to dinner. We’ll be late. Real late. So just carry on with . . . whatever.”

Emily’s gaze locked on Wyatt’s. She nibbled her lower lip and went beet red, but she didn’t turn tail and run. Neither of them moved, not until the front door shut far below them and Zoe’s car started up and pulled out of the driveway.

“I didn’t come to take advantage of you,” Emily said into the silence.

He crawled through the window and into the attic. She was in black slacks and a soft sweater the exact color of her eyes. She was dusted in dog and cat hair, her own hair was falling out of its ponytail and framing her face, which was lined with exhaustion.

She’d never looked more beautiful to him. “Did you really come out here to bring me a casserole?”

“Yeah.” She stared at his Adam’s apple like she wanted to lick it. “It’s in the car.”

“Who’s it from?”

She bit her lower lip.

“Emily.” He was smiling. “There’s no casserole, is there.”

“No.”

He put a hand on her hip. The other he slid into her hair, fisted gently, and tipped her face to his, letting his thumb rasp lightly over the pulse at the base of her throat.

She met his gaze, her own a little dazed. “You’re dog-whispering me like you do to your patients at work, where you go all silent and alpha pack leader, and wait for them to surrender to you and tell you all their woes.”

“I like the surrender part,” he said.

She pushed him but she didn’t mean it, and they both knew it.

“Okay,” she murmured. “You were, right, okay? Does that make you happy?”

“Yes, always,” he said. “But for the record, what am I right about, other than everything?”

A second push, and he laughed as he pulled her in against him. He hadn’t laughed in days. Christ, he’d missed her. Even though he’d seen her for eight to ten hours a day, he’d missed this.

Them.

Which meant he was totally screwed, of course, but in that moment, he didn’t care. Yeah, she had one foot out the door, so what. He’d survived it once, he’d survive it again. He pressed his lips to her jaw.

She shivered. “We said we’re not doing this anymore.”

“Actually, you said that. I didn’t sign on to the not doing this anymore program.” It was just about as revealing a statement as he could make without manipulating her into making a decision.

And he wasn’t about to do that.

Ever.

She went still, then dropped her head to his chest and banged it a few times.

“You could take it back,” he said.

She paused, like she really wanted to, but in the end she shook her head. “I can’t because Darcy was right. I’m wrong for you, Wyatt. And even if I wasn’t, I’m leaving.” Her face was a mask of misery. “I’m sorry but I’ve got to go.”

Twenty-four

At the morning’s staff meeting, Darcy brought donuts. She was working the rest of the week, helping Jade catch up. Everyone dug in including Emily.

Wyatt knew this because he was watching her, unable to take his eyes off her. She was currently two fisting matching chocolate donuts, digging into them like they might solve her problems.

After she’d left him the night before, he’d gone to AJ’s gym and worked himself into a near early grave. He’d needed to be beyond exhausted to sleep.

He hadn’t examined his feelings too closely, and he could tell by the way Emily was avoiding eye contact that she wasn’t any more eager to do so than him.

Which meant that they were just as messed up as ever.

The meeting covered the usual items on the itinerary, and at the end, when they’d all stood to head for the door, Dell looked at Emily.

“I took another call from the Beverly Hills animal center,” he said. “The head vet there wanted to remind me that her intern’s still unhappy. I reiterated how well you’ve worked out, and how lucky we are to have you.”

Wyatt looked at Emily, waiting for her to say how she’d give up her right nut, if she’d had one, to switch.

But she said nothing.

And he didn’t know what to make of that either, or the relief that swamped him.

That night, Emily made her weekly call to her dad. He’d apparently finally found his iPod, but then had gone on to lose his keys, having to call a locksmith to make a new set. He and the locksmith had traded services, and her father was going to give the guy’s three cats a checkup.

He’d also lost his wallet, and had bribed the lady at the DMV to putting him to the front of the line if he immunized her dog as a trade.

“Maybe you could actually charge people for your services sometime,” Emily said.

“But then I wouldn’t have a new key or my license.”

Emily didn’t know how to fight that logic. “Dad, what if I said I could come home sooner. I could help you out more.”

He laughed. “I think I’m beyond help.”

“But if I could—”

“Honey, you can’t. You know I’d love to have you here, and you will be. After you put in your time. Don’t worry about me. As long as my head’s still attached, I can’t lose that at least. But do you happen to know where my Kindle might be?”

After they hung up, Emily went to her computer. She wasted a few minutes with the usual time-wasting techniques like Facebook, and then the charity auction. She was still top bidder for Wyatt.

Since this made her feel like she was on a boat at sea, she closed her browser and brought up her e-mail.

She started a new e-mail to Dell. It took her an hour to get it right and even then she stared at it for a long time before she hit Send.

She went to bed, but instead of sleeping, she found herself staring at the ceiling while her gut churned.

Finally she tossed the covers back and headed to the kitchen, going for the frozen cookie dough in the freezer.

Sara found her half an hour later, eating the dough with a spoon right out of the container. “PMS or SMS?” she asked.

“SMS?” Emily asked.

“Stupid Man Syndrome,” Sara said.

“It’s more like stupid woman syndrome.” She paused. “The Los Angeles intern still wants to trade places.”

“Yeah?” Sara took a big hunk of cookie dough. “She tired of treating the pink Pomeranians and hairless cats of the rich and famous?”

“I guess her family lives in Idaho somewhere, and she misses them, she wants to be closer to home.”

Sara looked up, eyes sharp. “Wait– You’re serious?”

“Yeah.”

Sara set the cookie dough down. “You’re going to do it? You’re going to trade places and go back to L.A.?”

“Hello, have you been listening? She wants to come here for the same reason I wanted to stay in Los Angeles. We miss home. We miss Dad. We want to be closer to home.”

Sara gave a slow shake of her head.

“No?” Emily asked. “What do you mean no?”

“I mean there’s no we. I like Sunshine. You can see the stars at night. And I thought people would judge me, but as it turns out, there’s a huge shortage of lesbians here and I’m in huge demand. Everyone wants the token lesbian friend. And I thought you were coming to like it, too. You’re back with Dr. Sexy—” She broke off at whatever she saw on Emily’s face. “You’re not?”

“No.”

“But on your first date, you came home with your panties in your pocket.”

“It’s not what you think,” she said softly.

“Emily.” Sara looked distressed, for her. “Are you sure?”

She thought of what Wyatt had said that first night they’d gone to dinner: You’re not the only one thrown off their axis here, Emily. We never intended to see each other again. Hell we didn’t even know each other’s last names. And that worked for me.

It had been a month and a half, and never once in all that time had he alluded to changing his mind. There was no future for them. It wasn’t because he was a commitment-phobe either—he’d been engaged. Which brought her to her last problem—the expression on his face every time Caitlin’s name came up. He’d loved her. Maybe still did for all she knew. He hadn’t let Emily in enough to discuss it with her. “Yes,” she said. “I’m sure.”

“You really shouldn’t make any hasty decisions on this. Give it some time before you talk to your boss—”

“I e-mailed him.” Emily gestured to the laptop sitting so innocuously on the kitchen table. “I told him I’d switch.”

Sara just stared at her, disappointment and frustration clear. And worry.

“I know,” Emily said. “It’s risky.”

“No,” Sara said with a slow shake of her head. “The risk would’ve been to stay.”

Dell was gone when Emily got into work, working one of the ranches he’d contracted with up north. She waited for Wyatt to say something about the internship, about the switch, but he didn’t.

The reason for that didn’t feel good. She wasn’t sure if he was relieved, happy, or just plain indifferent about her decision. He’d been damn careful to keep things in the moment.

She needed to do the same.

When she got home that night, she fed Sammy, Q-Tip, and Woodrow, and then opened the fridge for herself. She was standing there staring at its contents when Woodrow went to the back door and whined.

“Now?” Emily asked. “I just let you out.”

Woodrow pawed at the door.

“Okay, okay, hang on.” She heard Sara come in the front door. “Hurry,” she called out to her sister. “We’re going for a walk!”

“We?” Sara asked, coming into the kitchen. “I hope that’s the royal we. Or you and the mutt. Not me.”

“You.” Emily grabbed the leash. “It’s almost dark, I need an escort.”

“Oh sure, take the butch lesbian, she’ll save you.”

“Accusing me of profiling isn’t going to get you out of this.”

Sara sighed and out they went, heading down the street. Woodrow paused at every single bush and tree, but made no deposits.

“What, do you need an invitation?” Sara asked him.

When they got to the next property over, the ranch house where Emily had first thought maybe Woodrow had come from, the dog hunched in the middle of the grass.

“Crap,” Emily said.

“Literally,” Sara said, and fanned the air. “At least it’s dark now.”

“No, I mean crap, I didn’t bring a baggie to scoop that up with—” She broke off when a long, unhappy howl of a dog sounded.

And then another.

At Emily’s feet, Woodrow whined.

“Our neighbors have dogs?” Sara asked.

“I don’t know. They’re never home.”

A few more barks sounded, and Emily looked at the house. Still dark. Quiet. Woodrow finished his business, but before they could move, a truck came down the street.

“Uh-oh,” Sara said when it slowed.

Yeah, uh-oh. The truck was coming to the house. They turned off their flashlights and ducked behind a bush just as it pulled into the driveway.

Emily scooped Woodrow close and held her breath.

“We’re going to get arrested for not picking up dog poo,” Sara whispered. “We’re going to end up as someone’s bitch.”

“Shh!” She went back to holding her breath. Beside her, Sara did the same.

And then, in the silence, her phone lit up like day with a call.

Shit. Emily reached into her pocket and reflexively swiped her thumb across the screen to answer instead of hitting ignore.

The truck door opened. Two long legs appeared out of the truck, heading around the back of the vehicle instead of the front.

Emily sucked in a breath. She could see boots. Denim-clad legs.

And a gun at a lean hip.

Oh, God. Her heart leapt into her throat.

“Run,” Sara whispered.

The three of them ran like the hounds of hell were on their heels, Sara and Emily in terror, Woodrow barking like he was out for a joyride.

“Did you see—” Emily started.

“I saw,” came Sara’s grim reply.

“Cop?”

“Doubtful,” Sara gasped as they flew. “This is Idaho. Everyone and their grandma is armed.”

“Except for us,” Emily managed.

“I’ve got a knife in my pocket.”

Emily gave her a startled glance. “What?”

Halfway back, Emily got a stitch in her side and had to stop, hands on her knees, gasping for breath.

“That’s . . . pathetic,” Sara said, stopping besides her, but looking no better off.

Footsteps sounded, though it was hard to tell from which direction they came. It didn’t matter. They both gasped and started to run again. Emily flew right into a brick wall.

Wyatt.

He absorbed the impact without moving and wrapped his arms around her. “What the hell?”

“Yeah,” said a different male voice, from directly behind them this time. “What the hell?”

Big, Scary Neighbor Guy, Emily thought, shaking in her sneakers.

Wyatt flicked his flashlight upward and revealed the man who’d gotten out of the truck at the dark house.

Yep. It was indeed Big, Scary Neighbor Guy.

Woodrow got in front of Emily, backing his tush right up to her calves, standing on her feet as he barked sharply at the man.

Emily scooped him up and hugged him. “Good boy,” she whispered. “Brave boy.”

“Who are you?” Wyatt asked her neighbor.

“I’m the one who found Lucy and Ethel here in my bushes.” His gaze went to Sara, and then Emily, and finally Woodrow. No flicker of recognition for the dog, which was a relief. No way could she have given him Woodrow.

“The question is,” the guy said, “who the fuck are you?”

“We lost our kitten,” Sara said. “We were looking for her and you scared us.” She flashed a smile.

Emily didn’t know why Sara lied, but she nodded her head in agreement.

Big, Scary Neighbor Guy didn’t return the smile. Instead he pointed at her, and then at Emily. “Stay off my property,” he said, voice low and menacing. “Watch yourselves.”

Emily’s heart went into her throat, and she opened her mouth to utter an immediate apology.

“No,” Wyatt said, tall and strong at her back. “You watch yourself.”

Neither man budged for a long beat. Finally Emily’s neighbor made a low sound of disgust. “Handle your women, and I mean it, stay outta my business,” he snapped, and stalked off into the night.

“I’m my own woman,” Emily said to no one.

Wyatt didn’t budge, watching the guy go. After a beat, he looked down at her and her sister.

“It was all her doing,” Sara said, and pointed at Emily.

“I heard a dog in trouble,” Emily said.

Wyatt didn’t look happy to hear this. “Next time call me,” he said. He’d dropped the tough-guy stance and was back to easygoing, laid-back Wyatt.

Except Emily was coming to realize he wasn’t so easygoing or laid-back at all. He was just extremely good at compartmentalizing his life, and taking care of what was important, in the moment.

She could learn from that.

A whole hell of a lot.

But she wasn’t feeling laid-back or easygoing. Her blood was still pumping. “Did you come by for anything important?” she managed to ask casually as they walked home.

Sara snorted.

Emily blushed. “I mean—”

“This is where I bow out,” Sara said as they arrived back at the house. “I’m heading into town to play darts. Don’t wait up.”

And she and Wyatt were alone. She wondered if he’d come to discuss the internship, and her leaving.

But he didn’t speak.

“So,” she said. “How was it that you were our knight in shining armor tonight?”

“I came by and you didn’t answer the door. When I called you, and you hit Answer but didn’t say anything, I got worried. And then I heard someone say ‘run’ and just about lost ten years of my life as I came looking for you.”

“Oh,” she said, wincing, letting them into the house. “Sorry—”

She broke off when he kicked the door shut and then backed her to it. Somewhere along the way he’d removed his glasses. Setting a hand on either side of her head, he leaned in and kissed her until she couldn’t remember her name, much less wonder what he’d come to see her about.

“I want you,” he said, voice thrillingly rough. “Now.”

“I know,” she said, moaning at the feel of him, hard against her. “Me too. It’s adrenaline.”

“Bullshit.” Sliding his hands down the backs of her thighs, he hoisted her up his body. Carrying her like that, he strode to her bedroom and kicked the door shut. “Don’t make up reasons for what happens between us, Emily. For me, this has got nothing to with what happened tonight, and everything to do with you.”

She stared at him, her heart doing jumping jacks against her ribs. If this wasn’t adrenaline, and it wasn’t a good-bye, what the hell was it?

He stared back, steady as a rock, a little pissed off, and hot as hell. “You’re thinking so hard your hair’s smoking.” He rocked into her, letting her cradle the hardest part of him against the softest part of her. “Let me make this easy,” he said. “Tonight. Yes or no.”

She shivered with need and want, the two entwining so there was no telling which was which. Tonight? If that was all he wanted, she’d take it. “Yes.”