those people?” he asked, taking a drink of his water.
“Secret Santa. For as long as I can remember, we picked names. No one in my family had enough money to buy something for everyone.” Except for Manny, apparently. She thought of the hundred-dollar bills still lying on her coffee table. She’d felt too weird about them this morning to put them in her wallet.
“Damn, your family is huge,” he said. “Is it hard to manage all those people at get-togethers?”
“Oh, my God, sometimes it is. Aunt Sofia isn’t getting along with Aunt Lucia, so they can’t be seated together. Cousin Danna felt slighted because the last get-together wasn’t at her house, but there aren’t enough seats, soeveryone needs to bring folding chairs with them. Or you need two platters of enchiladas when the Espinoza cousins are coming because those boys can eat .”
“Wow,” he said, smiling. “I can’t imagine all that. But it sounds cool.”
“It really is, in a totally neurotic kinda way.” She laughed, thinking about all the crazy stories she had about her family. Like the picnic when the boys had all held a disgusting hotdog-eating contest and Manny had lost to Robbie Espinoza. A twelve-year-old Manny had accused Robbie of have an unfair advantage because the older boy could fit half a hot dog in his mouth at one time. The story was on the tip of her tongue to share, but the thought of sharing information about Manny brought his words slamming back into her mind. Keep an eye out. And your mouth shut .
Okay, see?
Now Manny’s paranoia was wearing off on her. She sighed.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, forcing the BS with her brother out of her head. Just for tonight. “I’m great. Thanks again for inviting me to dinner.”
“My pleasure, Emilie,” he said as the waiter brought their food.
They ate and talked and laughed, and it was one of the nicest nights Emilie had had in a long, long time. She didn’t feel like a divorcee or a woman who’d been cheated on or a woman who’d somehow deluded herself into thinking she had a happy marriage.
For once, she just felt like Emilie. Like a woman. Carefree and happy and enjoying the company of a man.
Looking across the table, she smiled at a story Derekwas telling about a three-legged puppy his friends had. And his obvious affection for the pup made her fall just that much more in like with the man.
And that made Emilie wonder. What did she want with this man? What was she even ready for?
She didn’t know the answers to those questions. She only knew she didn’t want this to be their only night.
Chapter 6
M arz felt great.
And he also felt like the world’s biggest asshole.
Great because he was having a fantastic time with Emilie. She was funny, warm, and genuine, the kind of woman you could talk to for hours about everything and anything and never once notice the passing time.
An asshole because the date was a pretense to keep her out of her house so the guys could clear out the stash Beckett had found.
Thing was, Marz had been psyched for the opportunity to spend more time with her. And he’d meant what he’d said—that he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, and that her agreeing to go out with him made him happy. Not because it made his job easier, but because he was a man wanting to spend more time with a beautiful woman.
And, to be fair, he was a man wanting to know whether he’d really misjudged this woman. His brain knew Emilie had a pile of semiautomatics and heroin in her basement, but that so did not jive with how his gut read her. Elite operatives were trained to hone and trust their instincts. And right now, it was a freaking burr in his britches that he couldn’t square what he knew with what he felt.
The waiter came and they ordered coffee and dessert.
“Would you excuse me for a moment?” she asked as she rose from her chair.
“Of course. But you better get back before that chocolate cake or I won’t
“Secret Santa. For as long as I can remember, we picked names. No one in my family had enough money to buy something for everyone.” Except for Manny, apparently. She thought of the hundred-dollar bills still lying on her coffee table. She’d felt too weird about them this morning to put them in her wallet.
“Damn, your family is huge,” he said. “Is it hard to manage all those people at get-togethers?”
“Oh, my God, sometimes it is. Aunt Sofia isn’t getting along with Aunt Lucia, so they can’t be seated together. Cousin Danna felt slighted because the last get-together wasn’t at her house, but there aren’t enough seats, soeveryone needs to bring folding chairs with them. Or you need two platters of enchiladas when the Espinoza cousins are coming because those boys can eat .”
“Wow,” he said, smiling. “I can’t imagine all that. But it sounds cool.”
“It really is, in a totally neurotic kinda way.” She laughed, thinking about all the crazy stories she had about her family. Like the picnic when the boys had all held a disgusting hotdog-eating contest and Manny had lost to Robbie Espinoza. A twelve-year-old Manny had accused Robbie of have an unfair advantage because the older boy could fit half a hot dog in his mouth at one time. The story was on the tip of her tongue to share, but the thought of sharing information about Manny brought his words slamming back into her mind. Keep an eye out. And your mouth shut .
Okay, see?
Now Manny’s paranoia was wearing off on her. She sighed.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, forcing the BS with her brother out of her head. Just for tonight. “I’m great. Thanks again for inviting me to dinner.”
“My pleasure, Emilie,” he said as the waiter brought their food.
They ate and talked and laughed, and it was one of the nicest nights Emilie had had in a long, long time. She didn’t feel like a divorcee or a woman who’d been cheated on or a woman who’d somehow deluded herself into thinking she had a happy marriage.
For once, she just felt like Emilie. Like a woman. Carefree and happy and enjoying the company of a man.
Looking across the table, she smiled at a story Derekwas telling about a three-legged puppy his friends had. And his obvious affection for the pup made her fall just that much more in like with the man.
And that made Emilie wonder. What did she want with this man? What was she even ready for?
She didn’t know the answers to those questions. She only knew she didn’t want this to be their only night.
Chapter 6
M arz felt great.
And he also felt like the world’s biggest asshole.
Great because he was having a fantastic time with Emilie. She was funny, warm, and genuine, the kind of woman you could talk to for hours about everything and anything and never once notice the passing time.
An asshole because the date was a pretense to keep her out of her house so the guys could clear out the stash Beckett had found.
Thing was, Marz had been psyched for the opportunity to spend more time with her. And he’d meant what he’d said—that he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, and that her agreeing to go out with him made him happy. Not because it made his job easier, but because he was a man wanting to spend more time with a beautiful woman.
And, to be fair, he was a man wanting to know whether he’d really misjudged this woman. His brain knew Emilie had a pile of semiautomatics and heroin in her basement, but that so did not jive with how his gut read her. Elite operatives were trained to hone and trust their instincts. And right now, it was a freaking burr in his britches that he couldn’t square what he knew with what he felt.
The waiter came and they ordered coffee and dessert.
“Would you excuse me for a moment?” she asked as she rose from her chair.
“Of course. But you better get back before that chocolate cake or I won’t
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