as Roman had wrenched up her skirt and ripped off her panties and been about to—
Kaitlin had saved her. And afterwards, Kaitlin had soothed her.
Kaitlin had a gift.
Emily patted her arm. “It was wonderful. It was my choice, Kait. My decision. And I enjoyed every minute of it.”
“I’m so glad.”
“But…”
“But…what?”
“I’m not sure what happens now. I kind of got the sense he was withdrawing. You know, when we came back. He didn’t want to talk about it or hang out together or anything.”
She nodded. “Men can be that way. Do you really like him?”
“Yes.”
“Then we need to talk to him. To see where he stands. Do you want to go for a walk?”
“Now?”
“Now.”
“Okay.” And as easily as that, all her rampant emotions settled down. She didn’t have a lot of experience with men, but Kaitlin did. She’d know how to handle this. “Thank you, Kaitlin.”
They hugged again and Kaitlin laughed.
“What?”
“Bella was right,” she said, with a glint in her eye. “You do smell like maple syrup.”
He saw her coming and fought back the urge to leap to his feet and run for the hills. He didn’t know where that cowardice had come from. Usually when he made up his mind to give a woman the cold shoulder, he had no qualms whatsoever. With Emily, it was different.
He disciplined himself to lean back in the deck chair and pretend to drink his beer as though he hadn’t a care in the world. It was a nice day. They’d set up the chairs on the grass in the sun and were diligently getting pleasantly plastered. Despite the fact it wasn’t quite noon.
And why the hell not? It was Saturday. It was summertime. He was a wealthy man with no obligations. No responsibilities. Nothing. Whatsoever.
Might as well be drunk.
“Here comes your redhead,” Richie muttered. Parker lurched up in his chair.
Devlin lifted the brim of his hat to look. “Hoo mama.”
“I can’t believe you tapped that,” Richie snickered. “You get all the hot pieces of ass.”
Parker shot Ash a glare. “You fucked her ?”
Ash didn’t respond. It was none of Parker’s business who Ash fucked.
“That blonde is a sweet piece of ass too,” Richie said. Ash bit back a growl as something nasty slithered through him.
“Nice rack,” Devlin said.
Great. He might have to pound both of them into the ground.
Emily and her friend slowed as they reached his yard. She lifted a hand. “Hey Ash.”
Heads whipped around. Parker, Devlin and Richie gaped at him.
“Her?” Richie hissed. “Is she the one?”
Emily winced. Her fingers curled and her hand dropped. She exchanged a glance with her friend, the redhead who looked like she wanted to eviscerate Ash on the spot. Some secret female communication passed between them and the redhead nodded.
“Ash, could we…talk?”
His stomach surged. His pulse pounded. His mouth went dry. “Sure.” He set down his beer and stood. God, he hated confrontations. Especially with women. Like this. With their friends standing guard. And his listening in. “What do you want to talk about?”
“I think you know.”
“Over here?” He gestured toward the trees and she followed him away from the eavesdropping throng. They stood together in the shade of the evergreens. He crossed his arms over his chest. “What did you want to say?”
Her lips worked. Damn, they were pretty lips. He did not allow himself to be inveigled. Or tempted. Or seduced.
Although he did want to kiss her. Maybe more.
He pushed down that inconvenient desire. One time. One time was his rule. Well, in this case, one night. One tryst. One…whatever it had been.
Regret, and something else, swamped him.
He ignored it. He had to be strong. Resolved. Heartless.
That he wanted her so much, craved just another kiss, should be warning enough. This woman was dangerous .
“I was just wondering…” She paused and flicked a glance back at her friend. It made him uncomfortable the way the redhead was
Kaitlin had saved her. And afterwards, Kaitlin had soothed her.
Kaitlin had a gift.
Emily patted her arm. “It was wonderful. It was my choice, Kait. My decision. And I enjoyed every minute of it.”
“I’m so glad.”
“But…”
“But…what?”
“I’m not sure what happens now. I kind of got the sense he was withdrawing. You know, when we came back. He didn’t want to talk about it or hang out together or anything.”
She nodded. “Men can be that way. Do you really like him?”
“Yes.”
“Then we need to talk to him. To see where he stands. Do you want to go for a walk?”
“Now?”
“Now.”
“Okay.” And as easily as that, all her rampant emotions settled down. She didn’t have a lot of experience with men, but Kaitlin did. She’d know how to handle this. “Thank you, Kaitlin.”
They hugged again and Kaitlin laughed.
“What?”
“Bella was right,” she said, with a glint in her eye. “You do smell like maple syrup.”
He saw her coming and fought back the urge to leap to his feet and run for the hills. He didn’t know where that cowardice had come from. Usually when he made up his mind to give a woman the cold shoulder, he had no qualms whatsoever. With Emily, it was different.
He disciplined himself to lean back in the deck chair and pretend to drink his beer as though he hadn’t a care in the world. It was a nice day. They’d set up the chairs on the grass in the sun and were diligently getting pleasantly plastered. Despite the fact it wasn’t quite noon.
And why the hell not? It was Saturday. It was summertime. He was a wealthy man with no obligations. No responsibilities. Nothing. Whatsoever.
Might as well be drunk.
“Here comes your redhead,” Richie muttered. Parker lurched up in his chair.
Devlin lifted the brim of his hat to look. “Hoo mama.”
“I can’t believe you tapped that,” Richie snickered. “You get all the hot pieces of ass.”
Parker shot Ash a glare. “You fucked her ?”
Ash didn’t respond. It was none of Parker’s business who Ash fucked.
“That blonde is a sweet piece of ass too,” Richie said. Ash bit back a growl as something nasty slithered through him.
“Nice rack,” Devlin said.
Great. He might have to pound both of them into the ground.
Emily and her friend slowed as they reached his yard. She lifted a hand. “Hey Ash.”
Heads whipped around. Parker, Devlin and Richie gaped at him.
“Her?” Richie hissed. “Is she the one?”
Emily winced. Her fingers curled and her hand dropped. She exchanged a glance with her friend, the redhead who looked like she wanted to eviscerate Ash on the spot. Some secret female communication passed between them and the redhead nodded.
“Ash, could we…talk?”
His stomach surged. His pulse pounded. His mouth went dry. “Sure.” He set down his beer and stood. God, he hated confrontations. Especially with women. Like this. With their friends standing guard. And his listening in. “What do you want to talk about?”
“I think you know.”
“Over here?” He gestured toward the trees and she followed him away from the eavesdropping throng. They stood together in the shade of the evergreens. He crossed his arms over his chest. “What did you want to say?”
Her lips worked. Damn, they were pretty lips. He did not allow himself to be inveigled. Or tempted. Or seduced.
Although he did want to kiss her. Maybe more.
He pushed down that inconvenient desire. One time. One time was his rule. Well, in this case, one night. One tryst. One…whatever it had been.
Regret, and something else, swamped him.
He ignored it. He had to be strong. Resolved. Heartless.
That he wanted her so much, craved just another kiss, should be warning enough. This woman was dangerous .
“I was just wondering…” She paused and flicked a glance back at her friend. It made him uncomfortable the way the redhead was