Emily sighs, frustrated. “This is not how it was supposed to be.” Her tone hints at sadness. A real disappointment. Emily grew up in Eben Cape, too. She probably had some idea that things would be simpler if she moved back. The reality is that life was simpler when she was a kid. Wasn’t perfect, but it was less complicated. That had nothing to do with Eben Cape. “I was supposed to be able to handle this on my own.”

“You’re handling it pretty well,” I offer. “You have a house with the best view in town.”

Emily laughs. She sounds tired. “What’s the use in having a great view if you can’t open the curtains?”

With every second that goes by, Emily relaxes a little more into the hug. She puts her arms around my waist and holds me back. It shouldn’t feel this good to hold her. Even exercising patience for her feels good. I wish to hell she wasn’t so shaken up. I wish to hell that prick hadn’t come into her backyard. But when Emily rests her head on my chest and sighs, I stop wishing for anything but this moment.

“Better?” I ask.

“Better than what?”

“Better than before.”

Emily thinks about it. “You stopped rubbing my back.”

“You didn’t say that you liked it,” I point out, but it’s true, I did stop. I had been running my hands up and down her back. Not sure when I stopped, or why, but I start again. “You have spectacular shoulders, too.” I trace a fingertip over the line of her shoulder. Trace the side of her neck.

Emily huffs. Another laugh. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Why? Do you bite?”

She tips her face up toward mine.

I should not kiss Emily Rochester. I don’t care about Emily Rochester, except in that she and Paige are important to Beau. But, hell, I want to kiss her. Something about being this close feels right. Suspiciously, strangely right. Is it just that I’m keeping her safe? Is that all it is? Is all this trouble making me get attached?

It doesn’t matter.

I take her face in my hands and kiss her.

Emily lets me in. It wasn’t very long ago that we were circling each other like two rival wolves. I didn’t want her to fuck up Beau’s life again, and she didn’t want me to interfere with getting Paige back. Her soft lips on mine are an outcome I couldn’t have guessed if I spent my life trying. Emily puts her arms around my neck, her body pressing against mine, and tastes me like I’m trying to taste her.

“Why are you so good at this?” Emily whispers against my lips.

“Practice,” I whisper back.

I feel her frown. “Do you kiss everyone like this when you’re acting?”