more he learned, the more he liked. Emma Tate just might be perfect. In more ways than one.
He hadn’t been lying when he said she intrigued him. Dair found her spirit delightful and her mind refreshing. Her beauty made him want. He’d love to lay her back against the ground and continue his investigation of Emma Tate in a much more intimate manner. Dair imagined tasting her, baring her breasts, running his hands and mouth over all her generous curves. He wanted her naked beneath the afternoon sun. Naked beneath him. Her legs—undoubtedly long and shapely—wrapped around his waist.
Unfortunately, the presence of little Caroline thwarted the realization of those desires. However, a kiss would not be amiss, would it?
Dair was just about ready to make his move when Emma’s sister disrupted the idyllic afternoon. The two sisters moved away seeking privacy for their conversation, not knowing Dair had hearing like a hawk. He eavesdropped subtly.
Apparently, Jake had made progress because Kat knew he’d seen through her disguise. She wanted to run. Emma…dear, darling Emma…refused.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” Kat declared in a shrill tone. “It’s more than a simple flirtation. That man has turned your head!”
Excellent news, Dair thought.
“I don’t know what it is, Kat,” Emma said, her tone turning wistful. “He’s…fun. I’m having fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve had any fun. I think I need it.”
While Dair digested that bit of information, the women moved a bit farther away, and he could no longer make out their words. He rolled to his feet and returned to skipping rocks, shifting closer to the sisters in time to hear Kat say, “Please, Emma. We’re not children anymore. Don’t you think you’re too old to be talking that way?”
“Too old? Too old!”
Dair abandoned any effort at pretense and stared openly when he saw fire burn in Emma’s eyes and color stain her cheeks. She looked like an avenging angel, a warrior goddess. By God, she made a man ache.
She gave her head a toss, braced her hands on her hips and declared, “Maybe I am too old. Maybe I’m just old and tired. Tired of always being Emma the poor widow, Emma the dutiful daughter, Emma the supportive sister. Maybe I just want to be a flesh and blood woman. Maybe I just want to be Emma! ”
Emma the adventurer, I think.
How lucky for me.
CHAPTER FOUR
“I’ M SO SORRY ,” E MMA said the following day as she gently wiped a smear of blood from Dair’s face, the result of a minor injury that Kat—now sans disguise—had caused inadvertently. He sat at a table in the kitchen, Emma standing between his spread legs, a wet dish towel in her right hand. “My sister is, well, it’s difficult to explain. Mr. Kimball sets off her temper.”
His brows winged up. “That was temper?”
“Yes, or something.” Emma set the dishcloth aside, then placed an ice pack against his skin. “What you don’t know is how wonderful it is to see her enthused about something.”
“That was enthused?”
Emma couldn’t help but laugh at his incredulous tone. “That was alive. My sister hasn’t been that way since her daughter died. Losing Susie just about destroyed her, but this trip has eased things, I believe. I think Kat might finally be ready.”
Dair shifted the ice away. “I’m fine, Emma. It doesn’t hurt. Now, what is it you think your sister might be ready for?”
Emma glanced toward the window and in her mind’s eye, saw Kat’s shenanigans as she’d pitched a ball to Jake Kimball. In those moments, her sister had literally glowed. “I think she’s ready to live again. When you lose someone you love, it takes time.”
He nodded, then reached for her hand. Emma’s heart skipped a beat as he rose and, towering above her, stared down into her eyes. He traced the curve of her cheek with the roughened pad of his thumb and spoke in an aged-whiskey voice, “And what about you, Emma?”
She licked her lips.
He hadn’t been lying when he said she intrigued him. Dair found her spirit delightful and her mind refreshing. Her beauty made him want. He’d love to lay her back against the ground and continue his investigation of Emma Tate in a much more intimate manner. Dair imagined tasting her, baring her breasts, running his hands and mouth over all her generous curves. He wanted her naked beneath the afternoon sun. Naked beneath him. Her legs—undoubtedly long and shapely—wrapped around his waist.
Unfortunately, the presence of little Caroline thwarted the realization of those desires. However, a kiss would not be amiss, would it?
Dair was just about ready to make his move when Emma’s sister disrupted the idyllic afternoon. The two sisters moved away seeking privacy for their conversation, not knowing Dair had hearing like a hawk. He eavesdropped subtly.
Apparently, Jake had made progress because Kat knew he’d seen through her disguise. She wanted to run. Emma…dear, darling Emma…refused.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” Kat declared in a shrill tone. “It’s more than a simple flirtation. That man has turned your head!”
Excellent news, Dair thought.
“I don’t know what it is, Kat,” Emma said, her tone turning wistful. “He’s…fun. I’m having fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve had any fun. I think I need it.”
While Dair digested that bit of information, the women moved a bit farther away, and he could no longer make out their words. He rolled to his feet and returned to skipping rocks, shifting closer to the sisters in time to hear Kat say, “Please, Emma. We’re not children anymore. Don’t you think you’re too old to be talking that way?”
“Too old? Too old!”
Dair abandoned any effort at pretense and stared openly when he saw fire burn in Emma’s eyes and color stain her cheeks. She looked like an avenging angel, a warrior goddess. By God, she made a man ache.
She gave her head a toss, braced her hands on her hips and declared, “Maybe I am too old. Maybe I’m just old and tired. Tired of always being Emma the poor widow, Emma the dutiful daughter, Emma the supportive sister. Maybe I just want to be a flesh and blood woman. Maybe I just want to be Emma! ”
Emma the adventurer, I think.
How lucky for me.
CHAPTER FOUR
“I’ M SO SORRY ,” E MMA said the following day as she gently wiped a smear of blood from Dair’s face, the result of a minor injury that Kat—now sans disguise—had caused inadvertently. He sat at a table in the kitchen, Emma standing between his spread legs, a wet dish towel in her right hand. “My sister is, well, it’s difficult to explain. Mr. Kimball sets off her temper.”
His brows winged up. “That was temper?”
“Yes, or something.” Emma set the dishcloth aside, then placed an ice pack against his skin. “What you don’t know is how wonderful it is to see her enthused about something.”
“That was enthused?”
Emma couldn’t help but laugh at his incredulous tone. “That was alive. My sister hasn’t been that way since her daughter died. Losing Susie just about destroyed her, but this trip has eased things, I believe. I think Kat might finally be ready.”
Dair shifted the ice away. “I’m fine, Emma. It doesn’t hurt. Now, what is it you think your sister might be ready for?”
Emma glanced toward the window and in her mind’s eye, saw Kat’s shenanigans as she’d pitched a ball to Jake Kimball. In those moments, her sister had literally glowed. “I think she’s ready to live again. When you lose someone you love, it takes time.”
He nodded, then reached for her hand. Emma’s heart skipped a beat as he rose and, towering above her, stared down into her eyes. He traced the curve of her cheek with the roughened pad of his thumb and spoke in an aged-whiskey voice, “And what about you, Emma?”
She licked her lips.
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