might be up for a little friendly conversation.”
Turning, she walked as gracefully as possible across the deck and into the house. She could feel his black gaze burning her back. Damn, but if she wasn’t jealous…
***
“So, Mr. Connor, what’ll it be? Appetizers? Or do you want to skip right to dessert?”
Stone eyed Tilly. He couldn’t believe Emma walked away leaving him here with this over-bearing, top-heavy, slithering slut. It appeared Ms. O’Malley didn’t care whether or not he accepted Tilly’s unspoken invitation.
That bothered him.
He slapped away the all too familiar feeling of abandonment. Emotion wasn’t good. Swearing silently, he realized Emma O’Malley was no better than his father. The second something he said or did contradicted her goals, she ran. He hoped the exit door didn’t sting too badly when it hit her on the back.
“Just make me a plate, Tilly. I’ll take it to my room.” He rose and grabbed the wine. No use wasting a good chardonnay. “Alone,” he continued as Tilly waggled her brows.
“Your loss, boss.” She left the deck and went into the kitchen returning a few minutes later with a steaming plate of food. “Enjoy.”
Stone took the plate and headed to his suite. Needing Emma’s cooperation to continue the successful atmosphere of River Run was one thing, but wanting her with every thread of his existence forced him into a territory more dangerous to him than his last mission.
Why must she be so difficult?
Why did he care?
***
Emma sat on the edge of her bed, a faded picture held lightly between her fingers. Tears edged her lashes and dropped silently onto her cheek, weaving a warm path to her chin. She sniffed, grabbed a tissue off her nightstand, and continued staring at the photograph.
Nate Connor’s blue eyes stared at her. They were identical to Stone’s and caused an uncomfortable hitch in her heart. These men belonged together. Time hadn’t healed their wounds it only rubbed the salt of anger deeper into the raw flesh. She closed her eyes and images flashed in her mind.
A tiny piglet wiggling from strong arms, dashing across the barn yard and straight into Emma’s grasp. How’d Nate known? Was it be possible for a man who’d abandoned his only child to understand that her aching, thirteen year-old soul, needed something to hang on to…something to remind her to live? If that were the truth, then Nate Connor paid more than once for past indiscretions.
Emma stood up, swiped the tissue across her face, and exited the bedroom. Her wine was on that back deck, and she’d muck stalls before allowing Tilly to consume that bottle
The deck was empty.
Dishes were gone, glasses cleared away and the ice bucket vacant of her coveted fruit.
Wow, she thought. They’d moved fast.
Ignoring the envious rage building, Emma returned to her rooms.
She needed to leave.
She wanted to stay.
Shaking her head in frustration, she let loose a strangled scream. Could life become more complicated?
A soft knock on her bedroom window startled Emma. She peered out the curtains and frowned when Nate’s face smiled back. Damn. She opened the window, and he climbed through.
Her heart hammered in fear. If Stone pulled one of his silent approaches, she’d be done for.
“Nate, you have to leave.”
“Why?” He yanked her into a fierce hug. “I miss you baby girl.”
She pushed back, patting his cheek and smiling. “I miss you, too. But Stone’s threatened me with dismissal if he catches you on the property.”
“I see,” he said. A familiar cloud descended across his eyes, and she couldn’t hold in her derisive snort. “What?”
“You and Stone have a lot in common.”
“I should hope not. I’d hate to think he’d fallen down the same hell-hole I did.”
“Maybe not the same, but he’s somewhere blacker than a bear’s butt.” Emma walked to her door and made sure she couldn’t hear the approach of footsteps.
“Who taught you to
Turning, she walked as gracefully as possible across the deck and into the house. She could feel his black gaze burning her back. Damn, but if she wasn’t jealous…
***
“So, Mr. Connor, what’ll it be? Appetizers? Or do you want to skip right to dessert?”
Stone eyed Tilly. He couldn’t believe Emma walked away leaving him here with this over-bearing, top-heavy, slithering slut. It appeared Ms. O’Malley didn’t care whether or not he accepted Tilly’s unspoken invitation.
That bothered him.
He slapped away the all too familiar feeling of abandonment. Emotion wasn’t good. Swearing silently, he realized Emma O’Malley was no better than his father. The second something he said or did contradicted her goals, she ran. He hoped the exit door didn’t sting too badly when it hit her on the back.
“Just make me a plate, Tilly. I’ll take it to my room.” He rose and grabbed the wine. No use wasting a good chardonnay. “Alone,” he continued as Tilly waggled her brows.
“Your loss, boss.” She left the deck and went into the kitchen returning a few minutes later with a steaming plate of food. “Enjoy.”
Stone took the plate and headed to his suite. Needing Emma’s cooperation to continue the successful atmosphere of River Run was one thing, but wanting her with every thread of his existence forced him into a territory more dangerous to him than his last mission.
Why must she be so difficult?
Why did he care?
***
Emma sat on the edge of her bed, a faded picture held lightly between her fingers. Tears edged her lashes and dropped silently onto her cheek, weaving a warm path to her chin. She sniffed, grabbed a tissue off her nightstand, and continued staring at the photograph.
Nate Connor’s blue eyes stared at her. They were identical to Stone’s and caused an uncomfortable hitch in her heart. These men belonged together. Time hadn’t healed their wounds it only rubbed the salt of anger deeper into the raw flesh. She closed her eyes and images flashed in her mind.
A tiny piglet wiggling from strong arms, dashing across the barn yard and straight into Emma’s grasp. How’d Nate known? Was it be possible for a man who’d abandoned his only child to understand that her aching, thirteen year-old soul, needed something to hang on to…something to remind her to live? If that were the truth, then Nate Connor paid more than once for past indiscretions.
Emma stood up, swiped the tissue across her face, and exited the bedroom. Her wine was on that back deck, and she’d muck stalls before allowing Tilly to consume that bottle
The deck was empty.
Dishes were gone, glasses cleared away and the ice bucket vacant of her coveted fruit.
Wow, she thought. They’d moved fast.
Ignoring the envious rage building, Emma returned to her rooms.
She needed to leave.
She wanted to stay.
Shaking her head in frustration, she let loose a strangled scream. Could life become more complicated?
A soft knock on her bedroom window startled Emma. She peered out the curtains and frowned when Nate’s face smiled back. Damn. She opened the window, and he climbed through.
Her heart hammered in fear. If Stone pulled one of his silent approaches, she’d be done for.
“Nate, you have to leave.”
“Why?” He yanked her into a fierce hug. “I miss you baby girl.”
She pushed back, patting his cheek and smiling. “I miss you, too. But Stone’s threatened me with dismissal if he catches you on the property.”
“I see,” he said. A familiar cloud descended across his eyes, and she couldn’t hold in her derisive snort. “What?”
“You and Stone have a lot in common.”
“I should hope not. I’d hate to think he’d fallen down the same hell-hole I did.”
“Maybe not the same, but he’s somewhere blacker than a bear’s butt.” Emma walked to her door and made sure she couldn’t hear the approach of footsteps.
“Who taught you to
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