“You’re disgusted by the very thought,” he said. It was true; failure never felt like an option for her. “But even you must realize everyone has a limit.” He looked around pointedly. “You didn’t bring Motu today; you needed a break.”
“Abreakis different,” she said, then thought back to her conversation with her mother from this morning, about how she should have spent the day with her father and brothers. “And it’s only for a little while. I’m going to get him back after I leave here.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Aren’t you tired?” he asked.
The kindness in his expression had her taken aback. Of course she was tired—a part of her was always tired—but she was so used to it now that she hardly ever registered the fact.
How had Luke of all people noticed?
Her silence was answer enough, and his lips turned down. “Why don’t you just say no?” he asked, as if it was that simple. “I’ve never seen you have a problem telling me what you think.”
“That’s different,” she replied. “You’re you. My family is...” She let out a breath. “I can’t say no to them, no matter how thinly stretched I am.”
She hated that she sounded like she was complaining; she didn’t mind, not really. She wanted to be there for her family; it was how she expressed her love for them.
“I like taking care of the people I love,” she said.
His expression warmed. “That’s admirable,” he said. “And I think I understand a bit more about you, now. You said you don’t lose, which means that you’re calculated—you don’t take bets that won’t give you the outcome you want. You like being in control.” He paused then, voice softening. “But not everything can be in your control, Emmeline.”
The thought of that freaked her out—it was why being around him made her feel so unnerved, too, but she couldn’t say that. What had Millie said? That Luke was her match. That frightened her, but it thrilled her, too. She couldn’t deny there was a part of her that relished difficult situations for the satisfaction that came from overcoming them.
Instead, she asked, “What about you? What drives you?”
He looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected her to ask. But why wouldn’t she have?
He let out a little laugh, shaking his head. “You won’t believe me.”
She wrinkled her brows. “Says who?”
Still, he hesitated, clearly not wanting to respond to her question. He glanced away, clenching his jaw.
Suddenly, hurt flashed through her. She had answered his questions; she had been vulnerable. Now, he wasn’t affording her the same courtesy.
Why had he asked to begin with?
She had thought that perhaps they were connecting, that maybe it was time to let go of the tight grip the grudge from years ago had on her heart—the way Millie had suggested—but any softness she felt disappeared.
“Fine,” she snapped. “Don’t tell me.”
His expression fell. “I’m not...” He broke off, clenchinghis jaw. “I know you,” he said. “You’ll think I’m making it up.”
His words only increased her ire. “That’s an unfair accusation to make.”
“I don’t think you want to talk about what’s fair,” he said, a warning in his tone.
A volatile feeling spread through her, and she looked around. They had been standing on the side of the bookshop, everything else fading away, but it all came back to her now, the buzz and noise of customers in a busy bookshop.
With a scoff, she stalked away from him. This had been a waste of time. Anger flashed through her. Talking to him had been a stupid idea.
She should have never told him anything, no matter how open his eyes were as he gazed at her. She had thought there was such a softness to the brown of his eyes, something warm and inviting, but it was only a trick of the light.
It was early evening, by then. The light from outside the windows was fading fast, and Emmeline checked her phone. She had a message from her father, asking when she would swing by, along with frantic messages from her brother asking her why Motu was in such a crabby mood.
She replied to both, then threw her phone in her purse before turning her attention back to her notes. She was here towork, she reminded herself—though that was evidently difficult to do with the way her mind was racing.
What did Luke mean by asking her all of those questions? What did he mean she wouldn’t believe him?
Lost in thought, she didn’t notice Luke until he was standing right in front of her. She glanced up. For a moment,she thought he would answer her question, and her pulse quickened.
