“If you’re not dressed, you probably shouldn’t attempt to—”
“Oh, I am dressed,” she assured.
Emmitt chuckled and shook his head. “If you say so.” He took a step back and tucked a hand into his pocket. “I, um, want to get these classes going, if you don’t mind.”
Had she noticed that five o’clock shadow earlier, the way it accented his chiseled jaw? She cleared her throat. “When?”
“Right now, obviously.”
Was he joking?“I do not think that works for me.”
Emmitt ran a hand through his hair and shot a look over his shoulder. “Hey, if you need to hurry and get some clothes on—”
Sloane flung open the door before he could finish. “Iamdressed,okay?Mon Dieu.”This man was making her crazy.
A broad smile pulled at Emmitt’s mouth as he ran a gaze over her grungy outfit. “I don’t know whatMon Dieumeans, butthisis what you were hiding from me?” He motioned toward her outfit.
“You expected lingerie?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t expectto see what you were wearing at all. I figured you were standing there with nothing more than a towel.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
Emmitt stepped inside. “Who said I’m disappointed? This is a cute look, actually.” He tipped his head to observe her hair.
Sloane’s face warmed as his brown eyes met hers once more.
“Where do you want to do this? I’d prefer we do it in the office and away from guests. Can’t have them thinking the pilot who just canceled their tour is incompetent.”
Sloane looked at him for a beat, confused. “I believe we can just do the instruction videos right here.” She motioned to the sitting area. “They’re all on my computer.”
Emmitt tucked his hands in his pockets and furrowed his brow. “You don’t think that’s slightly inappropriate? Or possiblyunsafe,Ms. Safety Beret? I mean, you don’t even know me.”
Irritated heat flared hot in her chest. “You have now called me Frenchie and Ms. Safety Beret—I know you as well as I care to.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t care to know you either, but that doesn’t mean we get to skip past all this junk.” His posture shifted as he cleared his throat. He took a step closer, a daring look in his dark eyes. “That is, unless you’re willing to make that happen. I might be just intolerable enough that you’re considering it, aren’t you?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Not even a little. And I am perfectly fine to do the courses here in my cabin. My brother knows where I am and the aviation company knows exactly who I’m with. Besides…” She took a step closer to him now, channeling a challenging glare of her own. “I might just be intolerable enough that you will keep as much possible space between us at all times.”
He took two long strides back. “You read my mind.”
Sloane grinned. “I have been reading your mind, as you say, since we met.”
“That’s quite a claim.” Emmitt tossed a look toward the sitting area. “Let’s get started.”
“Not so fast,” she said, putting a hand up. “You cannot just stop in like this. I need notice.”
“Why? You want to slip into somethinga little more comfortable?”His voice was thick with innuendo.
Sloane folded her arms and looked at him, unblinking.
“Okay, okay. How much notice?” He hiked a thumb over his shoulder. “Do you want me to come back in five? Ten?”
A knot of anxiety twisted in her chest. She was used to doing things on her own terms. Emmitt’s sudden appearance had caught her off guard. She thought back on their prior conversation. Emmitt had threatened to drag this thing on past Christmas. And while Sloane hadn’t been bluffing about her own timeline—she didn’t have much to go home to over the holiday—she didn’t want to risk losing track of Anna Fielding if she was, in fact, staying at the inn.
“I can come back next week if that’s better for you,” he said. “Maybe you could pencil me in for some time after the New Year?” The teasing tone of his deep voice, combined with the lift of his dark brow, made her heart skip two full beats. “Come on,” he urged. “I’m trying to do the right thing here. Help me out.”
She felt her limbs relaxing a bit. “Okay. Give me twenty minutes to freshen up, and I will be ready for our first instructional video.”
