She’d meant it when she said she didn’t think she was the kind of woman to lead a man on like that. She didn’t know much about herself, but she was certain that was not normal behavior for her. So why had she done it?
I wanted Jake to kiss me.
She had a feeling he’d wanted it too, but he would never take advantage of her. She should have told him the truth, instead of using gratitude as an excuse.
Communication is key.
The words rang in her head. Was that the psychologist in her talking? Emily groaned.Why can’t I remember?Even simple details that had been a part of her everyday life eluded her.
Jake was a part of her life now, and she needed to be honest with him. And with herself. She needed to tell him the truth, soon, or she would lose her nerve, and it would create a wall between them.
She wanted nothing to affect her relationship—if you could call it that—with Jake. With her whole life in limbo, Jake was the one thing that felt right. He was strong and confident and made her feel safe. She needed that right now.
It was more than that, though. He made her feel special. If the backyard leading to the stables wasn’t so uneven, she would have gone in search of Jake.
At that moment, as though her thoughts had conjured him, Jake walked through the back door, followed by Robert.
“Jake, I need to talk to you,” she blurted. “Alone. Please.”
“Okay, we’ll talk later. Robert has something he needs to tell you.” Jake’s voice was quiet, somber.
Catching sight of his bloody knuckles, her eyes flew to his face. Jake looked away. She’d seen the tension in his shoulders when he left her on the back deck. Was he upset enough to punch something?
Of course, he is.They had shared an amazing kiss and she’d brushed it off.She needed to make this right.
She gave him a pleading look. “Please, let me say what I need to say. Robert, would you give us a minute?”
“Sure.” Robert shot Jake a grim look, then went to the kitchen.
As soon as Robert left the room, Jake sat beside her, his eyes meeting hers. His sudden closeness made her stomach somersault.
Why had she thought it would be a good idea to clear the air between them? She fidgeted with her dress and swallowed the lump in her throat.
“What happened to your hand?”
Jake moved his bloody knuckles out of her line of sight. “Nothing.”
She took a deep breath.“I wasn’t entirely honest with y-you a little while a-ago.” She hated how her voice shook. When she decided she needed to talk to Jake, she didn’t realize how vulnerable she’d feel at admitting how much she’d wanted him to kiss her.
“Whatever it is. You can say it.”
Encouraged, she blurted, “I shouldn’t have made you kiss me for Debbie’s benefit. And I shouldn’t have said it was the least I could do because of my gratitude. I did it because...”
Jake’s eyebrows raised, and his lips curved upward. “Yes?”
“The truth is I wanted you to kiss me, okay? I used your predicament with Debbie to get you to kiss me. I’m sorry.”
Jake’s smile broadened, but he didn’t say anything.
Why was he making this so awkward?
“I think you wanted to kiss me too,” she said in a mildly accusing tone. Jake’s eyebrows rose another notch and he continued to smile at her. She crossed her arms over her body—the best she could with a cast on, anyway. “Aren’t you going to say something?”
Jake’s smile never faltered. “What makes you think I wanted to kiss you too?”
He’s teasing me. Well, two can play this game.
“I don’t know. Maybe because of the way you smell my hair.”
