Jake’s smile slackened.
“Or because you act reluctant to put me down every time you carry me.”
“You noticed all that?” Jake asked, unguarded, as color crept up his neck. “Your hair smells so good—like strawberries. Your kiss even tasted like strawberries.” He mused with a smile as his gaze lingered on her mouth.
Emily licked her lips. “I caught you smelling my hair because I was noticing how good you smelled at the same time.” Jake’s smile broadened, and she forged ahead. “Seriously, Jake, we’d have to be dense not to recognize the attraction between us.”
Jake cleared his throat. “Are you always this direct?”
She chuckled. “I don’t know. I feel like honesty and communication are important, I guess.”
“They are important, but that doesn’t always make it easy.” Jake scratched the back of his neck. “I’m not sure I’m as comfortable with being direct as you are.”
“I won’t force you to kiss me again, but if you want to... it won’t be unwelcome.”
Jake held her gaze as he bit back a smile. “Does that mean you enjoyed it as much as I did?”
Her cheeks warmed, and she nodded.
“Good to know. As much as I’d like to kiss you again, I’m afraid this isn’t a good time. Robert has something he needs to tell you.”
Something in Jake’s tone turned Emily’s blood cold.
* * *
“Robert!”Jake shouted. He remained beside Emily as he waited for his brother to join them.
Robert entered the great room with his hands full. He handed a glass of water to Emily, who accepted it with a confused look, took a sip, and set it on the end table. Then he handed the paper-towel-wrapped ice pack in his other hand to Jake.
Jake scowled at his brother as he accepted the ice pack. He dabbed at the blood on his knuckles and set the ice pack aside.
“What did you do to your knuckles, Jake?” Emily asked.
“Nothing.”
“He punched a wall,” Robert said.
Jake itched to punch his brother. Instead, he shot him a hard glare.
“Because of me? Because I—”
“No. Not because of you.” He took Emily’s hand in his. He couldn’t let her think he’d punched a wall because of the kiss they had shared.
He glowered at Robert. His mom and Lottie were bad enough. He didn’t need his brother meddling in his love life too.
Love life? What love life?Sharing a kiss with Emily did not create a relationship. But something in him longed for a relationship with her.
He gave himself a mental shake and shot Robert a get-on-with-it look.
Robert sat on the corner of the ottoman in front of Emily and tugged at the collar of his uniform. “Emily, the Spokane Police Department found your brother yesterday.”
Emily’s brow creased, and her voice shook when she spoke. “What do you mean found?” She gripped Jake’s hand, causing the broken skin on his knuckles to pull.
Jake welcomed the pain. Too bad he couldn’t take away the pain Emily was about to experience.
“I’m afraid he’s dead.” Robert’s voice was gentle, but the words carried a harshness that could never be softened.
“No!” Emily gasped. She pulled her hand from Jake’s and covered her mouth. “He can’t be. I finally remembered I have a brother and he’s gone?”
