She shook her head. “Too fast. Take your time and give her a smoldering look, one that really tells her you’re checking her out.”
She went out again. They practiced a few more times, first with him complimenting her, then winking, and finally whispering an endearment.
“I’m going to act like something is wrong this time,” she said as she stepped into the cabin again. “As I walk in, you have to show concern.”
She threw off her parka and then started toward the refrigerator with heavy steps.
He pretended to work as he had the past few times, and as she drew near, he glanced away from his laptop and acknowledged her presence.
Her lashes were low, and her lips puckered in a pout.
He wanted to smile at how adorable she looked, but he would only earn her ire if he did so. Instead, he latched onto her arm. “Come here.”
As she halted in front of him, she fisted a hand and started to lower it to her hip.
He reached her hip first and tugged her down, surprising himself by guiding her to his lap. What was he doing? He was breaking their no-contact agreement, and he should stand right back up and apologize.
But she didn’t resist and perched on the edge of his legs, obviously thinking he was still in his usual mode as a pupil.
Little did she know that learning from her was suddenly the furthest thing from his mind. All he could think about was that she was soft and warm and smelled of sunshine and citrus. He slipped his arm around her, drew her closer, and leaned his head against hers.
She stilled. “Good. This is very good.”
At the feel of her backside on his thighs and her curves brushing his chest, the heat inside him sparked into a full fire. Pulling her down onto his lap probably had not been his finest idea.
“Ask me what’s wrong,” she whispered.
“What is wrong?” He rubbed his fingers across her back, skimming long strands and trying not to let his hands slide higher into her hair. If he did that, he would surely lose his sanity. And he would most definitely be taking this lesson too far.
“Your question would be even better if you used a sweet name. My dad saysdarlin’.”
“Darling.”
“No, say the whole thing again.”
“What is wrong, darling?” His voice came out almost gruff.
“Oooh, perfect,” she crooned in his ear. She didn’t move away, and instead, her breathing filled his senses.
His own breathing turned shallow and rapid. He longed to pull her back further. Maybe even kiss her.
Kiss her. The longing to do so swelled within him swiftly. He could only imagine how she would kiss. This was Emberly, and she would likely approach kissing the way she did everything else—boldly and passionately and eagerly.
He couldn’t think about it. But it was too late. The fire inside him began to spread, charging through his body so that he wanted to kiss her more than anything else. It was almost as if kissing her was the only thing that could quench the heat inside him.
At a loud throat-clearing nearby, Emberly jumped. At her momentum, he had no choice but to release her.
She scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide and bright and her cheeks flushed. She pressed her hands against her chest as though trying to still her heartbeat. Before he could say anything, she stalked to the door and retrieved her coat.
Was her pulse racing as hard as his was? He was tempted to flatten his hand against his chest too, but he crossed his arms instead, trying to steady himself.
Braun turned the page of his stamp collection book and began to hum a soft tune. His expression was filled with innocence, as if he didn’t have a care in the world and had not just witnessed Max sharing a heated moment with Emberly.
It had been heated. Max could not deny it. Neither could he deny that his desire for her was becoming difficult to resist. He had liked her from the start, and his admiration of her had only grown during the week, with the endless hours talking and teasing and enjoying her company.
Yes, he was most certainly attracted to this beautiful and engaging woman. If he was honest, he had not experienced this level of attraction to a woman in a very long time, maybe even since Ava.
So what was he to do about his feelings? Especially since he had just this one day remaining?
