How the hell had the guy known that?
“Give us a kiss. Give us a kiss,”Lex repeated, the lone bird in the cage because his sidekick was home with Dex and Rylee.
Carter’s head jerked back. “No shit? You kissed her?”
“That explains the muttering, exhaling, and pacing,” Hunter said. “A good woman throws off your equilibrium.”
Then Emily topped Santa’s good list, because Holden was unquestionably off-balance. Between concern for her safety, concern about her reaction to his dishonesty, and concern she would never allow him to kiss her again once she discovered that dishonesty, yeah, he was operating with an axis tilted on its side.
“I can relate, buddy.” Carter patted Holden’s back. “I had to spy on Mel, not just through surveillance, but up close and personal, and I knew she was going to be furious once she found out, especially since we started datingduringthat period.”
Damn.
Holden’s brows shot up as he glanced at the normally jovial guy. He was surprised to note no imminent punchline twinkling in the man’s gaze. His friend’s expression was serious.
“Was she furious?” he asked.
Mac chuckled, Carter snorted, while Hunter and Sinjin just shrugged, because, like him, they hadn’t been part of ESI at that time.
“Hello? Have you met my wife? The spunky redhead? Hell, yeah, she was furious.” Carter snickered and shook his head. “But I’d do it all again because I’d rather incur her wrath than allow her to get attacked.”
Holden shoved a hand through his hair and squeezed the back of his neck. Christ, the thought of harm coming to Emily made him nuts. His chest tightened and breathing became difficult.
“You like her,” Sinjin stated, his gaze unblinking.
Carter snorted again. “I should hope so, since he kissed her.”
The comic was back, but Holden didn’t feel like smiling, not even when Lex began to make kissing noises.
“Yeah, I like her,” Holden said. “I didn’t intend to. Hell, I certainly didn’t move to Harland County to find a woman, and definitely didn’t expect it to happen on my first day here. But, yeah, I do like her,” he repeated. “And I definitely can’t ever seeher being happy that I’m spying on her or agreeing to the help in the first place.”
He didn’t understand why he had such a strong connection to Emily, but he did, and he wanted to nurture it, not lose it because of some damn ex-con.
Mac set a camera on the table across from him and straightened. “I’ll tell you exactly what I told Carter at the time. You are not spying on Emily, you’re guarding her. Keeping watch in case Perez shows up.”
The guys nodded.
“And keep in mind, none of us are going to sit in front of the monitors and watch them twenty-four/seven,” Carter pointed out. “I’m setting up the cameras and sensors to alert us if someone arrives. No need to stare at the screens and invade her privacy if Perez isn’t around.”
“True.”
“And we’re only setting them up outside, except for the outbuilding,” Mac reminded. “We won’t be invading her privacy inside the house.”
That was something he never would’ve allowed.
“I know you don’t like deceiving Emily,” Hunter said.
Holden nodded.
Carter patted his back again. “Neither do we, but it’s necessary.”
“He’s right,” Mac said. “Even Gabe believes there could be trouble. And we all agreed Perez poses a definite threat to Emily, and that she would never allow any of us to shadow her as a bodyguard.”
“Definitely not,” he said, and the others murmured in agreement.
“So, you need to make your peace with this surveillance, Holden,” Mac said. “Otherwise, it’ll eat you alive.”
“And interfere with your judgment.” Sinjin regarded him with a gaze that spoke of experience in that matter.
