Smiling, she offered him one last chaste kiss before releasing him to disappear into the house. Holden wished he could make the hard-on behind his zipper disappear as quickly. With his control rebounding, he joined the men and got to work, grateful no one said a word about his lack of control or decorum on her porch, not even Carter.
It was several hours after a delicious lunch and equally delicious helping of Emily’s kisses that he stood next to Sinjin and eyed their handiwork. The outbuilding was done both insideand out, with the exception of the cat colony room, which wasn’t completed yet.
Now, they just needed to set up the cameras in key areas around the perimeter of her driveway, house, and land behind the outbuilding. Some of it, Emily knew about, but not all the locations.
Like the back of her house. Key location for a B&E.
He pushed away his disquiet and headed to the table to grab a camera and figure out a way to install it without Emily catching them.
“Can I interest you guys in some sweet tea?” the woman in his thoughts asked from the porch, where she held a large pitcher while her friends each held several glasses.
His mind immediately noted that Emily stood in the very spot where he’d enjoyed a taste of her that morning. His lunch “tasting” had commenced on the back patio on a very soft, nicely oversized outdoor chair. After they ate roast beef sandwiches she’d whipped up, the temptress had straddled his lap and kissed him with the same fierce need that had pricked at him for hours.
Her responses, her demands, were all addicting, and he promised himself he wouldn’t participate in a round three while their friends were around. She deserved more respect than that, even though the only audience for round two had been her dogs. Princeton and Queenie had sat inside, watching through the patio door.
It had been cute but also a revelation that anyone else in the house could easily see them too.
That wasn’t going to happen. Not again. Holden already knew with each embrace, he was finding it harder to hold onto his control. It was also tough to remember the reason he was there in the first place.
To set up surveillance for her safety.
He gave himself a mental shake and followed his friends to the porch to pour himself a tall drink. Doing his best to behave, he silently applauded the fact he didn’t move closer to the beautiful woman.
Of course, he hadn’t counted on temptation to approach him.
Emily touched his arm and leaned in, the gorgeous swell of her breast brushing him in the process.
“Hey, Mom,” she said into her phone. “Was that today? Oh, shoot. Sorry. I got caught up.” Her gaze shifted to him, and heat entered her eyes and crept up her neck. “Uh, I was painting. I’ll grab a quick shower and be there within thirty minutes.” She ended the call and shoved the phone back into her pocket. “Sorry. I’m late for my dad’s birthday party. I’ve got to get cleaned up and go. You girls can go home. Thanks so much for the help. I’ll finish the rest another time.”
“Go enjoy time with your family,” Lyndsey said. “You’ve hardly seen them since you’ve moved back.”
Emily nodded. “I know. Between the long shifts at work and trying to get settled in and the sanctuary ready, it’s been nuts.”
“I know, so we’ve got this. You go,” Lyndsey insisted.
But Emily didn’t move, she just frowned. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
Christa shrugged. “You didn’t.”
“Yeah.” Isla nodded. “We offered. There’s a difference, you know.”
Emily laughed and hugged her friends. “Thanks. You’re the best.” Then she turned to nod at him and his buddies. “Feel free to get another drink or use the bathroom.”
“Thanks.” He walked with her toward the door to get her moving. “We’ll lock up when we leave. Don’t worry about anything. Just do as Lyndsey said and go enjoy time with your family.”
She turned to him and smiled. “Sorry to kiss and run.”
Technically, they hadn’t kissed in several hours, but he didn’t point that out, he just brushed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “We have all the time in the world. I’m not going anywhere.”
Her smile widened and an instant later, she pressed that smile to his mouth and kissed him soft and sweet. He wondered if that had been her plan all along.
“Me either,” she said against his lips. “Except this birthday party.”
Before he could respond, she stepped back and rushed into the house.
“Damn, there goes our entertainment,” Carter said with a sad shake of his head.
The women laughed and his friends smiled, but Holden came to a realization.
