“I’m as responsible as you, Jake. But like I said, from this moment forward we forget it happened.” She shook her head. “Neither of us wanted that kiss to happen. It was an anomaly, that’s all. I haven’t been out with anyone in a while and you’ve been overseas in the army. That’s all it was. You’ll get back into your life and I’ll keep socializing with my friends and we’ll forget this. It won’t happen again,” she whispered and wondered when she’d actually start believing what she was saying. “Besides, I’m not your type and you’re not my type.”
He nodded. “We’ve got a business agreement and I don’t think sex and business mix well. You’re correct and logical, and it would be smart to stick to business. That’s not impossible to do,” he said.
She had never spent any time with Jake Ralston, but for some reason she doubted the sincerity in his words. His eyes flittered and his speech was halting, as if he was trying to convince himself of what he was promising.
And her? She hoped she could live up to her speech. She knew she couldn’t forget his kiss ever. In fact, she wanted to walk right back into his arms even now, but she wasn’t going to because that would lead her down a rocky path straight to heartbreak. It would be too easy to fall in love with him—the deep, forever kind of love that would hurt badly when he said goodbye. And he would definitely say goodbye, just as he’d done to countless women before her.
The man may be handsome and exciting and loaded with sex appeal, and she may have never been kissed like that before, but it was over. Someday another man would come along who could make her forget Jake’s kisses.
For now, she needed to get this job done as soon as possible and she needed to work without being anywhere near him.
Despite her internal pep talk, a hot awareness of him curled up inside her as she picked up her tablet with the written measurements. Moments ago she had dropped it and her stylus along with her wits. Right now, she needed to get some fresh air and get away from the magnetism of Jake Ralston.
“I’m ready to go back to Dallas,” she said. “We’ve done what we could today. This is going to be a big job,” she repeated, flipping the switch to business mode.
“I agree. You’ll get the cleaning crew—that’s the first step before moving furniture in and before we come out here to work. For now, let’s get back to Dallas and have a steak dinner and forget this.”
“You’re sure you want to be seen in public with a Kincaid? Word travels fast, you know. You don’t have to take me to dinner.”
“After this grungy mess, we should have a steak dinner. As far as being seen together tonight, Dallas is big. I belong to a club and there are no Kincaids who are members. We should have a quiet evening. Remember, Thane had hopes we’d bring about the end of the Ralston-Kincaid feud. So if we’re seen together, that may be a good thing.”
Emily knew she should not have accepted the dinner invitation, but it sounded wonderful in the first place and in the second, she didn’t want him to think her refusal had anything to do with their kiss. So she smiled and nodded. “Sounds grand. Let’s go.”
He sent a text to Rum and when they walked out on the porch, they saw his pickup approaching. Jake went down the steps to meet Rum and she followed, noticing Jake didn’t take her arm.
He kept a distance between them as they flew home. He was friendly and polite, though a little more reserved and standoffish, which suited her. She didn’t want any lingering sparks between them to ignite into fires. She tried to keep her thoughts about their kiss locked away, not wanting to think about how wonderful it had felt or how wantonly she had reacted. Instead, she focused on her family, namely how she was going to deal with their reaction when she announced the gift from Thane and the job she had agreed to do. Doug and Lucas, especially, would not be happy over her job, but the money should make up for that.
The short flight went quickly and Jake drove her home so she could change and get ready when he returned to get her for dinner. He let her out at her house and waited until she opened the door before he drove away. She stepped inside and went to shower, pausing in her room and letting out her breath. His kiss had been dazzling, unforgettable. Just remembering being in Jake’s arms and kissing him made her hot, tingling, wanting him and his kisses and his hands all over her again.
“Business,” she whispered, closing her eyes. She opened them instantly because when she closed her eyes, memories enveloped her. Memories of thrilling sensations, of sexy longings, of the kiss of a lifetime.
“Stick to business,” she whispered while she thought about his body pressed against hers. It was going to be incredibly difficult to stick to business with him, but she had to do so or risk a broken heart that might not ever mend.
How long would it take to forget their kiss?
A lifetime was her first answer.
No, she couldn’t accept that response. She had to forget it. There was no hope for her and Jake Ralston together. A man like him would never ever fall in love with a woman like her. And she wouldn’t even like it if he did. From what she knew of his family, he wouldn’t fit into her family even if he wanted to, or if she wanted him to. He had already said he didn’t get along with Doug or Lucas. And Will liked everyone except Ralstons.
She shook her head. It was hopeless. Perseverating on Jake would only lead to trouble and heartbreak.
Stepping into the shower, she washed away the memories of his kiss. Or at least she tried to. By the time she toweled herself dry, she had a plan. She needed to keep her hair braided, forego makeup, stop using any perfume, dress plainly. Anything to make her less noticeable to him. That would work to keep their palpable attraction at bay.
Or was she fooling herself?
It took ten minutes to select a plain black dress with a round collar, long sleeves and a belted waist. It was simple, subdued and she wouldn’t draw attention, but it would be fine for a dinner club. She went against her game plan and let her hair fall freely around her face.
With some time to spare, she sat down and made notes of potential questions for Jake. Questions about the job as well as safe topics they could discuss if desire reared its head during dinner. She would be glad when the evening was over because since their kiss, she had been on edge the rest of the time she was with him. She was too aware of him, of the sparks popping between them, of desire that she tried to bank. He was a handsome, sexy, appealing man who, she was sure, had left a trail of broken hearts behind. He had a reputation for loving women and parties and she didn’t fit into that lifestyle at all. Now if she could only remember that, the evening would go well.
When she heard a car, she looked out the window to see Jake get out and stride up her walk. He wore a dark navy suit, black boots and a black Stetson, and he looked incredibly handsome. Soon he would stride back out of her life—a fact she should keep in mind tonight and whenever she was with him. If only she could keep the evening on a friendly yet businesslike basis, then their relationship could get back on an even keel.
When her doorbell rang, she picked up her purse and opened the door, realizing the futility of her pep talk when she felt her racing pulse.
* * *
All the time he showered and dressed, Jake promised himself that while he was going to dinner tonight with Emily, she was as off-limits as if she were married. Their kiss today had been exactly what he had intended to avoid. When they’d bumped into each other and he’d looked into her eyes, he’d wanted her with all his being. And she’d wanted his kiss just as badly. There had been no reluctance or hesitation on her part. And that kiss was the sexiest, hottest kiss he had ever experienced. How could she get that kind of reaction out of him when she definitely wasn’t his type?
There—he’d admitted it to himself. He had been stunned, set ablaze with desire, wanting to take her home to bed with him. Actually, that kiss had made him want to have sex with her right then in that dusty old house. If she had wanted sex, he wouldn’t have cared about the dust. She made him lose every shred of common sense. Why, of all the gorgeous, sexy, eager women he had dated and known, did the one who melted him down have to be a Kincaid—sworn enemies of the Ralstons for over a century.
