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“Ha, ha,” she drawled, rolling her eyes.
“No offense, but how’d you get this far in life without learning to cook?” Mack asked.
Because her parents hired people to do it for her.
Mack was well aware of that fact. So, why was he asking? Was he trying to help me crack her open? If so, he wasn’t helping.
When Emma turned his way, I sent him a scowl and shook my head.
“Other things were more important to me.” She shrugged.
Yeah, like stealing my sister’s identity and running away.
As the cynical thought crashed through my mind, I bit back a growl. The longer I spent with Emma, the more I had to remind myself she was playing a game…playingme.
I don’t submit to mind fucks…I give them.
Unfortunately, I wanted to do a whole lot more than fuck her mind. I wanted to fuck her body, hard and dirty. Ever since discovering Emma was posing as Aubrey, my life and emotions had been tossed into a blender. My brain and libido were at war. Tamping down the anger rising inside me, I quickly finished my breakfast.
As Mack and I headed out the back door, Emma was loading the dishwasher—like she’d done the past three mornings. I didn’t have a valid reason to be angry she’d assumed the mundane task, only that I hated feeling beholden to her.
As we strode toward the barn, Mack softly chuckled beside me.
“What’s so funny?”
“You.” He grinned. “Aubrey’s got you tied up in more knots than I use binding Aspen for a suspension scene.”
“Her name’s not Aubrey. It’s Emma,” I growled.
“The name doesn’t matter. How deep she’s gotten under your skin does.”
“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” I drawled.
“I’m not trying to be a prick, but it’s not like you tonothave a plan.”
“Oh, I have one, but it’ll break her. I can’t find the willpower to do that to her. Beneath all the lies and deception is a gentle and kind woman.”
“Then come up with another one. We both know you can. You’re one of the smartest, most resourceful men I know,” Mack said, clapping me on the back.
The sun was slipping toward the horizon when I finally strolled through the back door and into the kitchen. On the counter sat a plate of perfectly browned chocolate chip cookies. Curious to find out if they tasted as good as they looked, I plucked one up and took a bite. As the buttery brown sugar and chocolate melted over my tongue, I couldn’t help but smile at Emma’s achievement.
“Oh, you’ve already tasted one.” She smiled, gliding into the kitchen.
“Yep, and they’re delicious. Congratulations, darlin’.” I grinned.
Her face lit up, and her smile widened. “Thank you.”
“Oh, no, thankyou. I’m gonna eat the whole plate for dinner.”
“No, you’re not.” She chuckled as I shoved the entire cookie in my mouth. “You said this morning you were gonna grill the steaks in the fridge.”
“Damn. You’re right.” I nodded. “Let me run upstairs and wash the sweat off me, then I’ll start the grill.”
“While you’re doing that, I’ll set the table.”
“Deal.”
As I bounded up the stairs, I mentally replayed our conversation in the kitchen. It had been encouragingly easy, yet frighteningly domestic. Though it made me feel like a complete asshole, I needed the latter to catch Emma off-guard
