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His expression softens. "You take care of your grandma?"
"Yes. And her twin sister." I lift my chin. "They live with me. So see? I'm not scared of anything. I'm justbusy."
"Maybe that's true," he murmurs, tipping his head down as if he's telling me a secret. "But we both know the real reason you keep tellin' me no is because you felt the same thing I did that first day at my office, and it scared the shit out of you, Emma. You're trying to push me away and pull me closer at the same time, terrified that you'll make the wrong move."
"I F-felt what?"
"Like you were meant to be mine." His lips brush mine, cutting me off before I can think up a suitable denial. I feel his kiss like a gong ringing in my soul. "One day real soon, you're going to stop telling me no. When you do, I'm putting my ring on your finger and my kid in your belly."
I stand there, dumbfounded, as he drops another kiss on my lips and then winks at me.
"Have fun with your grandma tonight, lamb. I'll see you soon."
Chapter Four
Zayne
"Whatareyoudoing?"
"Stalking Emma."
"Why do I bother asking you questions when I know damn well you're going to tell me the truth?" Zion mutters into the phone. "I refuse to be your accomplice, motherfucker."
"Don't worry, I'm not doing anything illegal."
"Except stalking," Gideon says from beside me, peeling one eye open to look at me.
"Fucking hell. You roped Gideon into helping you?" Zion growls. "What the fuck, Zayne?"
"I'm not helping him. I'm just enjoying the shitshow."
"Uh, fuck both of you. This isn't a shitshow. I don't need help. And it's only illegal if the stalking is unwanted." I prefer to think of this as recon.
"We have got to get you a law dictionary," Gideon says around a yawn. "Stalking is stalking. It's all illegal."
"You know what I mean."
Gideon shrugs and closes his eyes again, resting his head against the windowsill. I don't think things are going well with our new client, an up-and-coming musician being stalked—actuallystalked—by a fan. He's been in a mood all afternoon. But he's not ready to talk about whatever is on his mind, so I'm waiting him out. He'll talk when he's ready.
"Hasn't she shot you down every time you've asked her out?" Zion asks. "I'm pretty sure that puts whatever the fuck you're doing in unwanted territory."
"She takes care of her grandma and her grandma's twin sister."
"Awesome. You're going to get your ass kicked by two old women when they find out. Gideon, please record this for my posterity."
"I'm not going to get caught." I roll my eyes. "My point is that she's been turnin' me down because she's busy taking care of them."
"Or maybe she just doesn't like you."
"Plausible," Gideon agrees without even opening his eyes.
Ma really should have let me trade them for that bike I wanted from the neighbor when they were little. She wanted siblings. I wanted the bike. It was the perfect trade. Instead, Ma busted me trying to smuggle my brothers out of the house with their overnight bags. I wasn't allowed to have a bike for two years after that. And I had to keep my asshole brothers.
"Does anyone like him?" Zion asks. "Or do we just tolerate him because Ma said we have to at least pretend we like him?"
"B. The answer is B."
I ignore them, my attention focused on the colorful bungalow down the street as Emma steps out onto the front porch, wrestling with a bag of trash. It's bursting at the seams, but she hefts it as high as she can get it and hauls it down to the curb before placing it on the ground. It takes her a minute to open the garbage can and wrestle the bag inside.
