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Lynch made a gesture with his chin to invite West for a drink. Smirking, West made as grand an exit as he’d made his entrance, swaggering away. He left Emily’s manager behind him, muttering about “that man.” If Nash wasn’t mistaken, she sounded intrigued. He’d never understand West’s effect on certain women.
Nash took Emily’s hand to get her away from her music manager. “I am sorry about my brother.”
“Don’t worry!” A dimple pierced her cheek above those full lips. “None of us can control our siblings. I don’t blame you a bit.”
That was a relief. “Still, I’d like to make it up to you,” he said. His heartbeat quickened as he imagined what he could come up with at a moment’s notice. The possibilities were endless. Could he actually smuggle her out tonight after her concert?
She ducked her head, her shoulder going up in a shrug. “After hearing your ideas for livening up my show, I’m half afraid of what you’d have in mind, but”—she swallowed—“actually…” He waited in suspense. “If you could figure out a way to help me calm down tonight, I…” Her hand went to his, making his lungs feel like they were trying to squeeze out of his throat. Was it possible for a hand to be that soft? “I’m pretty nervous, I have to admit.”
Her eyes—those hazel eyes that had been haunting him this past month while they’d been apart—flashed with something that he recognized as dread. Oh, she’d let the insults get to her, had she? Instinctively, he pulled her closer, letting her see the fire in his own eyes. He knew exactly what he was going to do tonight. “You’ll be great!” He’d make sure of it.
“Nash! Nash! Nash!”
That cheerleader chant had to belong to only one person, and the next minute he was sure of it when he felt Eva Trout’s arms wrap around his neck from behind. He met Emily’s widening eyes, knowing exactly how this looked.
He twisted around and let out a grunt when Eva barreled into his chest for an extended hug. Her mass of blonde hair flowed over them both. He noticed that she glared at Emily the whole time. He groaned. Eva was marking her territory, for what? He wasn’t even the favored brother.
“Where’s West?” she asked with a bubbly giggle. She knew she was cute, but she always took it to an obnoxious level.
“I…”
Eva raised up her phone and took a picture of them together. “Where have you been all night? I’ve been waiting for you.” She kissed him on the cheek like she’d done to Lizardman more times than he could count. He noticed Emily in the screen behind them as she moved away from the frame of the picture. Her lips were tight.
No! Nash wasn’t going to go down for this. He wasn’t the player that Emily thought he was. “West is over there.” He brutally outed his brother with his thumb to get Eva off of him. Literally. No way was he playing his brother’s bodyguard when he had to prove to Emily that he was a changed man.
“Carry me,” she said, hanging onto his neck. Her sleeveless velvet blue dress swung around her legs like a bell. “I do love a strong Slade man!”
“Sorry, can’t. I’m catching up with an old friend.” It was all Nash could do to pry her from his collar. How did such a small girl get to be so strong?
Eva glanced up at Emily, her laughing expression transforming into something that belonged on a scheming cat. “Thanks for keeping him warm for me. I can take over from here.”
He cringed. Eva really sounded convincing. “It’s not like that,” he told Emily… and hesitated. He couldn’t exactly explain that his brother was using Nash to flirt Eva Trout away from him, so that West didn’t have to deal with her angry daddy, because, in truth… well, Nashdidencourage Eva’s attentions before this, and that would probably look really bad… just like how this looked really… bad. He couldn’t win.
Emily drew up. Her thick lashes swept down to hide eyes filled with disappointment. His heart crashed into his stomach. His lovely songbird was far too good for anyone here. That felt abundantly clear as she nodded in acceptance. Her color was high on those delicate cheekbones. “Goodbye, Nash.”
Eva’s fingers dug into him. “Let’s go.”
Emily was how he’d imagined a Greek goddess might look if a statue had suddenly come to life and broken free from her frozen limbs. Her dark hair made her skin seem almost flawless… except for those freckles, and those were perfection. She looked like a part of heaven—untouchable, unmarred. Those lips—were they also untouched?
Had West hit a mark? What sort of relationships did Emily have before this? Had she ever been kissed? What would it be like to try out those luscious lips, to teach her how to use them for more than putting Nash in his place?
“C’mon,” Eva said, tugging him down the stairs.
He mentally kicked himself. Between West and Eva… and sadly himself, Nash didn’t stand a chance with Emily. He sighed as he got further away from her. “Emily,” he called out to her on the stage. “I meant what I said. I’m going to help you out tonight.”
“It’s… fine,” she said with a wistful smile. Her fingers curled over her palm in farewell. “Have fun.”
“Will do!” Eva sang out from the side of them. She tugged Nash away, and this time he didn’t fight her. His stomach coiled into knots. “You’re just too adorable for me to let you wander away and get into trouble,” Eva said. There was a slight twang to her words—that always happened when she played up her southern belle act. “I hope you don’t mind that I’ll always love West more than you, though.”
Too bad Emily wasn’t close enough to overhear, but both women were putting as much distance between them as they possibly could. Emily had picked up her phone, talking animatedly while her stylists took her in hand.
Nash swung around to Eva, his irritation threading through him. “If you love West so much then why didn’t you coverhimwith your kisses?”
A smug expression brightened her face. “Someone clearly needed to save you up there.”
“Wait.” Nash asked. “Save me? Is that what you thought you were doing? That was the woman of my dreams.”
Eva stopped short. “What? You’re two-timing me with Little Miss Harvest Ranch? We’re supposed to be flirt buddies.” She rested her hand on his shoulder, peering over at Emily. The giddy expression she always wore relaxed and she seemed almost human. “Isn’t that River Mackenzie’s sister?”
