Knockout (Tapped Out 4)

“I had a shift this morning,” he said under his breath. “Four lawns out in Long Island, all of them huge. And then after the fight last night—”

“The fight. Oh, God. I forgot to ask.” My hand went to my mouth. Lord, could I be any more selfish? That was it. Errant sex musings were banished for the foreseeable future. “I’m so sorry. Did you win?”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “You even gotta ask, babe?”

“Oh, Em!” Not caring about rules, I undid my belt and launched myself across the seat toward him, hugging him as best as I could and planting a noisy kiss on his cheek. “Does Dad know? He’s gonna be busting buttons. He said Giordano was one to beat.”

“Yeah, I called him last night afterward. Hey, hey, sit down.” But he was smiling, and that was enough for me to kiss him again, harder. And if my lips skated too close to his smile, it was an accident, I swear.

Mostly an accident.

For a fraction of an instant, I would’ve sworn he kissed me back. Probably just as friends. Of course just as friends. But the tingle along my mouth as he gave me an unsteady shove back toward my seat said something different.

For a second, there had been heat and pressure. The corner of his full lips imprinting against mine. His rough exhale warming the path he’d jumped off even before he’d taken a full step toward it.

I fumbled for my seatbelt and gazed straight ahead, watching high-rises and businesses fly by in the darkness without really seeing them. I wanted to ask him so many questions.

Why did you kiss me?

Why didn’t you kiss me?

God, I didn’t know what had happened. Perhaps I’d imagined the whole thing. Undersexed dollhouse builders had fanciful imaginations, for sure.

“If you need to borrow money,” he began, his voice lower than I’d ever heard it, “I’ll give it to you. Not him. Okay?”

I blinked, unsure how we’d gotten back on that lane again. But I was still too stunned by what had almost happened—maybe—to put up a fight. “Okay.” I swallowed hard. “But I won’t. I’ll do it on my own. I appreciate the offer, though.”

“And as for JC, I don’t have a problem with him.” He jerked the wheel to the curb about a block up from JC’s new brownstone. He must’ve gotten the address from JC on his own.

I was pretty sure he hadn’t heard my response. “Sure about that?”

He shifted toward me, his eyes narrowed. Even in the darkness of the car, I could sense the intensity in his expression. “Except for one thing.”

For some reason, my heartbeat skipped. Like literally missed a beat. I hadn’t had any coffee today, so it wasn’t caffeine overload.

It was all Emerson Confusing-As-Hell Knapp.

“What’s that?” I asked, both craving and fearing the answer.

“He wants you—and I’m not going to let that happen.”

Before I could shut my mouth, he slammed his way out of the car.

Three

I opened the door to Lily and Emerson with a wide smile. “About time you got here. The party’s in full swing.” I stepped back to let them inside my new, barely furnished apartment. “Grab a beer.”

Emerson gave me a look as he nudged Lily inside ahead of him. Though she went first, I had no doubt he’d leap in front of her to block any passing threat. Like, oh, a speeding train or maybe a dude who wanted to feel her up.

To Emerson, I was reasonably certain the danger level would be the same.

After taking a few steps and assessing the obviously empty apartment, he turned toward me. “What full swing? There’s no one here.”

“Yes, there is.”

“Where?” Lily asked, glancing around in obvious confusion.

They were both adorable, and I was probably a dick for prolonging their puzzlement. But I figured I should get a pass, considering what I had in mind. If I’d read them both correctly, I was about to grant their fondest wish.