The Truest Thing - Hart's Boardwalk

As he grew closer, he saw her cheeks were flushed but she wasn’t smiling, and she was holding her body away from this stranger. Her body language screamed “back off,” and this guy wasn’t getting it.

Jack’s pounding heart leapt when Emery caught sight of him and her eyes widened.

“You okay?” he demanded, coming to a stop beside her. He faced the guy.

He was a little shorter than Jack. Definitely younger. Way younger, in fact. He looked like he might still be in college. And he had that good-looking, preppy thing going on that made Jack curl his lip in annoyance.

The young guy shoved his hands in his shorts pockets and stared unintimidated at Jack.

“This guy bothering you?” Jack asked Emery.

She opened her mouth to answer, but the kid beat her to it.

“I wasn’t bothering her. I was introducing myself.” His dark eyes moved to Emery. “I couldn’t not introduce myself to such an angel.”

Even though Jack had attributed the same description to Emery, he snorted in derision at the compliment.

“Move along, pal.”

“Apologies.” The tourist nodded his head in an old-fashioned kind of gesture. “I didn’t realize the lady was spoken for. Have a good night.” He wandered casually back into Antonio’s.

“You okay?” Jack turned to Em. His chin jerked back in shock at her expression.

She was glowering.

Like full-on, appeared to want to rip off his head glowering at him.

Shit.

Without a word, Emery strode away, her strides inhibited by the tight, clingy dress. She dumped her half-eaten cone in a trash can and tried to hurry away.

Fuck.

Jack jogged after her. “What did I do?”

That blush of hers reached right down to her cleavage, something Jack was trying very hard not to notice. Especially since she was pissed at him and he didn’t like it. Not one bit. She shot him an incredulous look as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. There were new piercings along her cuff. He wondered when she’d gotten those. “You … what did you do?” she huffed in exasperation.

“I thought I was helping you out. I thought that tourist was bothering you. I know you’re shy, Em … I know you’re uncomfortable around strangers.” That, and I was jealous as hell.

“You don’t know me,” she hissed, wrapping her arms around her waist. “I was perfectly happy for the extremely well-mannered tourist to talk to me.”

The jealousy tightened his chest. “It didn’t look that way to me.”

“Oh, really? You discerned my discomfort in the two-point-five seconds you allowed our interaction before interrupting us?”

“You don’t date. I don’t know why you don’t date, but you don’t. So, I thought I was helping.”

Her pale-blue eyes were the iciest he’d ever seen them, and it cut Jack to the quick. “You don’t know if I date. You don’t know anything about me.”

“So, you date?” Who the hell was she dating?

“That’s none of your business. Now stop following me.”

A couple threw them a concerned look as they passed, and Jack decided he was done having this conversation in public. Grabbing Em’s upper arm, he pulled her down the lane between her building and Cooper’s. She protested, but he didn’t stop until darkness almost completely shrouded them. Light over the bar’s back door was the only reprieve, casting a yellow glow over Em as he maneuvered her against the wall of her shop.

“What are you doing?” She gaped up at him.

“I’m sick of chasing you down the boards.” Something light and sweet and floral filled his nose, and he realized it was Em. He leaned his hands on the wall on either side of her head, blocking any escape. Jack was careful, however, not to touch his body to hers.

He’d lose his mind if he did that.

Emery swallowed hard, and Jack studied every flicker and nuance of emotion on her face, fascinated by her.

Why her? he thought. Why did she have to be so beautiful to him in every way?

It fucking hurt.

It would be best if she hated him too. But the very idea … Jack was sure if Em hated him, he’d be done for. The anger eating away at Jack would consume him.

“Don’t be angry at me,” he said gruffly, studying her expression. “I thought I was helping you. I promise.”

“Were you jealous?” she blurted. Her eyes grew round, like she couldn’t believe she’d asked.

She was so goddamn adorable, it killed him. Because she was everything. He didn’t know one woman could be so much. Smart. Kind. Oblivious. Perceptive. Sexy. Beautiful. Classy. Awkward. Graceful. Innocent. Wise. And cute as hell. Jack huffed out an aggravated burst of laughter.

It would be so easy, he thought, weary to his bones, to just give in to her. Jack bent his head, breathing her in as he rested his forehead on her shoulder near the crook of her neck.

“Jack?” she whispered.

He could feel her chest rising and falling faster as his nearness affected her.