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For a moment, I'm speechless, caught up in the simple beauty of her presence.

Regaining my composure, I answer, "I thought a massage might be just what you need after all the effort of entertaining me these past few days."

A hint of surprise crosses her face. "A massage? Here?"

Emily’s left brow, perfectly trimmed and shaped, lifts ever so slightly, and her gaze hovers to my freshly made bed. Then her cheeks become stained as she meets my eyes again.

Following her line of thought, I quickly add, “I just got off the phone with a company. They’re sending a team over.”

Emily’s whole face is red now, and her mouth forms an O.

“Gotcha. So, a spa day at the house? That’s a…surprise. Are there any other surprises I should know about?”

I sense the hesitation in her voice, and it brings me back to an earlier conversation. “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s right, you’re not the biggest fan of surprises, are you?”

Emily snorts and tosses her hair over her shoulder as she walks to the bed and perches on the end. “Well, thanks to my prankster brother, surprises usually mean something jumps out at me.”

“I guess that might give you some trust issues…” I muse aloud.

Emily’s eyes flash as a look of concern crosses her face. Her brows pull together as she frowns. “I never thought about it, but I guess you’re right…”

Her shoulders slump, and she has a faraway look on her face, as though my words just conjured a painful memory.

The sight of her in this state has my stomach in knots. Getting her more tense was not my intention.

I take her moment of vulnerability as an invitation and join her on the bed.

The mattress shifts under my weight, and she falls into my shoulder slightly.

She corrects herself, red staining her cheeks again. Then looks away.

I sigh as my own mind paints a canvas of many unsavory memories. But I shake them away and take Emily’s hand in both of mine.

The touch has her turning to look at me again, her brows lifted.

“Well, I promise that you will only ever have pleasant surprises from me,” I vow, making sure to sound as genuine as possible.

Emily’s eyes twinkle for a moment but then her face falls.

“I wish I could promise the same thing…” then she grins again and nudges my bicep with her elbow. “But I like to keep a guy guessing.”

Her eyes glint as she sneaks a glance at my mouth and without hesitation, I take the opportunity to reach for her hair and lean in.

Her minty breath fogs my face and floods me with a pleasant sensation that ripples through my senses.

My fingers tangle in the soft tresses of her dark curls, and I plant my hand on the back of her head while I capture her in a cheeky kiss.

Emily clutches my shoulders, her nails digging into me, giving me a soft pinch that tells me I’m not dreaming.

She kisses me back, and the way her lips move with mine is so natural, it’s like we’ve done this a million times before.

I hadn’t planned to kiss her again so soon, but her lips are too tempting.

Her scent is floral and warm, like sunshine in spring, and I want to bask in it all day.

The kiss is surprisingly chaste, and tender.

When we slowly break apart, and I open my eyes again, the room seems brighter, lighter somehow.