Page 32 of Splintered Memories (Ember Hollow Romance #2)

But what really made the hall look beautiful were the brightly colored flowers everywhere.

Bundles of vivid pinks and teals and yellows sat in elegant vases on every table.

Garlands of multicolored flowers intertwined with green vines were pinned along the edges of the tablecloths of the food tables.

On the left side of the room, there was an entire section of wall that was covered in flowers.

“Oh, my gosh,” Emersyn breathed, taking it all in. “This is so perfect.”

“Perfect,” I agreed, not taking my eyes off her.

The night began to unfold exactly how my mother had planned it.

All the guests arrived, which ended up being a lot more people than I had expected. Apparently, my mother had not only gone overboard with the planning and decorating, but also the invitations .

“Oh, stop,” she’d said, when I’d commented on the crowd. “My baby boy is getting married. I can have a bit of fun if I want to.”

And that had been that.

So much of the town was here. Not everyone, but a lot of the regular customers who shopped at the consignment shop Lark helped her mom run were in attendance.

I should’ve made it a point to get the guest list before the party, but I had been under the impression that it wasn’t going to be many more than just my family members.

As the number of people grew, so did my anxiety. Thankfully, the place only had one main entrance, with an emergency exit at the back, and both were visible from most angles of the room.

I was still in charge of keeping Emersyn safe, but as long as we locked the doors after the main couple arrived, and I had all my brothers here as well, I was comfortable with her safety.

My slight annoyance at the amount of people in the room didn’t seem to matter, though, because when Reid walked in, Lark at his side, they did nothing but smile.

They were definitely surprised, but it didn’t seem like a bad one as the group celebrated them and their coming marriage.

Though gifts had not been expected, it seemed like people didn’t care because they had been stacking up on a table in the corner.

The room showered them in love and excitement. Although I was so happy for my little brother—he deserved all the happiness in the world—I only had eyes for one person in this room.

I wasn’t sure how I expected Emersyn to act at this party, but I was pleasantly surprised that she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

The moment Lark had arrived, she’d flung herself at her, clutching her with excited giggles.

Whenever Emersyn was able to steal her away from Reid, she dragged Lark onto the dance floor.

I wasn’t much of a dancer myself, but I couldn’t refuse Hailey when she demanded my company during multiple songs.

As the night wore on, Emersyn and I only saw each other in passing. Our eyes would meet as we passed each other on the dance floor, or from across the room as one of us was grabbing a drink or something to eat.

She was a bright spot in the place with that dress on. Everyone knew it. I wasn’t the only one looking at her tonight.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I tried to shake off a clinging Hailey.

“Uncle Gus! One more dance! This song is the best one!” she shouted at me as I tried to escape the dance floor.

“That’s what you said about every song, baby girl.” I carefully pried her little clutches from my pants leg.

She whined. “You’re the funnest dancer. Uncle Reidsy is the next, but he’s too busy with Lark.” She rolled her eyes, a bit perturbed for a six-year-old.

I was pretty sure I was the worst dancer and she just thought it was hilarious to watch me.

I shook my head. “I’m going to have to sit the next few songs out. I really have to go to the bathroom.”

Hailey let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine!” She turned on her heel and scampered back to where Roman sat next to my father. If she managed to get her grumpy daddy on the dance floor, I was gonna have to get that girl some cake .

I swept the room again, not seeing Emersyn. I’d noted that she had been on her way toward the restrooms a few minutes ago, which was the main reason I was heading that way.

As I exited the main room and into the small hallway where the bathroom was, the music dimmed. My ears rang dully as I glanced around the space.

The small seating area at the end of the hallway was empty. Three doors lined the hallway. The two for the bathrooms, and one that was labeled as a supply closet.

I meandered down the hall, not really having to use the restroom myself, when I heard a door open.

I turned, my eyes meeting Emersyn’s. They were bright and sparkling, her lips pulled up into a lazy smile as she leaned against the wall in front of me.

“You seem to be having a good time.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets.

She nodded. “I think I actually am.”

I returned her smile, instinctively taking a step closer to her. We hadn’t spoken much tonight, and now that she was so close, I was drawn to her. Her skin glistened with a sheen of sweat from dancing. Her curls had fallen loose and hung in long tendrils down past her shoulders.

I wasn’t sure why I did it, but I stepped close enough to touch her, my eyes on hers as I brushed back a few wisps of hair that stuck to her forehead and cheeks.

“I’m glad for that. It’s good to see you smile, Emy. ”

Her breath hitched, and that familiar warm amber scent of her filled my lungs. She looked even more beautiful than she had at the beginning of the night, if that was possible.

She didn’t say anything in return, but those green eyes seemed to darken. Emersyn gazed up at me from beneath her eyelashes. Something had shifted in the way she looked at me. It had my heart trembling against my ribs, as if she were suddenly a huntress laying eyes on her prey.

Emersyn straightened, closing the small gap that separated us. Her body was warm and soft against mine as she leaned into me.

She pushed up on her toes, bringing her mouth so close to mine I could almost taste her.

My own lungs seized at her proximity, every nerve heightened and sensitive as she murmured against my lips, “I want more than a simple smile.” She wrapped one of her hands around mine, entwining our fingers.

“I want to see what else these hands can do other than be my bodyguard.”

I stiffened at the last word. Ice doused the fire she stoked in my veins. I let out a long breath, and her brow furrowed as she sensed the tension in my body.

“Emersyn.” Her name was barely more than a groan as I pressed my forehead against hers. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

The words sounded strangled as I forced them from my mouth. The truth was, I wanted her. I wanted her with everything in me. I had wanted her for way longer than I would admit.

“Why not?” She pulled back enough to study my face.

I licked my aching lips. “Because I am supposed to be working for you, Emersyn. Your father employed me, and I’m already on shaky ground with him. ”

Her eyes widened a fraction before they narrowed into slits. The way she pinned me with her stare made me feel as if she could see straight through me.

“No, that’s not it.” She shook her head. “Maybe that’s part of the reason, but how about you tell me the truth, August?”

She stripped me bare with her words, with her eyes. I hadn’t even realized I’d been telling myself a lie until she called it out. I winced as the pang of truth struck me.

I gritted my teeth, shame filtering through me. Her hand was still in mine, and I gripped it tight. “I’m a broken man,” I admitted, in a whisper. “I can’t say that I don’t desire you, Emersyn, because I do. But you deserve so much more than me. You deserve someone whole.”

She rocked back on her heels, taking half a step back. The absence of her touch was agonizing, but it was for the best. I’d kissed her once; that would have to be enough. It was more than I ever should’ve taken.

Her face pinched with a mixture of disgust and anger. I frowned, confused, but then, she raised her hand, striking quick and hard against my sternum with her palm. I stumbled back out of pure surprise rather than the force of it.

“You’re an idiot,” she seethed, glaring at me like I was the most ridiculous person she had ever laid eyes on.

I rubbed my chest. It hadn’t hurt, but she had put some brawn behind that blow. “What the hell was that for?”

She rolled her eyes. “Because you don’t give yourself the credit you deserve, and I’m sick of it.

” She pointed a finger at me, a muscle twitching above her eye.

“You are always thinking of other people before yourself, August. You wouldn’t hesitate to give your life for anyone, even a stranger on the street.

” Her eyes misted over, and for once, she didn’t blink them back or fight the tears as one slipped down her cheek.

“You might be a broken man but I am a shattered woman, and maybe it’s our imperfections that make us right for each other. Maybe my splintered, jagged pieces fit perfectly into the spaces between yours.”

Her little slap had nothing on the strength of her words as they crashed through my chest and into my heart.

She held her head high as I stared at her in utter disbelief.

Suddenly, I didn’t care that I wasn’t enough for her.

I didn’t care that I was her hired bodyguard.

All I cared about were the words she said and the hope that they were true.

I was on her in the next breath.

My hands cupped her face as my mouth found hers.

Our lips met in a frenzied, intricate dance.

She gasped and stumbled, her back hitting the wall and steadying us both.

I leaned into her, my hips pinning hers as I tasted her on my tongue, exploring those full, perfect lips and that mouth I’d been dreaming of.

Her gasp turned into a deep moan that had my entire body tightening, straining to be even closer to her. I wanted to feel every inch of her.

My hands moved in a leisurely caress down her slender neck and shoulders, then the curves of her chest and hips until my fingertips grazed the exposed skin at her mid-thigh.

My mouth never left hers as my hands roamed and touched, our skin hot as she shuddered against me.

A sound came from low in my chest, something between a growl and a groan as my teeth sank into her bottom lip and sucked.

My blood roared in my ears and everything fell away but the feel of her and the taste of her and that intoxicating smell that was uniquely Emersyn .

My fingers had just slipped beneath the hem of that sparkly green dress when a small but mighty voice crashed through the haze of passion.

“Uncle Gus!”

I broke away from Emersyn so fast she whimpered. Moving my hands to her waist and nowhere else, my head turned in time to see Hailey barreling around the corner and into the hallway.

“There you are!” She pointed at me, her eyes narrowed. “The best song is playing and Daddy needed a break. Please, please, come dance with me! Just one more song. I promise.”

Emersyn and I shared a look. Her cheeks were pink, her chest heaving with breaths as heavy as mine. Her lips were swollen, her mouth slightly chapped from the scruff I hadn’t shaved in a few days.

God, I wanted her. I wanted those lips on mine, but there was a little girl staring at me expectantly.

Emersyn glanced at Hailey, and then back to me. A small smile tilted her lips. She patted my chest. “Go.” She jerked her chin toward Hailey. “I’ll be here when you’re done.”

I didn’t want to leave. It was the last thing on my mind, but Hailey squealed with delight and the pitter-patter of her shoes echoed around us as she ran toward me. She grabbed my hand from Emersyn’s hip and yanked.

“Come on,” she said, impatient. “I don’t wanna miss this song.”

Reluctantly, I stepped away from Emersyn, my mind spinning. I touched the tip of her nose with a fingertip. “Don’t move,” I commanded. “I’ll be back for you.”

And then I stepped away, letting my sweet niece drag me toward the dance floor, my knees quaking as I held Emersyn’s stare for as long as possible.

Emersyn was either going to be the end of me, or she was going to save me. I’d decided it was worth the risk. If anyone could make me feel even the slightest bit whole again, it was her.

It had always been her.