Page 48 of Emi's Hero

Emi’s fingers dug into his scalp, urging him closer to take more.

His hands slid beneath her shirt, skimming up her back. Her skin was warm beneath his fingertips. He wanted to feel her naked body against his skin.

In the back of his mind, he knew it was too soon for more. Logic warred with desire and eventually won.

George ended the kiss, slowly drawing away until he stared down at her flushed face.

“Why did you stop?” she asked breathlessly.

“I had to.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “Before I went too far.”

She breathed in and out several times before squaring her shoulders and stepping out of his arms. “It’s a beautiful day, and the sun is shining. Let’s enjoy it.” Emi plucked at her damp blouse and grimaced. “Or at least let’s lay out long enough for our clothes to dry. I promise not to coerce you into another kiss.”

George snorted. “My arm didn’t need twisting.” He held out his hand. “But we’ll take it slower. You might only be attracted tome because I pulled you out of the ocean. It could be some kind of hero complex.”

Emi laughed. “Not a bit modest, are you?”

He tipped his chin up. “Not a bit.”

They found a spot on the lush green grass and sat beside each other.

Emi leaned into George’s shoulder. “In case I haven’t told you, thanks for saving me from drowning.”

“No thanks necessary. I’m just glad I found you.” Had he chosen a different location that day or decided not to go out fishing... His chest tightened. “I’ve never been the kind of guy who believes in horoscopes or kismet, although my gut instinct has been right on more than a few occasions. That said, I truly believe I was meant to be exactly where I was when I found you.”

“Our ships didn’t pass in the night,” Emi said.

“They collided,” George agreed.

Emi stared at the creek, her cheek resting on his shoulder. “I hope you don’t regret finding me. I mean, you’ve taken on a huge amount of responsibility with me and Sara.”

He turned to press a kiss to her temple. “No regrets, Emi. I only hope we find Sara soon.”

“Me, too.” Emi sighed. “I feel guilty sitting out here in the open, the sun shining down on me, smiling and laughing when my baby is still locked up in that hell hole.”

“We’re doing what we can with the information we have. It would do you no good to search Kauai on your own. That could take days—if not weeks. And we don’t know for certain the compound is on that island.”

“I’d forgotten how good it feels to lay out in the sun.” Emi laid back on the grass and closed her eyes to the sunshine on her face. “Sara would love to be out here with us. She’s never played in the grass or watched a sunrise or sunset. There will be so many firsts for her when she’s free. She’s missed so much.”

George lay on the grass beside Emi. Propping himself up on one elbow, he studied Emi’s face. “You have freckles across your nose.”

Emi grimaced. “Always have. Comes with the red hair.”

“Ha!” He grinned. “It is red.”

She frowned. “Auburn.”

“Go to sleep, Red. I’ll wake you before you burn even more.”

Her lips turned up on the corners as she whispered, “Auburn.”

Emi drifted off, trusting him to keep his word. Trusting him to keep her safe and trusting him to rescue her daughter.

George worried that they weren’t making enough progress fast enough to guarantee her child’s safe return.

He could picture a little girl with red hair and green eyes like her mother, crying in the dark because her mother had gone and hadn’t come back.

His fists clenched in frustration. Like Emi, he felt his hands were tied until they had more information. He wanted to go back to Kauai and start searching one road at a time until he found the one leading up into the hills to a remote bunker.

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