Page 42 of The Talk Around Town

Emma.

Man, that dress.It was enough to make him turn the air conditioning down ten degrees.

For something that came up to her neck, it was getting him and some of the others more than a little flustered. It followed the sleek curves of her body like the hands of a lover, moulding and dipping, clinging in just the right places.

Her breasts created an incredible contrast to the arc of her waist, and the explosion of femininity that was her hips continued down to those unbelievable legs. The damn dress was so short he found himself hoping like crazy she’d drop something, just so she could bend over and pick it up.

She’d finally emerged from the ladies’ room where she’d disappeared more than ten minutes ago.

Not that he was counting.

As if sensing his gaze, she turned, impaling him with eyes filling with tears.

Tears?

Fear gripped his insides, clenching his stomach into a hard, knotted mass. What in hell was going on? Why was she upset?

Millie had followed her into the bathroom with her gaggle of airhead friends. It had to be her. He almost groaned aloud. When was she going to learn to play nice? Just once?

Those amazing eyes turned hard, accusing him. Of what, he had no idea, but he knew censure when he saw it.

She hurried over to Pete and leaned down to speak to him. Pete nodded and patted her hand. She looked behind her and spotted the side exit door between the restrooms and their table. Dashing the back of a hand across her eyes, she hurried the few steps to the door, slippedout and disappeared into the night.

Gabe threw the rag into the sink behind the bar. Without taking his eyes from the door Emma had just slipped out of, he moved past his brother to the open end of the long timber bar.

“I’ll be back.”

Not waiting for an acknowledgement, Gabe hurried to the door and stepped out into the crisp night. He jogged down the path to the sidewalk that ran in front of the bar, peering up and down the road.

Which way had she gone?

Making a hasty decision, Gabe turned to his right and strode down the sidewalk. If she was upset she’d most likely head home.

At least, he hoped she would.

A faint sound caught his attention. He stopped, tilted his head and listened. There. The unmistakable sound of high heels on concrete echoed back to him. Gabe quickened his stride, determined to catch up with her and see that she was all right.

“Emma! Wait.”

The tapping stopped for a moment. It started again, faster this time. She was moving away from him, fast.

“Hey! Wait up.”

Gabe could see her as he rounded the corner heading away from the mall. Emma hurried across the road to the walkway that headed around the near side of the lake. He broke into a run, his sneakers an advantage over her ridiculously high-heeled shoes.

He caught her by the shoulder just as she passed beneath one of the antique street lamps that had been there since the town was first settled. He spun her around, making her stop.

“Why didn’t you stop when I called out to you? What’s wrong, why are you upset?”

Emma did her best not to look at him, staring at everything else around them.

“Go away.”

Her whispered answer threw him, nearly making him let go of her arm. “Why?” He grasped her gently under the chin, forcing her to look at him. “What made you so sad? Please tell me.”

She bit her lip and pulled it into her mouth to stop its trembling, the action so sensual, so erotic, it nearly knocked him to his knees. Heforced his mind away from focusing on her soft, full lips to look at her eyes.

“Why did you follow me? I just want to go home.” Tears trailed silver lines down her beautiful face, glinting in the pale, warm light of the lamp above. The colour of her eyes was indistinguishable, the night making them deep, dark pools of sorrow.

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