Page 136 of Sin With Me

“I don’t have one, but you have no idea how much I wish Idid.”

Was she flirting? Fuck me, she was flirting. How in the world had I gotten so lost in my own story, one I hadn’t told in years, that I lost track of the fact that we were on a date, not a job interview? Emma made it so easy to mix business with pleasure.

“I’m sorry, Emma. Tonight wasn’t supposed to be about the job. A job that it now feels weird hiring a womanfor.”

“Why? This is the twenty-first century, you know. Plus, I’m much better at the job than any man couldbe.”

“You’re confident. That’s good. But this is different. And please try to understand – I come from a town where the women are meant to cook, clean, and bear children.”

“Otherwise known as the Neanderthal age.” She rolled hereyes.

“An age where a woman is respected for her hard work and expected to act a certainway.”

My phone buzzed with an incoming message. I felt my mouth curve up reading it. It appeared that tonight wasn’t the only night I’d spend withEmma.

“I could never be constrained that way. They must feel like there’s no way out. How can they even experience life? Is everythingokay?”

“Yes, I’m sorry. Please continue. Hasn’t your family expected you to act a certainway?”

“True, but that’s different.”

“Not all of us stick to the old ways, Emma. We’re not even close to the Amish. The younger generation has grown up with new views and dreams. My sister’s studying nursing in San Francisco, for instance.”

“Oh, well. That’s really good. Sometimes I wish I had gone into a different field. But Cross Enterprises is all I’ve ever known.”

“Do you not like yourjob?”

“I love the company. I love what my family does, and solving puzzles and mysteries and helping out others. But I don’t like breaking the news to women of their cheating husbands every singleday.”

“So, from what I gather, I’m your guinea pig, then?”

She laughed. I loved that sound, and right then and there decided it was one of my favorite sounds in the world. “If I wanted you as my guinea pig, Cowboy, I can guarantee you we’d be doing somethingelse.”

I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “What would we be doing, Emma?”

“Youknow.”

“Tellme.”

“You’d be on top of me, or I’d be on top of you, testing out my riding skills.”

“Have you been dared by Grace tonight?” I asked.

“No, but I have had a bit too much wine. It’s been a wonderful evening, Eric. Thank you. And please excuse my bluntness. I’m not a big drinker.”

Did she even know how polite she was? She was more of a country girl than she realized, but with a twist.

“Again, I’m sorry to bore you with my story. This was supposed to be a personal dinner, not business.”

“As much as my brothers would frown upon this, I believe that there’s nothing wrong with mixing a little bit of business with pleasure.”

“Emma, please tell me you weren’t the reason one of your clients found out about her cheating husband.”

“I can go for some extravagant dares and crazy stunts, but I would never break up a marriage or any kind of a relationship.”

“It looks like you’re the kind of a woman who needs an outlet because she hasn’t had a man who can give her exactly what she needs.”

“And what do you think it is that Ineed?”

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