Page 11 of One More Song

“Like I said, I’m pretty boring. Being a mom takes up most of my time.”

“So you never have any fun?”

“Not the kind that you’d be interested in.” She smirks at me.

“There you go again, judging the book by its cover.”

She laughs. “Well, you’re more than welcome to join my Sunday afternoon binge-fest ofThe Bachelor.”

I groan. “You’re kidding, right? That show is as anti-feminist as they come.”

“And you’re a feminist?”

“Of course.” I grin at her. “I was raised by a strong, single mom.”

Her eyes widen, and for a moment she looks at me differently, like she’s seeing me as someone’s kid, and not the trouble she’s so desperately trying to avoid.

But then she blinks, and those walls are back up.

“Have you lived here long?” I ask, already knowing the answer. I’d gotten it from the kid earlier in the evening. But I want to keep Ember talking. Want to keep her here with me.

“Cadence and I moved in four years ago after...” She swallows and licks her lips. “After Mitch and I separated.”

I make a mental note of the douchebag’s name. I’ve never met the guy, but there’s something in the way her eyes dim when she talks about him that makes me already hate the man.

“It’s a nice place,” I tell her honestly. It could use a few coats of paint, and some nicer furniture, but the frame is solid.

“Yeah.” She smiles, glancing around the wide, open kitchen. “I always loved it here. It’s been in my family since it was built. My grandmother left it to me when she passed.”

“What made you turn it into a bed-and-breakfast?”

She lets out a shaky breath and her gaze settles on one of the many photos of Cadence that hangs on the walls. “I work part-time at the grocery store, and try to pick up some shifts at Clancy’s diner, but I want to be home when Cadence gets out of school. I was finally getting settled, but last year the house needed a roof, and then the furnace went, and then the central air...” She shakes her head. “Sorry, you don’t want to hear all this.”

A knot forms in my gut, because I get her struggle, watched my mom go through the same thing. Bills piling up, having to work extra shifts. It’s why I’ve made sure she never has to worry about a thing again, at least not money.

“I’m the one who asked.” I reach out and place a hand on Ember’s. It’s not meant to be anything more than a small gesture of understanding, but the moment I touch her, heat blisters.

Her lips part and she sucks in a small breath, her gaze meeting mine, holding it. And for a moment, those walls are down, and she looks vulnerable. Like if I leaned forward and kissed her, she wouldn’t push me away.

And the asshole inside me thinks about taking that kiss.

About consuming her whole.

But there’s another part of me that wants to protect her, to gather her into my arms and take away all the uncertainties I see in her eyes.

Fuck, I don’t even know this woman and she’s already got my head spinning. Maybe I’m just looking for a fix to replace the one I’m really craving - a bottle of Jack and a dreamless sleep.

I pull my hand back and Ember lets out a deep breath like she’d been holding it in.He pushes her chair back and starts to stand. “I should go back to bed. Cadence wakes up early. And—”

She pauses when I stand, my body so close to hers, I can feel the warmth radiating off her. Her head tilts up, those big brown eyes widening, swirling with emotions.

Lust.

Need.

Excitement.

Fear.

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