Page 60 of Breaking Emily's Rules
She shoved her hands on her hips. “I’m not kidding.”
“Neither am I.”
“Look, we had one date. I agreed to that. Why can’t you agree to this?”
He closed his eyes and studied the inside of his eyelids. “No. If you still want this in a few days, maybe we can revisit.”
“You make it sound like it’s some kind of transaction.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Who has a set of rules written down? I’m surprised you don’t want a notary to sign off on this. Thisisa transaction. Yours, apparently.”
“When you put it that way.” She frowned. “Maybe I’m overthinking this.”
“You think?” He flipped his calendar closed and sat down. “Want to tell me what happened?”
“This has nothing to do with it, but a couple of days ago I found out I’m not actually related to the Emily Parker that was the first licensed pilot in California.” The words left her in a whoosh.
“Uh-huh. That’s too bad. I’m not related to any pilots in history either.”
She sat in the chair by his desk. “I know, you think this is silly and stupid.”
He leaned across his desk. “No, hey I—”
“I thought the connection could be something special. But it’s not a big deal. It just happened to lead me to something that I love. That I want.” She studied him. “Flying, I mean.”
“Right.”
“I still want my license. I’m not giving up.”
“Good.”
“I just also want this.” She traced her finger along the damn piece of paper like it was a road map.
But she was missing the point. He had a few years on her and he’d guess a whole hell of a lot more experience, and there was one thing he could tell for certain. Nothing between the two of them would ever be easy or light or contained by a set of rules, written down or otherwise. He had a feeling that together they’d be fiery and explosive. Two of his favorite things.
But since he’d come to town, he’d been James Mcallister’s son. Not many had taken the time to get to know him, nor had he let them. Too many, Cassie and Jedd included, assumed he was a good man like his father. Of course, they’d be wrong, but that didn’t mean Stone shouldn’t try. It was what he’d been doing for the past six months.
Trying to be the kind of man his father had been. A man like Dad would have probably already found a way to smooth things over with Sarah by now. Found a way to compromise in that lawyer’s office instead of losing his temper and walking out.
Taking Emily up on this insanity, much as he wanted it, would be a dickhead move. And he wasn’t going to be that guy. Not with this girl, and not here in his father’s town.
He was going to do the right thing, dammit, even if it killed him.
“Go home, Emily.”
CHAPTER15
Emily
Three days later, Fire Chief Jake was on his forty-eight hours on, which meant Rachel wanted company. So I had rented every romantic comedy I could find because tonight I wanted to laugh. I wanted to watch a girl strike out again and again with the man of her dreams but wind up with him in the end. Happily ever after. The End.
I had just finished telling Rachel that Stone had turned me down. I’d found the one man in America that didn’t want uncomplicated no-strings-attached sex. Not with me anyway. Rachel had cleared her throat and asked for more details, as if she hadn’t heard them all the first time.
“Don’t make me say it all over again. Please.”
It had been humiliating enough to live through. I’d never thrown myself at a guy like that, just to experience a flat-out rejection. This was what I got for trying something new. Something daring.
Go home, Emily.
