I laid there cursing myself over and over again while I watched her sleep, the steady rise and fall of her back signaling that she slept soundly. What the hell was wrong with me? I’d managed to keep my distance for days, spending as much time at the office as possible and doing everything else I could to avoid her. And I’d just failed completely.

I’d tried to move on, knowing whatever it was between us had gone on too long already. I’d even contemplated picking up some new woman at the bar after work, but I didn’t even make it through the door. The fact was, any woman I found there wouldn’t be Emma. And I’d wanted Emma.

I forced myself out of her bed, hating how much I didn’t want to leave. Once out of bed though, I couldn’t help but stand there, staring down at her. She was beautiful; sexy as hell, yes, but something more—and the most dangerous thing I’d ever encountered.

I’d always been careful to keep my distance, not in fear for myself, but to keep any partner from getting the wrong impression or building expectations for a relationship that was never going to exist. Never once had I been even remotely tempted. But Emma had done far more than tempt—she’d just about driven me crazy.

But I wasn’t going to allow myself to slip again. I’d been hoping whatever it was I felt for her would run its course and fade, but it wasn’t happening, in fact, it was only growing stronger. So there was no point in continuing to wait for a fade that wasn’t going to come. Instead, it was time to accept that I’d made a colossal mistake—wading in far deeper than I should have—and since I’d been such a fool, having to fight this innate pull toward her was the consequence—stay aware of it, and stay untangled. Though I imagined that was going to be a whole lot easier said than done.

Perhaps it was time to send Emma on her way; remove the temptation and hope I’d have enough sense not to go chasing after it. Besides, the sooner I sent her on her way, the sooner she could get back to pursuing a career that had only begun to get underway when I’d come into the picture. That did make me wonder though, and not for the first time, why she’d even agreed to take on the role of a nanny. She was a McKenna, and while it wasn’t a completely uncommon last name when it was attached to someone in this neighborhood, it could only be the McKenna family whose money went back further than the Declaration of Independence.

Why would a woman with more money than she could spend in ten lifetimes, and by her own confession, a career she looked forward to with enthusiasm, put her life on hold for me and Abby—complete strangers to her at the time? It made no sense. There had to be an underlying reason she’d agreed to take my ridiculous offer.

I was well aware that I was grasping at straws, looking for any reason to build a wall between her and I, but it wasn’t a wholly unreasonable question. Of course, the logical thing to do would be to ask her, but since I was admittedly half-crazy at the moment, I thought of a better way. And really, people with ulterior motives were seldom known to profess them honestly.

So, I crept out of her room and went to my office at the other end of the house. I picked up the phone and dialed the number of a man I’d employed only occasionally. The personnel department at the office wasn’t good enough this time. I needed more; I needed someone to dig beneath the surface to find out what Emma McKenna had been up to all this time.

And two days later I had my answer, though I could hardly believe the proof on the page in front of me. I should have been rejoicing at finally having the solution to my problem, a solution that would build a wall so high between us I’d never have to worry about getting close to Emma ever again.

But I wasn’t rejoicing; I wasn’t even relieved. Instead, a stab of pain shot through my chest and I wanted to rip up the paper, shred it into a thousand pieces and burn every last one of them. But that was pointless. It wouldn’t change a thing.

Emma had lied to me. All this time, she’d been busy trying to keep me distracted and hoping I’d slip up, all of it nothing more than a ploy. Hell, she’d even sacrificed her virginity for it. She must be one hell of a sister.

Her brother was none other than Michael Fraser, president, and CEO of Fraser Enterprises. Six months ago, that name wouldn’t have meant a thing to me, but it did now. And it had for the past two months throughout which my company and his had been locked in a cutthroat battle for the same big-ass client. Fraser’s company had been on the decline for the past two years and it teetered on the verge of bankruptcy. This one client would be vital to keeping it alive. And Emma had appeared on the scene just days after the two companies had begun negotiations with the potential client. What was the likelihood that her sudden appearance was sheer coincidence? If I had to guess at the moment, I’d say about zero.

I crumpled the page in my hand, gripping it over and over again until my knuckles turned white. Once again, I was angrier with myself than I was with her, but damn it, some of the blame fell on her this time, too. I should have known better, but what she’d done was despicable.

Still, I should have been a lot more cautious who I let into my life—who I let into Abby’s life!

And that was the part that was unforgivable. If it had only been me she’d duped, I could have found a way to move past it, or at least to part on neutral terms. But it wasn’t just me. She’d played my daughter for a fool, pretending to care for Abby and letting her get close. Did it even bother her in the slightest how much Abby would be hurt when her brother’s deal was done—one way or the other—and she walked away?

The thought infuriated me, so much that I couldn’t keep still any longer. I paced back and forth across the office, trying to regain some semblance of calm, but an hour passed and then another, and it seemed there was none to be had.

Emma had to go. I had no idea what I was going to tell Abby, but the first step had to be getting the woman out of my house to at least stop her from causing any more damage. I debated barging into her room now and demanding she get the hell out, but not yet. I was still too angry.

First thing in the morning then. I’d approach her calmly and coolly and demand she leave. Fortunately for her, that merely meant a walk across the lawn since she happened to own the house next door.

But I didn’t want revenge. I just wanted her gone.