How the hell was it that no one had reported Emie missing yet? It just didn’t make any sense, though I supposed it was still early days, especially if her family didn’t live close by.
“Well, it doesn’t look like I’m married or engaged.” She raised her hand and wiggled her fingers—and sure enough, there was no wedding band or engagement ring.
Fucking hell… I let out a huge breath, unable to explain the immediate wave of relief that hit me. From the moment she’d stumbled into my life, there’d been something about her.
It suddenly felt like someone had set my soul ablaze, and it went well beyond the fact that Emie was beautiful, her long, red hair and freckles dancing against her porcelain skin. Her look was at once casual and yet striking, and she wore little to no makeup. Not that she needed it when she looked like she’d been painted by a Renaissance master.
I could envision the battles that would have been fought in an attempt to gain her attention and favor—and if this was my chance to be her knight in shining armor, then I’d gladly pick up my sword.
“I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before someone realizes you’re gone. Maybe you’re new to the Seattle area, and it’s taking your friends and family a little while to realize that you’re gone.” I hated the thought of her not having anyone out there who cared enough about her to realize she was missing. Yet at the same time, I found myself fighting back the urge to want to keep her all to myself.
“I’m sure you’re right.” But when her voice cracked and her eyes went red with threatening tears, I pulled her into my arms without a second thought, feeling like a total ass for being selfish and wanting her to be all mine.
My heart pounded inside my chest, her body fitting perfectly against mine as she leaned her head against my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist. “Hush, baby… I swear, everything will be okay. We’ll figure this out. And I’ll be right here by your side. I’m not going anywhere.”
She pulled away just enough so she could look up at me, as I cupped her face in my hands and brushed her tears away—and fuck, but she was so close. It took all I had to resist the urge to lean in and kiss her, the air between us crackling with tension.
But before I had a chance to do anything stupid, she put a little distance between us, giving me a shy smile. “I can’t imagine where I’d be right now if I hadn’t stumbled across your home. I’d probably be dead, since I have no doubt they’d have found me by now.”
I wanted to argue with her, but chances were good that she was right. Though Seattle was a great place to live and relatively safe, like most cities, there was a criminal underbelly to it. My family and I had stayed clear of the worst that took place, but it was impossible not to hear the whispers of black market deals that bartered in every commodity—drugs, guns…people.
If Emie had somehow managed to escape that sort of nightmare, then they’d want her found and eliminated. There was no way they’d let her run around loose if there was any chance she could lead the cops back to them.
“I know you don’t know me, Em, but I’ll see you through this. Whatever it takes.” Though if I had any hope of keeping her safe long-term, I’d need her to get her memory back.
“I’m hijacking your life—and yet you’ve been nothing but understanding and helpful when I have no one else.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, biting her bottom lip as if to keep it from trembling.
“Just because we haven’t found your family doesn’t mean that there’s no one out there, love. And until then, you have me.” I brushed the hair from her eyes, my fingers lingering on her skin as I fought back the urge to sink my fingers into her hair and haul her body to mine for a kiss that would make her forget all her worries. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Almost as if reading my mind, she went up onto the tips of her toes and leaned into me, pressing her soft, warm lips against mine in a sweet kiss. “I swear I’ll find a way to repay you for all you’ve done.”
I bit back a groan, catching it before it burst forth, though there was little to be done about my hard cock as it throbbed and strained against my jeans, reminding me that it’d been far too long since I’d last been with a woman.
It’s not that there weren’t plenty of women who’d happily take me to their beds. But I’d outgrown meaningless sex when I was in college, and if I was going to sleep with someone, I wanted to actually like them enough to have them hang around come morning and the days to come.
And when it came to Emie, despite barely knowing her, I sure as hell liked her enough to want her to stick around well beyond breakfast.
But that also meant I couldn’t be a total ass. I may desperately want her, but I had to let her set the pace, since I didn’t know what she’d been through, and the last thing I wanted to do was freak her out in any way.
“Let me show you to your room.” I grabbed her bags and led the way, as Bear got up to follow us, not wanting to miss anything. Though there were plenty of rooms in the place, I made sure to give her the room across the hall from mine, wanting her as close as possible, since I couldn’t just drag her off to my bed. At least not yet.
“What about you? Will you be nearby?” Her brow furrowed, and I hated that she still sounded uneasy and worried.
“I’ll be right across the hall if you need me—but you’re safe here, Em.” I cupped the back of her neck and closed the distance between us, needing to have her close once again. “No one’s going to find you all the way out here in the mountains. And if they do, they’ll have both me and Bear to deal with—and there’s no way in hell anyone’s getting by us.”
Emie was now my responsibility, and I’d be damned if I was going to fail her, when it would seem like the rest of the world already had.
“I swear, Locke…you and Bear…you’re the only reason I feel safe.” Letting out a ragged sigh, she slipped her arms around my waist and rested her head against my chest as I tucked her head under my chin and held her close, engulfing her with the hope that she’d feel protected in my arms.
I’d heard my family joke about how the Blackthorn men usually fell fast and hard for the woman they were meant to be with, but it wasn’t until this very moment that I felt the magnitude of it. Because it was quickly becoming clear to me that Emie was unlike any other woman I’d ever met—and I wanted a whole lot more than simply being her friend while she had no one else.