Life settled the next day. Knox felt horrible about hanging up on Ema and telling her they would never work, but he needed to distance himself from the whole fiasco. Except Shelby kept asking about Miss Hawaii and wondering when she was coming over, and Knox made the mistake of going into the room Ema had slept in and sniffing the pillowcases. They smelled like a tropical island. He was never going to Hawaii again. There were plenty of other warm vacation spots.

He worked out for over four hours in the morning while Shelby played in the toy room, and he occasionally took breaks to give her attention. They spent the afternoon horseback riding and swimming. Nellie had prepared a feast with spare ribs and au gratin potatoes, and she, Genevieve, and Brig had eaten with them. Knox felt like Brig could become a close friend, which he really needed. After dinner, he and Shelby went on a walk by the lake and threw rocks.

Knox was proud of himself for almost making it through an entire day without Ema. It would get easier. He’d lost enough people to know that. He cursed himself for ever letting her in. He’d known losing her would hurt, but he hadn’t realized it would feel like his insides had been carved out and his memory would be assaulted nonstop by every cute quip she’d made, the way she’d smiled at him, how it felt to dance with her, and those kisses.

He groaned and chucked another rock in the lake.

“Good splash!” Shelby yelled.

Knox ran his hand over her golden curls.

“Aunt Genny say we has a special movie night in the big room.”

“Oh, what movie?” They usually just watched movies in Shelby’s bedroom. There was a leather couch and a flat-screen in there, and often a movie would put her to sleep, so it was easier.

“I not know. She said it’s a prize, but she said there’d be poppycorn!”

“Sounds great.” Knox took Shelby’s hand and they walked slowly back to the patio and through the rear doors.

Genevieve was bustling around the living room, setting up drinks and popcorn.

“Are we having guests?” Knox joked. The only guests they ever had were his sister and her family, Claire occasionally, and … Ema. His heart sank. Ema would never be in his home again.

Genevieve smiled at him. “Sit down. Claire’s coming over.”

“Oh. Okay.” Knox didn’t really mind, but he’d rather not talk to Claire right now. She had the ability to pull crap out of him and he’d rather keep the crap in right now.

They settled into the couch with Shelby leaning against his left shoulder. It was almost seven and she’d had an active day with no nap. He cuddled her close and offered a prayer of gratitude. He might never find someone like Ema again, but at least he had his daughter and he didn’t think Paris would dare show her face anytime soon.

Genevieve sat by them. “Before the show, I need to talk to you about something.”

Knox nodded, but he didn’t really want to talk. Please don’t let it be about Ema.

“You think you’re a beast, Knox, but you’re not.”

“My daddy’s not a beast,” Shelby protested. “He the best.”

Knox’s heart felt light and happy at his daughter’s opinion.

Aunt Genny smiled. “Exactly. You would never hurt someone who was innocent or needed protection. You’re a true gentleman, Knox, and I know you can control the beast inside of you. Only unleash him when you need him.”

Knox swallowed hard and trailed his fingers through Shelby’s curls. “Thanks, Aunt Genny.” Her evaluation meant a lot to him and hearing the words cemented them in his mind. He could control the beast.

The doorbell rang.

“I got it,” Genevieve exclaimed, jumping to her feet and hurrying out of the room.

Knox raised his eyebrows at Shelby. Aunt Genny was acting much too excited. He supposed she hadn’t seen Claire in a while, and the two women enjoyed each other’s company. He needed to send Aunt Genny and Nellie on a vacation together. Maybe Claire could help him set something up before the regular season started and life got too busy.

He heard the front door open, footsteps enter, and Claire’s voice. Claire and Genevieve arrived in the great room, and Claire was all smiles. “There’s my girl!”

Shelby scrambled from Knox’s arms and ran to her, about knocking the petite lady off her feet. Claire was wearing spike heels as usual, so no wonder she was wobbly on her feet. Knox remembered Brig asking if he could take Claire out instead of getting a raise. He smiled. “Hey, was Brig at the gate?”

Claire’s head whipped up and she pinned him with a glance. “Yes, he was.”

“Did he … ask you anything?”

“Just if my ID was current,” Claire said drily.

Knox nodded, disappointed. If he and Ema couldn’t be happy, he wanted somebody to be. Was there something in Claire’s eyes though when he’d asked about Brig? Hmm.

Genevieve was messing with something on the television, and Shelby ran and plopped herself onto Knox’s lap. “Movie!” she yelled.

Claire sat down on the other couch, but she was looking at Knox, not the movie.

“What?” he asked.

“You okay?”

He shrugged, idly listening as the show began to play.

“Today on Live Like a Celeb, we have none other than the Beast, Knox Sherman.”

Knox spun to face the television the second he heard Ema’s voice. He drank in the beauty of her and the sound of her voice, until it fully sank in what these women were trying to trick him into.

“What’s going on here?” Knox asked, half rising out of his seat, lifting Shelby with him.

“Hey, I wanna watch Miss Hawaii,” Shelby protested.

“Sit down, Knox,” Claire demanded.

“Please, Knox,” Genevieve begged. “You need to watch this.”

Knox blew out a breath and wearily sank into the seat. “I’m firing both of you,” he grumbled at Genevieve and Claire.

Claire laughed and Aunt Genny shot him a withering look.

Knox settled back and studied Ema’s beautiful face on the screen. It had been almost two days. He longed for her, and seeing her with him on the screen brought a little bit of the joy they’d shared back into his life. It was awkward to watch himself, but he had to admit Ema did a great job of making him look good. And was it just him, or did the chemistry between them sizzle onscreen? He needed a cold drink of water.

The show had been going for about ten minutes when he whispered to Claire, “So I’m guessing she had nothing to do with the other video?”

“It was all Mike.”

Knox was too relieved to respond. He soaked up Ema’s voice, her face, her sparkling personality. He appreciated Claire and Aunt Genny conning him into watching this and imagined they were hoping it would spur him to find Ema and apologize. If he did, would she even accept it? The fact that she hadn’t been part of the degrading show and was working hard to make him look good now didn’t change the fact that he was too intense for her and her career was the most important thing in her life. Aunt Genny telling him he could control the Beast had really touched him, but even if he believed that, would Ema? He held Shelby closer.

Ema stood inside the archway of Knox’s foyer. Claire had sweet-talked the gray-haired guard, Brig, into letting Ema in without telling Knox. She was afraid he would put up more of a fight, but Claire had been pretty convincing, telling him Knox wouldn’t be upset with him and he couldn’t possibly stand in the way of true love. Brig’s blue eyes had twinkled at Claire as he told her he was a firm believer in true love.

True love? Ema’s stomach filled up with butterflies.

Her hands trembled as she leaned against the wall and tried to listen to what was going on. At first she’d simply savored the sound of Knox’s voice and knowing he was on the other side of the wall, but when he about turned into the Hulk as her show started, her heart had sunk. Maybe she should just walk back to the guard station and ask Brig to return her to her hotel again. She couldn’t do this.

Minutes slid by quickly as she talked herself into and out of confronting Knox. What good would come of it? Would he forgive her for exposing Shelby? Would he ever want a relationship with someone who might throw his daughter back in the limelight?

She heard the show wrap up and her own voice brightly telling the world that Knox Sherman was one of the most loyal and exceptional men she’d ever met, only the Beast on the football field or when someone he loved was in danger. Silence fell for a few beats. Someone must’ve turned the television off. This was her cue, but she froze.

“I wish Miss Hawaii would come back,” she heard Shelby say.

“Me too.” The deep rumble could only be Knox. Ema’s heart rate picked up, and she forced her wooden legs to carry her around the archway and into the large living room.

Knox turned at the sound of her footsteps, standing but not rushing toward her like she’d hoped. “Ema,” he murmured, shock in his dark eyes.

“Ema!” Shelby wiggled from her father’s arms and raced to her.

Ema crouched down and opened her arms. Hugging the little girl close, she had to keep blinking to stop the tears from racing past the safety net of her eyelashes.

“You came back,” Shelby said, pulling back from the hug and grinning at her.

“I brought her,” Claire said. She plucked Shelby out of Ema’s arms and Ema stood. “And me and you are going to go on a walk with Aunt Genny to see the horses.”

“Otay! Miss Hawaii and Daddy come?”

“Maybe later.” Claire winked at Ema and the three of them swept by and out the front entrance.

Ema’s gaze darted to Knox, who hadn’t left his spot next to the couch. She took a few cautious steps his direction, and he stood. She admired his broad frame and thought how empty his chest looked without her cuddled into it. His gaze swept over her, but he didn’t say anything.

Ema walked closer until she was only a few feet away. Not close enough to smell his familiar enticing scent, but close enough to see the indecision and maybe even some warmth in his dark gaze. “I need to apologize,” she began.

“No, I was the one in the wrong,” he rushed to say.

Ema blinked up at him. “You weren’t wrong.”

“I’m too brash and rough and I know I can’t change overnight, but I want to change. I would never hurt you, Ema.”

“You were protecting your daughter,” she protested. “And you were protecting me. I know you’d never hurt me.”

He nodded and said, “I will still turn into the Beast if anyone tries to hurt either of you.”

Ema smiled sadly. “I’m so sorry I put you in a situation where Paris came back and Shelby was exposed.”

Knox lifted his shoulders. “You know I will protect her with my life, but Brig and I took care of Paris and her minion easily. I still want to keep Shelby out of the media, but I think I’ve been a little extreme keeping her from everything. I know at some point she’s going to grow up and I’ll have to let her live … a little bit.”

Ema’s heart lightened. Knox’s first priority was Shelby, which it should be, but he’d also realized he could protect her without pushing everyone away to do it. “That’s a good plan.”

He smiled, and it was beautiful.

Ema eased closer. “I wondered about another plan you had.”

“Which one?” But his eyes were growing warmer and she felt the barriers crashing down between them.

“The one where I try to secure as many shows as I can in Texas, and when I have to travel, you lend me a private jet so I can spend most of my time here.” She winked at him. “I think that plan includes you and I dating exclusively and me trying to tame the Beast.”

He grinned. “Whoever came up with that plan is brilliant.” He crossed the short distance between them and reached his hand out.

Ema placed her palm in his. His hand was much larger, but the fit felt just right. “I think so too,” she returned.

“Ema.” He tenderly lifted his other hand and cupped her chin. “Forgive me for being an idiot and scaring you. I really want you to tame me.”

She scooted in closer, released his hand, and wrapped both her hands around his neck. “Not too tame, though. I like the way the Beast kisses me.”

Knox grinned. He bent down and claimed her lips with his own. His lips were warm and all-encompassing. His hands tugged her closer and closer. As they kissed, he slowly started moving his hips and feet, waltzing her around the room.

Ema pulled back and laughed. “Combining kissing and dancing, are we?”

“I figured you wouldn’t realize how horrible I am at dancing if I kissed you while I attempted to dance.”

“I’ll teach you to dance too.”

Knox kept moving, and she followed his lead. “It seems like I’m asking a lot of you—flying home to me every spare minute, taming the Beast, teaching me how to dance. What do you get out of this arrangement?”

“You have no clue how amazing you are at kissing.” Ema winked at him. “Plus you threw in the private jet offer.”

Knox threw back his head and laughed, but he sobered quickly as he bent closer to her. “Luckily for you, I’m willing to keep showing you how amazing I am at kissing. Over—” He kissed her. “—over—” A longer kiss. “—and over again.” This time he deepened the kiss, and Ema was lost in the joy and passion of the moment. An intricate dance began that had nothing to do with their feet, but Ema had never loved any dance as much as this one.