Knox tried to focus on his food, but the spicy, cheesy delicacy couldn’t hold his attention when a woman as beautiful and intriguing as Ema Kahue was sitting across the table from him. Had he really said she’d be lots of fun to wrestle with? Sheesh. Keep eating, son, and shut your mouth. It was Tyler’s voice, and it usually helped calm him down. He couldn’t hold back a grin as he remembered Ema using Natasha’s lines from Avengers to calm him down. He reminded her of a green, ugly Hulk? Great.

“What are you smiling at over there?” Ema’s voice interrupted his worries over what he’d said and what she thought of him.

He glanced up. His mom had tried to instill social etiquette in him. Ask about the other person was always her go-to advice. He wished he hadn’t spouted off about Paris and how evil she was, and he was surprised he’d talked about his mom and sisters a little bit. Ema was good at getting people to open up.

“Are you from the States?” he blurted out.

Ema cut a bite of her chimichanga and shook her head. “I grew up in Kauai.”

“Good for you.” He’d been right about the Polynesian heritage. “Why would you want to live here?”

She laughed. “I don’t live here.”

“Where do you live?”

“I have an apartment in San Diego, but I travel the nation with my show, so I’m rarely there.” She raised her eyebrows. “I like Texas, though, don’t you?”

He nodded. He loved the wide-open spaces and his ranch and home. The only things he missed about Montana were the mountains. Nothing else was left for him there. His only surviving sister and her family came to see him here. His dad was a shell of a person and Knox hadn’t seen him in years.

“Yeah, I love it here,” he said. “But isn’t Kauai like paradise?”

She smiled. “It is.”

“Do you miss it?” He’d been to Oahu and Maui and enjoyed both islands.

She nodded.

“What do you miss most?”

She chewed her bite and took a drink of water before saying, “I miss my family and I miss the mountains. I loved going on hiking adventures all over the island.”

“I liked hiking in Montana too.” They had something in common, but his home was in Texas now and there were zero mountains to hike. She wouldn’t want to stay here with him. What on earth was he thinking? She was a scheming reporter or reality show host or whatever she was, and he was a single dad who didn’t need a woman messing up his life. Knox shoveled in a huge bite of food and promised himself not to get so caught up in her beautiful smile or lilting laughter. It was just because he never went on dates that this fake date was affecting him so much.

By the time they finished their dinner, Knox had almost forgotten that the camera guy was there. The guy was good at being unobtrusive, setting up at a nearby table and not making a peep. Knox thought their conversation had gone pretty well, and he’d been civil, at least. He could practically see himself on that Wheaties box.

Then he remembered that he’d promised Claire he’d invite Ema to his ranch for another video shoot. Excitement and dread pulsed through him. He’d never let any cameras into his private sanctuary, but the terrifying truth was that he didn’t want to be done with Ema yet. Even though a relationship with a woman could never go anywhere for him, he found himself wanting to spend more time with her.

The waitress brought their check, and he dropped a hundred in the holder and took one last drink of his water. He’d only been to Los Tios once before, but Ace’s family was extremely friendly and all seemed to remember him.

Ema started to stand, as if she was leaving. Knox caught her hand and she gasped. Warmth rushed through his body and pooled in his stomach. This woman was intoxicating, though it didn’t seem like she was trying to be. She was also gorgeous, original, and a little intimidating.

“Please don’t leave yet,” he said quietly.

She sat back down.

“I have a … proposition for you.”

Her eyes widened. “You do realize I’m filming this?”

Knox laughed; he couldn’t help it. “Not that kind of a proposition.”

She relaxed back into the seat. “I guess I deserved that. You’re getting back at me for saying I wanted to stay at your house when I first met you?”

“No.” He laughed again and it felt great. “No, I wouldn’t do that.”

She smiled and tilted her head to the side. Her shiny deep brown hair spilled over her firm shoulder.

Knox’s mouth went dry. He took a quick drink and then rushed out the words, “Claire wants me to invite you to my ranch and let you film the house and property, maybe go on a horseback ride together. Should make good footage for your show.” He didn’t care about the public seeing him, but he did care about helping Ema with her show. Psychoanalyzing his own motivation wasn’t Knox’s style, but he knew his desire to help Ema was much different from why he took good care of the other woman in his life.

“If I do let you guys in,” he rushed on, “you have to agree to go on a date with me tomorrow … no cameras.” He held his breath, wondering if she’d agree and wondering why on earth he was making this offer. He didn’t date, but the conviction he’d made after losing half of his platoon to stay unattached and not be devastated again seemed a little over the top as he stared into her deep brown eyes. He was attached to Shelby and Genevieve, and he needed to protect himself from being around someone who yanked him in like Ema. Yet he didn’t want to protect himself right now.

Ema studied him for long enough that he shifted slightly in his seat and had to force himself to hold her gaze. “Did your mama raise you to be a gentleman, Knox Sherman?”

Knox grinned. He’d won; he could feel it. “Yes, she did, ma’am.”

“I believe you.” She stood again, and he stood also. “Text me the details of this date and we’ll plan on filming at your home on Monday. Claire has my number.” She swept out of the restaurant and the camera guy followed her, still filming. Knox didn’t blame him; he’d film her too. She was breathtaking. He sank back into the seat, his heart pounding harder than if he’d just sprinted the forty.

Ace’s cousin, who he could never remember the name of, came back and removed a few plates, slipping the bill holder into her pocket. “You need change?”

Knox shook his head.

“Pretty girl you were with. Fun date?”

“Not really.”

She patted his shoulder consolingly. “Ace and Rennen have both mentioned how great you are with your daughter. You’ll find an amazing woman to be her mama someday.”

Knox’s head shot up and he moved away from her touch. “No, I won’t. I’m raising my daughter alone.”

She drew back and spun away, muttering, “Stupid men. Always think they can do everything alone.”

Knox stood and strode from the restaurant. He hadn’t needed the reminder that he was stupid. Daydreaming about a woman, and a reporter-type at that. He could never allow someone like Ema access to Shelby. Yet he couldn’t help being excited about their date tomorrow.