“You sure you’re okay?” Mike asked her for probably the sixth time as they drove out of Dallas and toward Knox’s ranch. It wasn’t yet nine a.m. and already her shoulders were in knots.

“Fine, thank you.” She studiously ignored him and clenched her hands together to stop the trembling as she looked out the window. “Are we close?” she asked the Uber driver.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Maybe you should film our approach,” she told Mike.

“Sure.” He grabbed his camera and pushed a few buttons.

At his signal, she started a cheerful speech about approaching Knox Sherman’s ranch and how beautiful the wide-open spaces of Texas were and how lucky they were to get this exclusive look into Knox Sherman’s life that no one else had ever had the privilege of, et cetera. She hardly heard the words she was spouting and hoped they made sense. The green fields interspersed with trees and small ponds looked like a golf course rather than a ranch. There were a few No Trespassing signs. Was this all Knox’s property?

Knox Sherman. In a few minutes, she’d see him again. How was he going to act? How was she going to respond? She just wanted this day over and her career on the right path. Big girl panties. She had them on, and she could deal with Knox Sherman.

They reached an imposing gate, and a white picket fence extended out from it in either direction. Yet this was no low white picket fence like in the movies. It was at least nine feet tall and the slats were close together, and as the driver rolled down Ema’s window so she could speak with the guard, Ema heard the hum of electricity. Knox was serious about protecting his daughter. She liked that about him. Part of her wished she could meet his little girl today, but she knew better than to even ask that, especially with Mike trailing her with the camera.

The guard was almost as big as Knox with a fierce expression on his handsome face and prematurely gray hair. He looked over her and Mike’s driver’s licenses and asked them to please wait, taking their IDs back with him into the guard station. Five minutes later, Ema was giving Mike and the camera a roll of her eyes as the guard finally returned. “What did you do, check our IDs through the federal government’s system?”

“Yes, ma’am, I did.” He didn’t smile, but there was a slight twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

“And I passed?” She gave the camera a significant glance and swiped her brow. “Whew, that was probably a close one.”

The guard’s brow furrowed. “Ma’am, the safety of Knox Sherman is not a joking matter.”

Ema pressed her lips together, pretending to hide laughter for the camera’s sake, but she was intrigued by the guard’s apparent devotion to Knox. Nothing about Knox seemed much to joke about. She’d hoped last night she could have fun with him, but that had been shot to heck pretty quick.

“This car cannot be allowed onto the property,” the guard continued, his eye running over the Jetta suspiciously. “Unless you want to wait half an hour for me to check it thoroughly.”

Ema shook her head. No, she wanted to get this day over with. Sitting for half an hour would be torture.

“Would you like me to summon a driver to get you and your companion to the house, or would you prefer to walk?”

Ema would love to walk, but Mike might not appreciate carrying his equipment very far. “How far is the house?” She could see some outbuildings not too far away, but who knew how big Knox’s ranch was.

“About a quarter of a mile.”

She glanced at Mike. “You up to it?”

“Sure. Should make some good footage. It’s a beautiful property.”

She smiled her thanks. “Let’s do this.”

The guard got her door and she stepped out. She pulled out her phone to tip the Uber driver, but the guard surprised her by handing the guy a twenty-dollar bill. At her arched eyebrows, he said, “Mr. Sherman instructed us all to take very good care of you, ma’am.”

She pumped her eyebrows at the camera. “Oh, he did, did he?” Her nerves were about frazzled and they hadn’t even seen Knox yet. Was he still feeling guilty about the way he’d treated her last night, or was there some small part of Knox Sherman that actually cared about her? She blinked to clear those thoughts and waited for Mike to pull out his equipment; then they slowly walked through the gate and up the paved road.

Mike took in all the views with his camera—the wooded section; the large lake that appeared on their left and stretched out of sight in front of them, complete with a dock and rowboats; the horse arena, which was on the right of the driveway a hundred yards later with beautiful barns that looked straight out of the eighteenth century with preserved distressed wood and huge doors and windows. Oh, Ema loved this place already. She’d always been a sucker for cowboys and horses, hence the love of Sloane Kent. Had she been crazy, or had that bugged Knox a little bit last night?

A hundred yards later, the trees cleared and they saw a sweeping lawn leading up to a house that Ema loved on sight. It was made of rough-hewn stone and had an eighteenth-century appeal, but it was like the architect had mixed a little Southern style with England Tudor. The home was three glorious stories high and a wraparound porch and white railings surrounded each story. Massive windows competed with the stone for space.

Ema had toured some impressive homes in her days of filming Live Like a Celeb, but from the exterior, she was already falling in love with this one. The asphalt changed to concrete as they walked up a circular drive with beautifully manicured grass and flower beds, massive trees to shade the house, and a water feature that was like a man-made stream started on each side of the front porch and rolled down over river rocks to greet them.

Standing on the front porch was none other than the Beast himself. Knox Sherman looked perfect in a gray button-down shirt that had a few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up, showcasing some of the splendid muscle she knew personally he housed there, courtesy of their one real dance last night. The shirt molded to his chest muscles like only high-quality fabric could do. His deep blue Levis encased his long, tough legs perfectly, and peeking out underneath were … cowboy boots. If she didn’t dislike this man so much, she’d really like him.

Her heartbeat picked up to triple speed and Mike cleared his throat, reminding her that she’d stopped talking. “Edit it out,” she muttered to him, drinking in the view of Knox.

Knox strode down the steps with a practiced smile on his face, studiously avoiding looking directly at her. From the uneasy look in his eyes, he wasn’t any happier about Ema being here than she was. Ema should’ve walked to meet him, but her feet were melded to the concrete walkway. She simply stood and stared as he approached.

He held out his hand to Mike first, which bugged her immensely. Was he afraid to touch her? “Knox Sherman. Thanks for coming.”

Mike shifted his camera to his shoulder and shook his hand. “Thanks for having us. Beautiful place you’ve got here.”

“Thank you.” Knox released Mike’s hand and his gaze slid over to Ema, where it froze. His jaw dropped slightly and he murmured, “You look beautiful today, Miss Kahue.”

Ema’s eyes widened. She straightened her silky floral shirt, paired with black skinny jeans. They’d said something about riding a horse, so she’d opted for jeans, but she wanted to look professional. But then her eyes narrowed as she realized that, along with his compliment, he’d gone back to formal names. Well, two could play at that game. “Thank you, Mr. Sherman.”

His brows drew together. “Knox, please.” He didn’t offer his hand like he had with Mike, but that was probably just as well. The way his gaze lit her up, his touch would zing her.

“Only if you call me Ema,” she challenged, planting her hands on her hips.

“Done.” His true smile burst out and Ema stuttered a step. Sheesh, he was the beautiful one. He was called a Beast on the field, but he was also a pretty boy. Maybe that’s why he preferred the helmet on. Too many women getting a glimpse of his perfect face and he’d have to hire more guards to protect himself.

He gestured toward the front door. “Ready for the tour?”

“Sure.” They walked side by side up the long succession of steps, and his shoulder brushed hers. Ema’s stomach smoldered and all the sparkly warm feelings she’d had when they danced came back to the surface. You’re a professional, you got this, big girl panties, she tried to tell herself, but despite repeating Claire’s words, she truly had no idea how she’d get through this day. Maybe they could film really quick and be gone by lunchtime. With the footage Claire had sent over from the auction and what Mike already filmed from their date at Los Tios, they could make it work. Usually production had dozens of hours of film to work with to get the perfect shots and dialogue. With this little footage, it wouldn’t be a dynamite show, but everyone wanted to see Knox Sherman’s life and they at least would get a small glimpse.

“What do you have planned for us today?” Ema asked as Knox swung the twelve-foot door wide.

“I thought we could tour the house while I answer any questions, have lunch together, and then let you try to ride on one of my horses.”

She smirked at him. “Try? You worried about me staying on?”

He laughed. “No. You’ve got enough grit those mares wouldn’t dare step out of line.”

Ema bristled at that. Grit? She wanted to be attractive and sweet to him, but he thought she had grit? Okay, maybe that was a good thing. Claire would be proud. She had this. She was a professional.

Ignoring him, she turned and focused on the three-story entryway. It was exquisite, filled with natural light from all the windows. The rich wood flooring and trim around the windows and entryways looked lovely against the light grayish-brown walls. She especially loved the curving staircase with its mahogany railing and wood and carpet steps. It marched elegantly up to the second story, where a balcony looped overhead, showing entries to different rooms; then it continued up to the third story, and Ema could almost feel the privacy of that floor.

“Where would you like to start?” Knox asked quietly by her side.

She glanced at him. She could simply have Mike film his gorgeous face for hours, and their female viewers would be ecstatic. “Shall we start at the top and work our way down?”

His smile got tight. “The third story is my daughter’s and my private suites. We can start with the second story.”

Ema nodded quickly. She almost made a quip about the Beast’s lair, but she didn’t want to push him. She’d seen that Beast unleashed twice now, and though she hadn’t been afraid per se, she didn’t like him grumpy and she wanted to paint him in a good light for their viewers. He may have been judgmental and mean with her, but she would still do her best to make the show a positive experience for him.

They walked up the wide staircase as Mike trailed them with the camera. Knox reached out and placed his hand on her lower back, escorting her. The warmth from his large palm seared through her thin shirt. Ema sucked in a breath. Knox startled like his hand had acted on its own accord. He quickly pulled it back and clenched his fists at his side as they ascended the stairs.

Neither of them said much as he showed them the four suites on this floor, patiently waiting for Mike to carefully film the rooms from different angles. Ema’s favorite was an ocean room with bluish-gray walls and landscapes of the beach and ocean. The only suite that was occupied on this floor was by his daughter’s nanny, Genevieve.

“Where do the rest of your staff stay?” Ema asked.

“We have a guesthouse that can sleep fifty in the woods behind the horse barn. A few of my staff members reside there,” he said stiffly.

Ema whistled. “Fifty? Wow, you could have quite the party.”

“I’m not known for partying,” he said.

“Or for dancing,” she retorted, then felt guilty when his smile got even more forced.

He directed them to the end of the hall, where there was a massive gym on one side and a playroom on the other. “This is over the seven-car garage, so there’s plenty of space.”

Ema whistled as she took in the state-of-the-art gym equipment and the pool table, ping-pong table, arcade games, and a decent-sized climbing and slide area that would be perfect for any toddler to play on for hours. She glanced out the large rear windows and almost whistled again. “This view is incredible.” Striding to the window, she looked out over the pool and the landscaped area below them, and up to the sprawling grass and lake beyond that stretched into another wooded section.

“Thank you.”

“Can you show us how to use some of this equipment?” She loved to work out and was toying with him, but she wouldn’t mind watching him lift some weights. Would it be out of line to ask him to remove his shirt first? Her face heated up just thinking about it.

He arched his eyebrows but didn’t question her. Walking through the jungle of equipment, he explained briefly which muscles each machine worked, then showed them an impressive set of cable machines and free weights.

“We’d all love to see you in action.” She pumped her eyebrows at the camera.

Knox studied her, then turned and did a few slow reps of a reverse fly with the cable machine. Even through his shirt, it was easy to see the muscles in his upper back contracting.

“Thank you. That was impressive,” she managed to get out when he released the cable and turned back to the camera.

“Sure thing.” Was it her imagination or was his olive skin a hue darker?

He directed them toward the cardio equipment—a treadmill, a spin bike, an elliptical, and a rowing machine. Then they made their way through all the play equipment, and he and Ema played a game of pool. She tried to engage him in conversation or tease him, and while he gave her a few genuine smiles, he stayed pretty quiet.

He was being gracious and polite, but it was strained. Would all the viewers feel that, or was it just her? She knew he didn’t really want her here. The more she’d realized how protective he was of Shelby and his privacy, the more awful she felt about being here. This day had to be his biggest nightmare. What had Claire manipulated him with? Claire was a manipulator, no matter what she claimed.

They finally finished with the second story and headed back down the stairs, touring the formal dining area and spending a lot of time in his office talking about some of his sponsors and future plans with football. It took a few hours to get all the angles Mike needed and get Knox to look relaxed and answer questions without staring at the camera. She appreciated how patient he was being.

Ema glanced wistfully up the stairs to the third story as they reentered the foyer. She would love to see his bedroom. It would reveal such a huge piece of this incredible man. No, he wasn’t incredible. He was beastly, and she had no need to see his personal stuff.

She shook her head and prattled on to the camera about the woodwork and gorgeous windows as they walked through an archway off the entry and into a massive great room. The floor-to-ceiling windows gave a different view of the yard and greenery beyond what she’d glimpsed upstairs. There was a flat-screen on one wall with tasteful bookshelves and a fireplace below it. Leather couches and La-Z-Boys dotted the living area, but Ema’s heart warmed as she saw some princess books and Barbies strewn on the coffee table. Knox was a father, and from the way he protected his daughter, he was a good one. He hadn’t seemed happy that she’d researched him like she had, but she did that with all her shows. She wondered how he’d felt when he’d inherited a daughter and billions of dollars from his best friend.

The kitchen was adorned with mahogany cabinets, stainless steel, and granite countertops with more wood floors and trim around everything. A white-haired lady was busy working in there. “Oh, hello,” she called out to them. “Almost ready for lunch?”

“Yes, thank you, Nellie.” Knox nodded to them. “These are my friends, Ema and Mike.” He stumbled on the word friends, and Ema fought the urge to elbow him in that perfect gut of his. When she’d slugged him last night at the concert, she’d come up close and personal with all the muscle that protected his abdomen. Maybe he had to have muscle like that to keep himself safe on the football field. Or maybe he was just a muscle head who spent all his free time in that lovely gym upstairs.

“Welcome,” Nellie said warmly. “Usually the only guests we get are this guy’s sister and her rowdy boys. We’re happy to have you.”

“Thank you,” Ema said, wanting to know more about Knox’s sister and nephews than what she’d found online. Did he ever go see his father? “It smells delicious.”

“My famous beef enchiladas,” Nellie said. “Do you want to eat on the patio or in the dining room?” she asked Knox.

“The patio’s great,” Knox said quickly, then deferred to her. “Is that all right with you, Miss Kahue?”

“Ema,” she said automatically. “Yes, I’d love to eat outside.” There was a large informal dining room table in a glass-enclosed nook off the kitchen, but maybe that was reserved for family.

Knox escorted her out the patio doors and they got settled into a comfy outdoor dining set. It was a hot Texas afternoon but the shade and quiet fans on the patio kept them comfortable. Lunch went okay. The food was delicious, but their conversation was stilted and awkward. Knox’s gaze kept swerving to the camera.

“Ignore Mike,” she whispered, scooping up a bite of guacamole with a chip.

“Now that’s not very nice,” Knox whispered back.

Mike chuckled from behind the camera, which was rare for him. He usually made no sound at all.

Ema smiled. “He’s used to being ignored. Just talk to me like it’s only the two of us.”

“With millions of people listening in.” Knox spooned another enchilada onto his plate.

Ema closed her eyes, praying for patience. They’d been filming for hours and he still wasn’t comfortable. At least their editors were good. They would have the auction, some decent footage at Los Tios, the house, and the upcoming horseback ride to work with. Usually they had hours of fun, laid-back interaction with the celebrities and their families. What they had today would have to be enough, because Knox was giving her no insight or interesting facts about him or his life and she was reluctant to push him. Last night still stung.

Knox touched her hand. Her eyes flew open. She stared into his dark gaze and read so many things there—compassion, understanding, regret. “I’m trying, Ema.”

She nodded. Why couldn’t he be like this all the time? Open and easy to read. “I know this isn’t easy for you. Thank you for trying.”

He squeezed her hand and then released it and picked up his fork, taking another bite of the enchilada.

“The food is fabulous,” Ema said, trying for a safe subject. “Has Nellie been with you long?”

“When I brought Shelby home as a newborn, I hired a whole bunch of staff I hadn’t needed before. That’s when I found Nellie. She, Aunt Genny, and Brig—my head of security—all relocated with me from Boston.”

Ema took a sip of her water, her stomach too full to eat any more. “What other staff do you have?”

He pursed his lips and took almost a two-count before saying, “Security, cleaning, grounds crew, maintenance, horse caretakers. I think that’s all.”

“How many do you employ?”

“I believe we have twenty-eight full-time positions right now. I have a personal assistant who manages the estate and most of the staff.”

“You didn’t mention a nanny.”

“I did. My Aunt Genny.” He gave her a look that warned she was treading on sacred ground. “She’s more like a fun grandmother, and she’s been with me since I got custody of Shelby as a newborn. The young nannies we tried were …” He shook his head and didn’t finish.

“Were what? You just can’t leave that hanging out there.” Oh man, the water was heating up. She’d better slow down on the questions about Shelby.

He glanced at Mike and finally muttered, “More interested in me than Shelby.”

Ema sat back on the cushioned chair, surprised he’d admitted that. She could see where it could be a problem—famous, rich, handsome football player with a darling little girl. What woman wouldn’t be enamored by him? Well, at least until she caught a glimpse of his beastly side.

“Can you cut that part?” Knox asked Mike, shifting uncomfortably.

Mike laughed. “Sure, man. We’ll cut anything that bothers you or doesn’t make you look good, I promise.”

Knox gave him a thumbs-up. “Thanks, bud.”

Mike nodded, smiling. At least the two of them seemed to be getting along. Ema had been worried with Mike always badgering her to date him and her interest in Knox. She hoped no one noticed that interest.

Knox glanced back at Ema. “You ready to try riding?”

“Yes, sir.” She jumped up, excitement coursing through her. “I’ve always wanted to ride a horse.”

“Really?” Knox stood and they fell into step together, walking down the patio steps, past the pool area, and around the side of the house toward where she’d seen the stables. “You’ll love it. Do you want to go on a long ride or just stay in the corral?”

“Long ride, please.” She glanced up at him.

“Sounds good.” He whipped around to face Mike. “You didn’t get any lunch,” he said, as if he’d suddenly realized Mike had filmed rather than eaten.

“It’s okay. I can eat later.”

“We’ll get some footage of the barn and Ema riding in the corral; then Nellie will take good care of you while we go on a longer ride.” Knox grinned as if the thought of having Ema to himself was a good one. She liked the idea too. As long as he stayed nice. Would he apologize again if they were away from the camera? What if he turned into the Beast when they were out on the ride and she had no escape? She couldn’t simply run and yell for a taxi.

They perused the spacious barn and met all the horses. Knox was sweet with his horses, and Ema liked that. The head horse guy, John, saddled two horses and followed them out to the corral.

Knox took the brown horse’s reins and gestured Ema in front of him into the corral. “Bubba is my gentlest horse. You’ll like her.”

“You named a girl Bubba?”

His beautiful full smile made its appearance. “You’ll have to blame Shelby for that one. The horse was named Bobbie Sue, but Shelby always calls her Bubba and it stuck.”

“I’d like to meet Shelby someday.”

Knox’s smile dimmed. “If you come over without Mike, I might be able to arrange that.”

Was he flirting with her? “I’m pretty good at ditching Mike,” she said.

“Hey, I heard that!” Mike called out.

Ema flashed the camera a smile. “Can you blame me? What woman wouldn’t want time alone with this guy?”

Knox stopped rubbing the horse’s nose next to her, and she turned to find him laser-focused on her. “Did you mean that, or are you just playing to the crowd?”

Ema met his gaze head-on and said evenly, “I’m not really sure, to be honest. When you’re not in beast mode, you’re a pretty nice guy, but I don’t really like beast mode.”

He studied her before saying, “My football fans like beast mode.”

“I’m not a football fan,” she shot back.

“And here I started thinking you were the perfect woman.”

Ema’s eyes widened and the air seemed to pulse between them. He reached out and took her hand and that pulse turned to a vibration. Ema swallowed, ready to tell him she really did enjoy football, but he cut off any response she might have made by lifting her hand to the horse’s neck and saying, “Rub her neck and let her get used to your smell and touch.”

Ema did as instructed, not minding the smell of the horse and liking her soft coat. “I thought you said Bubba was gentle.”

“She is, but it’s always a good idea to get to know your horse.”

Ema continued stroking until Knox said, “All right, I think we should be good. Let’s get you up on your horse.”

“I got this.”

Knox smiled softly at her. “Yeah, you do.”

She grabbed the horn and tried to lift her left foot enough to put it in the stirrup, but her pants were just a bit too restrictive. Straining, she managed an embarrassed whisper. “I can’t get my foot up there. My pants are too tight.”

Knox looked startled for a second, and then he laughed. “I guess to look as good as you do, you have to make some sacrifices.”

Ema shook her head, mortified that this was on film and Knox was laughing at her. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to ride a horse. Knox wrapped his large palms around her waist and plucked her off the ground like she weighed nothing. “Whoa!” Ema cried out. The horse shied away from them.

“Calm down, Bubba,” Knox soothed.

John hurried to their side and ushered Bubba back next to them. All the while, Ema was suspended in the air, Knox’s strong hands holding her. It was awkward and exhilarating. She liked his touch far too much.

“Grab hold of the horn again and put your foot in the stirrup,” Knox instructed. She did. “Now, are your pants too tight to swing one leg over?”

She ignored him and swung her right leg over the saddle, jamming her right foot into the stirrups.

Knox released his hold and smiled up at her. “See, you’ve got this.”

The way he said that reminded her of Claire. Did he and Claire share the same phrases, or had he heard his agent say that enough that he used it also?

Ema stared down at him, surprised how high she was up here. It was disconcerting to be on this huge animal’s back, staring down at a man who was easily six foot five. The ground was awfully far away and Ema felt like she had no control.

Knox took the reins and slowly led Bubba around the corral. He’d occasionally look back at Ema and give her a reassuring smile. She tried to sit tall, waving and smiling at the camera.

“You ready to go out for a ride around the ranch?” Knox asked.

“Yes, sir.” She wasn’t really sure, but she wanted to appear confident.

Knox walked them to the gate and John swung it open, taking the reins from Knox so he could mount his own horse.

“Daddy!” A beautiful little voice and a giggle rang through the air.

“Shelby?” Knox’s head whipped around and he sprinted away from the corral and across the wide expanse of grass, where an adorable child with blonde curls was running to him. An older lady was trailing behind her, calling, “Shelby, wait!”

Knox swept his daughter into his arms, and she laughed and framed his face with her chubby hands. “Daddy, I missed you!” She kissed him on the cheek.

Knox kissed her dimpled cheek and said, “I missed you too, baby. I’m almost done; then we’ll swim, okay?”

“Otay, but Genny won’t let me play outside until the peoples are gone.” She looked away from her daddy and toward Ema. “Hey! What’s that pretty lady doing on my Bubba?”

Ema had almost forgotten she was on the horse as she watched the tender interaction, wishing she could stay and swim with them. She waved quickly, then grabbed on to the saddle horn again. “Hi, Shelby. I’ve never been on a horse before and your daddy said Bubba was nice.”

Shelby giggled. “Bubba’s too slow, though!”

Knox’s face had changed from delight at seeing his daughter to remembrance of who was there. He sheltered Shelby with his body and glared at Mike. “You delete this footage immediately,” he growled.

Oh, no, the Beast was back. Ema wasn’t close enough to whisper that the sun was going down. Would it even help calm him?

Mike didn’t answer right away.

“Delete it now!” Knox bellowed.

“Don’t yell, Daddy,” Shelby said.

Mike lowered the camera and nodded. “You got it, man. No worries.”

“Thank you.” Knox’s shoulders sagged in relief.

The older lady reached them and put out her arms for Shelby. “You little sneak. You told me you were going to the bathroom.”

“Ah, Aunt Genny,” Shelby moaned, clinging to her daddy. “I can’t be stucka in my room all day. It’s my worst!”

Knox chuckled and nuzzled her neck with his nose, looking much more relaxed now the camera wasn’t filming. “Only another hour. Then we can swim, and Nellie told me she’s making us pizza for dinner.”

“Yeah, pizza! That’s my best. Do I get a cheese all to myself?”

“Yes, love, you do.”

Ema’s heart was melting. She understood why Knox didn’t want the world to see his beautiful daughter, but if they could glimpse this interaction, no one would ever call him a beast again.

“Go with Aunt Genny now.” He handed her off to the older lady.

“Otay, Daddy.” Shelby waved at Ema. “Bye, pretty lady. Have fun with my slow Bubba!”

“I will,” Ema returned.

Knox watched as Genevieve and Shelby made their way back to the house. He walked back to the corral and stopped next to Mike. “Thanks for being willing to cut that. I have to protect her.”

“Sure. No problem.” Mike pointed at Ema. “I’ll film you two riding away and get some footage of the lake and yard; then we should have plenty for the show.”

Knox pushed out a breath. “That’s a relief. Thanks. Then you can get some lunch.”

“Sounds great.” Mike grinned.

Knox walked to where John held the reins for both horses. “Thanks,” Knox said. He swung easily into the saddle and John handed him both sets of reins.

“Hey,” Ema protested. “I can hold my own, you know.” She wanted to ask more about Shelby, but it would have to wait until they were away from the camera.

Knox smiled. “I’m sure you’re ready for the Kentucky Derby, but let me lead you for a little bit.”

“Okay,” Ema conceded, secretly relieved that all she’d have to do was hold on to the saddle horn.

The horses started walking together away from the corral and toward the open field behind the house and outbuildings. Ema clenched her thighs to keep from swaying too much and clung to the horn. They rode by the lake and into the wooded section.

Ema glanced back and saw they were too far from Mike to be filmed any longer. They plodded along through the trees in silence for a while until she got the nerve to speak up about his daughter. “Shelby’s beautiful,” she said.

Knox glanced sharply at her. “Yes, she is.”

“I can see why you’re so protective of her.”

Knox pursed his lips and said, “You told me you researched me.”

She nodded. Last night, that had ticked him off royally. Should she try to turn her horse back? He was holding the reins, so she was stuck for the time being.

“So you know she’s Tyler’s daughter.”

She nodded again, relieved he seemed pretty calm.

“Tyler entrusted me with everything when he died, but the only thing that really matters is Shelby. I’ll protect her and love her until the day I die.”

“I pity the poor fool who tries to date her.” Ema bit at her lip. She shouldn’t have said that.

Knox’s brows drew together. “Nobody had better try.”

“At some point you’ll have to let her grow up.” Ema’s father had been ultra-protective, and their island small enough everyone knew she was the mayor’s daughter and reported everything she did back to him. One more reason she enjoyed living in the States.

Knox’s glare deepened. “Are we done talking about this?”

Ema raised her eyebrows, but a dose of fear pulsed through her. “Is the Beast going to come back if I push harder?”

Knox chuckled and his face softened. “Possibly.”

“All right. I concede.” She almost raised her hands up but didn’t dare release her grip. She didn’t want to meet the Beast again.

“How’s Bubba?”

“She’s a sweet old girl.” Ema smiled.

“Do you want to hold your own reins now?”

Ema took a deep breath. “Okay, I got this.”

“Yes, you do.” His gaze swept over her in a warm, appreciative way. Ema felt comfortable with him, for the moment, and she wished this wasn’t the end. He’d told her she could come back, sans Mike, and get to officially meet Shelby. Would she dare? Did she really want to?

It was Monday, and by Friday she’d be on to the next shoot while this one aired. Brady and Hailey Giles were her next assignment, and she was excited to meet the famous couple who had gotten so much exposure last year, what with their quick marriage and being stalked by a deranged housekeeper who’d been in love with Brady. Brady played for the Titans as well and Hailey was the owner’s daughter and a trainer for them. Ema would be in Dallas all week, so maybe she could come see Knox before she left, but it seemed pointless. Her career wouldn’t be slowing down anytime soon and she was usually in a different location every weekend. Even though Knox had been great since they’d come to his home and there was an obvious attraction between them, nothing could come of it.

They entered a large clearing, and Knox sidled his horse up close to hers and handed over her reins. Bubba skittered a little bit and Knox instructed, “Now, the important thing is to be firm. Hold the reins tightly and when you direct her right or left, do it like you mean it.”

“Firm,” Ema repeated, her breath quickening. She was now in charge of this massive animal. She pulled tightly and the horse backed up. “Whoa!”

Knox chuckled. “Not too tight. That means go in reverse.”

“Oh, gotcha.” She loosened her hold, but really she just wanted to sit still for a minute and get used to the reins in her hands. “Is your horse fast?”

“Flash? Yeah, he’s pretty fast.”

“With a name like that, he’d better be.” She looked around the open meadow. “I’d love to watch you, you know, ride fast.”

“Gallop?” Knox’s smile was mocking her, but his eyes were warm. “You just don’t want to move quite yet, do you?”

“You got it. Let me get used to holding Bubba’s reins while you put on a show for me, please.”

“Does anyone ever tell you no?”

“Besides you? Not usually.”

He grinned, kicked the horse’s flanks, and yelled, “Hiya!” His white horse flew across the meadow while Ema watched in awe. The horse and rider were both impressive—large, strong, and fast. She loosened her grip on the reins as she admired Knox’s skillful handling and rippling muscles.

A fly buzzed in front of her nose. Letting go of the reins, she swatted at it. She cried out in surprise when Bubba took off at a trot and the reins slipped to the ground. It was nowhere near as fast as Knox’s horse was going, but Ema wasn’t prepared and she had no clue how to keep her seat. She was jerked all over the place, and she bent forward to try to grab one of the reins that was bouncing up toward her.

She missed. Her body toppled to the side, and the ground rushed up to meet her. An explosion of pain ripped through the side of her face and everything went dark.