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  He stood and gracefully moved around the table toward her. His black jeans molded to him like a second skin, and his tight black sleeveless Chinese shirt revealed his lightly tanned midriff. His darkly dangerous looks took her breath away. Emma fought the conflicting urges to either throw him onto the table and cover him with kisses or turn and run. Their eyes met, and she was unable to tear her gaze away 24

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  from his, the burning hazel-green color flashing with hints of a rusty red.

  “Welcome,” he said, his Irish lilt like a lover’s caress, soft and smooth. “Welcome home.” He reached out, gently taking her hands in his.

  “Thank—um, I’m happy to be here,” she said, quickly changing her answer as she remembered how much they all disliked being thanked. Her voice was barely audible, her mouth gone dry as dust. An electric tingle traveled up her arms and washed over her like a soft shower of sparks. His eyes seemed to glow from deep within as if he knew precisely what kind of effect he was having on her body.

  “This will be Kian, as I’m sure you remember the great dirty lout. And don’t you be letting him sweet-talk you, he cares for none but himself, so he doesn’t,”

  Tilly said, smacking Kian’s hands away and breaking the threads of the spell he’d begun to weave around Emma.

  “Tilly,” Kian said, a warning note in his voice.

  “Oh, sit down and let the poor child eat. Anyone can see she’s naught but skin and bones,” Tilly said.

  She glared at Kian and gave him a firm push toward the seat he had just left, swatting him on the butt with the wooden spoon she seemed to always be carrying.

  He jumped and quickly sat down, grinning.

  “Ah, not skin and bones, no, she’s just right,” Kian said, his gaze traveling over Emma’s softly curved body.

  Emma smiled shyly and sat down, blushing and dropping her eyes to the plate Pin set in front of her.

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  She could not remember the last time a man had looked at her with such open desire. Brian certainly hadn’t. The only thing Brian had looked at with unbridled lust was her checkbook, never her. And even though Brian had jealously accused her of carrying on an affair with him, she had never met Muffin in person. She picked up the fork laid beside the plate and took a bite. The stew, served in a bread bowl on a plate, was the best she had ever tasted. It had gotten quiet, and she looked up to find Tilly and Pin watching her anxiously. “This is very good,” she said.

  The ladies visibly relaxed. “’Tis an old recipe, nothing special,” Tilly said, beaming.

  Emma turned her head and it seemed as if all the air in the room rushed out. Kian gazed at her from across the table. His eyes were locked on her chest, the heat from his stare soaking through the thin cotton of her dress. Suddenly acutely aware of the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed, she wanted to sink into the floor with embarrassment, feeling the giveaway tingling as her nipples tightened. She blushed, her face growing hot.

  He raised his gaze to hers and slowly blinked. He smiled lazily, flashing those dangerously sharp teeth at her again. Every muscle she had tightened with the rush of desire that flooded her as he ran the tip of his tongue over his full lips.

  Oh, Lord. Everything inside her turned to liquid. I don’t remember him being quite this sexy.

  Kian stood suddenly and stretched in a languid 26

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  feline movement, raising his arms high over his head.

  “Well, there’s wood I’ll be chopping waiting in the side garden. Lovely Miss Emma, I’ll be seeing you at dinner then,” he said, his gaze drifting over her once more.

  Emma felt the heat radiating from him, like standing beside a bonfire. Watching him walk out the back kitchen door, the way the fabric of his faded black jeans moved and the sound of his boot heels sent another shiver of desire through her. She imagined pushing those jeans down his thighs and wrapping her legs around his waist as he pushed her against the wall and—

  “Eat!” Tilly said sharply, smacking the table with her spoon.

  Emma jumped and turned back to her lunch. “Yes, ma’am,” she said with a grin, blushing furiously. The room seemed cooler somehow now that Kian had gone.

  * * * * * *

  Kian made a side trip up to his attic room. An image popped into his head and he missed the next two steps, nearly taking a tumble down the stairs. The fleeting fantasy of Emma with her legs wrapped around his waist was gone as fast as it arrived, leaving him uncomfortably aroused.

  Swallowing hard, he managed to get inside and sat down at the computer. He had given PoohLady his email address long ago. Just maybe, she had sent him 27

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  a note. He quickly logged on. Remembering her veiled references to the too-controlling boyfriend, he was still a bit worried for her safety.

  He opened his email program and read the senders list. There was nothing from PoohLady.

  Disappointed, he deleted the spam and glanced over the few that were left. He clicked on the chat link and saw the usual people there. Settling into his chair, he smiled and forgot all about his wood chopping in favor of a spirited conversation on the merits of his favorite video game.

  * * * * * *

  After lunch, Emma looked around the cluttered little office area in the corner of the Library. She picked up a framed photo and smiled fondly as another memory of Aunt Chloe surfaced. They had traveled all over the world in search of the strange and unusual. She had never really believed the way Great Aunt Chloe had but she had enjoyed the trips to exotic places and cultures. Emma sat down at the desk and began to go through the files and records of the bed and breakfast business.

  Emma caught Tilly and Pin both peeking in as she worked, quietly going about their daily chores. She smiled as she worked; amused at the way they seemed to feel it was their job to see that she was comfortable. The Brownies made sure that the tea in Emma's cup never cooled too much or ran low, and that there was always a cookie warm from the oven 28

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  close at hand.

  Emma sat back and huffed, blowing her soft light brown hair out of her eyes. Great-Aunt Chloe had run her business rather casually. Emma grimaced. She needed a good computer set up and Internet access.

  Levering herself out of the chair behind the desk, she picked up her now empty teacup and plate, heading for the kitchen.

  “Tilly,” she said as she stepped into the room.

  “And what are you doing with those? You let us be seeing to the likes of the dishes and such.” Tilly snatched the offending objects away.

  “Tilly, I've had a look at things and I'm going to make a few changes.”

  “Ah, changes?” Tilly’s voice held an uncomfortable note. Pin goggled at Emma.

  “Yes.” Emma smiled at their worried frowns. “It's not anything major, I'm just going to have someone come out and install another phone and I’ll be setting up a computer in the library. It will help with running the business.”

  “Ah, the Puca will not be liking strangers from the town lurking about.” Tilly pursed her lips in disapproval.

  “He won’t bite, will he?” Emma asked, concerned.

  “Aye, he might. He only barely tolerates the guests.” Tilly eyed Emma speculatively.

  “Well, we’ll just tie him up on the back porch while the service men are here,” Emma smiled.

  “T-tie him up?” Pin grinned. “Oh, th-that wo-would be a f-fine sight indeed.”

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  “By the way, when was the last time Pookie went to the vet?” Emma asked, reaching for her purse and keys hanging on a peg by the kitchen door.

  “The vet? I don’t think I recall a vet.” Uncertainty colored Tilly’s voice.

  “Right. Well, we’ll worry with that later.”

  The Brownies relaxed visibly, and Emma resisted the urge to laugh. “I'm going into town to look for a computer store, is there anything you'd like me to bring back?�
��

  Tilly brightened. “We've run low on coffee, so we have, most of the guests will be wanting it with their breakfast in the mornings.”

  “Okay, I'll see what I can get. Be back later, ladies.”

  Emma picked up her purse and keys, walking out to her jeep.

  The drive into town was pleasant. The forest was as beautiful as she remembered it. She tried to picture tract homes surrounding a golf resort there and could not quite manage it. The town just wasn’t large enough for something like that. Still mystified as to why the developers wanted to buy the area, Emma put the thought aside and went back to looking at the scenery.

  Emma saw a grocery store and stopped to buy several pounds of coffee. The store was busy with tourists and held a good selection of goods.

  She had noticed a computer store in town when she had driven through on her way to the house and set out to find it again. Walking inside, she was met by a wonderfully cute and impeccably dressed dark-

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  haired technician. He told her his name was Aiden.

  Emma spent the next hour enjoying Aiden’s attention as he helped her pick out the perfect computer. When she paid for it, he offered to come to the house on his own time to deliver it and set it up for her. Something in his smile reminded her of Kian, and she felt a little thrill of desire at the thought of the handyman.

  She left the store with Aiden’s phone number and a time for the delivery of the new computer the next day. He hinted at a date afterward, suggesting a nice dinner at the local steakhouse.

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  Chapter Three

  mma woke just before her alarm went off. She lay Ethere for several minutes, thinking about her dreams from the night before. She sighed and hopped out of bed. Aiden, the cute computer tech, was going to be arriving in about an hour. She sorted through the clothes hanging in the armoire, pulling out a white cotton and lace sundress. Quickly getting dressed and slipping on her gold sandals, she walked out to the kitchen to have breakfast.

  Tilly’s eyes widened and Pin goggled as Emma sat down at the table. “And what will you be all dressed up for this fine morning?” Tilly asked.

  “The technician from the computer shop is coming by this morning to deliver the new computer and set it up. Then we will be going out, if everything goes well.” Emma smiled.

  “Ah, I-I do-don’t think K-kian will like that,” Pin stammered nervously.

  “Well, I don’t really care if he likes it or not, he’ll just have to get used to it,” Emma said sweetly.

  “Aiden is a nice man, and I’m not turning down an evening out.” She picked up her teacup and wandered out to the library where the new computer would be installed.

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  Aiden? The Brownies stared at her open-mouthed, then looked at each other with consternation. Pin aimed a mental shout at her wandering son.

  Kian came hurrying in, breathless and sweaty.

  “What’s the trouble, then?” he asked in an irritated voice. “I was in a bit of a position with the Asrai.”

  “M-miss Em-emma is go-going o-out!” Pin stammered.

  “And?” Kian asked impatiently.

  “W-with a m-man,” Pin added.

  “Oh, she thinks to go traipsing about with the men in town, does she?” Kian said, narrowing his eyes.

  “Well then, we’ll just be seeing about that.” He shimmered and flowed into the wolfhound form and padded into the hall.

  The doorbell rang, and Emma went to answer it.

  She arrived at the door along with the Puca. He caught her wrist in his mouth and growled, stopping her from opening the door.

  Emma sighed and opened the door with her other hand. “Pookie, let go,” she said, twisting her wrist away and smiling up at the man standing at the door.

  “Hi, I’m a little early, I hope you don’t mind,”

  Aiden said. He flashed an orthodontist’s dream smile at her and gave his perfectly styled silky black hair a toss.

  “Hi, no, I don’t mind at all,” Emma said. The Puca nudged her away from the door and growled at his fussily dressed younger brother. She smiled at Aiden and rolled her eyes, giving the Puca a nudge with her hip and knocking him a few feet away.

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  The dog nudged his way back between them.

  Emma wrapped her arm around the Puca’s neck and pulled him back to let Aiden in. “Sorry, he came with the house. I didn’t have the heart to get rid of him.”

  The Puca whined and leaned against Emma, nuzzling her shoulder and giving her a pitiful look.

  But, Emma my sweet, he thought with satisfaction, you’ll never be rid of me, wherever you may go.

  He licked her ear, then glared at Aiden and bared a fang. She belongs to me and you had best never forget that, he aimed the thought at his brother.

  “Hey, it’s all right. He’s a little overprotective, isn’t he?” Aiden chuckled nervously and edged inside. He kept well away from the Puca. His brother knew full well what he could do with his teeth; they’d tangled before over women.

  “Yeah, um, why don’t I show you where the computer is going to sit?” She fought her way into the library, trying to push the wolfhound away. He leaned against her, insinuating his way between her and the detested interloper Aiden.

  * * * * * *

  Emma was worn out by the time Aiden left. He had canceled their date, a wary eye on Pookie. She watched him drive off, the Puca by her side. He snorted and started to walk off.

  “That wasn’t very nice, Pookie, you should be ashamed.” Emma lightly swatted his butt.

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  The Puca turned and looked at her, blinking innocently. Ashamed? Of what? He tilted his head to one side. Ah, if you only knew what a poacher that brother of mine is, he thought with a dry mental chuckle.

  “Don’t you sit there and look innocent with me, pooch.” Emma’s voice was stern, but there was a glimmer of humor in her dark eyes.

  The Puca barked at her. When he saw the sparkle in her eye, his heart took wing.

  Shaking her head in exasperation, Emma walked past the Puca and gave him a pat on the head. He turned and followed her into the kitchen.

  Tilly and Pin looked up with guilty expressions.

  “And where is your young man?” Tilly asked.

  “He left. Pookie drooled on him.” Emma poured herself another cup of tea and walked over to the peg where her purse hung. She picked it up and rummaged around, pulling a small bag out of it and hanging the purse back up. Puzzled, the Puca watched her open the bag and pull out something red. She took a bite, and the wonderful scent of sweet almonds reached him. His stomach growled.

  “Ah, and will he be coming back to take you out?”

  Tilly gave the Puca a glare.

  “I doubt it, he seemed to want to get away from here as quickly as possible,” Emma said. “Probably because of the flea factory here.”

  * * * * * *

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  Emma went into the library, the Puca following, and called the phone company. She was on the phone setting up a service call for the next day, arranging for the new phone line for the computer when he sat down beside her and looked up at her. She absently scratched the Puca’s ears and fed him a piece of the marzipan that she had bought the day before. He whined and nudged the little sack of candy, his paw on her leg, begging for another piece. On hold, Emma chuckled as she transferred the phone to her other ear. “You like that sweet stuff, baby?” she cooed, smiling.

  Oh, aye, he thought, and do you taste as sweet, poppet? He licked his lips, then grumbled at her and laid his head on her lap, looking up at her with his most pitiful expression.

  She laughed and fed him another piece of candy.

  He chomped twice and swallowed the tasty little confection, gazing at Emma with complete adoration.

  She made him want to do silly dog tricks
just to hear her laugh again.

  Listening to the conversation between Emma and the phone company representative, he whined softly.

  It sounded as if there would be more intruders to fend off soon. The Puca huffed and licked Emma’s hand as she hung up the phone.

  “Thank you so much for washing my hand, Pookie,” she said, grimacing and taking a few tissues from the box on the desk. She wiped her hand and stood up. He nudged her hand until it rested on top of his head. Emma smiled and patted him, then 36

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  headed for her bedroom to change.

  * * * * * *

  Emma stood on the back porch and surveyed the forest and meadow just beyond the cutting garden.

  She glanced down at the Puca. “Well, let’s go see what’s so great about this forest,” she said and started down the steps.

  Kian followed her, puzzled at her words. What was so great? It was the forest, that should be enough.

  He looked at the trees and ferns as they walked and sniffed the air. Maybe she could not sense the life here. He sat down in the middle of the path. He watched her, sadly wondering what he could do to show her.