one of the rose quartz earrings dangling from her earlobes. Wade offered her his elbow, and she tucked her hand into it allowing him to escort her inside. His spicy male scent made her want to lean closer, but she controlled herself.
âThanks for waiting for me.â
âOf course.â He smiled, but it didnât reach his eyes. âI knew you wouldnât know many people, so I thought you might not mind my company.â
âI appreciate your thoughtfulness.â
He bent down to whisper in her ear. âLose the formality, darling. I donât intend to bring up the video now. Today is about Ty and Jamie, but after the reception we'll have a discussion.â
She couldnât say for sure if the chills running down her spine were from his closeness or the nervous anticipation of knowing he wanted to talk about her misstep. As soon as sheâd seen the news segment that evening, sheâd recognized her mistake. Heâd specifically asked her to keep a low profile and not do anything that might antagonize the killer, and sheâd gone and publicly challenged him.
Emily believed it was the nickname the reporter had given the killer which had caught the national news mediaâs attention, but the sensationalized story was now front and center, and sheâd made herself a target for the killer despite her promise to be cautious.
When they reached the third row of seats from the front, Wade gestured for her to be seated and then took the spot beside her.
âYou look beautiful, Em.â
âThank you.â She tucked a curl behind her ear. âYou donât look so bad yourself.â
âBought the suit for my sisterâs wedding. It cost a fortune, so Iâm glad to have another reason to wear it.â
She ran her hand down his bicep. âIt looks great on you.â
âThank you.â He turned to face front.
âThis is weird,â she said.
âWhy is that?â
âI feel like weâre on a date.â
âThat was Jamieâs intention. Another one of her schemes to interfere in my life.â
âIâm sorry. I wouldnât have come had I realized what she was doing.â Her hands trembled, so she folded them in her lap.
âIf I didnât want to be here with you, I wouldnât be,â Wade covered her hands with one of his.
His words slowly sank in. Heâd known Jamie was trying to pair them off, but heâd waited for her and accompanied her to her seat despite his friendâs meddling.
As much as she tried to convince herself her feelings had faded, it was impossible to deny them any longer. Wade Brunner still held her heart in the palm of his hand, and she wasnât sure how to protect herself from him. If he chose, he could crush her again. A tear slipped past her defenses, and she brushed it away before he could take notice.
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