Page 141 of The Wild Card

Under the table, Emmie’s hand lands on my thigh. I choke on my sandwich.

“You okay there, Jensen?” Foster asks, not even trying to hide his amusement.

“Fine,” I manage. “Went down the wrong pipe.”

Emmie squeezes my thigh. I’m going to kill her. Right after I kiss her again.

After lunch, Foster suggests a card game.

I suggest he take a long walk off a short pier, but only in my head. Out loud, I say “sure” like a man who isn’t slowly losing his mind.

We play poker. I’m usually good at poker—reading people, calculating odds, maintaining a neutral expression. Today I can barely remember what beats what because Emmie is sitting next to me, close enough that our shoulders brush every time she reaches for her cards.

“I’ll raise.” She tosses chips into the center, then turns to look at me with those big hazel eyes. “You in?”

In what? I want to ask. The game? Your bed? The rest of your life?

“I’m in.”

She smiles. It’s devastating.

I lose three hands in a row.

“You’re off your game today,” Foster observes. “Wonder why.”

“Shut up.”

Emmie laughs, and the sound makes my chest ache. I’ve missed that laugh. I’ve missed everything about her.

I fold my hand and stand abruptly. “I need some air.”

“I’ll come with you,” Emmie says, already rising.

“Oh, I bet you will,” Sadie mutters, and Emmie throws a poker chip at her head.

The porch offers approximately forty-five seconds of privacy.

I pull her around the corner of the cabin, press her against the log wall, and kiss her like I’ve been wanting to all afternoon. She melts into me immediately, her hands fisting in my flannel, a small moan escaping her throat.

“We have to stop,” she breathes against my mouth.

“I know.”

“They’re right inside.”

“I know.”

“Crew—”

I kiss her again. Slower this time. Savoring. Her lips are soft, and she tastes like the lemonade she had with lunch, and I want to stay here forever.

“Hey, lovebirds!” Foster’s voice comes from the porch. “Sadie’s dealing you in whether you’re here or not!”

Emmie drops her head to my chest, laughing. “I’m going to murder them both.”

“I’ll help you hide the bodies.”

“Deal.”