Love? His heart sped up at her choice of words. Had she added that to put more emotion into her song, or were they both beginning to feel something more for each other that he’d never thought possible in so short a time?
“You’ve got the shoulders of a Merman, looking like you’re a part of the water.”
“A merman?” he interrupted. “Tell me more.”
Her eyes crinkled up at the sides as she continued:
“You come up to me with a joke on your lips.
“Splashing together like we have no cares.
“You find my waist. You have my heart.
“Let’s get real; none of these feelings are pretend; I want to make this real with you.
“You’re unforgettable.”
It was strange hearing his memories from her poetic point of view. He began to realize why she was so warm and responsive—she kept her emotions on the surface. It was probably why songs flashed through her mind in such a whirlwind. Feeling so deeply would be exhausting, and also made her more vulnerable to criticism than others might be. She was an open target. His stomach clenched protectively and his arms tightened around her.
“Never forget those summer days.
“Never forget the look in your eyes before you kiss me.
“Never forget me, boy. You know, I won’t forget you.
“You’re unforgettable.”
“Whoa, slow down there,” he said. “I’ll give you a couple of reasons why you won’t forget me. I’m not going anywhere.”
She giggled. “Well, that’s sweet, but you don’t have to take it so seriously… it’s just a song.”
“About me.”
“You’re saying that I’ve never swam with anyone before you?” she teased.
“This songbetterbe about me.”
She grinned and wrapped it up:
“Your hands run through mine.
“All I need is all you are, all you do.
“Making me fall in love with you.
“You’re unforgettable.”
He closed his eyes, enjoying the music through the vibrations of her voice against his cheek. He could feel her smiling. “Well, it doesn’t take much to lull you to sleep,” she whispered. She kissed him near his mouth. “You must be exhausted. You’ve been working hard.”
Guilt threaded through him as he thought about what he’d done today. Yeah, he’d been working hard… to suppress his screaming conscience. Thoughts of his mother kept running through his mind. What if she’d been left to fend for herself and some arrogant upstart tried to cheat her out of her land, just because he was promised a cut of the deal?
He’d hate that man. He hated that man now.
Sighing, he stared into the fire. He had two more days until he put down his offer. Everything that West said had made sense; everything that he was feeling was the opposite. He still didn’t know what the right thing was to do.
Emily took a deep breath. “Maybe it’s more than a song,” she said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the way that I feel with you—there’s something about you that makes me feel right at home. My family used to sit out on the porch on hot summer nights like this. There wasn’t a Sunday night that River and I didn’t find our way to our parents’ side. Mom and Dad used to sing with us… before the accident.”
“I bet you miss them.” Nash bit down his lip after he’d said it. He probably shouldn’t have brought up something so sensitive about her parents dying, but at the same time, he craved a deeper relationship than just getting into water fights. He wanted to know everything about her, and he desperately needed to hear it from her own lips.