“Yeah, but you’re a business. You could probably use the income, right? I imagine lots of people would flock to see a haunted bed and breakfast.”
“I don’t want notoriety. I want peace and quiet.” She looked distressed at the thought. “I don’t want to be that bed and breakfast, you know? I want people to come because they like the house and enjoy the cooking. Not because they’re hoping to meet a ghost.”
Oddly enough, Jericho understood. Despite his tattoos and hair and Harley, he was a pretty low-key guy himself. His parents had been vagabonds and scammers, floating from town to town and making a quick buck where they could. He’d hated that lifestyle and had ran away from home to join the Army as soon as he was old enough. Served a few years, just long enough to realize that he wasn’t really cut out for being told what to do, and apprenticed with a friend who had a fix-it business. The rest was history. After a crazy childhood, he liked nothing more than to relax at home with a beer.
She reached for her popcorn and nibbled on a handful before looking over at him. “So that’s why I can’t sleep. I’m a chicken and I’m scared of ghosts. But it’s hard to tell myself it’s nothing when I can plainly hear strange noises all night long.”
“Huh,” was all he said.
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
“Nah, I just…” He shrugged. “Never believed in ghosts before, you know? But if you say it’s haunted, I believe you. And your ex said it was haunted, and it sounds like he’s an expert.”
It also sounded like he was a douchebag, but he wasn’t sure if Emily wanted to hear that.
“The house is a hundred years old,” Emily said. “You’d expect someone died in it at some point, right? Maybe they just stuck around.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “But enough about the house. I’ve lived in Bluebonnet for two years and I’ve never seen you. You new?”
He nodded. “To the area, yeah. Decided I’d see if I could make a go of business here. Last town wasn’t so friendly.”
Emily’s brows furrowed. “How come?”
He pointed at his face and recognition dawned on hers.
“Ah. People can be a bit…conservative in small towns, I’ve noticed.” She grimaced. “They’re not really fond of a bad boy. I hope work’s treating you all right.”
“It’s slow,” he said. “But I heard this lady has a ramshackle Victorian she needs help updating. Cha-ching.”
He watched as a smile spread across Emily’s face, making her delicate features utterly gorgeous in the shadowy theater. Damn, he really wanted to kiss her. “Cha-ching, huh?” she murmured.
“I hear she’s a pretty good cook, too.”
“Best in town, or so I’ve heard,” Emily said, playing along. She shifted in her seat and leaned toward him. “She was really pleased with the eaves you helped her with the other day. Don’t suppose you’re good with toilets? And lighting?”
“I know a thing or two,” he said casually.
“I heard there’s a few shaky ones over at the old Victorian that probably need to be re-seated and sealed,” Emily said casually. “I bet the lady with the Victorian would hire you to help with that.”
Her playful, sultry tone of voice was making his c**k hard, right in the middle of the damn movie theater. “Think she’d cook something for me?”
“I bet. What’s your favorite?”
Jericho thought for a moment. “Oatmeal raisin cookies?”
“Done.” She smiled up at him. “Are you busy tomorrow?”
“Sounds like I’m putting in a few toilets.” He leaned toward her, curious to see if she’d flinch away from him or if she’d keep snuggling closer. When she didn’t pull away, he brushed his mouth over hers.
She gave a small gasp.
“That okay?” he whispered.
“The kiss?” Emily sounded dazed.
“That, too. I was thinking more about the toilets, though. Tomorrow is good for me as long as you won’t feel weird about it?”
She shook her head. “I won’t feel weird.” Then she tilted her head. “Where are you staying right now? If you just moved to the area?”
“With friends a couple of towns over.”
“You’re welcome to stay with me while I don’t have any guests,” she said. Then, she quickly added, “Not in a sexual way, of course.”
What the f**k? Just like that, his boner died. “Gosh, no,” he said flatly. Where the hell was she going with this? “I’d never be interested in you in a sexual way.”
The look on her face was awkward. “I probably should explain that. I mean, it’s not that you’re a bad looking guy or anything. You’re not! I just don’t know that I’m ready to jump into a new relationship. With sex. And like, commitment. Actually mostly just sex. Staying with me doesn’t mean commitment.” She blinked as if getting lost in her own words. “I’m messing this up, I think. What I meant to say was, I just have extra rooms sitting there and I’d appreciate the company…Any company…”
Even a bad boy like him? Gee, didn’t he feel special. Any company, indeed. “I’ll think about it,” he told her. “‘Preciate the offer, though.”
“Of course. Free of charge, too.” She gave him a faint smile. “I mostly just want the company.”
Jesus, she was putting a chill on his erection, that was for sure. Shame, too. He liked her, and after all that flirting, he was feeling kinda riled up. Too bad that died an ugly death. He fell back to an old safeguard – teasing. “Free rooms? That’s no way to run a bed and breakfast.”
She sighed. “So I hear.”
CHAPTER THREE
Emily absently gazed at the contents of her baking pantry, trying not to let her bad mood ruin a perfectly good day of baking. The rolled oats and organic raisins on the shelf taunted her. She glared at them before pulling out chocolate chips instead.
Stupid Jericho. Stupid man. Stupid stupid.
Their date hadn’t gone swimmingly. Or at least, it seemed like it had until he’d kissed her. Then she’d gotten all freaked out, asked him to move in, babbled on about how she didn’t want him sexually, and then things kind of went south from there. She’d spent most of the movie shoveling greasy popcorn into her mouth and kicking herself mentally.