He slid a sidelong glance her way and swore he could see the wheels spinning in her mind. Then all at once triumph lit her eyes. Before he knew what she was about, she dashed around Helios’s head and planted herself right in front of Mal. He stumbled to a halt.
“You’re within reach,” she announced right before she snaked an arm around his waist and ducked beneath his outstretched arm. “And you’re my greatest weapon of all.” Her eyes met his. The competitive triumph flickered, then slowly gave way to something softer. Warmer. “And you’ll never let anything hurt me as long as you are near.” Her chin tilted up as she gazed into his face, her lips plump, her words a husky whisper.
“Never,” he murmured, surprised he could find breath enough to fuel even that single word. Her faith in him, her absolute trust, terrified him. Yet at the same time, it made him feel invincible. After his failure to find the men who threatened her, to stop them, how could she look at him with those brilliant eyes—eyes that sported not one speck of doubt to dim their shine?
“I’m so glad you’re here, Malachi.” Her arm tightened slightly around his waist. Her lashes dipped. Her cheek turned.
Mal bit the edge of his tongue and drove his gaze heavenward. Lord, have mercy. . . . He could feel her fingers through the cotton of his shirt right beneath his rib cage. Then she leaned closer. The scent of her hair directly beneath his nose, tantalizing him. Then her face touched his chest, and her second arm wrapped about him. She nestled in with little movements, like a pup finding just the right place to nap. And oh, how he wanted to hold her to him, to claim her as his, to let her nestle up against him just like that every night for the rest of their days.
His arms trembled from the effort it took not to release the horses and cling to her instead. Could she hear his heart? He didn’t see how she couldn’t. The thing was driving against his ribs like a locomotive at full speed.
“Em . . . ” he croaked, not knowing what he meant to say. Em, you can do worlds better than me. Or Em, you don’t know what you’re doing.
But he feared that what he really meant deep down in his greedy, good-for-nothin’ bones was . . . Em, I love you more than I love my own life. Hold tight, girl, and never, ever, let me go.
21
Emma released her hold and reluctantly stepped away from Malachi. Who, she noticed, was looking prayerfully to the sky, jaw clenched tight.
Probably begging the Almighty for patience to endure the crazy woman who kept forcing hugs on him when she knew full well he didn’t like to be embraced.
Where had her restraint gone? Just because they’d shared a moment in the café—a moment when, in her defense, he’d not seemed the least uncomfortable with holding. Touching. Nuzzling. Of course, he’d been the one doing the holding. Her hands had been occupied with the revolver. Still, his guard had lowered and given her reason to hope he might welcome some affection from her. But apparently not.
“Mr. Porter told us about a hidden compartment in his wagon,” Emma explained breezily as she circled around one of the giant black horses to get to Malachi’s mount. “One that might still be sheltering the weapons.” She reached the gray mare and collected the reins. “After Maybelle took over the doctoring, I decided I’d be of more use fetching our goods before someone stumbled across the wagon.” She summoned up the sunniest smile in her arsenal and flashed it at Malachi as she strolled past. He didn’t need to see her disappointment. The man had enough on his plate to worry about. She needed to lighten his load, not add to it.
Besides, he was acting a bit odd. He hadn’t moved a muscle since she’d touched him. Just stood on the edge of the road, arms stretched between a pair of massive draft horses, body frozen in place. Only his eyes moved. They followed her, their dark brown gaze making her stomach dance. An uninterested man wouldn’t stare so intently, would he? Or maybe he was just trying to intimidate her into going back to town. Not that such a tactic would work. Which he knew from experience. He’d never been able to intimidate her. Not even when she’d been a slip of a girl. So there had to be something else in that stare. Something deeper she couldn’t quite decipher.