The boat show continued for several more hours, with Finn growing more and more anxious with each passing tick of the clock. He could feel Emma’s melancholy – even though she was almost ten feet away from him – and it was like he was drowning in her overt sadness.
He let his gaze wander over the crowd as he tried to distract himself, his attention ultimately landing on a young man in his twenties who was standing next to one of the pillars near an adjacent booth.
The man didn’t look like a normal boat-show visitor. He clearly didn’t have enough money to buy a boat, his dirty jeans and tattered Converse serving as a testament to that. He was also twenty years younger than the shopping demographic. On top of that, his eyes never settled on a boat – or any of the boating goods being offered by the other vendors. No, his eyes were focused on only one thing: Emma.
The more Finn watched the man, the more uncomfortable he felt. Emma’s beauty had turned hundreds of heads over the course of the afternoon, but this head wasn’t looking in any other direction. Not even for a second.
Finn sat forward in his chair, fixating on the man and forcing all of the other noises and distractions from his mind. Something was about to happen. He was sure of it.
The man, his features hidden beneath the hood of his jacket, was fumbling in his pocket for something. When he found it, he pulled it out. Because his fingers were closed around it, Finn couldn’t figure out what it was. It was clearly too small to be a weapon, especially a knife or a gun. That didn’t mean that it wasn’t something dangerous.
The man shifted his hand up higher, bringing his other hand over to help with whatever endeavor he was trying to complete. Finn was on his feet when he realized that the man had yanked the cork out of a vial, and was now striding toward Emma with a purpose.
For her part, Emma seemed oblivious to the imminent danger. Finn was in front of her within seconds, knocking the man’s hand to the side and grabbing him by the neck in an effort to subdue him.
Emma jumped back, glancing at the plastic casing over the diamond as the liquid landed there. There was a subtle ‘hiss’ when liquid and plastic collided, and then the plastic started to melt.
A woman next to Emma screamed, causing nearby shoppers to panic. In the melee, Finn lost his grip on the perpetrator – and the man managed to disappear into the crowd. Finn started to give chase, pulling up short when he realized he couldn’t leave the diamond.
He risked a glance in Emma’s direction. Her features were white, a balled up fist covering her mouth. Realization was dawning on her.
Finn swooped in to catch her before she hit the ground.
Three
Emma woke up when cold water splashed across her neck, jerking in surprise. She found herself prone on the ground, her shoulders supported by strong legs and confident hands. When the face of the man holding her swam into view, she recognized Finn Hardy.
“What happened?”
“You fainted,” Finn replied, his face grim.
“I don’t faint.”
“Then you just performed a great audition for a soap opera,” Finn said. His brown eyes were soft and concerned. “How are you feeling?”
“Weird,” Emma admitted. “I’m still not quite sure what happened.”
“Well, some guy tried to throw something on you,” Finn said. “I managed to hit his arm. He got away when everyone panicked.”
Emma straightened, glancing around at the mostly empty room. “Where did everyone go?”
“To the nearest exit, I would guess,” Finn replied. “When someone screams at a public venue these days, most people think terrorism and run as fast as possible.”
“You didn’t run,” Emma pointed out.
“And leave a damsel in distress? That wouldn’t help my street cred.”
Emma narrowed her eyes. After a moment, she realized he was joking, so she graced him with a small smile. “I guess I deserved that.”
“I’m just trying to make you feel better,” Finn said. “Is it working?”
Unfortunately, it was. Emma had written him off as a horny alpha male within thirty seconds of meeting him. The hard muscles rippling beneath his shirt, his easy smile, his handsome face, and smooth chatter had all been signs that he was not the type of man she wanted to get to know better.
Now, with his hard chest pressed against her bare back, she was forced to rethink that position.
“Can you stand?” Finn asked.
“I think so.”
Finn wrapped his hands under her arms and helped lift her up. He made sure her footing was solid before pulling away. “Hey, look at me a second.”
Emma fixed him with a curious stare. “Why?”