Free What The Heart Knows by Jessica Gadziala Page A

away, giggling, eyes bright. “Nothing.
I guess all I need to stop being attracted to you is alcohol. Who'da
thunk it?” she asked, walking into the middle of the street.
She saluted a man who was standing next to a car that was, thankfully
blocking the street from any driving through. “Sheriff,”
she said, trying to sound serious and breaking off into laughter,
bending slightly forward, hugging her middle.
    “Emmy,”
the sheriff said, trying to hide a smile. “up to no good as
usual.”
    Emily
smiled. “I feel nothing when I kiss him,” she announced,
pointing at James who bowed his head, rubbing his brow in
embarrassment.
    “Is
that so?” the sheriff asked, nodding at James. “Get her
home before she tries to get you naked to see if she feels that,”
he warned.
    “On
it,” he said, reaching out to grab her arm when she started to
fall forward as she tried to pull off her shoes, kicking them off in
different directions, leaving James to scramble after them. “Where
is home?” he asked, catching up with her as she stopped to
stare up at the moon.
    She
looked over her shoulder at him, one brow lifted at him like he was
an idiot. “The inn... duh.”
    “Right,”
James said, turning her and linking his free arm through one of hers.
His other held her gloves, and shoes, and one of the gold stud
earrings she had lost when she tossed her hair.
    The
inn was empty when they went it. Almost eerily so. No one walking
around. No humming from the kitchen or cleaning staff. No movement
from the guest rooms upstairs.
    “Alright,
Miss. Rabbit,” James said, massaging her arm slightly. “Where
do you do your sleeping?”
    “Take
me to your coffin, vampire,” she yelled. “I've never had
sex in a coffin.”
    “I'd
hope not,” James laughed, letting her lead him through a door
behind the kitchen. “And you're not having sex tonight either.”
    “Sex
is good,” she said, distractedly as she pulled her bedroom door
open.
    “Mmhmm,”
he agreed, searching in the dark for the light switch. “but
only when you are sober enough to remember it.”
    Emily
reached up behind her back, trying to grasp the end of her zipper and
accidentally launching herself forward.
    “Here,”
James said, pulling her back onto her feet. “Let me help.”
    “You
just want to see me naked,” she said, twisting away from his
hands.
    “Yes,
I do,” he agreed, putting his arms around her, grabbing the
zipper, and pulling it down until he felt the line of her panties.
“Just not tonight.”
    “You
better leave now then,” she warned, pulling her dress down with
her back to him. He watched as the fabric pulled away, revealing her
bare back. Braless. Then the top of her panties, purple. Lace. To
match her gloves. Like she had planned on getting lucky when she
dressed for the night. “cause I'm getting naked.”
    “Right,”
James said, shaking his head and moving toward the door. “Right.
See you tomorrow.”
    “Mmhmm,”
she murmured, falling forward onto her bed with her arms stretched
out, seeming to fall asleep almost immediately.
    He
closed the door behind him and went to take a long, cold shower.

Nine

    There
was some kind of sledgehammer behind her eyes before she even woke
up. She groaned, pushing herself up on her elbows, surprised she had
managed to sleep that way. She felt dry from the inside out.
    Oh,
alcohol.
    She
sat at the edge of the bed, holding her head in her hands. She had a
few vivid memories from the night before. Getting dressed. How the
gym looked. Dancing with James. Storming off. The conversation with
Maude. Then making her way to the refreshment table.
    Oh,
those fucking Widow Makers.
    Emily
made a dying animal sound, getting up and walking toward the bathroom
in search of water and aspirin.
    There
were other dances. A lot of other dances. With men she mostly
couldn't place. Probably because they came from a town or two over.
She gulped two cups of water down with a few aspirin and got into the
shower,