Page 25 of Emerald

“You’re right. It’s just, I would have remembered someone as beautiful as you.”

“That line might work on some girls, but I’m not one of them,” she bites back, shutting down my advances.

Kitty has claws, I like it. “Noted, kitty.”

“Did you just call me kitty?” she asks, raising a questioning brow at me.

“Yeah.”

“My name isn’t kitty?” She hisses at me.

“I know.”

Silence falls between us as we continue to walk to my Jeep.

“Why the hell are you calling me kitty, then?” she asks, eventually breaking the silence between us. Who knew ruffling her well-put-together feathers would be such a cheap thrill for me?

“Because you’ve got claws,” I answer her.

“You have no idea how deep these claws can go,” she bites back, giving me a flick of her blonde hair.

She’s spicy. I like that.

“I can handle anything you throw at me, kitty,” I tease.

Ellie stills, and I realize she’s stopped after a couple of steps, where I turn around and look at her. Those blue eyes narrow and look me up and down, assessing me.

“Highly doubt that.” She huffs as she starts walking again.

Who the hell is this girl? And why do I find her coldness hot? Do I have a degradation kink I didn’t know about? I’m not usually stumped by women, but this one has me unable to work her out. I thought Sophie was the only hard-ass of her sisters. From what I’ve seen of them, the others are sweet except for this feisty kitty.

We walk in silence the rest of the way to the Jeep. I place her luggage in the back and hold open the door for her. She eyes my gentlemanly behavior suspiciously but doesn’t say a word as she gets in. I slam the door shut and jump in the other side before putting my foot to the floor and getting out of the parking lot. It’s a full twenty minutes before she decides to speak again.

“I want to be clear, I’m not looking for a holiday hook-up. I’m here to find my friend,” she tells me.

Wow. Cocky much? But also, such a shame we could have had so much fun.

“I know, and I’m here picking you up from the airport, nothing more.”

She turns her head and looks at me, raising a brow as if she doesn’t believe me. And I guess she would be right, the woman is a knockout with supermodel vibes, but her personality stinks. She knows she’s hot, and to me, that is a turn-off. Probably for the best, I’m here to help find her dead friend not fuck her. “You’re not my type, anyway.”

“I’m everyone’s type,” she quips back.

My mouth falls open because I don’t think I’ve met a cockier woman before. “Not this time, kitty.”

She rolls her eyes at my nickname for her before turning her attention away from me and back out the window as we pass the palm trees and empty landscape that’s along the highway.

“You’re nothing like your sisters, you know,” I tell her, turning to look over at her.

Ellie stiffens ever so slightly, and if I wasn’t looking at her, I would have missed it.

“Not all sisters are the same. We are our own people.” She huffs.

Something isn’t adding up and I don’t understand what Brooks is keeping from me.

“I’ve met all of your sisters, and I can see the similarities in their personalities, even though they are so different, but you …” I say, shaking my head.

“I don’t have to prove myself to you. Brooks and Sophie sent me here, that should be enough to satisfy your curiosity about who I am. What’s your problem anyway?” she asks, her voice laced with agitation.

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