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his breath teasing the wisps of hair that lay there.
    “It’s nothing,” she mumbled. She could barely breathe, let alone string together a coherent sentence. He was so close he could easily trace the whorls of her ear with his tongue. The mere thought sent goose bumps down her spine and she shivered.
    Totally disregarding her privacy, he peered over her shoulder and glanced at her mail. “You sure?”
    If she didn’t know better, she’d think that he was worried about her. But that was ridiculous. She’d made her position quite clear with Tucker, so he had no reason to be interested in her life. And she certainly wasn’t about to admit that he was the problem. She had a feeling he’d like the idea that he was constantly on her mind.
    In truth, she hadn’t met a man who’d interested her in a long, long time, except for Tucker. And he didn’t count as she wasn’t about to pursue that attraction any further than she already had. Being around him left her feeling slightly wild and out of control. And, for a woman who valued self-restraint, that was more than reason enough to avoid him.
    Emma glared at Tucker, but it was all for naught as he was still studying her mail and not her. “It’s just bills and junk mail.” Her voice was sharp, but she couldn’t help it. His teasing was good-natured, but it left her feeling irritated. Since their one time together, she’d lost all interest in other men. They all seemed so bland, so uninteresting in comparison.
    “You sure you’re okay?” Tucker tucked his hands in his back pockets. She heard a growing concern in his voice and knew it was sincere.
    “I’m sure.”
    “If you ever need help with anything, don’t hesitate to call or knock on my door.” His green-eyed gaze caught and held her captive. “I’d do everything I could for you.”
    She was incredibly touched by his offer, even though she knew she would never take him up on it. “Thank you.” Impulsively, she reached out and briefly touched him.
    He gave her a sharp nod before looking down to where her hand covered his denim-clad arm. She could feel the heat of his skin through the thin covering. She yanked back her hand and hitched her purse over her shoulder, wondering why it was taking so long to reach their floor. The elevator was notoriously unreliable, but this was slow even for this relic.
    She glanced up at the old-fashioned numbers over the top of the gate and frowned when she noticed the arrow wasn’t moving. Damn, she hadn’t even noticed that the elevator had stopped at the second floor.
    Poking the button for their floor once more, she felt relieved when the elevator began to slowly rise. The faster she got away from Tucker and the hot fantasies he inspired, the better for her peace of mind. Absently, she tucked her mail into the outside pocket of her purse.
    “Emma . . .” His voice trailed off as he reached out and touched her shoulder. It was the lightest of touches, but it seemed to burn right through the layer of her summer linen jacket, scorching her flesh underneath. She flinched from his potent touch, unable to stop herself.
    Tucker swore under his breath and immediately drew back his hand. Hunching her shoulders, Emma faced forward, wishing she were anywhere else at the moment. The man must think she was a complete nutcase. One minute she was practically devouring him with her eyes, the next she was acting like he was some kind of pervert.
    Sighing, she faced him, knowing she owed him an apology. “I’m sorry.” She rubbed her hand across her forehead where a headache was brewing from the combined heat and stress. “The heat has me on edge.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. The heat did have her on edge, but it wasn’t just the skyrocketing temperatures fraying her temper, it was also the sexual heat that Tucker stirred within her.
    “Don’t worry about it.”
    The lights flickered once. Emma was jolted when the elevator jerked to a sudden