Note: Thanks for your responses to the last part and "For Better or For Worse". Hope you enjoy this part! ~Steph
...The Con: Part 5/9...
Rule #5: Never get personally involved. Remain detached and uninvested.
Emma and Belle sat at their favorite little coffee shop.
"So how was your date yesterday?" Belle asked.
Emma smiled. "It was great. The zoo was even better than I imagined. And spending time with Killian is just-..."
Emma's voice trailed off dreamily. Belle shook her head. "You're falling for him."
Red filled Emma's cheeks. "Is it that obvious?"
"Only to anyone with eyesight and hearing," Belle replied.
Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I know it's fast, but I've never felt this way about anyone before. Not even Neal. I can't stop thinking about him and I want to be with him all the time."
"I just don't want you to rush into anything."
"Don't worry. We're taking things slow otherwise. I think my heart is ahead of my body. He hasn't even kissed me yet."
Belle raised her brow in surprise. "Really?"
Emma nodded. "Really. Although he did sort of invite himself into my apartment last night."
"Sort of?"
"He said third dates are for the lady to invite her date in for coffee."
"Is that a euphemism for sex?"
Emma shook her head with a laugh. "No. He just didn't want the date to end and neither did I."
"So did he end up kissing you?"
"No. We snuggled up on the couch and watched a movie. I fell asleep."
"I don't believe I've ever heard you use the word snuggled before."
Emma smiled. "What can I say? I guess Killian brings out my softer side." Emma paused and then went on. "Anyway, I woke up to find myself covered by a blanket and a note saying he had left so I could get my rest."
"Speak of the devil," Belle said, as she gestured over Emma's shoulder.
Emma turned to find Killian had just walked in the door. They exchanged smiles as he walked over to their table.
"Fancy meeting you here," she said, gazing up at him.
Of course, it was not a mere coincidence. Killian knew from Gary that Emma and Belle started every morning here.
"I spotted this place on my way to your office the other day and I thought I'd give it a try. Now that I see you here I know I must have made the right choice."
"The bear claws are my favorite," Emma said. "And when it's cold, there's nothing better than their hot chocolate with cinnamon."
Killian smiled. He loved to learn new things about Emma without the benefit of inside information.
Belle stood up, coffee in hand. "I'm going to head to work. See you there, Emma. Nice to see you again, Killian."
"Likewise," he said, as he took her seat.
He leaned forward. "This is fortuitous. I was just about to call you."
"About what?"
"About our next date. I was thinking Saturday."
Emma smiled. "Sounds great. Did you have anything in mind?"
"How's your mini golf game?" he asked, brow arched. "Worse than your bowling game I hope."
Emma laughed and shook her head. "Awful. Honestly."
Killian bobbed his head. "Then mini golf it is."
He stood and walked over to her, placing a kiss to her cheek. "See you then, love. Have a good day."
"You too," Emma said, as she watched him walk to the counter.
...
Emma had one surefire way to determine if a man was right for her. She called it her charity test. Before she revealed that she didn't use her inheritance for personal use, she would give them this little test. She would take her date to visit one of her charities and see how he interacted with everyone. Every charity she supported involved children in some way. She would know immediately if a man was right for her by how he dealt with the children. Unfortunately for Emma, no man had ever passed her test. Even Neal had failed, but she had chosen to overlook it. He'd thrown a fit when some paint got on his $500 suit. She should have known then he wasn't right for her, but she had begun to develop feelings for him and chose to chalk his reaction up to a bad day.
Emma glanced at Killian as she turned into the parking garage of the literacy center. "Sorry to drag you here before our mini golf date. But I was already scheduled to read today and I completely forgot about it when we made our plans."
Killian shrugged. "Not a problem. I love children."
Emma arched an eyebrow with a little smile as she parked. Killian didn't actually know if he loved children or not because he was never around them. He'd encountered a random grandchild or two that belonged to one of his marks, but that was about it.
They exited the car and parking garage and made their way into the literacy center. Killian's eyes widened at the beautiful place. It had obviously just been redone. Bright, blue plaint coated the walls and everything looked clean and new.
"This place is beautiful."
Emma nodded. "It was falling apart when I first came here. I made a donation so they could redo it."
"Money well spent," he said.
"This place is so important to these kids. Most of these children are from poor families and they attend underfunded schools. They come here after school free of charge and they can receive help building their reading skills. They can get help with their homework. We even have programs on the weekends. We have three certified teachers on staff and two reading specialists. Most of these children won't get any help at home so this is really important to help them develop those basic reading skills."
Killian smiled at her, the passion in her voice evident.
"What?" she asked, as she grew uncomfortable under his stare.
"This is really important to you, isn't it?"
Emma nodded. "Yes, it is. I know I could just write a check and never step foot inside this place, but that's not what I want to do with my money. I want to see the difference I make. I want to be a part of something important. I am personally involved in every charity I support."
Killian felt the guilt begin to gnaw away at him. Emma wasn't just a good person. She was an amazing woman with a huge heart. And he felt like absolute scum for trying to take advantage of her.
The women he usually swindled supported charities too, but they simply wrote a check and attended fundraisers. They never got personally involved.
Killian swallowed hard as he followed Emma into a room that was decorated like a rainforest. A huge tree stood in the middle and stuffed animals hung from it. There was a circular area where the children had gathered on the rug.
As soon as they saw Emma, smiles appeared on their faces. "Hi, Miss Emma!" they greeted her cheerily.
Emma sat down in a rocking chair in front of them, as Killian stood off to the side and watched.
"Good afternoon, boys and girls. How are you today?"
"Good!" they said.
"I brought a friend with me today. Can you say hi to Killian?"
They all turned to wave at him. "Hi, Mr. Killian!"
Killian smiled. "Hello, boys and girls."
Emma picked up a book as the children returned their attention to her. "Today, we are going to read one of my favorite stories. It's called Pinocchio. Has anyone ever read that before? Or seen the movie?"
To Emma's surprise, none of them raised their hands. "Well, this story is about telling the truth. Why do you think it's important to tell the truth?"
A little girl's hand shot up. "Sophia, what do you think?" Emma asked.
"If you don't tell the truth, then no one will trust you."
Emma nodded. "That's right. And trust is important if you want someone to like you, right?"
They all nodded vigorously. Killian dropped his eyes to the floor, as Emma began to read. But her enthusiasm as she read pulled his eyes right back up to her. The kids sat mesmerized by her. She was a natural.
She finished the story. "What do you think the lesson of the story is, boys and girls?"
A little boy waved his hand in the air. "Yes, Dante?"
"The lesson is you should always tell the truth so people will trust you."
Killian felt a lump swell in his throat.
Emma nodded with a smile. "That's right. Good job. Trust is important to every relationship. Now, kids, we have a Pinocchio craft for you to do. Head on into the art room with Miss Patty and I'll see you in a few minutes."
They all jumped up and ran to the art room. Emma stood and walked over to Killian, who couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"You're brilliant with those children."
Emma shrugged. "They make it easy."
Emma eyed him in his crisp, white button down shirt and blue vest. "Care to join me in the art room?"
"Of course."
They headed into the art room. The children were making Pinocchio puppets out of construction paper and string. Emma and Killian sat down at one table. The children were carefully cutting out their pieces and gluing parts together.
"Can you help me?" Killian heard a small voice ask from his right.
Emma was busy helping a little girl, so Killian knew she was speaking to him. He licked at his lips nervously. "Sure."
"I can't tie the string," she said, as she held up a piece of Pinocchio's leg.
Killian bent down beside the little girl. Emma watched him out of the corner of her eye. "Here's a trick, lass. Take the two ends and loop them around your finger to make a hole. Then pull the ends through the hole." He demonstrated. "Now you try," he said.
The little girl, Ashley, followed his steps and he helped her with the last bit. Emma smiled at his attentiveness and gentle demeanor.
"There you go. Brilliant," he said with a grin.
The little girl offered him a toothless smile. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, sweetheart," he said.
Emma watched as he moved to the other side of the table and assisted the children without being asked. A little boy was squeezing glue onto Pinocchio's shorts to attach his suspenders, but the glue bottle was a little clogged up. When he shook it, he squeezed too hard and glue came squirting out. Killian was right in the line of fire. Glue ended up splattered all over his shirt and vest.
Emma waited for his reaction, as the children laughed and the boy muttered an embarrassed apology. He looked down at his clothes and then at the boy. The little boy was near tears, but Killian ruffled his hair.
A smile came to his lips. "No harm done, lad. Accidents happen. I quite like the design you created on my clothes."
The boy's lips stopped quivering and he chuckled softly. Killian lifted his head and found Emma staring at him with a smile.
...
They climbed into Emma's car an hour later. Killian had washed off the glue as best he could. She turned to him before she started the car.
"You were great with those kids today," she said.
He shrugged. "You were right. They do make it easy."
"A lot of guys would have lost it if a kid got glue all over him like that."
Killian shook his head. "It's just clothes. Not important." He paused, meeting her eyes. "But what you're doing at that place is, Emma. It's amazing." He paused again and whispered, "You're amazing."
Emma felt a blush creep into her cheeks. He had definitely passed the test.
"Thank you," she replied softly. "So, do you want to go to your apartment to change before we go mini golfing?"
Killian panicked for a moment. He couldn't let her see Robin or the intel they had gathered around their apartment.
"Aye. You can just wait in the car while I run up quickly to change."
Emma nodded and started the car. "Okay."
Killian breathed a sigh of relief.
...
Emma and Killian arrived at the mini golf course.
"I haven't mini golfed in years," Emma said, as she came up to the first hole. "Last time I played, I hit one ball into the parking lot and another into a stream."
Killian still wasn't entirely sure she wasn't hustling him.
"Seems you don't know your own strength," he said.
Emma shrugged and placed her ball down. She did a few practice swings and then hit the ball. It went flying in the air, hit the windmill, and then bounced onto the green of the second hole.
Killian laughed as Emma shook her head. "Oops."
"Love, it's a golf ball, not a baseball."
"I told you I'm awful."
Killian placed his ball down and swung his club. The ball went through the windmill and right into the hole. He flashed her a grin.
"I happen to be quite the mini golfer. Even considered going pro for a while."
Emma laughed as they went to retrieve their balls. The second hole didn't go much better for Emma. She tried to hit it more softly and ended up taking ten strokes to get it in the hole. Killian told her to stop at the six stroke limit, but she was determined.
He got another hole in one on the second one. Emma looked deflated as she moved to the third hole.
"Wait a minute, love," he said, as she placed her ball down.
He came up behind her, his body pressing into hers. His arms slid against hers and his hands covered her own, which held the club. Emma sucked in a breath at his closenness.
Killian's lips moved to her ear. "I think you need a little hands-on coaching, Emma."
Emma was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to concentrate while his body was pressed up against hers. Killian became momentarily distracted by having her so close that he forgot what he was doing.
He swallowed hard, as he brought their arms up together. "You need to have more follow through, but then just tap it when you reach the ball."
Emma felt his breath tickle her ear. She turned her face and met his eyes. His lips were tantalizingly close. As if he knew what she wanted, his tongue slowly darted out and licked at his lips. Emma felt her palms grow sweaty and she was sure the club would have gone flying out of her hands if he wasn't holding it with her.
He did a few more practice swings with her, before reluctantly releasing his hold on her and stepping back. Emma sighed at the loss of contact. She shook her head to regain her concentration. She stood in front of the ball and swung. The ball went through the whale's mouth and came out the other end. It neared the hole and circled it a few times before it fell in.
Emma threw her arms up in the air and jumped up and down. Killian smiled at her excitement. "Brilliant, love."
Emma turned around to face him and threw her arms around his neck, nearly knocking him over with the force. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist to steady himself.
She pulled back and met his eyes. "Thanks for the hands-on coaching."
Killian smiled. "At your service."
Their gazes met and held. Again, Emma waited for him to kiss her, but he resisted the moment. He began to pull away, but she looped her arms around his neck more tightly, trapping him.
"Are you ever going to kiss me?" she asked softly, her eyes sweeping across his face.
His eyes widened at the question. "I...uh...I have been waiting for the perfect moment."
Emma smiled. "Sometimes we have to make our own perfect moments," she said.
Her eyes moved to his lips and her hands slid to the collar of his jacket. She yanked him to her, crashing her lips into his. Killian was taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered. His tongue slipped into her mouth, as his hands moved to her waist, pulling her flush against his body. Emma's hands moved to the back of his head to cup it, deepening the kiss.
They finally parted, gasping for breath. The kiss had been even better than either one of them had imagined. Killian's eyes moved to her mouth. He needed to taste her again. This was one of the reasons he hadn't kissed her yet. He knew he would be addicted to her once he got a taste. And he also knew that once this was over, he would have to let her go. Connecting on a physical level would only make that harder now. But in that moment, he didn't care.
His brought his lips to hers again, his hands trailing up to cup her face. Their tongues battled for dominance this time. It felt like the world around them had disappeared until they heard a few throats clear behind them.
They reluctantly separated and turned their attention to their right. A family of four stood there waiting to use the hole. The mother and father had their young children's eyes covered.
"Do you mind?" the father asked.
Killian and Emma blushed and laughed, as they stepped aside. Killian gestured to the hole. "Be our guest."
The family moved to the hole, as Killian met Emma's eyes. "That was bloody amazing."
Emma bowed her head shyly. "I got a little carried away."
Killian brought his hand to her chin so she would meet his eyes again. "I'm glad you decided to create our own perfect moment."
Emma smiled, as she placed her hand in his. "Come on, let's go to the next hole."
...
Killian realized his mistake the moment Emma got her next hole in one. She hadn't hustled him this time. She was just a quick learner and he had provided her with the tools necessary to succeed. She proceeded to get three more holes in one and the rest of the holes took two or three strokes. They were neck-in-neck as they came to the eighteenth hole. Killian was one stroke ahead of Emma. As Emma set up her next stroke, Killian became distracted watching her. He didn't realize he hadn't moved far enough out of the way and neither did Emma. She brought her club up and began to swing, but she felt it make contact with something hard. She heard a yelp and turned around to find Killian holding his hands over his face.
Emma's eyes widened and she dropped her club. "Oh my God! I am so sorry!"
"Bloody hell," he mumbled.
Killian's nose was throbbing and he felt a small trickle of blood trailing down his chin. Emma helped him over to a nearby bench.
"I am so sorry. Please let me see."
Killian moved his hand and Emma saw that his nose was red and swollen, a thin stream of blood coming from it.
"Oh, you look awful. Do you think it's broken?"
"I don't believe so," he said weakly.
"I'll get some ice," she said.
Emma jumped up and hurried over to the snack bar. They gave her a paper towel with some ice. She hurried back over to him and sat down.
"Lean your head back," she said.
He did as he was told and she placed the ice on his nose. She brought her hand up and gently stroked his cheek.
"I feel awful. Your handsome face."
"Devilishly handsome," he said with a weak smile. "Don't worry, love. It'll take a lot more than a golf club to knock the handsome out of me."
Emma rolled her eyes and laughed. "The good news is your ego seems to be completely intact." She pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I really am sorry."
"Apology accepted. But you didn't have to take out the competition for fear of losing."
Emma's eyes widened and she gently swatted his arm. "Not funny. You know it was an accident. It's partly your fault anyway. Why were you standing so close to me?"
Killian arched an eyebrow, as he felt the throbbing dull a bit from the ice. "I was distracted."
"By what?" she asked.
"You," he said with a grin.
Emma smiled and shook her head, before placing a kiss to his lips.
"Hmm," he said, licking at his lips when they parted. "Perhaps you are the best medicine."
"Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?"
He shook his head. "I'll be fine." He paused and then added. "I do believe I win by default though."
Emma combed her fingers through his hair and smiled. "I suppose that's only fair."
...
Killian had picked Emma up for their date in his car, but given his current condition she had insisted on driving him home and then taking a cab back to her place. He had tried to dissuade her, but it was of no use. Killian never brought a mark home to his place. He knew that Robin would be home and he feared Emma would discover him there. They also had papers about Emma and her firm scattered all over their kitchen table and coffee table.
Emma walked Killian to his door. "I can take it from here, love," he said.
She shook her head firmly. "No, I am going to help you inside and get you settled with an ice pack. It's the least I can do."
"Really, it's not necessary. I'm fine."
"I insist."
Killian searched his mind for another excuse, as he spoke more loudly, hoping that Robin would hear him. "My place is a bloody disaster, Emma. I don't want you to see it like that."
On the other side of the door, Robin heard Killian. His eyes widened in panic, but he sprung into action. He swept the papers off the kitchen table and coffee table and stuck them in a drawer. He then hurried into his bedroom and closed the door.
Emma sighed. "Killian, I'm not taking no for an answer."
"You're a stubborn lass, aren't you?" he said with a crooked grin.
Emma nodded. "Yes and it makes me very good at my job and someone impossible to win an argument against."
"I'll keep that in mind," he said. "Okay, you can come in," he finally said, as he pretended to search for his keys in his pockets, hoping to stall long enough to give Robin time to clean up and hide.
He finally found them. "Please forgive the mess," he said, as he unlocked the door.
Emma followed him inside, noticing that the apartment seemed pretty neat to her.
"Looks fine to me," she said. "Sit down. I'll get some ice."
Killian sat down and scanned the apartment for any sign that Robin lived there or of their operation involving Emma. He didn't find any.
Emma sat down next to him and placed the ice on his nose. She then flipped on the TV.
"You don't have to stay, Emma."
"I want to," she said. "Is that okay?"
Killian smiled. "Of course, love. Thank you."
...
Two days later, Killian and Robin stood outside Emma's office.
"You're certain that Gary looped the camera feed?" Killian asked.
"Positive. Relax, mate."
But Killian couldn't relax. This was the last place he wanted to be and the last thing he wanted to be doing. Killian usually got a rush from any clandestine operation. But not this time. He just wanted to get in, get what they needed, and get out.
Robin pulled out the swipe and ran it through the slot. The light on the door turned green and he was able to open the door. He flashed Killian a smile that was not returned. They crept through the outer office until they came to Emma's office. Robin used the swipe to gain access again and they entered her office.
"I'll check her computer. You check the filing cabinet," Robin said.
Killian moved to the cabinet and found the drawers locked. He used his pick to open each drawer and found files on all of her clients. He took out his phone and snapped as many pictures as he could.
Robin sighed as he stared at her laptop. "Well, not surprisingly, it's password protected. Gary told me we would probably need a password cracker."
"Can he acquire one for us?" Killian asked.
Robin nodded. "Aye, it's going to cost us though. It's like a flash drive. You stick it in the USB slot and it will run through a thousand passwords a minute until it cracks it."
Killian nodded. "Okay, let's get out of-..."
Just then, the lights came on outside the office. Their heads whipped in the direction of the light and they caught sight of Emma and Belle. They ducked down and looked at each other, panic in their eyes. They realized Emma was headed to her office and they knew they needed to hide quickly. Robin dove under the desk, as Killian looked at her wardrobe. He crawled over to it, praying that there would be enough room to fit him. He opened the door, stuffed himself inside between her clothes, and closed the door just as she entered her office.
"That's weird," Emma said. "I could have sworn I closed my office door. I always close it."
Belle shrugged. "You must have forgotten. You've been a little distracted lately."
Emma laughed lightly. "I can't argue with that."
Killian squeezed his eyes closed. He knew he was the reason for her distractedness.
Belle gestured to her desk. "Which is probably why you forgot your phone."
Emma nodded as she picked her phone up from her desk. Robin held his breath as he saw her shoes appear in front of him.
"Got it. Let's go," Emma said.
Robin and Killian heard them leave the office. They waited a few minutes to make sure they were gone and then checked to see that the lights were off outside. They finally emerged from their hiding places.
Killian's jaw clenched and his eyes flashed with anger. "Bloody hell, that was far too close!"
Robin shrugged. "We've been in closer scrapes before."
Killian shook his head. This was different. Emma had nearly discovered them. She had nearly learned the truth. And he knew if that happened then he would surely lose her. He wasn't ready to let Emma go. He was starting to believe he never would be.
...
A week passed and Killian hadn't seen Emma. She called and texted him several times, wanting to plan another date, but he came up with an excuse every time. He didn't know how to be with her right now. The guilt was eating away at him. He couldn't stand telling her one more lie.
He began to consider leaving this life behind. He had never contemplated going straight before. Deep inside, he always believed that he couldn't change, that he couldn't be anything more. But he began to wonder if he had just been waiting for a reason to leave, a reason to change. Maybe Emma was that reason.
He remembered what his brother, Liam, had said the last time they had spoken. He had told him he believed he was better than this. Maybe he was.
Killian decided he needed to speak to his brother. It had been nearly four years and he wasn't even sure he still lived in the same place as he raised his hand to knock on his apartment door.
A moment later, the door swung open, revealing his brother.
"Killian?" he said.
"Liam."
They stood uncomfortably for a few long moments before Liam stepped forward and pulled Killian into his arms.
"It's been far too long, brother," Liam said.
"Aye, that it has."
Liam pulled back and patted his brother's cheek. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you, too."
"Please, come in," Liam said.
Killian entered the small, neat apartment. He moved to a table on one wall, smiling at the wedding photo.
"How's Lisa?" he asked.
"She's great."
Killian's gaze moved to the picture beside it. He slowly picked it up. It was a baby picture of a little boy. He turned to his brother.
"Do you have a son?"
Liam nodded with a smile. "Aye, he's nearly one."
"What's his name?"
"Simon Killian Jones."
Killian arched his brow. "You named him after me?"
Liam nodded. "I wanted to have a piece of you with me always and I wanted my boy to have a piece of his uncle."
Killian smiled. "I have a nephew."
"I want you to meet him. He's out with Lisa now."
Liam eyed his brother, sensing something was off.
"What's wrong, Killian?"
Killian sat down on the couch. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For turning my back on you. For accusing you of being like our father."
"I knew you didn't mean it."
"You've made a good life for yourself, haven't you?"
Liam nodded. "Aye, I am very happy. Sober 4 years and I have a job in business I enjoy."
"I'm happy for you, brother," Killian said.
"Thank you," he replied. Liam paused for a moment before continuing, "Why are you here, Killian? Why now after all this time?"
"I've met someone," he said.
Liam felt a small smile pull at his lips. "You've fallen in love."
Killian nodded. It was the first time he had truly admitted it to himself. "Aye, that I have."
"She's made you reconsider this life."
Killian bobbed his head. "I think I was envious of you, Liam. I envied the courage you had to leave this life behind. I envied that you had someone who gave you a reason to change, someone who believed you could. I wanted that."
"And now you can have it."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple," he said, lowering his eyes.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Killian swallowed roughly. "I've fallen in love with my mark."
Liam's eyes widened. "You broke the golden rule of con men."
"I know. I didn't mean for it to happen." He paused and went on. "And now I don't know what to do. Robin doesn't want to give up the operation, but it's killing me knowing that I am lying to her. I'm betraying her every moment we spend together. Emma's been betrayed before and it took her a long time to trust again."
"What do you want me to say, Killian?"
"Tell me it's worth it. Tell me giving up this life for Emma would be worth it."
Liam sighed. "I can't do that."
"Why not?" Killian asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Because you can't just change for Emma. You have to want to change for yourself. If you do it just for her, then the pull to return to what you know the moment things get difficult will be too great to resist."
Killian nodded. He knew his brother was right.
Liam leaned forward. "But listen to me. If you wish to be with this woman, then you need to tell her the truth. You can't build a relationship on a lie."
Killian swallowed hard. In the back of his mind, he thought that maybe she never had to know the truth. Maybe he could just walk away and begin a life with her. He knew what would happen if Emma learned the truth. He would lose her.
Killian stood. "Thank you."
Liam stood and embraced his brother. "I know you'll do the right thing. You've always had it in you, Killian. I've always believed in you."
Killian simply smiled, hoping that he could find the courage to do the right thing and that maybe it wouldn't cost him the woman he loves.
...
End of Part 5
Thanks for reading! I'd appreciate any feedback you'd like to give. ~Steph