He snorted. "Nobody put me in charge, lady, I just didn't see anybody else about to step up and do it."

This was Scott's job, he thought—Scott should be here instead of him. He didn't know if Scott was even still capable of this kind of shit, of acting like a normal human being. He'd always been pretty bad at appreciating what he had, asshole that he was, but—

(At this point, with his hand on her bare shoulder, he suddenly and irrevocably realized that Emma had really soft skin. Hugtime needed to be over.)

"Guess we earned a goddamn vacation, anyway," he said, leaning forward to ostensibly set his beer on the coffee table.