Pulse (Collide) (28 page)

“My friend!” After a near fatal collision with a metal pole and a few tables, Olivia pulled Emily into her arms. “You won the battle with the man! I’m so happy you didn’t let him defeat you,
and
I’m wasted. Yay me! This is going to be a night!”

Emily giggled, slipping her coat from her body. “Yes. I did win the battle.” She smiled at Gavin. He grinned, taking her coat. “And, yes, you’re looking mighty toasted.”

“I plan on constant, warm fuzziness tonight.” Olivia smiled and reached for Emily’s hand, dragging her to the balcony overlooking the dance floor. “See, Emily!” she yelled, her arms flared open wide. “The world is my people!”

“Holy shit, Olivia!” Emily belted out, shocked because Olivia was hanging over said balcony. Emily curled her arms around her waist to keep her from plummeting to her death. She guided her back to Jude and Gavin.

Olivia frowned, but Emily’s worry didn’t stop her from plucking a fiery red shot in a tube from a waitress walking by as Jude pulled out his wallet to pay for the drink. She slammed it back, handed the waitress the glass, and smothered a wet kiss on Jude’s cheek. “You remember my human canvas, right?”

Emily smiled. “How can I forget?”

“Cool seeing you again,” Jude yelled over the music. “At least I’m dressed this time.”

Emily smiled, having no clue how to respond to that one.

Yeah. That statement piqued Gavin’s curiosity. Just a little. After placing his and Emily’s coats on a suede couch, he walked back over to the group, his eyes pinned on Jude. “I’m Gavin, and
I’m
happy to see you’re dressed. You are?”

“What’s up, bro?” Jude said with a toasty smile. He held out his hand and Gavin shook it. “I’m Jude, or you can call me the human canvas. Either one. It’s cool.”

Gavin nodded and leaned into Emily’s ear. “Okay, he just mentioned being dressed this time around and now he’s calling himself a human canvas.” He curled his arm around her waist. “I’m left with the assumption that you’ve somehow seen him naked, and possibly paint brushes were involved. I would’ve let you paint on me if that’s what you needed.”

Sliding her arms around his neck, Emily popped a brow, a smirk lifting her mouth. “Would you let me paint a pretty rainbow on your stomach?”

“Mmm. I’d let you paint whatever the fuck you want on me wherever the fuck you want to paint it.” He nipped her lip and pulled her closer. “Remember, I hold not one sexual limit with you. But I draw the line at you painting on any male bodies other than mine.”

Emily hooted a laugh, grazing her mouth along his ear. “I’ve never painted on a man’s body, but I plan on doing so when we get home. Oh, and I’ve only seen him partially naked. He has a nice build, but it’s not nearly as rock hard and hot as yours, so don’t worry about it. Again, it was just a partial view.”

“You had me going until that last bit, but I’ll let it slide.” Staring at her, he rolled his tongue over his bottom lip. “Are paint stores open this late?”

“Hey!” Olivia chirped, yanking Gavin away from Emily. Stumbling into him, she swiped a hand through her blonde hair and smiled. “One: I never got my hug from you, Blake. Two: She’s already knocked up. I’m pretty sure you can’t double-impregnate her. Back up, my brother. You two were looking a little heated there for a second.”

After enduring Olivia’s swaying bear hug, Gavin shook his head. “I’m surrounded by women who’ve left me speechless today.”

Wearing a full-toothed, Cheshire cat smile, Olivia swung her arm around Emily’s neck. Her brown eyes zoned in on Gavin. “Get used to it, buddy. We’re here to stay.” She belted out a burp, looking at her watch. “Damn, my brother and Fallon. Hopefully he’s not off somewhere knocking
her
up. He said they’d be here by midnight, and it’s already a quarter after.”

Emily crinkled her nose, stepping back. “Jesus, Olivia.”

“What?” Trying to steady herself by grabbing Jude’s arm, which was no help because he stumbled back, she frowned. “I overdid the whole ‘knocking up’ thing, didn’t I? Me sorry. But you are. Oh my God, Emily! You’re having a baby! We get to go shopping for little kids’ clothing. Well, not little kids ‘cause it won’t be a kid when it comes out, ‘cause it’ll be so tiny. Tiny like a pencil eraser.” Olivia lifted her hand, tapping her forehead. “We need a mane. I mean a name. A mane. A mane. Oh! I got it! Olivia! Boy or girl, mane it Olivia in my honor.”

Completely dumbfounded at Olivia’s drunken display, Emily had the sudden urge to yank a shot from the waitress making another round. “Olivia, I wasn’t talking about the baby. I was talking about the burp you released in my face.”

Olivia touched her mouth. “I burped?”

No sooner had Olivia dropped the burp question than, hand in hand, Fallon and Trevor approached the group. Squealing in delight, Olivia clamored them both with an overly drunk, overly tight hug. After answering several questions about possibly knocking up Fallon, Trevor sent Olivia and Jude out to the dance floor, telling them to go burn off some alcohol.

Against a gnawing feeling in his gut telling him not to, Gavin allowed Emily to join the group. Fallon was with her and didn’t plan on drinking because of an early morning communion, so he felt slightly better. Nonetheless, it didn’t sit well with him. With his hands clasped, Gavin leaned his forearms on the railing of the second level. He watched with a hawk’s eye as Emily made her way out onto the crowed club floor.

“I heard what happened between you and Dillon.” Trevor—also intently watching the girls—spoke up, and Gavin could hear the weariness in his tone. “A couple of guys from the office called and told me about it.”

Eyes locked on Emily, Gavin didn’t bother turning to look at him. “You fucking hid what he did to her from me.”

“I didn’t hide anything,” he retorted, adjusting his glasses. “I talked with Emily, and she promised she would say something to you if you guys got back together.” He clapped his hand over Gavin’s shoulder. “I assumed you already knew.”

Jerking away, Gavin shrugged off his hand. He dragged his eyes from Emily and pinned Trevor with a look he was sure told him he was about to get knocked over the railing. “You fucking assumed I knew? What the fuck is wrong with you? You came over the day after she moved in with me. That was the first time I saw or spoke to you after we got back from Mexico. You don’t think I would’ve said something if I knew?”

“Come on, man, what did you expect me to do? She promised. I assumed. It was a mistake. That’s all.”

The more Trevor talked, the more tossing him over the railing became that much more appealing to Gavin. “Yeah. A fucking mistake. What did I expect you to do? You should’ve flown to Playa del Carmen the fucking day it happened. That’s what I expected from a friend I’ve known half my life. Someone I consider a brother.” Gavin glared at him another second, then focused his attention back on Emily. Watching the woman he’d saved from a lifetime filled with nothing more than pain and hurt, he grit his teeth, trying to calm himself down. “I love her more than anything. I would’ve come back that day had I known. You should’ve done something. End of fucking story.”

Over the ear-blowing music zipping and pounding through the air, Gavin heard the resignation in Trevor’s sigh. Either way, Gavin wasn’t sure the friendship could be salvaged. Hell, he wasn’t sure it was worth trying to save at this point. Other than feeling as though he could kill him right there, Gavin felt burned.

Before he could dwell over the torn friendship, Gavin watched Emily and the girls exit the dance floor. Making their way up the stairs, human canvas in tow behind them, they stepped into the lounge area. Gavin flicked his attention one last time in Trevor’s direction, paying no mind to the impassive look on his face he could tell was for show. Gavin saw thoughts moving behind his eyes, and he didn’t give a shit. Emily wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling Gavin from the standoff he was having with his former best friend.

Gavin turned, brushing his fingers through Emily’s dampened hair. She smiled, and he was nearly done for. God, between the raging male hormones running rampant through his system and sweat glistening off her body, he could’ve eaten her alive right there. Hungry in more ways than one, Gavin pulled her into his mouth. Wanting to drown in everything that made her, he kissed her hard, his body seeking release. He could feel the vibration of her moan dance over his tongue, and fuck if it didn’t drive him mad. “Have a good time?”

“I did,” Emily breathed, her body tingling. Her skin. Her pulse. Every damn hair on her flesh stood on end. A sizzling, demanding ache started to build between her legs as her eyes stroked from his face to the luscious bump of his Adam’s apple hidden between the collar of his white button-up shirt. Sighing, she ran her hands across his gray, tailored V-neck sweater, her fingers burning to feel his bare chest. She swallowed. “I have to make a quick run to the restroom. I’ll be right back.” Still holding her, she watched Gavin lift a single brow, his blue eyes slowly fucking her right there. She swallowed again.

He jerked his chin toward the exit. “I’d like to get out of here when you’re done.”

The intimate edge in his tone said all she needed to know. It surrounded her, pulling her under like a rolling wave. Legs weak and body limp, Emily nodded. “You don’t have to ask twice, Mr. Blake.”

“Good girl.” The triumph in his voice pulled her under further, sweetening the surrender to his request. “I’ll see you back here in a few, Miss Cooper.”

Emily turned on her heels and started for the restroom, only to be stopped a few feet away by Olivia. Swaying more than before, she smiled, and Emily couldn’t help but giggle. Grabbing Olivia’s hand, Emily dragged her toward the restroom only to be stopped by Fallon. Sandwiched, Emily linked arms with them and finally made it to the bathroom. After a twenty-minute wait on a long line snaking through a decent amount of the second level, the girls got in and did their business.

“Country,” Fallon chimed, pulling mascara from her clutch. Looking in the mirror, she swiped it through her lashes. “Did Gavin tell you about the argument he and Trevor just had about you?”

Emily lifted her eyes from digging through her purse for lipstick. Brows furrowed, she tilted her head, confused. “No. What happened?”

“Gavin’s pissed because he never told him what Dillon did to you.”

Emily sighed. “I told him that was my fault for not saying anything. I’ll talk to him again.”

“I hope so.” Fallon tossed the mascara back into her clutch. She fluffed her hair, its fiery crimson vibrant under the overhead lights. “He shouldn’t catch shit for something
you
should’ve told Gavin to begin with. You need to make this right.”

Emily jerked her head back. “I know he shouldn’t, Fallon. I just told you I explained to Gavin it was my fault. I also told him Trevor made me promise to tell him if we got back together and I didn’t. What do you want me to say? I’m going to talk to him about it again, okay?”

Fallon blew out a noisy breath and nodded. “All right. I’m sorry. I came off snotty, but I love Trevor, and he’s pretty upset right now.”

“Trevor’s always upset about something,” Olivia blurted, swinging open the stall. Untangling a necklace that appeared to be growing from her hair, she rolled her eyes and yanked it out. Her expression twisted in pain for a moment before she smiled. “Thank God. That thing was fucking killing me. Don’t ask how it got in my hair, either. I think it happened when I bent over to wipe myself. Oh, and I’m pretty sure I peed on my heels.”

With her arms crossed, Fallon leaned against the sink. “Trevor’s not always upset, Liv.”

“Pfft. To hell he’s not,” Olivia scoffed and started washing her hands. “He’s a bitch on wheels. Even my father says I was supposed to be the boy in the family. If he didn’t have a dick, I’d call him a pussy.”

Emily covered her face, trying to stifle a laugh.

A slow smile curled Fallon’s lips. “Well, I can guarantee you he has a dick and he knows how to use it.”

Olivia dried her hands with a paper towel. Once finished, she balled it up and chucked it at Fallon’s forehead, hitting her target dead on. Olivia snorted. “And I can guarantee you if he doesn’t bag all two inches of it, you’ll wind up with a little bun in the oven just like our friend here, except yours won’t be as cute and it’ll bitch just like his father. Wa-wa.”

Sighing, Emily rolled her eyes. “Enough with the pregnancy jokes, Liv.”

Olivia shrugged. “Well, it’s the truth. Your kid would definitely be cuter.” Pausing, Olivia pressed her lips in a hard line, her eyes squinting. “Wait. I take that back. If it’s Douchelord’s spawn, you’re in trouble. That’d be one ugly baby.”

While Fallon’s mouth dropped open, Emily’s parted in a gasp. “Olivia! How could you say that?”

“Emily, I speak the truth. Especially while I’m drunk. You’re golden if it’s Gavin’s, but if Dumbledick’s the baby daddy, I would look into giving it up for adoption. This whole ordeal’s already a clash of Maury Povich meets Jerry Springer for an all-out battle of ‘who’s got the most drama going on.’ Seriously, I love you. But honestly, I shudder thinking about what it’ll look like.”

Emily yanked her purse from the counter and zipped past Olivia.

Olivia grabbed her arm. “Wait! Emily, I’m sorry. In Deputy Dillhole’s defense, and you know I never defend him, I still think it’s wrong you and Gavin aren’t telling him about the pregnancy until you find out whose baby it is. It’s no secret I’m not his fan, but he could be the father. In the long run, if you don’t tell him and he is, it can look bad for you.”

Emily pulled in a slow, deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves. “You know what, Olivia? You’re drunk. In the last thirty seconds, you’ve called my child a spawn, told me it’s going to be ugly, and suggested adoption. You’re also giving your
unwanted
opinion as to how Gavin and I should handle telling or not telling Dillon. If you weren’t so trashed, you’d remember Gavin’s reasons for not wanting to tell him. You’d also remember my reasons for agreeing with him. Now if you’ll excuse me,
friend
, I’m leaving. You can go ahead and call me tomorrow after you’ve woken up with your nasty hangover.”