The Rise of Emery James (32 page)

Now that Henry isn’t here to chaperone it’s as if the air between us has charged in seconds. Everything we’ve held back all night comes rushing in, making it hard to think straight.

"Dinner was nice," I offer.

She smiles shyly.

"I should probably go too. I don't know if I can trust myself to be a good friend right now," I admit.

This makes her blush.

"Yeah,
friends
feels a lot harder when you’re standing here with me," she says. Her admission makes my cock swell and I work to keep myself from stepping closer to her. If I close this space at all she'll pull me straight to her like a magnet and I won't be able to go.

"You're so beautiful." The words fall from my lips before I can stop them. Not that I would have.

'Cole," she warns.

"I know. We're friends. I'll be good. I'll keep my promise. Which is why I'm going to go."

She looks both sad and relieved by that. I know how she feels.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow?" she asks.

"You will," I promise. Against my better judgment I step closer to her and I see her hold her breath as she prepares for what I might do. I want to kiss her, but I know I shouldn't. Instead I lean in and brush my lips across her cheek and plant a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Goodnight, Emery James," I breathe. I feel her shiver and it nearly crushes my resolve to walk away.

"Goodnight, Cole," she says, her voice unsteady.

I step back and down one step towards the drive, but my eyes hold hers. "Sleep well," I offer. I'm just spouting of random sentiments to keep from leaving.

She smiles back, "You too."

"Go inside," I say. Maybe if she's safely behind the door I'll leave like I'm supposed to.

"Go home," she retorts. I laugh because that was my old Emery coming back. God, I love seeing the fire in her.

I take another step down and she moves towards the door. It's a slow dance as we each move away from each other. Finally, I'm at my car and she's at the front door, her hand on the handle. I lift mine to wave.

"We did it," she calls out.

"Barely," I admit.

As I unlock the door she calls out my name and when I look up she's holding the bouquet of daisies I'd tossed aside earlier. She holds them up with a questioning laugh. And I shrug, "I thought you needed flowers." She pulls them close to her and holds them to her chest.

"I love them," she says.

Friends. It's just not going to cut it.

I FISH MY PHONE
from my pocket as the truck rolls to a stop at the red light. I smile when I see Emery's face on the screen. Unexpected surprise. I haven't seen her in two days. She went to dinner with the girls last night and I'd already had plans set up with the guys tonight. I miss her.

I wave my hand at the guys in an effort to shut them up, but they are three beers and a shot in from pre-partying at the house so they don't pay me a bit of attention.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask, ignoring my friends as I concentrate to hear Emery on the other end of the line.

"Hi. Where are you? Did I catch you at a bad time? You sound busy," she asks. Her voice sounds wary, like she regrets making the call, so I rush to assure her that she can call me anytime.

"I'm in the truck. I was just out with the guys. It's never a bad time. I told you, call me anytime."

I hear her smile in the silence, at least I imagine it - shy and quiet, while she decides whether or not to believe me. I'll keep telling her until she does.

"So you're going out tonight?" she asks. I swear I hear disappointment in her voice. Or maybe I want to hear it.

"That was the plan. Just a few beers. Nothing crazy," I say. Just then Jonah lets out a loud whoop from the window to the car that pulls up beside us. I cringe.

"Okay, well, I won't keep you then," she says quickly.

"Wait," I say before she can hang up. "What are you doing?" I ask. The light turns green and I drive forward completely ignoring the dirty look that Jonah shoots me when he is jerked back in his seat. He shouldn't have been hanging out the window like an idiot.

"Not much really," she admits. God, I love the sound of her voice. It slides over me, sending flashes of memory from our night together. The night we're not supposed to talk about. The night I pretty much play on a constant loop. The whole thing has had me dealing with an uncomfortable hard on for days.

"Want to come out with us?" I ask. Brody leans forward from the back seat to slap my arm and gape at me. Yeah, I've broken a cardinal rule. I get it. But I flip him the bird and ignore him.

"God no," she laughs. Damn. "But if you want to call me after, I'll be awake," she says shyly. There's something there, just beneath her words and it has my body on full alert, I see the bar up ahead and pull into a parking spot.

"Out," I tell the guys. I hear Jonah crack an imaginary whip as they laugh and exit the truck. Now that the cab is quiet, I sink back into my seat and take in the sound of her breathing on the other end of the line.

'I can come over," I say without thinking.

She's quiet for a moment and it's as if we are having an entire conversation in the silence.

"Later?" she asks.

"Now. I can come over right now, Emery." My voice is low and husky because I'm already imagining the taste of her on my tongue.

"But your friends," she offers weakly.

"Tell me you want me to come over. I'll put the truck in drive and be there in ten minutes," I say. My heart is beating fast, waiting for her to say yes. She's not asked me for anything, ever. Not really. I want her to ask me for this.

She hesitates and I know it's because we both know that she's asking for something more. "Come over," she says finally.

"On my way."

I text the guys. They'll give me shit later, but I don't care. I can take anything they want to throw at me. Right now all I can think about is getting back across town and seeing Emery. It's been two days since I've seen her and I miss her. It’s been too long.

She's waiting on the porch when I pull up, leaning against the railing casually. She's perfect. She's wearing a little white sundress that falls mid-thigh, teasing me with long tanned legs that were deliciously wrapped around me not so long ago. I'm trying not to get ahead of myself. After all, we're still supposed to be doing this whole friends thing. We're supposed to be taking it slow. That's the promise I gave her. But shit, seeing her there in that dress, in her bare feet with her pink toes is driving my dick crazy.

"Hey," I say, stepping towards the porch. I pull off my ball cap and position it on my head again as I watch her. Her eyes follow my movements as I climb the stairs towards her. I don't stop until only inches separate us. I hear her breath catch as she holds my gaze steady. Her teeth sink into her lip, a nervous habit that nearly has me breaking my promise to keep it casual.

"You smell good," she says, her eyes finding me from under her long lashes. The shy side of her winning out. It ramps up my hope of what she's called me out here for, but I try to rein it in. Because if I'm wrong, I don't want to spend the night trying to tame down the steady edge of desire that this woman makes me feel.

"You think so?" I smile. She nods. She smells good too. Like gardenias and rain. Innocence and a restless spirit all in one. Standing this close to her and not kissing her is taking a lot of effort, but I don't want to step back and put unnecessary space between us. I want to soak her in. All of her.

The breeze dances around us, brushing her hair across her face, her dress across her legs. It stirs up unspoken feelings, hidden desires, and well placed intentions. I wait to see which one of us breaks first.

"You can come inside," she says finally. A smiles quirks the corner of my mouth. She shakes her head and turns to lead the way. I follow close at her heels. The house has become so familiar to me. After finding every excuse to stop by and see her, I end up spending most of my evenings here. I follow her down the hall and into the living room, my eyes moving around the room, taking in the comfortable decorations, the warm lamp light that casts shadows across the freshly painted walls. She's made it her own, leaving behind so much of the girl she was with him and finding a new version of herself. Each step she takes gives me hope for a future together.

"You didn't have to leave the guys to come out here," she says, leaning against the back of the couch and turning to face me.

"But you're glad I did," I offer.

She shrugs, "Maybe."

"So how long are you going to make me wait before you tell me what's going on in that pretty little head of yours? I'm good with the small talk too, but I am curious," I push. I watch as the nerves flash across her face and I'm pretty sure that we're on the same page.

"Can't I just want to see you?" she says stubbornly, crossing her arms across her chest. I smile and reach out to unfold them, keeping her wrists encircled in my hands.

"Of course. I like that you want to see me." I hold her gaze and wait to see if she'll offer me anything else. When she doesn't I ask, "So you want to watch a movie or something?"

I smile at the small huff that leaves her. Sometimes I really like pushing her buttons. Making her say the things that she doesn't want to say, the things that she is afraid to say. Each time she breaks down and does it she shows me a little bit more of the girl I know is still hiding in there. The one that he took away. The one he tried to destroy. I like that it's me who is bringing her back. And each time that I do, it feels like she's getting back another small piece of her life.

Maybe that's a big claim. Maybe I want to believe it more than it's actually happening. It doesn't matter. As long as I get to see her smile nothing else matters.

"I don't really want to watch a movie, Cole," she says, as I drag her behind me.

I stop, turning to face her. "No?" I ask, trying to paint my face with an innocence she'll never believe. The smile that plays at her lips tells me I'm right.

"No."

"Then, tell me, James, now that I'm here what is it that you want to do?" I lock my gaze on hers, letting the intensity that crackles between us go unguarded. I let her see that all she has to do is ask me and I'll give her anything she wants.

"I think you already know the answer to that," she says.

"But I want to hear you tell me."

I watch the nerves and indecision play across her face. The need and the desire at war with her self-doubt and self-imposed guilt. "Tell me what you want, Emery. I'll give you anything you want. You just have to ask," I encourage.

"I want you to make me feel alive," she says simply. Her voice is soft but stronger with a decided purpose and I feel a thrill run through me. I take a step closer and watch as her tongue glides across her bottom lip.

"Keep going," I say as I pull her closer to me.

"It goes against our deal. We're supposed to be friends and forget about our night together," she starts.

"I haven't forgotten anything," I admit.

She takes a breath and it's shaky, not nerves this time, but the desire stirred up by the memories that are playing in her head. "I've spent so long in the quiet, in the shadows. I didn't realize how numb I'd become. Not until you touched me. You made me feel alive and for the first time in as long as I can remember I felt everything."

I swallow hard, because these are words that I didn't expect. This is more than physical release; this is about waking up from the fog she's been in for years. This is
my
Emery.

"I want to feel it again. I need to feel it. I need you to touch me." She slides her hands up my chest resting them against them, against the rise and fall of my unsteady breathing. "I need you to make me feel everything."

I can't help the smile that takes over my face. Her words squeeze my heart, the vulnerability in her eyes makes me want to give her the entire world. She wants me to make her feel alive. Hell, I feel like I've just woken up myself. Everything about this girl has my entire world waking up.

"I'll give you anything you want," I say again as I slide my hands around her small waist and pull her flush against me. Her breath catches and she looks up at me with heated eyes.

"I want you," she breathes out. Shit. Those words will be my undoing.

I grab her face and cover her lips with mine in a hungry kiss, needing to taste her, devour her in every way. Her hands grip my arms as she returns the kiss with just as much need. I feel her emotions as they pour into me and mix with my own. It makes my entire body vibrate. This is what I have been waiting for. This decision, for her to realize that we are more than a past, more than a distraction. This is the moment when she not only recognizes that truth, but accepts it fully.

"Tell me how you want me. Fast or slow? Hard or easy?" I ask as my mouth moves across her delicate throat.

She gasps and trembles beneath my touch and I feel my dick go even harder. "I want you to treat me like you aren't afraid to break me," she says. I pull back and look down in her eyes. I see it then, the need to let go in a completely animalistic way. No fear. No questions. Just raw need - giving in without fear of judgment.