Page 46 of That Last Secret
Shit.Shit. Shit.
I repeat that over and over in my head as I move to my side of the cornhole game with Emiline trailing right behind me.
“What the hell was that?” she whisper-shouts as soon as she catches up to me.
I turn to look at her, those fucking light blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight from her sangria-induced haze. “What was what?” I ask as if I don’t know what she’s talking about.
“Don’t play dumb.” She keeps her voice low so only I can hear. “You with that awful pet name and that comment…” Her cheeks turn a rosy shade of pink, and I can tell she doesn’t want to repeat it. “You know.”
I smirk down at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Entertain me, Emmy.” I take a small step toward her, and my body rumbles with energy from being this close to her. I’mplaying a dangerous game, but I can’t find a part of me that wants to stop. “What comment?”
“The going down… uh… comment.” She fumbles with her words.
This isn’t the first time Emiline has gotten shy with me when talking about sex. I remember watching how cute she was when she got all flustered talking about her neighbors’ sexcapades that morning I showed up after work to check on her.
“Are you telling me you took it another way than how I meant it?” I grin.
Her lips part in shock and embarrassment, but Avery screaming that it’s her turn, pulls Emiline from her thoughts. When I look across the game, I see Avery giving me a suspicious look. Her eyebrows pinch together as she stares at me, trying to figure out my motives.
I don’t have a motive. At least I don’t think I do.
I’ve just been coasting by, trying not to let intrusive thoughts of touching my best friend’s little sister actually happen. I’ve been trying to keep my hands to myself, but I’m unsure how much more I can take. I’ve already admitted to her face that I want her, which is more than I should have ever said.
Emiline swings the bag across the lawn and misses. I follow when it’s my turn, and then my gaze immediately finds her again.
This time, she breaks the silence. “They are going to think something’s going on between us,” she says with a nervous tone in her voice.
“No, they won’t.”
“This isn’t funny,” she groans. “My brothers…”
That’s when I break.
“You think I don’t know?” I cut her off but keep my words low only for her to hear. “You think it’s easy for me to suddenly want to touch you in ways you’ve probably never been touchedbefore? You think it’s easy for me to keep my distance and force myself to hate you?”
She sucks in a sharp breath as her eyes bounce between mine. “I…”
“Yeah, I get it’s your brothers, but those are also my best friends. I made a promise to them years ago that I’d never come near their little sister. To top it off, I’m not a relationship guy. And now…” My eyes trail her up and down as my tongue darts across my bottom lip instinctively. “Now you’re killing me every time I look at you.”
Emiline doesn’t answer and remains silent as we take turns throwing the sandbags across the yard. I don’t push it either because it could only hurt her in the long run.
It’s bad enough she already knows I want her.
Emiline didn’t say a word for the rest of the game, only intensifying the tension.
“Logan,” Thomas says. “Can I ask you a favor?”
“Anytime.” I nod.
“Marc and Avery are staying here tonight. Can Emiline catch a ride back to the city with you? She doesn’t want to stay outside of the city and would rather get back to her apartment.”
That was not what I expected him to ask me. Then again, I’ve been on edge since Emiline left me with nothing but silence.
I also feel a guilty conscience buzzing in my body that I’m going behind his back.
I am… but not in the way anyone would think.
I just happen to know something about Emiline that he doesn’t know.