Page 49 of That Last Secret
“So you will remember when I tell you that you make it impossibly hardnotto flirt with you, Em. It’s damn near impossible to hide it from everyone around me too. If you’re in the room, I want my eyes on you. If you’re close to me, I want to touch you. And if you’re near me, I fight every fucking urge in my body not to do something I’d regret.”
She presses her lips together, and my eyes travel to them. Big mistake because all the blood rushes to my cock when she brings her bottom lip between her teeth and fights back a smile.
I groan as I throw my head back.
Emiline Ford is going to unravel everything I’ve worked so hard to keep buried deep inside, whether I want her to or not.
“I wouldn’t regret it,” she finally says.
“That might have been the wrong word because I wouldn’t regret it either. But I don’t want to make things complicated for either of us. It’s a bad idea for us to go down that road.”
She nods, remaining silent, but the disappointment written across her face is so loud.
“Let’s get you home,” I finally say despite wanting to say and do so much more.
It’s best to leave it at this.
For now.
“How comeI haven’t worked with or seen you in two whole weeks since our beach date over Fourth of July weekend?” Brooke asks as the server drops our salads in front of us.
We thank them, and I take a sip of water, mostly because I want to avoid this topic and why I haven’t seen her. I don’t have a reason for it other than I used some paid time off for two weeks to spend time with my nephew.
For the first time in a while, I actually took time off of work for me, and it felt weird. But I welcomed it because I knew I couldn’t hold back with Brooke if I saw her at work.
I knew I would spill every single detail like a babbling brook the moment we had a second.
It’s not that I don’t want to tell her all the things Logan told me. It’s just that I haven’t been able to make sense of it all.
“I’ve just been really busy with the gym and visiting James,” I finally say. Only some of it is a lie, but neither excuse takes up every minute of my time.
After my trip to Thomas’ house, I realized I needed to spend more time with my nephew. He’s growing up right before our eyes, and I don’t want to regret missing anything.
“You’re looking hella fine, girl.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Not that you didn’t before, but I can tell you’ve been lifting weights. It’s a good look on you.”
“Thanks.” I offer her a smile. “With all this free time we have during the break and this summer class not being intense, I really have more time to focus on myself. My mental health has never been better. I’m not sure what I’m going to do when fall classes start. I don’t want to give this up.”
“And you don’t have to,” she reassures me. “You’re so smart, Em. You can put aside an hour of your day to go to the gym. Or just listen to those supplemental videos we find online while you’re on the treadmill,” she suggests, her tone comforting before diving into her salad.
“Hmm, that’s actually a really good idea.”
“I’m full of them.” She beams. “Speaking of good ideas, have you seen or talked to Logan more? I haven’t seen him bring anyone in lately.”
I take one more bite of my salad before placing my fork down and wiping my mouth in an attempt to gather my thoughts.
I remain silent when I nod.
“Ohhhh.” Brooke sits up taller in her chair. “Tell me everything.”
I laugh. “There isn’ta lotto tell. But he was at my brother’s house for his Fourth of July party. Then he drove me home. That’s all.”
She sits there, her mouth agape like she can’t believe I didn’t tell her.
I kind of feel like a shitty friend for it.
“But nothing happened,” I continue.
Brooke’s face morphs into disappointment that the tea isn’t better.