Entice (12 page)

I’m filling the kitchen sink with ice and drinks when the first of the crowd starts to arrive. Because they only have ten steps to make, it’s, of course, Tate and Bennett.

“What can I do?” Bennett asks, and I turn, hands full, and give her a kiss on the cheek.

“Everything Laney had me get is in the fridge. Maybe you’ll know what to do with it.”

Tate beats her to it, reaching in for a beer. “She specifically said she wanted me to taste test the beer. Duty calls,” he says as he tilts back a Dos Equis. “So, I hear we’re plus one tonight.” He hitches a brow my way. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dying to meet the girl who’s sprung Sawyer Beckett, Esquire.”

“Don’t say shit like that when she’s here.” I turn and point at him, my cheeks beginning to flush. “I mean it, vag bag.”

“I won’t, relax,” he grins, “but think about this. If you have to be someone else around her, then you’re not letting her get to know the real you. Why would you want to be someone else? If she falls for the wrong version, she’s not really falling for you.”

“Makes sense,” I ponder it for a minute, “but I’m not doing it on purpose, it just is. The person I am around Emmett, it’s the me I want to be. It feels natural.”

“Ahhhh,” Bennett gushes. “That was a perfect answer, Sawyer.”

“I can buy that.” Tate nods. “Good for you, man.”

Dane hedges around the corner and into the kitchen as usual. Swear to God, I’m gonna strap a bell around his sneaky freakin’ neck. “If ya’ll are done with the slap and tickle, Laney needs you in your room, Sawyer.”

“And now it’s official,” Tate chuckles, “the world is ending. Sawyer’s prophetic and Dane’s telling another man to go in a bedroom with Laney. Drink up, kids, we’re in the midst of the apocalypse.”

“Tate’s just pumped you’re all sappy now so he gets to be the one slinging out the smart ass comments. And I’m going with you, of course.” Dane slings an arm around my shoulder. “Come on, Romeo.”

Laney’s waiting in my room wearing a cat that ate the canary smile. “Here ya go!” She hands me a pink bag with all kinds of shit sticking out the top. Even if I didn’t know what was in it, I would know. The essence of Emmett hints from the bag, treating my nose to all I’ve missed for too many days.

“Thank you, Gidge,” I kiss her cheek, “you’re the best.”

“Give it to her alone, at the perfect time,” she advises.

“Which is?”

“You’ll know.” She winks. “You’re probably better at this than you think.”

I stand there holding the bag like a goon long after they walk out. If I rip into it and spray my pillow, do I have to turn in my balls at a counter somewhere? The door creaks behind me and I turn, dropping the bag like I stole it.

“She’s here,” Laney whispers. “Remember, aloof but flirtatious.”

I nod, wiping my palms on my jeans and following her out. Emmett’s atop a stool at the kitchen bar laughing with Tate and Bennett. Her short, little legs look glorious, bared by the gray dress thing she’s wearing. Her dark hair is down around her shoulders and I immediately notice the red tips are gone, about two inches have been trimmed off. All heads turn to me as I enter, but her eyes divert quickly, instead choosing to focus on Laney.

“Emmett!” Laney exclaims. “I’m so glad you came.”

“Thanks for having me, Laney. Hi, Sawyer,” she says quietly, not looking at me.

Rushing to her and wrapping my arms around her probably isn’t aloof, so I force my feet to remain planted. “Hey, Emmett, how are ya?”

“Fine.” Now she tilts her head and sneaks a peek at me from under her dark locks.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Zach booms in, “what’s good?”

Not your timing, for damn sure.

Noticing Emmett sitting in the room, Zach makes his way over and opens his arms. “Hey, Emmett, nice to see you again.”

She stands and accepts his hug. “Hey.”

Well, aren’t we all friendly motherfuckers?

I turn at the sound of a chuckle behind me and see that Evan and Whitley have joined us. Evan smiles at me and shakes his head. “It was only a hug, killer, calm down,” he says. “Don’t let her hear you growl like that, either. Might scare her.”

The room gets way too crowded for me, so I head into the living room and plop down on the couch like a redheaded stepchild, feeling miserably out of place in my own home with my own crew. Truth is, it’s only really about her. Being this close with so much in between us, shit I don’t even understand… I’ve never felt more alone in my life.

Dane grabs a seat beside me, too close for male comfort, handing me a cold beer. “Stop pouting, Nancy, you’re not going to attract a straight girl by acting like one.”

“Worked on you, though, huh? How’s about you scoot the fuck over, fag?”

He throws back his head and gut laughs, moving away from me. “Nice one. Welcome back.” He raises his voice above the ruckus to be heard. “So Emmett, how are you liking The K?”

As I’m sure he’d planned, she walks over and joins us, taking the chair. “I love it, thank you again, so much.”

“And this guy?” He tilts his head at me. “He hasn’t scared ya off yet?”

Her green eyes find mine and hold as she answers him. “I would never be scared of Sawyer. He’s been wonderful. I owe him so much.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” I answer, making the conversation my own.

“Oh, Lord—incoming,” Dane mumbles beside us seconds before Laney starts clapping her hands for our attention.

“Okay, Pictionary time! Team up!”

All the couples pair off, leaving me, Emmett and Zach sitting around like the lone idiots. “The three of us can be a team,” Zach suggests.

I thought it sounded like a reasonable solution. Laney? Not so much.

“No, that won’t work, then it’s three against two. Hmm…” She glances around as though if she looks hard enough, another person will appear.

“Laney,” I start in but am abruptly cut off by the most competitive person in the world.

“No way, okay, so we can—”

“Baby,” Dane’s voice of reason comes in, “it’s not the Hunger Games; we’re just friends playing Pictionary. One team of three is fine.”

“But—” she starts, her pout hysterical to everyone but her.

“But nothing, you competitive thing,” he holds out a hand, “come here.”

We all watch in amazement as he literally hypnotizes her. She chews on her bottom lip, looking to each of us to take her side, rubbing a hole in the carpet with her toe. Then she looks back up at Dane slowly and he nods, wiggling the fingers of his outstretched hand…and a calmness comes over her face as she accepts it, making her way to him and into his lap.

I chance a glimpse at Emmett and yes, she felt it too…that “connection” two people have, a push and a pull ‘til they meet in the middle. That’s what I’d been dealing with for months, the force of the relationships all around me. I want it too, and I want it with Emmett. She’s staring right back at me, an understanding in her eyes. Yes, Shorty, we have the makings to be that great. “I’m sorry,” I mouth to her.

“Me too,” her shiny pink lips mouth back.

P
ictionary—an age old game where everyone laughs and has a great time with friends and family.

HA! You need to flip the box over and read the other description…the directions for when the Crew plays it. Evan and Whitley, Mr. and Mrs. Can’t Stand Any Controversy, already left. Tate and Dane are now a team, and out for blood, since they pissed their women off and Laney declared a switch. Basically, Team Trio is kicking serious ass and it’s causing meltdowns amongst the others. And Laney is funny as fuck when she’s losing; she gets so damn flustered she can’t even speak in full, rational sentences.

The great thing? Emmett hasn’t quit laughing all night, excusing herself to the “ladies room” at least four times. I love watching her face light up and hearing the sweet sounds of her amusement. Or my favorite, when her eyes bulge out at some of the crude comments flying around. It gives me an even bigger sense of comfort, some rightness, knowing she’ll fit in with the Crew like she’s always been there.

Zach lumbers slowly up from the floor. “As much fun as you guys have failed miserably to provide, I gotta be up early. Try not to kill each other,” he jokes, grabbing his helmet and heading for the door.

And then there were six…

“All right!” Laney practically screams, all that adrenaline coursing through her turning her more into Crazy Game Laney. “Now that the teams are even, we’re starting over on the score.”

“No, ma’am,” Dane stands, “I’m done. Let’s clean up and go to bed, baby.”

“I’ll clean up,” Emmett offers, using my thigh to help push herself up. “You guys hosted; it’s the least I can do.”

I’m right behind her, my chin resting on top of her head and hands on her shoulders. I’ve been yearning for contact of any kind all night and I know she won’t chastise me in front of them. Probably a dirty move, but I have no fucks left to give. I need to feel her. “I’ll help her. Ya’ll go to bed.”

“Thank you both.” Dane reaches out and snags Laney around the waist. “Bed, woman. Now.”

Bennett and Tate call out a goodbye as the door shuts and Laney and Dane obviously “make up” the whole way down the hall to her room. Emmett and I are alone now and neither of us has moved a muscle, both standing statuesque and silent. I speak first, the words that have been dying to come out all night spilling from my mouth.

“I’ve missed you.”

“Me too,” she chokes out. “You’re kinda, I don’t know, my best friend.”

I spin her around to face me. “I’m your best friend?”

Through building tears, she nods. “You’re my only friend, really. But that’s not why— you’d still be the best one even if I had a million. You’re just that cool,” she mocks, pushing on my chest.

“Ah, Em.” I squeeze her to me, firing off kisses into her hair like a starved man. “I’m so sorry I yelled at you and pushed you for too much. Let’s start over, okay?” I lean back and catch her sweet eyes, inviting her with mine to let me back in.

“K,” she agrees, sniffling.

“Come on,” I pull her to the couch and sit her down. “Wait right here. Don’t move.” I hustle to my room, swiping up the gift bag and hurrying back to her with it behind my back. “I got you something.”

“You did?” First surprise flits across her face, then wonder, and finally the smile that lights me up. “What? Why?”

“Just a little something. I actually enjoy it as much as you do, I think.” I bring the bag around and offer it to her.

She looks to the fancy bag, then me, then back to the gift. “Can I open it now?”

“Well, yeah,” I laugh. She’s so fucking adorable.

Her tiny hands can’t get in it fast enough and when she’s made it through all the puff, she gasps. “Red,” she breathes, popping open the cap and spraying one wrist then rubbing it against the other.

I clear my throat and sit down beside her. “Were you out?”

Her head turns, beautiful green eyes rimmed with unshed tears, and she nods.

“I thought so. I missed it too.” I lift her wrist gently, bringing it to my nose and inhaling deeply. “There’s my Emmett.”

“Sawyer, I, you’re so—”

“Shh,” I give her a wink, “no big deal, Shorty. Now come ‘ere.” I manhandle her, pulling her to me and situating her on my lap. “Catch me up, what’s been going on with you?”

“Ugh.” She puts her gift down and drops her shoulders. “You don’t want to know. They condemned my apartment building today and we can’t go back in until he fixes the air, and the heat, and the locks, and about twenty other things.”

I feign surprise. “Where are you staying?”

“I have no idea. Everything just happened this afternoon. I was thinking of asking your girlfriend,” she teases me with a sarcastic grin.

“And who might that be?”

“Mariah,” she counters defiantly.

“Girlfriend,” I scoff, “very funny. Why don’t you stay here? Laney won’t mind at all.”

She scoots out of my lap backwards, mouth agape. “Sawyer, I can’t move in with you, don’t be ridiculous!”

“Okay,” I unapologetically grab her and situate her back in my lap, securing one arm around her waist, “but you can crash here until we find you somewhere else to rent. You don’t need to go back to that apartment, even if he fixes everything. Let’s find you something nicer.”

“You wear me out,” she drops her head on my shoulder, sighing loudly, “but I secretly love knowing I have you. How selfish is that?”

“It’s not selfish at all, Shorty. You’re not taking. I’m giving, freely.”

“Can I,” she whispers, tilting her head up to peer at me, “sleep in your bed tonight, with you?”

If I wasn’t sitting down, that one sentence would have dropped me to my damn knees. “God, yes,” I moan, standing and lifting her in my arms.

“Just sleeping, Sawyer,” she mumbles into my shirt, where her small, cherubic face is nuzzled.

“It’ll be the first time in four nights I get any. Trust me, I’m all for sleeping.”

Chapter 11

A Talk to Remember

—Emmett—

“
W
here are you taking me?” I ask with a giggle.

Sawyer is behind me, his hands over my eyes, walking me forward less than gracefully. “Almost there, keep going,” he whispers in my ear. One hand slides over to block both my eyes as his other does something that causes a rattling noise I can’t quite place. “Open.” He drops his hand to let me see.