37. Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Zack
“Quit looking at me like that,” I scold. Emilie is wearing a red dress, with a red lip because she’s trying to give me a heart attack. Or get me to say fuck it to the welcome dinner and take her back to our room the way I’ve been dying to. We’re walking to the event, not even inside, and I’m already contemplating how to make a quick exit.
“Like what?” she asks, innocently sarcastic.
I lean and whisper into her curls, “Like you want me to devour you.”
She stops, turns me to face her, and puts a single hand on her chest before she murmurs, “Maybe I do?” Her eyes are like daggers, and her mouth is just as sharp.
Fuck .
“You and that smart fucking mouth,” I growl, touching my nose to hers, not kissing her only because I don’t want to wear red lipstick at dinner tonight.
She has the audacity to look at my dick, which may or may not be twitching to life, and laugh. Emilie grabs my hand and we both giggle as we walk into the dinner spot.
We’re a few steps in when we’re approached with mezcal margaritas. I take one swipe of the salty rim with my tongue before taking a drink, the smoky liquor a perfect balance with fresh lime, not losing eye contact with Emilie until we’re interrupted .
“Zack fucking Andersen is at my wedding,” Mitch cheers, reaching for a handshake. “I told you he was coming,” he turns and says to a few guys behind him.
“Happy to be here. Congrats, man.” I shake his hand and can see his whole face light up. “Do you all know Emilie?” I place my hand on her lower back.
“Yes, we all have met,” she says but there’s nothing hidden. She hugs one of the guys and says hi to the rest. I was guessing they’d probably met when she and Mitch dated, but you never know.
After I’ve introduced myself to Mitch’s groomsmen, Eliza walks over. Even I can tell her smile is strained. She immediately goes to hug Emilie.
“Eliza, this place is gorgeous. What a venue,” I say, offering her a side hug, which she surprisingly takes me up on.
She stuns in a white dress, tight to her body, her hair pinned back away from her face.
“Thank you! We’re excited,” she replies, but like she’s told the same thing to fifty other people. Maybe she has?
“Looks like your team has had a great season so far. All good?” Eliza asks and Emilie’s eyes are raised enough to almost touch her eyebrows.
I cough back being caught off guard and answer, “For sure. The team is having a great year. Glad to have the bye week though.”
“Since when do you watch sports?” Emilie asks Eliza, loud enough for me to hear but not everyone.
Eliza crosses her arms and shifts her weight to one leg. “Ever since you apparently date professional athletes. I’m trying to be supportive.” She says it in a way that’s a bit forced, but I think she means well.
“Don’t want this to be a surprise, but I sort of got a tattoo, and Mom was already texting me about covering it up.” Emilie shows Eliza the dainty daisy on the inside of her arm .
“I figured as much. I saw the same article. You absolutely do not have to cover that up.” Eliza looks at it, a touch of awe in her face. I can tell Emilie’s caught off guard again, her face scrunched in places. “Did it hurt?” Eliza asks.
Emilie shakes her head and says, “No, not really. I think I was so excited that it might have but you know, adrenaline and everything.”
Eliza smiles at Emile and then taps Mitch on the shoulder.
“We should mingle with the other guests.” Eliza loops her arm with Mitch’s, the first time I’ve seen her be physical with him since she walked up.
The newlyweds to be, and the groomsmen, leave Emilie and me behind.
“Wow, Eliza showing interest in others. Maybe we do all mature with time,” Emilie jokes.
I look around the room and see food being brought out and set at tables along the perimeter of the room.
Just as we’re about to grab a plate and check out the spread, someone taps on a microphone.
“I’m Ethan, Eliza’s dad, and I want to say thank you to everyone for making the trip. The food is being set up now, feel free to grab some and as many drinks as you’d like. Remember, it's an all-inclusive resort.”
That’s it. There’s no speech about how happy he is to have everyone together or what it’s going to be like for one of his daughters to be married. It’s cold and to the point.
It’s sad.
I’ve heard my family talk more about a piece of chocolate cake at a random dinner than this man did about his little girl’s own wedding. Stealing a look at Emilie, she’s already looking around the room, seeming completely unphased. Why would she be? This is what she’s used to. It’s probably been like this her whole life .
She deserves better.
Hell, Eliza deserves more than whatever the hell that was.
“You good?” Emilie asks.
I take her in; the crimson curls, cheeks glowing from a few hours out in the sun where she learned to throw a decent spiral pass. I put my finger under her chin and put a kiss to her mouth, tasting the smokiness of the mezcal.
“All good. Let’s get some food and how about we try to catch the sunset on the beach?”
“Sounds perfect.”
We’re walking toward the ocean as the sun is about to go down. There’s baskets full of blankets and pillows before you hit the sand. I grab a blanket as Emilie takes her heels off. We walk closer to the water and find a spot, put the blanket down, and I sit first.
“I always forget how cold it can get by the ocean at night.” She rubs her shoulders with her hands.
I spread my legs. “Sit here, lean back on me.”
Emilie gets comfortable, and I wrap my arms around her.
“You’re warm,” she says, content and quiet.
“I think you mean hot. I’m hot,” I joke.
She snickers and leans harder into me. “Yes, you are hot.”
All jokes aside, we sit and soak in the serenity. It’s the rhythm of the waves crashing into the beach, the smell of the sand and salt. The sun dipping down, transforming the sky into blues, pinks, and oranges.
I take a deep breath, my chest pushing into Emilie’s back, and it’s comfortable .
“Can I ask you a question?” Emilie starts.
“Always.”
“Riley said you’d never brought someone home, as an adult. Is that true?”
I’m sure Riley did tell her that, plus whatever random thought crossed her brain and fell out of her mouth. Out of everything she could’ve asked, this is tame.
“That’s true. I mean, I’ve been on lots of dates, but never with the same person. It wasn’t really a thought to bring any of them home,” I tell her the truth.
“But your fake girlfriend was?”
I take a few seconds to try and get my thoughts together.
“Emilie, whatever we are, whatever this is,” I shake her shoulders for good measure, “Isn’t fake. I don’t know if it ever was.”
She peels her back from my front and turns to face me. She’s quickly on her knees, sitting back on her heels, her red dress splayed out in front of her.
“Say it again.”
“This isn’t fake.” I lean forward and capture her mouth with a searing kiss. It lingers and presses. My tongue reaches for hers, and then touches the seam of her lips.
“You mean it?” Emilie looks dazed and almost like she’s dreaming.
I tilt my head and search her eyes. “Does it feel like I don’t?”
She plays with her fingers in her lap. “It feels like you do but part of me wonders if it’s because I want you. So badly. Like I want this to be true.”
“It is true. Remember, we broke your rules. We made it true. This is what feels right.”
“Shouldn’t we talk more about this?” She points between the two of us .
“What do you want to talk about?” I want to give her the space but don’t know what she’s looking for.
“I don’t know yet,” she laughs.
“I’m not going anywhere, EJ. I’m right here. When you’re ready to talk, we’ll talk. There’s no time limit.” I kiss her one more time to make my point and say, “You’re the type of woman who’s worth the wait.”
Emilie smiles at the end of the kiss before turning back to watch the sunset. She falls into me, more relaxed.
The sky is like pastel wisps and smoke with only about half of the sun left. It’s breathtaking, the kind of thing I’ll take a beach vacation for any day.
Emilie asked why I’d never brought anyone home. Part of me wanted to tell her, because she’s the first person who felt like home to me.
There’s always tomorrow.