Chapter 12
***TAYLOR***
Taylor knew the instant that it happened what a huge mistake it was to let the creature inside him awaken, but the sight of Emily in the slinky little black dress had been more than he could handle.
Before he could control it, desire was pumping through his veins and the beast was chanting mine, mine, mine, blocking out every other emotion.
He hadn’t meant to flirt with her, he hadn’t meant to almost kiss her, and now that he finally had control again, he was a bit shaken up by how close he had come.
Locking his magic up tight, unable to trust it or the instincts of the creature that made up his other half, he fought the frustration that welled up inside him.
He didn’t have time for all these feelings.
He didn’t want to get involved with anyone, especially a smart-mouthed pain in the butt like Emily.
And he couldn’t let himself forget that he caught her snooping through the desk in the study.
He still remembered the guilty look on her face when she’d practically run away from him.
When he’d talked with the guys about it later that afternoon, they’d all told him he was making a big deal about nothing, but he knew better; he could tell that she was hiding something.
He wasn’t about to trust her now, not with the Kappas out there gunning for them.
She could be one of them sent to infiltrate their house.
It wasn’t that crazy an idea, no matter what his friends said.
In control again, he breathed a sigh of relief as they walked through the door.
The trick was to keep reminding himself that Emily might be the enemy and focus on that instead of how good she smelled.
Catching himself from going down the wrong road, he glanced over at her, then realized that was a mistake when his body began to tingle.
He quickly looked away, cursing under his breath.
She glanced over at him, a questioning look on her face, but the crowd swept them into the grand reception hall, and her eyes widened with surprise. “Oh…” she breathed, looking around the huge room. “This is…I’ve never been anywhere like this…”
“The reception hall was one of the first additions they made to the college. It was built in the late 1800s. They’ve kept it modern, but from the pictures I’ve seen, this room has barely changed,” he said. “It feels like stepping back in time every time I come in here.”
“That’s it, that’s exactly what it feels like,” Emily said, a big smile on her face. “Now I’m glad I came, Hattie was right, it would have been a mistake to miss tonight.”
“Wait until you taste the food, they go all out for Founders Day,” he said, trying to ignore how pleased it made him to see Emily happy. “Let’s go find our table, Cooper booked one by the window with a view of the campus.”
Without thinking, he took her hand as they wound their way through the tables, he expected Emily to pull away, but she held on instead.
For that brief time, he let himself enjoy the feeling of warmth that spread up his arm, even if he knew it was a mistake.
All too soon they were standing at the table, calling out their greetings and he reluctantly dropped her hand to help her into a chair, then sat down next to her.
It wasn’t long before they were swept up in the conversation around the table and he began to relax, then it was time to get their dinner.
He helped Emily to her feet, then followed her toward the buffet table, suddenly very aware of the glances other men were giving her as they crossed the room.
Annoyed that he even cared, he tried to ignore it, but it wasn’t long before the frustration was replaced by a burning anger tinged with a huge layer of jealousy.
Giving them all a dirty look as they passed, he put his hand on the small of Emily’s back, guiding her to the end of the line, hoping his message had been received. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” he said, not moving his hand. “I hope this line moves quickly.”
He was more pleased than he should have been when Emily didn’t move away, and he stepped a little closer to her even though he knew that he shouldn’t, unable to resist taking a deep breath of her scent.
Suppressing a groan when his body began to tingle and tighten, he told himself to move away, but then Emily looked up at him, a strange look in her eyes.
He knew in that instant that she was feeling exactly what he was, and that was enough to make him put some distance between them, shocked at how close he’d come once again to giving in to the desire pulsing through him.
Emily’s hands shook as she picked up a plate, but she didn’t look at him, and he was relieved to let the moment pass in silence.
Telling himself to get a grip, he put food on his plate but wasn’t really paying attention to what it was.
Then, he saw Emily’s plate and couldn’t help but smile.
She’d heaped it with a small portion of almost everything on the buffet and was trying to add one more thing to the pile.
“I think we should get you another plate,” he said, unable to hide his amusement. “You could have come back for seconds, you know.”
“I know, I just…well, got carried away,” she said, a blush appearing on her cheeks. “I want to try everything; it all looks so good. I didn’t mean to look like a pig.”
“You don’t look like a pig, you look like a woman who enjoys her food and isn’t afraid to let everyone know it,” he said, deciding that he was pleased with that. “Too many women eat like birds in public, then binge in private. Food should be enjoyed.”
“I’ll pay for this later this week,” she said. “I’ll have to add a couple of extra workouts to my routine to work it off, but it’s worth it.”
The last thing he wanted to do was imagine Emily working out, so he turned back to the food, but the image was already in his brain.
It was going to be a long night, he realized, and he let out a little sigh.
Still, he was a grown man, he could ignore his desires, especially if those desires involved the enemy.
***Emily***
Emily took a sip of her coffee, completely relaxed after the big meal and sugary dessert, and watched Walker telling a story about winning a basketball game at the other end of the table.
She’d been afraid at one point that it was going to be an uncomfortable night thanks to the attraction between them, a fact she’d been forced to face at the buffet table when she’d seen the raw desire in Taylor’s eyes for the first time.
It was clearly too late for them to just be friends.
They’d crossed a line and there was no going back, even if neither of them wanted what was blossoming between them.
Her personal and professional lives had suddenly become one and she had no idea how to untangle the two or if it was even possible.
She’d been lying to Taylor this entire time, but he was hiding something from her, too, which was where things got all tangled up, and she started going around in circles.
With a sigh of frustration, she decided not to think about it for the rest of the evening.
She was having too much fun, and reality would still be there in the morning.
Walker finished his story just as the band began to warm up, and a wave of excitement swept through the room as the small waitstaff quickly cleared the last of the dinner dishes.
A few minutes later, the music started up, and couples began to fill the dance floor for the first slow number.
They found themselves sitting there alone, the tension between them back.
“I guess we should go dance,” Taylor finally said. “That is, if you want to get the full experience.”
“Oh, I didn’t think about that,” she said, her heart starting to race a little. “I guess that would be a good idea.”
Taylor got to his feet and offered her his hand. “I’d better warn you, I’m not a great dancer,” he said, leading her over to the dance floor. “My mom tried, but I kind of have two left feet.”
“That’s okay,” she said, grinning up at him. “I’ll lead.”
He laughed, then swept her into his arms, and she sucked in a deep breath when her body pressed up against his as he spun them onto the dance floor.
Fighting to catch her breath as waves of desire shot through her, she was barely aware of the room spinning around her.
Instead, all she could think about was Taylor’s hard chest pressed up against her breasts.
It felt like a long time before the music finally ended, and she was both relieved and disappointed when he stepped back from her with a wicked grin on his face.
“You lied,” she finally managed to choke. “You’re a great dancer.”
“That’s a well-kept secret, so don’t tell anyone,” he said, winking at her. “Are you up for another spin around the dance floor or did I wear you out already?”
“Are you trying to say that I’m out of shape?” she demanded, pretending to be offended. “I bet you’ll get tired before I do. You’re a little flabby around the middle, counselor.”
“Oh, you think so?” he asked, pulling her into his arms. “That’s a bet I’ll take. The winner gets to choose the prize.”
Before she could refuse, he pulled her onto the dance floor, and for the next half an hour, all she could do was keep up as he spun her around and around.
It was a relief when the band finally took a break, and he was forced to lead her back to their table, her head still spinning from the dancing and being so close to him.
He had a satisfied look on his face when he saw that she was sweating a little and breathing hard.
She wanted to tell him that it wasn’t over, but she wasn’t quite capable of speaking yet.
“Are you ready to give up yet?” he asked, grabbing a glass of iced water off a tray as a waiter walked by and handing it to her. “You’re all out of breath and sweaty.”
“Way to make a girl feel good about herself,” she shot at him, then drained half the glass. “But I’m not giving up yet, I don’t like to lose in case you missed it.”
“Then you’d better catch your breath fast,” he said, grinning at her. “The band will be back in a few minutes.”
“You look a little tired yourself,” she said, holding out the glass of water. “Maybe you should drink some of this, too.”
He grinned at her but took the glass and drained what was left, then looked around for a server. “I guess I was a little thirsty,” he said. “I’ll just go find us a refill.”
Before he could get to his feet, a voice rang out over the table. “Taylor, there you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Sebastian called, walking up to them. “I see you’ve got your little friends with you, isn’t that nice. Are you all having fun?”
“We were,” Taylor said, getting to his feet. “What do you want?”
Sebastian didn’t say anything for a second, then he smiled, “I want to see you, of course,” he said, his eyes cold and hard. “After all, we’re family. We should spend time together, get to know each other, don’t you think?”
Taylor froze, and he narrowed his eyes at Sebastian. “We’re not family,” he growled. “You must be mistaken.”
“Oh, I’m not mistaken. As much as I hate to admit it, we’re blood kin,” Sebastian hissed at him. “Cousins, to be precise. Your mother was my father’s sister. That makes us family, even if the lying little whore took you away.”
The rage that appeared in Taylor’s eyes was instant, and if it hadn’t been for his friends, she wasn’t sure if Sebastian would have survived the night.
“Well, I can see that I’ve upset you,” Sebastian said when Taylor was completely restrained.
I guess I’ll be going on my way. We’ll have to talk some more when you’ve calmed down. ”
Taylor didn’t relax until Sebastian disappeared from sight, then he shrugged off the arms holding him back. “I need some air,” he said, turning and heading the other way. “Don’t follow me.”