15. Garrett
GARRETT
“You guys could have left,” I say wryly once I’m back downstairs after drawing Emerson a bath and then jumping in the shower quickly.
“Colt wasn’t done eating,” Roan offers as Colt’s eyes widen.
“You are the one—” Colt snaps around a bite of takeout, making the real question how is he still eating?
“Besides, we couldn’t hear,”—Roan pauses and smirks—“much.”
“Creeps, both of you.” I snicker as Roan gets up and comes back with two cold beers, handing me one before taking the seat across from me.
“He’s kidding,” Colt says. “We didn’t hear anything. But we are worried about you.”
“Worried?” I ask, surprised. “Why?”
Scowling, I watch them exchange a look. “You’re already in deep with your wife.”
“And it’s supposed to be temporary,” Colt says, adding to Roan’s concerns and annoying me all in one shot.
“I know it’s temporary; she reminds me all the time I can’t write a song about her. That was one of the rules.”
They exchange another look and my scowl deepens because it’s fine—I’m fine. Things between Emerson and me are fine.
“Do we need to go back upstairs?” Emerson’s voice floats toward me accompanied by a sultry lithe gait, her hips swaying as she walks into the living room. “You should be considerably more relaxed right now. I know I am.”
She drops onto the couch next to me, curling her legs under her before tucking herself against my side. Colt chokes on the sip he’d just taken and Roan’s lips pull up on one side.
“I’m fine,” I tell her, resting my hand on her thigh as the light floral scent of whatever was in the bath wafts around us. “They’re trying to be helpful.”
“Hmm.” Her fingertips trace along the black ink running up my forearm. “I like your helping a lot better.”
This time Colt doesn’t hold back his amusement, barking out a laugh as Emerson lifts one shoulder and lets it drop.
“We’re too late.” Colt snorts as Roan sighs and shakes his head.
“This is why I don’t have friends,” Emerson mumbles, a smile ghosting over her lips.
“But we’re so fun,” Roan deadpans, and even though they drive me crazy, I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
And just because the universe seems to have a sense of humor, my phone vibrates with a text and I frown.
DARREN: Dude come out—this bar is sick—maybe we can even find you a girl to make you less fucking uptight
DARREN: Seriously dude, no one believes you bagged the bitch from Andrews international
DARREN: Be just like old times
How did I ever like this guy?
Also I’m shocked he’s sober enough to even spell Andrews International. Emerson snorts as she reads the message and snuggles in closer. “Let me know when I can deck him.”
“Darren?” Roan asks and I sigh, both of us leaning in so he can take my phone.
“He’s such an asshole,” Colt bites out. “You need to get rid of him.”
“I know.” My head falls against the back of the couch as I look up at the ceiling. “It’s complicated.”
“I’ll handle the complicated part,” Roan tells me. “You just say the word.”
“What do I say to him?” I ask and Roan shakes his head.
“To shit like this? Nothing.”
“He just wants what you have,” Emerson says, her fingertips brushing my hair off my forehead as I turn to look at her. “He’s trying to rile you up and it’s working. You’re upset and you’ll continue to be every time his name pops up.”
“He was with me at the beginning.”
“My cousin has been with me practically since birth,”—her voice is sad—“but the best thing for her was to leave Chicago and the business. It was hard, and admittedly, I’ve become a little less buttoned up.”
“Like when you married me,” I tease and she gives me a wolfish grin.
“Exactly like that.” Pausing, she adds, “But he’s escalating and you need to be careful.”
“We have security and Roan and—”
“I mean with your heart, Garrett. You’re sweet under all that rock star grit.”
“And you’re not sweet?”
“I’m selective.” Her dark eyes are serious as they lock on mine, those chocolate pools sucking me in like they always do. “I’ve been burned too many times to crave long-term relationships. Most of the connections I make are surface level.”
It takes every ounce of self-control I possess to keep my expression neutral. Is that how she thinks of me? A surface-level connection?
Even worse is the fact I can feel Roan’s and Colt’s eyes on me, because this right here is what they were talking about.
And really, it might be too late.
Emerson Andrews has me all tied up even more than she’s tied me down.
EMERSON
It’s almost a new day as I sit in my makeshift office, the house quiet after Garrett fell asleep. I tried but I felt restless and eventually found myself in front of my computer like a creature of habit, burning the midnight oil.
Normally, I’d be halfway through my inbox by now, but I can’t get Garrett’s face out of my head when I told him how I treat relationships.
It’s never sounded cold before, but maybe that’s because I wasn’t practically curled up in some guy’s lap who has made it his temporary mission to be the best husband imaginable.
It has to be temporary.
As much as I’m enjoying my time with Garrett, my role at Andrews International cannot sustain me being away from the office long-term.
There’s only one person that understands my devotion to the company, but will she still understand?
EMERSON: I hurt Garrett’s feelings today
ISLA: On purpose or by accident? Because I told Hank to take the trash out and I got impatient he was taking too long and did it myself
ISLA: And then told him his mini cheesecakes were dry because I was still mad
I stare at my screen and blink.
And then blink again.
EMERSON: I’m sorry what?
ISLA: I hurt his feelings on purpose
ISLA: But I gave him a blow job later so it’s fine
EMERSON: I’m not sure that’s how that works
ISLA: He put THREE babies in me
ISLA: At one time
ISLA: He will put up with ALL my moods
EMERSON: You make it sound so glamorous
ISLA: Just wait
ISLA: Today Nova and Duke were ganging up on Crew and taking all his apple slices
ISLA: I yelled at them, consoled Crew, and then realized he was upset because they wanted to eat his apple slices and he wanted to feed them to the dog
EMERSON: Your life is so complicated
ISLA: Tell me about it
ISLA: But really what’s going on with Garrett?
EMERSON: He’s nice
ISLA: That’s the worst
EMERSON: And he has friends
ISLA: I was more like a hostage to the friend group in the beginning
ISLA: I’ll admit it’s pretty nice now
EMERSON: Our marriage is temporary and he was giving me the puppy-dog eyes when I was blasé about it
ISLA: You should probably remind him it’s temporary
ISLA: As long as you want it to be
EMERSON: It’s what I need it to be
ISLA: That’s not the same thing
EMERSON: Yes, it is
ISLA: I guess we’ll see in six months…
I gape at the phone because what does that even mean? There’s no way I could do the husband-and-kids thing like Isla has these last few years. I’m just about to tell her that when a message pops up.
But it’s not from my cousin.
It’s from my husband.
GARRETT: Come back to bed
EMERSON: I can’t sleep
GARRETT: I bet two orgasms I can change that
Debating for only a moment, I shut down my computer and turn off the light because I could sit here and stew over everything I cannot change in the moonlight.
Or I could let someone else take care of me for a while, and really, there’s no debate at all.