Page 91

It’s a simple sentence. Seven words that are anything but sexual, yet just the brush of her lips against my ear and the heat of her breath on my skin sparks a need inside me to a point of pain.
I groan and nod my head, willing her to let me go and place distance between us as quickly as possible.
Thankfully, she does, but she stops before I can shut the door, her eyes meeting mine with the same spark of need behind them.
Touching each other is dangerous. And this friendship is testing every bit of self-restraint I have.
For a few seconds, our eyes remain locked together, our anger from earlier wiped away and replaced with so much regret that I’m being sliced open right in front of her.
When I hear Gabe start struggling against the ropes keeping him in place, I blink away that feeling and tilt my head to silently tell her to get in so we can go.
It’s a quiet ride to Tanner’s house, all of us fighting not to laugh every time Gabe makes a sound.
After Damon and I dump him in the yard, we lose the ability to stay silent, our laughter a burst of sound against the quiet night as we haul ass out of there.
We have tears in our eyes by the time we’re on the road again heading out of Tanner’s neighborhood.
“Ah, fuck,” Damon says from the back. “Gabe is going to kick our asses if he ever finds out we helped in that.”
“Which is why he won’t find out,” I answer. “Just keep your mouth shut if it’s ever brought up.”
“No problem there. So what are we doing for the rest of the night?”
Fuck.
I was hoping to drop Emily off before we’re fighting again.
She glances at me as if thinking the same thing, but when she tries to suggest we take her back to her car, Damon won’t hear it.
“Hell no. It’s been ten years, Red. We’re not letting you go yet. Why don’t we head to our house and watch a movie?”
“I really need to get to my car,” she argues, but Damon climbs up to kneel between our seats.
Staring up at her, that son of a bitch turns on the guilt.
“We haven’t seen each other in years. Give us a few more hours. Please.”
Her eyes flick over to me for a second before she looks back at him.
“Maybe another night. We have six weeks.”
Damon’s brows crash together, probably because I haven’t mentioned that part of the arrangement.
I know he’ll be questioning me relentlessly now.
“Fine,” he finally says and pushes up to kiss her cheek. “But next time we get together, you’re giving us more time.”
I’m back to wanting to rip his lips off, but I grip the wheel instead.
We drive Em back to her car at the diner, and Damon takes way too long giving her a hug.
I lean against the van watching them, not surprised when Emily pulls away from him and gives me only a weak wave in goodbye before walking to her car.
A muscle in my jaw jumps to watch her leave, thoughts and memories spinning and colliding in my head.
Anger races through me that she treats Damon better, that they have an easy friendship when it’s a struggle for me to act reasonably human around her.
But then again, Emily never broke a promise to Damon.