by Tia Souders
“You know we’re part of the team too, right?” Emmett said, tone flat.
“Exactly. I’m different, but take you for example. How many girls have you dated in the last year alone? Most of the guys on the team are the same. I don’t want her with a player—some guy that’s just using her as another fling or something to pass the time. I don’t want her with a guy who uses his celebrity to get him what he wants. Jinny acts tough, but she’s not unbreakable. She’d get hurt easily if she really liked the guy, which I suspect she does.”
He may as well have said, I don’t want her with someone like you.
Emmett’s stomach plunged, and his hopes fell with it. Message received.
“The last thing I want,” Dean continued, throwing a wad of cash on the table and standing, “is for her to date a teammate. That wouldn’t end well for anyone.”
Emmett bit the inside of his cheek as Dean murmured something about heading to his room for the night. He had a game to prepare for. While Emmett…well, he had nothing. No game. No girl. No Jinny.
Lifting his hand, he signaled the bartender to bring another round. “Keep ‘em coming.”
∞∞∞
His fingers hovered over the send button on his phone as his head spun. Lifting his gaze, he surveyed the sterile surroundings of his hotel room. He should go to bed, sleep off his frustration and his…
What exactly was he feeling?
He clutched his chest and rubbed the sore spot that seemed to throb below his ribs. The one that wouldn’t quit.
He stumbled toward the bed and flopped down, pressing his back against the upholstered headboard. He wasn’t drunk, exactly, but he wasn’t sober either. Still, he shouldn’t text or call her right now, not after he’d had one too many. Besides, she was probably asleep.
He sighed, and the heaviness inside his chest increased as he replayed his conversation with Dean. The last thing I want is for her to date a teammate. That wouldn’t end well for anyone.
Emmett had a list a mile long of reasons for why he shouldn’t pursue Jinny any further. He could go on about why he should just go to sleep, forget about her, and find someone else. But he was sick of playing it safe. Sick of staying away. Sick of what he should or shouldn’t do. What about what he wanted? What about Jinny? Didn’t she get a say?
Growling, he snatched his phone and typed. “You up?” He hit send.
His stomach flopped in the answering silence, the stillness of the room. If she ignored it, she was either asleep or not interested, but if she answered, well…that meant something.
JINNY: Yeah.
Okay, not exactly the opening he had hoped for, but she’d answered.
EMMETT: I’ve been thinking. On the trip home, you should fly and face your fears.
JINNY: Thank you for the advice, creeper, but the fact that you are writing this tells me you don’t know me at all. That, and whoever you are, you’re not in my phone, so…
Emmett threw his head back and laughed. He’d forgotten that she didn’t have his cell number. Oops. So much for the theory that she’d responded because she reciprocated his feelings.
EMMETT: I’m the answer to all your prayers.
JINNY: Nope, still no idea.
EMMETT: I’m your dream come true.
JINNY: Now I’m really confused.
EMMETT: Hmmm… You just spent the most amazing three days of your life riding in a car with me.
JINNY: Trapped in the car, was more like it. You know, you really should work on your word choice. Had you opened with, I’m your worst nightmare, then I would’ve known EXACTLY who it was.
EMMETT: Yeah, right. You know you love me.
JINNY: I admit you’re not as loathsome as you used to be. Don’t push it.
Emmett grinned as the little bubbles appeared, indicating she was typing.
JINNY: How’d you get my number. Was it Dean? I need a new brother.
Emmett scoffed.
EMMETT: Sort of. I stole it from his phone when he went to the bathroom.
JINNY: Sneaky. I like it.
EMMETT: Well, I would’ve asked you for it myself, but it’s been about a million years since I’ve had to actually ask a woman for her number.
JINNY: Oh, right. Normally they just throw them at you like confetti. Phone numbers. Body parts. Clothes.
EMMETT: Jealous?
JINNY: Not hardly.
EMMETT: You’re bluffing, but I’ll let it slide. What time’s my PT session tomorrow?
JINNY: Eager to see me, Hall? I figured you got enough of me during the car ride here.
I could never get enough of you, he typed, then thought better of it and deleted it.
EMMETT: Always.
JINNY: I think you just can’t wait to annoy me.
EMMETT: You know you love it.
JINNY: Is love the same thing as hate?
EMMETT: Remember that line? Thin. Very, very thin.
JINNY: You wish.
EMMETT: You’re right. I do.
Bubbles appeared then disappeared. There was a long pause as he waited for something to pop up on the screen, but nothing came. He tensed and his mouth went dry as he waited. When his phone buzzed and a message appeared, he smiled.
JINNY: Stop that.
EMMETT: Stop what?
JINNY: Flirting. Saying things like that.
EMMETT: You started it.
JINNY: I did not!
EMMETT: Call it what you will, but you were definitely flirting.
She sent him the angry emoji face and he laughed. He took a deep breath and typed.
EMMETT: Is it crazy that we just spent more than 36 hours in a car together, yet I want to see you again. Right now?
He clutched his phone tight, waiting, willing her to validate his feelings in some way, no matter how small. But Jinny didn’t strike him as the type to wear her heart on her sleeve. She seemed to keep her feelings tucked safely away.
JINNY: Not crazy. I’m irresistible like that.
Emmett’s lips quirked.
EMMETT: Go out with me tomorrow. After our session, after you finish working, go out with me. There’s no game tomorrow night for the Pumas. You have the time.
JINNY: Like a date?
EMMETT: Exactly like a date.
JINNY: What makes you think I want to go out with you?
EMMETT: Please, who doesn’t want to go out with me?
JINNY: True. It must be your modesty.
EMMETT: That’s only part of my appeal.
He was going to lose her here if he didn’t get real for a moment. It was clear Jinny wasn’t going to put herself out there and risk getting burned, and could he blame her?
EMMETT: You have to go out with me because I have a problem only you can help me with.
JINNY: You have a lot of problems, but the only one I can help you with is your knee. Your appointment is at ten a.m. Meet me at the Tomas and Mack Center.
EMMETT: You’re wrong. There’s something else.
JINNY: What are you doing?
Emmett inhaled and took a leap of faith as his fingers flew over the keys.
EMMETT: See, there’s this girl. I can’t stop thinking about her. She’s constantly on my mind, and I recently realized we could be something special, something more than I ever thought. The only way I can get her off my mind is to see her. So, that’s why you need to go out with me. If you don’t, I might never be the same again.
JINNY: You’re not funny.
EMMETT: I’m not trying to be.
JINNY: You’re serious? Like serious-serious?
EMMETT: Dead serious. So, what’s it gonna be?
JINNY: I don’t know if this is a good idea. You’re my patient. We work together.
EMMETT: I always took you for a risk-taker.
JINNY: Some things are riskier than others.
EMMETT: Sometimes there are millions of reasons why you shouldn’t do something and only one for why you should. Life is like that. But you have to ask yourself what you
want. What has the chance of making you the happiest. Give me one day. If it sucks, if you hate my guts, then we’ll go back to how things were between us, no questions asked.
It seemed like an entire lifespan passed as he waited for her reply. He half expected to see the rising sun peeking around his curtains when his phone finally pinged.
JINNY: Okay. One date.
EMMETT: I’ll take it.
Emmett snapped his phone shut, victorious. He hadn’t imagined their chemistry in the car. It was real and raw and worth pursuing. And he’d prove it.
CHAPTER twenty-one
Jinny
Jinny turned to him. “The Neon Boneyard?”
She’d finished Emmett’s session earlier that morning, followed by her appointment with Taylor to work on his ankle. Then she went back to her room, where she showered, changed, and prepared for their date. It had been the single most nerve-racking preparation she had ever experienced. A part of her still couldn’t believe she was there with him.
Why had she said yes again?
Oh, yeah. Because their kiss on the side of the road had been the hottest experience of her life. Because he’s all she could think about. Because somewhere along the line, between hating him and sparring with him, she had grown to like him. He was real and raw, more so than she ever could’ve imagined. Dean’s stamp of approval and Emmett’s flirty texts had been the nail in the proverbial coffin. She could pretend she didn’t have feelings for him, but she’d be lying.
“I promise you one date, and you take me to a place called the Neon Boneyard?” she repeated.
Truth be told, a part of her wanted this date to be a disaster. It certainly would make things easier on her. Then they could go back to the way things were, BK—before kiss.
“How do you know you won’t love it?” Emmett asked with a raised brow.
“It’s a gravel lot.”
Emmett flashed her one of his knee-weakening smiles and grabbed her hand, tugging her along behind him. “Come on.”
Jinny’s heart twisted as the warmth of his palm sunk into her bones. The feel of his callused fingers threading through hers did strange things to her insides.
They entered what appeared to be an orderly junkyard of sorts. Their feet crunched on the gravel as they walked, and Jinny took in her surroundings. Everywhere she turned, there were giant signs—the place was a veritable graveyard for neon lights. Some appeared to be antiques, taken from long-closed hotels, shows, and bars. Relics from casinos, wedding chapels, diners, and businesses stood sentry among the heap of metal and broken lights.
Jinny paused in front of the City Center Motel sign, looking on in awe. “What is this place?”
She shifted her gaze to Emmett, but he was already watching her, his gaze intent on her face. A small smile curled his lips. “It’s a storage yard. Most of the neon displays from the golden age of Vegas were produced by the Young Electric Sign Company. They keep this plot filled with them.”
“It’s…amazing.” Her voice softened as they picked their way through the yard. “Kind of sad in a way.”
“How so?”
“It’s kind of like watching the past fade away before your eyes. What once was shiny and new and alive is now old and unused, sitting here unwanted.”
Emmett squeezed her hand. “Kind of like the Land of Misfit Toys.”
“Exactly.”
“If I thought it would make you sad, or you’d start pulling references from Rudolph, I wouldn’t have brought you. Sorry.”
She turned to him. Without thinking, she reached out for his other hand and clasped it in hers. Staring at their joined hands, she slowly lifted her gaze and swallowed. “No, I love it. It’s nostalgic. And it’s oddly beautiful, isn’t it? In a totally unexpected way.”
Kind of like him.
“Yeah, it is.” His bourbon eyes penetrated her walls. Could he see how hard her heart was pounding in her chest? Could he sense her nerves?
Dropping her gaze, she asked, “Which one is your favorite?”
“That one’s easy. The Boneyard sign when you walk in. You?”
“Definitely the Sassy Sally’s one.” She eyed the large red letters.
Emmett laughed. “Suits you.”
Jinny scoffed and smacked him playfully in the arm as they resumed picking their way through the lot, pointing out relics and things they hadn’t noticed the first time.
“How’d you know about this place? I’ve never been anywhere like it.”
Emmett shrugged. “I came here once when I was twelve with my dad. He had to come for work, so he pulled me and my brothers from school, and we all went. I think it was more that he didn’t have much help and couldn’t afford to pay a babysitter to stay with us for a few days than that it was supposed to be a family vacation. Regardless, he made sure we had fun. It’s not like we could go into the casinos, so…”
“How many brothers do you have again?”
He held up four fingers.
Jinny whistled. “And you’re the…?”
“Middle child.”
“Ah, that explains it.”
“Explains what?”
“Why you’re so needy. You never got the attention you deserved, did you?”
“Are you teasing me, Kimball?”
A ball of warmth settled in her stomach. “Maybe.”
“Easy now. Some might call that flirting.” He took a step toward her and reached out, running a hand through her hair and resting it at the base of her skull while her heart threatened to explode.
“Definitely not flirting,” she said.
“What would you call it?” he murmured, sliding his hands to her chin and tipping her face to his.
Crap. He was going to kiss her again.
Was she ready? She didn’t feel ready.
Suddenly the air went thick. Her lungs struggled to keep up and her heart threatened to riot.
Emmett dipped his head, coming closer, moving in…
Dean had told her to go for it, and her heart agreed, and her body all but threatened to disown her if she didn’t allow herself this kiss. But her head pumped the brakes.
How long would it be until they turned back into enemies, flinging insults at each other and trying to get under one another’s skin? How long until he realized he’d rather have his short-lived flings?
She turned her head and cleared her throat. “Maybe we should just…” Her voice faded as she tried to get her bearings.
“Pretending you don’t want to kiss me again?”
“I didn’t even kiss you the first time. You kissed me.”
Emmett flashed a knowing grin, and she wanted to smack him. “You didn’t seem to mind. And maybe I started them, but you definitely kissed me back.”
Pah! She tried to speak, she really did, but it seemed her vocal cords had frozen. Words had escaped her, along with all coherent thought the moment he leaned into her again.
His scent enveloped her, playing tricks with her head. “Admit it. You’re dying to kiss me again. You’re just afraid it’ll turn date one into date two.”
She shook her head no, but her body said otherwise as she swayed slightly on her feet, involuntarily leaning closer and breathing him in. His lips hovered inches from her own until she could feel the heat from them. Everything inside her yearned to step forward, to close the tiny gap between them.
Then he stepped away, and it was like someone doused her in freezing water. Everything inside her turned cold.
He smirked at her, his dimples winking. Suddenly, her vocal chords worked.
She clenched her hands by her side. “Do you enjoy teasing me?”
Emmett laughed and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re the tease. You’re the one looking up at me with those big brown eyes, soft hair, and pink lips. And your perfume is screwing with my equilibrium.”
Jinny felt her cheeks flush. “You’re my patient, Emmett. Is this really such a good idea?”
No matter what Dean said or how much
sense he made, their working relationship persisted. It couldn’t just be ignored.
“Is that the reason you’re holding back?” he asked.
“Who said I’m holding back?”
He arched a brow.
“Fine. Yes. Maybe?” she said.
“Again, you don’t strike me as a rule-follower.”
Jinny crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. “Well, maybe I am. I am most definitely a rule follower. The more rules, the better.”
Emmett grunted. “So, you’re telling me the only thing stopping you from jumping me is the fact that I am, technically, your patient.”
“First of all, ‘jumping’ you is a rather strong depiction of what I’d like to do—”
“Aha! So, you admit you want me to kiss you again.”
“No, I—” She groaned in frustration. “There is no ‘technically’ about it. You are my patient.”
“So, I’ll get a new therapist.” He shrugged, as if to say, ha, problem solved.
Jinny gaped before her words found their way up through the back of her throat. “That’s absurd.”
But hadn’t that been what she wanted all along? All this time, she hadn’t needed to annoy him or goad him into switching therapists. All she had to do was seduce him. But now that she thought of him going elsewhere for treatment, it rubbed her the wrong way. He was her patient. Her pain in the butt. Her nuisance to deal with.
“Is it though?” he asked, as he turned and made his way toward the exit, with her in tow. “It would be worth it if it meant I got you,” he said over his shoulder.
She stopped, frozen, rooted to her spot on the gravel as she watched him walk away, his voice trailing behind him. When common sense prevailed, she hurried after him. “Who said I wanted you?”
“You didn’t need to say it. I just know.”
She gritted her teeth, struggling to keep up with his stride, wishing her legs were longer. While he walked casually, she had to break into a sprint just to keep up.
“Okay, Yoda, and how is it you know?” she asked.
He came to a dead stop and spun around, and she crashed into him. Her body met with the hard plane of his chest and she bounced back. When he reached his arms out to steady her, it just threw her more off-balance. Her head spun, and her arms scorched at the contact. She swallowed and shook her head, trying to focus, trying to shove away the feeling inside. The one that screamed at her that he was right. The one that wanted to leap into his arms, to hold his hand, to see what it might be like to be more than Emmett’s therapist, his enemy, or his best friend’s sister.