I needed some fresh air, she needed some fresh air, and we both needed to talk.
"What-"
I shut the door behind us and ushered her across the yard to the old bench in the back. It was dark out and the only light we had was from the houses around us, only lighting the way enough so we wouldn't trip on anything.
Emily let me pull her along until we were in the shadows of the trees around us, then she yanked away from me and backed up.
"Why are we out here?" she bit out.
"Why are you upset with me?"
"I'm not."
"You are."
"So what, it doesn't matter anyway."
"It does to me," I whispered and took a step closer.
It mattered because I needed her to trust me, to level with me. If not, then the next couple months were going to be hell for both of us.
She stood her ground, but swayed slightly from the effects of the alcohol. "I'm not someone you can just walk all over."
"I never said you were."
She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. I couldn't see them, but I knew her breasts would be perched up higher and the image in my head made me break out in a sweat. We hadn't been living together very long, but it wasn't getting any easier. Going to sleep every night knowing she was just a few feet away from me… it was pure torture.
"I know you don't like my brother, I even understand why. I just don't appreciate you implying that he doesn't give a shit about me. He's doing what he can. Once this is all over…"
A surge of anger coursed through my veins. He doesn't give a shit about her and I should find him and teach him a lesson for leaving his sister to fight off the wolves by herself. But she was right. He was her family and I would defend mine the same way. Once this was all over? My opinion wouldn't matter, but upsetting her did.
"I'm sorry, Emily. I didn't realize how much that had hurt you."
"Thank you," she said softly.
I took another step toward her. Not being able to see her clearly was doing a number on my nerves and the electricity I always felt when she was near me was multiplied by a hundred. I heard her harsh breathing and saw the outline of her shoulders move up and down with each breath.
"I just don't want anything to happen to you. I'm supposed to protect you and maybe I'm crossing the line here, but I don't understand how a brother could let his sister-"
"Stop! I know and you're right, but I can't change it. Not yet. He's a shitty brother and it's unfortunate, but it's not going to stop me from trusting him."
"Trusting him?"
She looked down at her feet and shifted back and forth. "I don't know."
She may love him and he may be family, but trusting him was a mistake. Every report I had read on him proved that the kid was trouble. A danger to anyone who trusted him. If it didn't go against everything I stood for, I would find Lucien Ripley and help him get rid of the little shit myself. Emily couldn't possible know everything her brother had done, if she did, no way she would trust him. Family or not.
"Emily," I started but she didn't let me finish. She quickly stepped toward me and pressed her soft body into mine. For a split second, I was sure she was seeking comfort and was going to let me hold her like I wanted to, but then she lifted up on her toes and planted those incredible lips on mine.
I was stunned and my first reaction was to push her away, but before I could, her soft lips moved over mine and instinct took over instead. I wrapped my arms around her and locked her in place against my chest, groaning with relief at finally being able to touch her. I tilted my head and slanted my mouth over hers to deepen the kiss. The feel of her pressed against me was like the Fourth of July. I wouldn't have been surprised if fireworks shot to the sky from the corners of the garden.
Cheesy? Yes. But kissing this girl was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
A voice screamed in the back of my mind to pull away, to end this before I took it too far and lost myself in her.
She whimpered against my lips when I ran my tongue along the seam of her mouth. She tasted like Tullamore, but there was a hint of lemon that made the ache in my groin turn painful. Her arms were pinned between us and she gripped my shirt in her hands and opened her lips for me.
It was the sweetness of her breath and sound of Ash's laughter in the house that, surprisingly, brought me back to my senses. She had been drinking. She didn't completely realize what she was doing and I wouldn't be the asshole that took advantage of her.
I tore my lips away and stepped back until we were completely separated. It was nearly impossible to do and it didn't help all that much because I could still feel the heat from her body spreading across my chest and my lips protested with the need to touch hers again. It was sweet agony to be near her and my entire body craved the torment.
We gasped for air and soon my head started to clear.
"I'm sorry," I said roughly.
"I'm sorry," she squeaked at the same time. "I shouldn't have done that. Oh God, I'm sorry." She covered her mouth with her hand and even in the darkness, I could see the shock in her eyes. She stumbled as she turned away from me and reflexes had me reaching out to her so she wouldn't fall. She caught herself and hurriedly walked across the yard, back to the house.
Away from me.
And I let her go.
Like a fool, I told myself it was for the best.
Chapter 7
Emily
"Sarah Rich."
"Here."
"Chase Robins."
"Here."
"Uh, Ms. Moore?" Sarah called nervously.
Emily looked up from her clipboard, "Yes?" She noticed Sarah wasn't looking at her, but at the door to the classroom. So were all the other students.
Emily turned and would have stumbled if she hadn't been leaning against the desk at the front of the room.
Conall was standing in the doorway looking every bit as handsome as always. Like a freaking GQ model with his messy dark hair that was getting too long and his dark blue eyes that were focused on her.
For some reason - a reason that she swore should be illegal - he wore a suit today. Avoiding him lately had been difficult since they lived together, but for the most part, doable. However, when he walked out of his room this morning in that white shirt and tie and a pair of gray slacks that didn't do anything but make her fantasize about what it would be like to unbuckle them, she was done for. She just hoped he hadn't seen the look that must have been on her face when he slid on his shoulder holster, then his jacket. A jacket that only made his shoulders broader and his chest harder. God, she must have looked like an idiot with her mouth gaping open like that.
And she was doing the same thing now, only in front of her class full of a bunch of eighth grade students.
He had ditched the jacket and rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows, loosened the tie. Just to make her that much more uncomfortable. He did mention he had a meeting today, but she wasn't sure with who. He wasn't wearing his shoulder holster, but his badge was clipped onto his belt like always. And he was smirking at her. That damn crooked smile he always gave her when he caught her looking at him.
"Conall," she said and her voice came out so breathlessly, she could have smacked herself.
"Emily, when you have a minute, can you join me out here?"
He was leaning against the doorframe with his hands in his pockets. From what she could tell, he had been there for a little while. She nodded and gripped the clipboard tighter against her chest. Her fingers were shaking and she gripped the pen in her hand so hard, she was sure it would snap in half. He noticed and his smile faltered. She watched his eyes glance toward her class and back again before his grin was back and he winked at her.
Winked!
Was he trying to give her a heart attack?
Ever since her drunken episode a week ago and that incredible kiss, she hadn't been able to calm herself whenever he was around. Did he think about it as much as she did
? Was he repulsed by it, or did he actually want it? His reaction had leaned toward the latter, but she had been drinking and he was the one to end it. She should have just stuck to her guns and told Ash no, but the woman had been so sure drinking that stuff would calm her nerves.
It did.
Too much.
Emily looked back at her class and noticed every girl in the room was staring at Conall with her chin in her hand, like he was the most amazing thing they had ever seen. She even saw a few sets of eyelashes flutter as they gazed at him. Then she realized half the boys in the room were glaring at the doorway as Conall chuckled softly and stepped back out into the hall.
She looked back down at her clipboard, the names on the page blurring together and she couldn't for the life of her remember where she had left off.
Chase Robins called from the back of the room, "I was last, Ms. Moore."
She glanced up and saw the dark haired boy smiling at her and it reminded her of Conall all over again.
Oh, for Hell's sake!
She took a deep breath and forced herself to take her time. She would call the rest of the role, start the kids on the worksheet the teacher had left, and casually walk out into the hall where Conall was waiting for her. Scratch that. Where the sexiest man she had ever seen was waiting for her and she had very little confidence left to face him.
She cleared her throat, "Ryan Swift."
***
Emily stepped out into the hallway ten minutes later and shut the classroom door behind her with a soft click. Conall was across the hall, leaning back against a bay of lockers like he didn't have a care in the world.
Ever since that night at dinner with the Brannocks, he had been distant. She kept cursing herself for drinking so much, but couldn't find the desire to take back that kiss. It had been euphoric to finally feel like her old self again and her old self wouldn't have regretted kissing him. Ever.
Dinner had been only slightly uncomfortable, but the conversation stayed on topics that had nothing to do with Emily, so she was able to get through it. Liam had made her feel like a part of the family and her conversations with Ash made her feel like she had found the sister she always wanted.
There was tension, though. Obviously.
Conall watched her like a hawk from across the table, reminding her how his body felt against hers and how her lips felt swollen and absolutely exhilarated after their kiss.
Then he started to avoid her. He walked out of the room whenever she entered unless it was necessary to stay, he stuck to the routine and hadn't made an effort to make anything but small talk with her and she was usually the one to start it. He continued to treat her with respect and had been pleasant for the most part, but their day to day routine was awkward to say the least. The kiss was never brought up and she wanted to keep it that way. During the week, she kept herself busy at the school and avoided thinking about him as much as possible.
Needless to say, his visit inside today was a total surprise.
"Hey, what's up?" she asked, her voice coming out nonchalant and exactly how she practiced it in her head. She was proud of herself.
He stood tall and kept his hands in his pockets. "I wanted to let you know I was back from my meeting."
"Oh. Okay. Couldn't you have just texted me?"
He kept his eyes locked on hers so easily, she wished she could do that without feeling like she was going to burst out of her skin.
"Yeah, but I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch together."
Her breath caught in her throat and she was too scared to open her mouth to speak. The second air hit the back of her throat, she was sure she would start to freak out. If she had lunch with him, it would be awkward and… just awful. She was dying to know if he was upset about that stupid kiss. He didn't seem to be, but the man was good at keeping the same expression on his face regardless of the circumstances. She was starting to see little twitches here and there that gave him away, but right now, he was… stoic. Seriously, it's the only world to describe the man.
"If you can't, that's fine," he added and she noticed a hint of pink in his cheeks.
This was good. This was a signal for her that he wasn't as calm and collected as he looked.
"I, um…"
"Hey, Emily. Everything okay?"
God, this day couldn't get any worse, could it?
Apparently so.
That voice belonged to the only person she was trying to avoid more than Conall. She turned to find Mark Cooper, the gym teacher, hovering behind her and staring at Conall like he was a puzzle he just couldn't figure out.
"Hey, Mr. Cooper. Yeah, everything is good."
"Emily, I told you to call me Mark," he looked down at her with a smile then immediately back up to Conall. And yes, he had to look way up.
"Sorry… Mark. Um, this is-"
"We know each other," Conall interrupted and made no move to greet the man politely at all.
"Oh."
Mark put his hand on her shoulder and she went stiff as a board. "Yeah, went to school together for a couple years. Lost touch when you took off to Denver," he directed at Conall.
Emily couldn't decide if the tension she was feeling was dangerous or just absolutely comical. Mark had been leering around trying to get her to go out with him for a week now and Emily had been clear that she was taken. He didn't seem to care.
Conall was scowling at the hand still on her shoulder and she couldn't be sure if he wanted to tear it off or just tear her away. He looked back at her face and she widened her eyes to the point where they were practically falling out of their sockets. He got the message.
Without a moment's hesitation, he reached out and took her hand in his, gently pulling her toward him. Mark's hand dropped after a brief squeeze and Emily wanted to run back to her class and forget any of this ever happened.
He brought her to his side and wrapped his strong arm around her shoulders, just like he did at his father's party. Her hand automatically came to his abdomen like it had that night, too. The position was like two pieces of that mysterious puzzle coming together and Mark's face darkened.
"How's Carol?" Conall asked, his voice hard and cold, but his touch so warm on the skin of her arm.
Mark blinked and took a step back, his face going all different shades of red. "She's good."
"Who's Carol?" she asked.
"His wife," Conall replied without taking his eyes off the man.
Emily felt sick to her stomach. No wonder Mark didn't give a damn that she kept telling him she was with someone. He was a sick bastard and an asshole.
Mark glanced between the two of them before taking another step back and raising his hands in surrender. "Hey, I was just trying to be her friend. That's all."
Emily opened her mouth to argue with him and reveal the fact that every time he was close enough he had his hand on her arm or her shoulder or her back and every day she was at the school, he tried to convince her to go out with him. Conall constricted his arm around her shoulders and stopped her, though.
"Leave her alone from now on, yeah?" Conall demanded even though it sounded like he was being as polite as ever.
Mark nodded and turned down the hall, practically jogging away from them.
A few minutes passed and she still hadn't stepped out of his hold. She couldn't move and Conall didn't move either. She was sure she would pass out if he didn't have a hold of her.
"You okay?" his voice was warm and gentle once more. Always with her.
She took a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah. Thanks for saving me. The guy was creeping me out."
"Why didn't you tell me about him?"
At this, she stepped away from him, "Because it was weird and I didn't think it was important."
They faced each other and his hands were back in his pockets. "With you, it's always important, Emily."
He just had to say something sweet, didn't he?
She heard the door open behind her and Chase Robins stepped out into the h
allway. "Ms. Moore? Are you okay?"
She smiled at the boy and heard Conall sigh.
"Yes, I'm okay, Chase. Thanks. I'll be back in just another minute."
The boy eyed Conall carefully before stepping back into the room, this time leaving the door wide open.
What the hell is with males these days?
"Told you."
She turned back to see Conall smiling at her. "What?"
"I told you the eighth grade boys would fall in love with you. Did you see the way they looked at me in there? I thought I was going to have to make a run for it."
She giggled and shook her head. "Whatever. I better get back in there and thanks for the invitation, but I'm having lunch with Margie today."
His expression never changed, but she recognized the slight slump of his shoulders. Was it disappointment or relief?
"Alright. Guess I'll get back out there. See you in a few hours, Emily."
She nodded, unable to voice her goodbye without fear of admitting she just lied to him. Margie was leaving at lunch time, but he didn't need to know that. No way she could spend almost an hour with him without having a mini stroke from all the tension.
She headed back into the classroom without looking back at him. The kids were all looking at the door as if they had been waiting for something epic to occur.
"How's the worksheet coming along, guys?"
Every head jerked back down to its desk and they started writing furiously.
"That's what I thought," she muttered to herself.
***
Conall
Fucking Mark Cooper. I should have known he would make a move on Emily.
When I found out he worked at the school, I had been prepared to deal with whatever she said about him when we talked about her day. So far, she hadn't said one thing about the creep and that was making me nervous.
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