Emma glanced toward the bed. “I’m not picky.”
He nodded. “Great. I’ll take the left.”
“Sounds good.”
Austin stood and made his way over to the other side of the bed. Emma had moved to where she was sitting with her back against the head board.
“Do you snore?” she asked, glancing over at him.
“Sometimes. If I’m really tired.” He fiddled with the hem of his shirt. He hated sleeping with one on. Would it be weird for him to take it off? Before he delved into his thoughts, he decided it would be best for him to keep it on. Pulling back the covers, he climbed into the bed. “Do you?” he asked, turning to look at Emma.
She was only a foot away from him. Her cheeks hinted pink as she moved her gaze from him to the quilt she had spread across her lap. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, I guess I’ll find out then, won’t I.” He shifted on the bed until he on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Just as he’d been right before Emma asked if they could sleep together.
Emma turned off the side table light as he rested his hands on his chest. He was trying hard not to groan. If he was struggling with keeping his thoughts calm enough to fall asleep before, how was sleeping next to the very person he’d been trying to forget going to help him? Especially in the dark.
Maybe he should just call this off and send her back to her room.
But, as she moved to lay down next to him, his body began to relax. There was something calming about not being alone right now. The support she gave by just being right next to him caused the tension to leave his muscles. He twitched under the covers. If only he could get used to sleeping in a shirt, he just might be able to get some sleep tonight before his alarm rang at five.
“Austin?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you move like this all night?” There was a playful tone to her voice.
Just at the mention of his shifting, Austin did it again. “I’m not used to sleeping with a shirt on,” he said.
Emma was silent for a moment. “You can take it off if you want.”
Austin moved to prop himself up onto his elbow. “But then you’ll be sleeping next to my bare chest. A weapon that I don’t want to use against you mortals,” he said, shooting her a wide grin.
Emma rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen it before. I think I can handle it.”
He pushed up to sitting and then grabbed the hem, bending his elbows to slip it off. He glanced behind him and raised his eyebrows. “I’m telling you, it’s like light for a bug. Once I take it off, I cannot be held responsible for what you do.”
“I’ll try to restrain myself.”
He shot her one last smile and then pulled his shirt off. As he held it in his one hand, he suddenly felt exposed. Like he should put it back on to protect himself. Especially with Emma staring at him. But he’d look like an idiot, so he chucked it onto the rocking chair with his jeans and fell back onto to the bed where he pulled the covers up to his chin.
“Feel better?” she asked. Her voice was quiet.
He turned to look at her and then cursed himself. She was inches from his face. In the darkness of the room, he could see all the curves of her face.
“Yes,” he said, flipping to his back.
“Good.” Silence filled the room once more.
Austin pinched his eyes shut as he began counting sheep in his mind. But when they started showing up, wearing Emma’s underwear, he pushed them from his mind. This was going to be a rough night.
“What’s your favorite color?” she asked.
Grateful for the distraction from the sheep in his mind, Austin opened his eyes. “What?”
“You’re favorite color. What is it?”
“Um, blue?” He really wasn’t sure.
“You don’t know what your favorite color is?” He felt her move as if she were shifting to look at him.
“Yes, I do. I guess I’ve just never thought about it since I was a kid.”
She giggled. It was soft and melodious. “Mine is green.”
“Oh.”
“Is it too much to ask what your favorite animal is? Or have you not thought about it since you were a kid?”
He flinched when she poked him in the side. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand before she could pull it away.
“Hey now. Don’t start something you can’t win,” he teased, turning to see her studying him.
“What makes you think I can’t win?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Is that why you wanted to sleep with me?” He pulled her hand up and inched his fingers toward her armpit. “It was all a rouse to challenge my strength.”
Emma flinched as he got closer. He couldn’t help the smile that emerged. She was ticklish. Good to know.
“Wait, wait,” she said, a hint of desperation in her voice. “Hold on.”
Austin paused, relaxing his muscles. Just as he did that, she pulled her hand from his grasp and scooted away.
“Classic move,” she said as she shot him a triumphant look.
He clambered to grab her hand back but she was too fast. Suddenly, she was perched at the foot of the bed. Austin pulled the covers off and lunged toward her.
She giggled and moved to scoot away from him but he was too fast. He reached out and grabbed her foot before she could slip away. With his hold on her, he pulled her toward him. Once she was next to him, he pinned her chest and hand with a leg and pulled up her arm. He inched his fingers closer to her skin.
“Okay, okay!” she squealed, thrashing to get away from him.
“Okay what?” he asked.
“You win.” She rasped, glancing up at him.
He smiled as he let her go. Just as he lessened the pressure on her chest, she let out a warrior yell and shoved his shoulders with her hands, pushing him back onto the bed. Before he could stop her, she straddled him, pinning his hands with hers behind his head. She dipped her head down to look at him.
“Who’s the winner now?” she asked, grinning at him.
Austin swallowed as he took in her pink cheeks and wide smile. Her hair framed her face, and her eyes danced with excitement. The pressure of her hips against his stomach had more than his mind distracted. If he just lifted his head, he’d be able to kiss her beautiful lips. And oh, how he wanted to kiss her lips.
But, instead of allowing his mind to listen to his body, he grinned. “You win. I promise. Truce.” He opened his hand to show that he was swearing.
Emma studied him as her breathing slowed. She moved closer to him and for a moment, he wondered if she wanted to kiss him just as much as he wanted to kiss her. But then he pushed that thought from his mind.
Of course, she didn’t want to kiss him. She was his friend. One who wanted to help him but then she’d return to New York and leave him alone. And he couldn’t ask her to do anything different. It was what was best for her. And he wanted to keep his promise. If he couldn’t do anything else, he’d do that one thing.
So, he forced a smile and nodded toward her hips. “You’re crushing my stomach,” he said.
Her cheeks turned red as she released her grasp on his hands and swung her leg off of him. “Sorry,” she said.
Austin moved to the side of the bed and sat up. “It’s okay.” He rested his hands next to him and took a few deep breaths. This was good. He’d been faced with the temptation to kiss her and he hadn’t. Perhaps, he just might be able to survive the next few days before she needed to leave. And that was all he needed to do. Survive.
Chapter Thirteen
Emma
An alarm blared into the darkness, pulling Emma from her sleep. She groaned as she reached out to get the sound to stop.
“Make it stop,” she muttered, groping the air to find the offender.
“My side,” Austin’s groggy voice said in the shadows and a moment later, the sound stopped.
Emma’s eyes whipped open. The memory of last night came rushing back to her. She was in Austin’s room. In his bed.
Why had she thought that this would be a good idea?
An arm moved from under her head and it was that moment that she realized that she was sleeping on his chest. His bare chest. The warmth of his skin under her fingertips caused her heart to pick up speed. Why was she laying on him? Hoping he won’t realize that she was moving to get away from him, she tried to nonchalantly roll away.
But his arm tightened around her shoulders, halting her retreat. “Do you think I’m going to let my source of heat go away?” he asked, His voice was deep with sleep.
Emma laid there, not sure what to do. On one hand, she was enjoying feeling Austin’s body right next to hers. But on the other hand, her mind was screaming at her to pull away. There was nothing about this relationship that was real to Austin. He’d pretty much rejected her last night. Why was she allowing herself to hope?
So, instead of allowing herself to fall into this limbo where she didn’t know where she stood, she patted his arm with her hand. “I need to use the bathroom, Austin.”
He groaned but then released her. Emma tried hard to not sprint from his bed but within seconds, she slipped out the door and leaned her back against the wall just outside his room. Sleeping in his bed had not been a good idea. She should have known better.
But part of her wanted to be there. To be close to him. He was her husband after all. And besides, what were they going to do when his grandmother got there? How were they going to explain separate rooms?
After using the bathroom, Emma decided to head down to the kitchen instead of back into Austin’s room. From the snores coming from the open door, she doubted that he’d notice that she hadn’t returned.
As she padded down the steps, she glanced toward the kitchen where the light was on. She didn’t remember them leaving it on yesterday. Shaking off a feeling of uncertainty, Emma made her way into the room and yelped.
Sitting at the table was a woman. She had grey hair that was pulled up into a tight bun. A steaming cup of coffee sat in front of her, and she held a newspaper in one hand. Her eyebrows rose above her readers she had perched on her nose.
“You’re new,” she said through her ruby red lips. She folded the newspaper and set it next to her.
Stunned, Emma didn’t know what to say. Was this Alayna?
“Are you just staying the night?” the woman asked.
Emma shook her head. Why couldn’t she remember how to speak. “No,” she breathed out. Great. The first word and she sounded like an idiot.
The woman stared at her. “Well, Austin does pick girls of few words.”
Emma cleared her throat and forced a smile. “Are you Mrs. Maverick? Austin’s grandmother?”
The woman raised her eyebrows. “Interesting that he’s talked about me.” She took her glasses from off her nose and set them on top of the newspaper. “And yet never talked about you. Who are you?”
Emma pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. “Emma. . . Maverick.” Just as she said it, she hesitated. Was she supposed to be the one to tell his grandmother? Her stomach twisted as she tried to focus her thoughts.
Mrs. Maverick eye’s widened. “Maverick.” She tapped her fingers on the table top. “Since I don’t recognize you, you’re not some long-lost family member.” She cleared her throat. “So that can only mean one thing. When did Austin get married?”
Emma grabbed an apple from the middle of the table and bit into it. She thought Austin had told her. Was that not the truth? Mrs. Maverick’s reaction was strange if she did know. She chewed the apple vigorously. Right now, she’d do anything to delay talking.
With the way that she was feeling, she didn’t want to do more to embarrass Austin or herself. After a few bites, she’d come up with a game plan in her mind. Be as vague as possible. Then, when Austin finally pulled himself out of bed, he could fill in the details. Why hadn’t they come up with more of a game plan?
“Austin and I met a few years back. At a retreat. We. . . hit it off.” She lied. Why was she lying? There was something about the way his grandmother was staring at there that made her feel terrible. After she took a deep breath, she forced another smile. She was doing this for Austin. She needed to focus and put her game face on.
“Funny. Austin’s never mentioned you.” Mrs. Maverick said, folding her arms and leaning back on the chair.
“He wouldn’t have. We parted ways and didn’t meet up again until the wedding.” Her face heated as she slammed her lips shut. What was she doing? Maybe she should feign sickness and book it back upstairs to wake up Austin. But, from the skeptical look Mrs. Maverick was giving her, she was rooted to her spot.
“So, let me get this straight. You haven’t seen Austin for a few years. You met up again at a wedding this last weekend and now you are married?” Her gaze bore into Emma’s. It was like she knew that they were faking everything.
“Well, we hadn’t physically met. We’ve been, you know, messaging—texting. That sort of thing. Since the retreat.” Why did Emma have the sinking feeling that Mrs. Maverick just might ask for proof? She seemed like that kind of person.
Mrs. Maverick interlaced her fingers and set them on top of the table. “You were doing this all while he was dating Georgia? Were you the reason they broke up? What kind of person texts a guy who is engaged?” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Emma.
Emma nearly choked on the apple chunk in her mouth. What had she gotten herself into? Everyone in town had been right. Alayna Maverick was just as scary as they had said.
After her coughing fit died down, Emma swallowed, her eyes watering from the tickle in her throat. Mrs. Maverick stood and made her way over to the counter where she grabbed a tissue and handed it over to her. Emma took it and nodded thanks. Mrs. Maverick then returned to her seat to study Emma.
Emma should have never come to Montana. Everything that she’d gone through these last few days were going to be for naught. His grandmother pretty much guessed their lie after being in Emma’s presence for only a handful of minutes. How was she going to keep this charade up for longer than that?
Before Emma opened her mouth and stuck her foot farther into it, Austin’s figure appeared in the doorway. His hair stuck up on one side, and his eyes were barely open.
“Emma?” he asked as he made his way into the kitchen. “Why didn’t you come back to bed?” He made his way over to the cupboard where he pulled it open and removed a coffee maker.
“Hello, Austin,” Mrs. Maverick said.
Austin stopped. From where Emma sat, she could see his shoulders tighten. The seconds he took to turn around felt like hours. Emma was terrified and relieved at the same time. Could he keep up the lie better than her? What if he couldn’t?
“Gran?” he asked as he turned and looked straight at her. “What are you doing here so early?” He glanced up at the clock that hung over the door.
Mrs. Maverick sighed as she glanced over at Austin. “I didn’t realize I needed to announce myself in my own house. It’s not yours, Austin. Not yet.” She turned her gaze back to Emma and narrowed her eyes.
“I was chatting with your wife. It seems she’s telling me the same story you did.” She glanced over at Emma. So, she did know. Why all the games?
Emma wanted to dissolve on the spot. How could one woman eliminate all her confidence with a single look. Not knowing what else to do, Emma just shot her a smile. Hopefully, it looked confident and not like she just might have a few screws loose.
“Coffee, Gran?” Austin asked, pulling Mrs. Maverick’s attention back over to him.
“Of course,” she said. “But wait, I have the blend I like.” She stood and made her way over to the door. “It’s in my suitcase. I’ll be right back.”
Once she was gone, Emma slid off her seat and marched right over to Austin. He was going to give her answers. Now. “Not as bad as everyone said, huh?” she asked, leaning against the counter so he had to look at her.
“What are you talking about, Emma?” he asked as he flipped the faucet on
and fill the pot with water.
“Austin, your grandmother. She’s scary. Why didn’t you warn me?” Emma folded her arms. For the first time, she felt a bit betrayed. They were supposed to do this together. Not separate. Why didn’t he feel like he could tell her this?
Austin’s jaw muscles were twitching when he placed the pot down on the counter. “People like Susan and Jasmine, they don’t know. She’s not that bad.”
Emma raised her eyebrows. Really? That’s what he thought? “Austin, she basically said I was your booty call.”
Austin’s gaze whipped over to her. “I don’t even think my grandmother knows what a booty call is.”
Maybe she’d been wrong. But probably not. Emma had always been pretty good at reading women. Men—not so much. “She blamed me for breaking up your relationship with Georgia.”
He stared at her. “Why would she do that?”
Heat raced to Emma’s cheeks. “She asked me how long I’d known you. I told her since the retreat.” Emma dropped her gaze. “And that we ended up at the wedding together. But then I added that I had been in contact with you since we saw each other the first time.” Now that she was saying it out loud. It did sound bad. She did sound like a home wrecker.
“Why would you tell her any of that?”
Emma sighed and rubbed her hands with her face. Her emotions were out of whack. Perhaps it was the strangely clean air. Or wide-open spaces. Or the confusing man in front of her that had her questioning everything. “I don’t know. It’s early. And. . .” Emma shrugged. Maybe she was crazy. These last few days had put her on a rollercoaster. Add exhaustion to that and it equaled an emotionally crazed woman.
A warm sensation raced across her skin. Emma looked down to see that Austin had reached out and grasped her elbow. Her heart picked up speed from the gesture.
“Em, you’re tired. If you want, I can do the chores, and you can head back to bed.” His expression turned pained as he gazed into her eyes. “It wasn’t right of me to put this much pressure on you. If you want to call it quits, I get it.” He studied her.
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