A timid smile crept across her face. “Hey,” she let out, more breathlessly than she had intended.
The energy flowing between them was palpable. Gavin could feel it, and he was pretty sure she could, too.
He wet his lips and stared at her for a moment. “Hey.”
The overt intensity of his gaze rendered her speechless. Her eyes flew to the ocean beyond the windows as she waited for him to move out of her way.
Gavin could tell he made her nervous and that wasn’t his intention. Sucking his bottom lip between his teeth, he tentatively placed his hand on the banister. “I know this whole thing’s a little crazy,” he whispered. He then paused for a second and smiled. “Well, more than a little, but I just wanted you to know that I’m just as freaked out about it as you are.” His face softened into concern as his gaze became more intent. “But, more importantly, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable at all while you’re here. I want you to have a nice, relaxing weekend.”
Inwardly, knowing his statement was near impossible, Emily bit her lip as she held steady eye contact with him. She needed something to distract herself from the blazing blue of his eyes.
She moved down the stairs, trying with every bit of her voice and body movements to appear as nonchalant about the whole matter. “I appreciate your concern—and thank you—but honestly, I’m good.”
Gavin placed his hands at the back of his neck and smiled at her. “Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent,” she replied, noticeably glancing around for an exit to the pool.
“Oh, it’s over here.” Gavin motioned with his hand. “I’ll actually follow you out. Some friends of mine are out back that I’d like to introduce you to.”
After retrieving the sunglasses Gavin initially came in the house for, he and Emily strolled outside.
Again inhaling as much as her lungs could hold, Emily let the salty smell of the ocean tickle her nose. An in-ground pool and hot tub overlooked the shores of the Atlantic. The views were spectacular from the hill where the home stood. An outdoor fireplace, a cabana with a built-in bar, and a guesthouse were part of the open-air paradise. Emily followed Gavin over to where Olivia and Dillon were chatting with two men.
Widening his eyes on Emily, Dillon excused himself from the group, letting her know he wanted to talk with her. Cocking her head to the side in confusion, Emily opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped when she saw the look on his face.
He appeared angry.
Looking at Dillon, Olivia rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Emily smiled at the two men, whom she had yet to meet, and followed Dillon across the yard.
“Are you kidding me, Em?” Dillon asked, eyeing her up and down when they were far enough away from everyone. “What the fuck are you wearing?”
Her brows knitted together as she tried to keep her voice under control. “Are you kidding me, Dillon?”
“Fuck no, I’m not kidding. We just talked about this the other night. Don’t you have a one-piece?”
“No, I don’t have a one-piece. I have a bikini that’s covered by a sarong.”
Puffing out a breath, he scrubbed at his face with his hands. “At least go the fuck back upstairs and put on a pair of shorts then.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” she scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. “You’re overreacting. It’s blazing hot, there’s a pool that I plan on going in, and I want to tan.”
“What a fucking joke, Emily. You’re going to put me in a bad spot here if I catch any of these guys looking at you.”
Tilting her head to the side, she studied his demeanor. His voice left no room for argument, and the last thing she wanted was for him to get drunk and start a fight. She walked away without a backward glance in his direction and headed upstairs to do as he asked. Beyond pissed by his reaction, she made sure she slipped herself into the shortest pair of booty jean shorts she owned. To top it off, she left her bikini top on—uncovered.
By the time she made her way back outside, Olivia was lying on a plush beach chair, talking on the phone. Emily walked over to the four men, shot Dillon a wry smile, and politely asked him to make her a Captain and Diet Coke. He didn’t look too happy with her new ensemble, but it was obvious he saw the look in her eyes this time, telling him to deal with it.
He honored her request and went to make her drink.
Gavin glared at Dillon as he walked away, and then flicked his eyes down to Emily’s shorts. Knowing how overly possessive his friend was, he knew Dillon made her change. He gritted his teeth, not understanding why his friend couldn’t be proud of what he had in his grasp.
Nevertheless, a charming smile ran across his mouth as he gazed into Emily’s eyes. “I’d like to introduce you to my buddies, Chris and Joe. Guys, this is Dillon’s girlfriend, Emily.”
She smiled and shook their hands. Seeing that they could pass for brothers—with eyes, hair, and features that were strikingly similar—she asked, “Are you two related?”
Chris spoke up first, his hazel eyes wide as he laughed. “Very good observation on your part; we’re actually cousins,” he remarked, tossing a hand through his almond-colored hair.
Joe smirked. “Yes, unfortunately, our mothers are sisters,” he joked, patting Chris on his back.
Emily laughed with them. She learned that both men went to high school with Gavin and Trevor. They relocated to Florida and opened a landscaping business together after graduating college. When Dillon brought her drink over, she excused herself from the group of men and got comfortable on one of the poolside beach chairs with Olivia.
“Em, he’s really starting to become—”
Emily held up a silencing finger. “Please. Just let it go for now, Liv.”
She propped herself up on her elbow and flashed a frown. “Let it go?”
“Yes, please. I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”
“I’ll let it go, friend, but I have to say Douchebucket is officially a total asshole now,” she remarked, securing her blonde hair in a messy bun. Leaning over, she reached for the suntan lotion, smearing more over her milky-white skin. “And you need to grow a backbone with him sooner or later.”
Effectively ignoring Olivia’s statement, Emily turned her head in the opposite direction to view the waves in the distance. Soaking in the warm sun, she concentrated on the voice of Bob Marley in the background, singing about how he shot the sheriff.
Over the next few hours, Gavin’s gaze would travel to Emily and then back to Dillon, battling an internal war. He positioned himself perfectly at the table to maintain an unobstructed view of her face from across the pool while trying to focus on a conversation with his friends. However, his mind continually strayed back to the thought of her soft hand against his lips when he had kissed it a few days before. His eyes burned with adoration as she laughed with Olivia; her smile was like an addictive drug to him; and her laugh sounded celestial in his ears. Although they each stole furtive glances at one another throughout the day, Gavin admired her from afar, not wanting to make the situation anymore awkward than it was.
As night fell, the small crowd jumped from a sudden booming sound coming from the front of the home. Lighting off a few fireworks before making his way to the backyard was Trevor’s way of announcing his arrival. Beaming a smile with blonde hair spilling over his forehead, he strolled in, barking out his signature line, “I’m here. Let the party begin!”
Olivia’s girlfriend, Tina, showed up shortly after. Olivia hopped up, squealing, and gave her a kiss, letting each of the men know that she was hers. Chris ignored Olivia as he eyed the beautiful redhead. Olivia smacked him on his arm as she walked away.
Strolling over to Emily with Tina by her side, Olivia announced, “Tina, this is my best friend, Emily.”
“Hey, it’s good to meet you.” Tina smiled. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to put a face with the name.”