Bottle It Up: (A Between the Pines Novel)

by Lisa Shelby

  My heart begins to race, but I guess I’ve gotten really good at lying on the spot because there’s no hesitation when I answer. “Josh was stuck working in Canada, and Max was nice enough to invite me to spend the holiday with his family.”

  “No offense, Emmett, I know we just met, but I call bullshit.” Joel’s back is pressed against the door, and his legs are crossed at the ankles. It’s clear we aren’t going anywhere until he gets the truth. “You don’t have a family to go home to or any friends in Los Angeles? I seriously doubt that. Max hasn’t been here for Thanksgiving in years, so why would he suddenly turn up?”

  “Joel, stop it,” Jenn whispers.

  Standing behind me, I can feel his breath on my hair when Max speaks up. “You’re right, T. There is more to it than that.”

  My racing heart stops beating altogether.

  He wouldn’t, would he?

  He’s signed an NDA too.

  Is he about to out Josh?

  “We had to leave Oregon before the holiday. I can’t give you any details, but there’s some asshole out there threatening Emmett, and we had to get away from the West Coast. I figured nobody would look for her here, so I brought her home.” In a protective move, he steps around me. “Nobody knows where she is, not even Josh. It has to stay that way.”

  Somebody in the group says, “Shit,” then the room goes silent.

  Joel pushes away from the door, moving until he’s standing in front of Max. “Was that so hard?”

  “Joel, come on.” Jenn tries to quiet her husband.

  “I’m sure for her safety you weren’t supposed to tell us any of that. Thanks for trusting us, man. You know we always have your back. Everything you just said stays right here in this house. Right, everyone?”

  What I wouldn’t give to be holding Max’s hand right now so I could give him a squeeze as the rest of his friends agree with Joel. Hearing them each give him words of support warms my heart. I know I just met them minutes ago, but something tells me we can trust them.

  “Listen, you guys. I know I haven’t been any good at staying in touch, and I’m sorry about that. I’m gonna try to do better, okay?” His hand clasps Joel's shoulder. “Thanks for still being here.”

  “Don’t sweat it, just don’t let it happen again. Besides, we ain’t going anywhere, except to the bar to get college girl drunk.” Nathan sets his attention on me from in front of the door next to Joel. “And Emmett, it’s really shitty you’ve got some asshole out there messing with you. Even shittier you had to miss turkey day with your family. We’re happy to meet you, though. And here’s to hoping that, after tonight, you’ll be glad you had to hide away here in our little town. We’re kind of awesome.” He winks. “I sure hope you like to drink.”

  “Thanks, Nathan, Phillipsburg has been pretty good to me so far, and yes, I do like to drink. Now, do I get to check out this minivan or what?”

  “I really can’t believe we’re sitting here with Emmett Ford. You’re marrying the biggest star in the world. What’s he like?”

  “Deanna, really?” Taylor asks, embarrassed.

  “It’s okay. I’m used to it. The thing is, I’ve known him my whole life, so he’s really just Joshy Washy to me.”

  “Oh, my goodness. Is that what you call him?”

  “That’s what we all call him.”

  “Who’s we?” It’s obvious Taylor isn’t going to get his sweet wife to stop asking questions, and I don’t mind. I’ve been dealing with it for years now, but the ticking of Max’s jaw would indicate he’s a bit annoyed with all the talk about Josh.

  “Oh, well, Josh and I have a group of friends back home who are like family. We started calling ourselves ‘The Crew’ back in middle school, and it stuck. In fact, you guys remind me a lot of our little group of friends. We’ve all called him Joshy Washy since grade school. It gets under his skin, which makes us do it even more.”

  “I can’t imagine anyone calling Josh West, Joshy Washy. That’s so weird,” Jenn says to Kristina.

  “Jesus, he’s just a dude who happens to make movies for a living. He’s not the second coming!” Max punctuates his statement with the clank of his beer bottle on the table. I’ve never seen this side of him, and I feel awful. However, there’s no denying a part of me loves that he’s affected by the conversation.

  “He’s right. Josh and I grew up in a town half the size of Phillipsburg. We’re just a couple of small-town kids living a pretty fantastic life.”

  “So when’s the big day, or is it top secret?”

  “There’s nothing to keep top secret at the moment. We’ve been too busy to even think about planning.” I hate lying to my new friends.

  Even more, I hate what it’s doing to Max.

  “Okay, ladies, let’s give Emmett a break. She’s got to be tired of talking about Josh, and she’s gonna be doing it for the rest of her life, so we should give her a night off. Besides, I have two pitchers of Eastlyn, a round of shots, and a lemonade for the prettiest girl in the place.”

  Kristina blows Nathan a kiss. “He’s right. Sorry, Emmett.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” I know just the thing to change the topic of conversation. “You know what’s even cooler than Josh West?” Max lifts an eyebrow, curious about what I might be referring to.

  “Not sure there is anything cooler than that, but you can try,” Jenn says from across the table.

  “The guys may disagree.” Max looks even more confused now. “That beer in your glasses...that beer comes from my hometown of Eastlyn, Oregon, and our friend Miles, who’s a part of The Crew I just told you about, his family not only grows the hops but they also own the company.”

  “No, shit? So you could have married a beer God or a movie star. I’d say you might have chosen poorly.”

  “Of course you’d think that. I think she made the right choice.” Jenn sticks her tongue out at her husband, and he rolls his eyes just like she knew he would.

  Turning to the girls, I wonder if I can blow their minds just a little bit more. “Have any of you read The Manhattan Diaries or watched the TV series based on the books?”

  “Uh, you’re looking at Eve Villanelle’s biggest fans. We’ve read all the books multiple times, and we used to have viewing parties every week when the show was on. Why, are you marrying Eve too?”

  “No, but my friend Miles, who owns EBC, is engaged to her, and she and I just opened a bookstore together earlier this week back home. She’s kind of a part of our crew now.”

  “Shut up!” Deanna yells.

  “Nope.” I laugh. “I will not.”

  “So...” Jenn scoots to the edge of her seat, leaning closer to me. “What you’re saying is that as of tonight, we all have one degree of separation from the sexiest man alive and our all-time favorite author?”

  “I guess I am.”

  My face hurts from smiling. Their reactions are so real, so big. I’ve grown so accustomed to Josh’s celebrity that I’ve become somewhat immune to the rich and famous, and I hadn’t read Mason’s series until after I met her, so her celebrity didn’t impact me at all. I’m enjoying living this excitement through them.

  “Damn, Max. It’s too bad she’s already taken because she’s kinda great,” Kristina says on a defeated sigh. “She could have been one of us.”

  “Yep, Mr. West is a lucky man. Shots?” Max stands abruptly, sending his chair squealing behind him.

  “Hey guys, I’ll be right back.” I get up to walk away, and Max follows me. “I can go to the bathroom by myself, you know.”

  “Just doing’ my job,” he says, trailing a couple of feet behind me.

  Thank goodness the green letters above the doorknob say VACANT. I push my way in; only when I try to close the door, it’s met with a force that pushes it open wider. Before I know it, his hands are on my hips, and the click of the door closing behind me sends adrenaline shooting through my veins.

  “What are you doing?”

  He lets go of me to lock the doo
r, and when he turns around, he looks like he might eat me alive. “Max, somebody is going to notice you’re in here.”

  “After all that talk about you and Josh, I need to taste you.” His big hands cup my face, and he bends down, taking my lips in a slow, seductive kiss. “Emmett and tequila. Fuck.”

  With barely a fight, I succumb to his lips on mine and press myself against him until his back thuds against the door. His hands leave my face, trailing over my breasts and down my sides until he reaches my hips and finally my ass. Grabbing his final destination, he pushes me even closer to his growing erection. I can’t help but pull back enough to get my hand between us, rubbing my hand over his length.

  We’ve had our moment in the back of the truck, and yes, I’ve spent the past two nights in his arms sleeping between kisses, but this is the first time I’ve felt this kind of desperate need for me from him.

  “Fuck, Emmett. Do you have any clue what you do to me?” he says against my lips.

  Giving him a squeeze so he knows I’ve noticed just what I do to him, the result is not what I had expected when he pulls away from my mouth. My heart drops when he pulls my hand away. Rejection seeps in, but understanding replaces the momentary rejection as he drags my hand from his jeans, up his firm stomach, over his magnificent pec, and finally holding it in place over his heart.

  “Seriously, Em. It’s killing me not to tell everyone you’re mine. Keeping my hands off you is harder than anything I ever faced during the war.”

  “Max.” His name on a sigh is all I can get out.

  He’s exaggerating, and I love every bit of it.

  “Emmett, you’re all I think about. Touching you is all I dream about. Twenty-four seven, my whole world is about you.”

  “You’re all I think about, Max.” His shoulders sag in relief. He needed to hear that I’m just as obsessed with him as he is me. “I’m so sorry we’re in this mess, but if we weren’t, I would have never met you. I want nothing more than for you to announce to all of Phillipsburg that I’m yours.” It’s my turn to hold his face. “Remember what you said. We need to bottle these moments up. Every touch, every word...” I press my hand against his chest. “...every beat of your heart I’m keeping bottled up so when we have to spend nights like tonight, not touching each other, trying not to stare at each other from across the room, I can take a sip when I need to, and it will remind me that we’ll get these moments again.”

  “We shouldn’t have to.” His hands circle my wrists, assuring I keep my hold on his face.

  “I know, but it’s the fate I sealed for us when I signed that contract.” He kisses me gently, his tongue tracing the top of my upper lip when he pulls away. “Don’t you think it’s gonna start to look suspicious if you don’t go back before me?”

  “I’m gonna need a second.”

  Stepping away from him, I lean against the sink and watch him.

  He watches me right back.

  I’ve never felt as wanted as I do at this moment.

  The heat in his stare searches my eyes as if searching the depths of my soul for the answer to the meaning of life.

  As if I am the meaning of life.

  He pushes off the door and stalks toward me. The pace of my heartbeat accelerates once again, and on their own accord, my thighs press together in want. He kisses me softly but quickly turns me around so I’m between his arms, and we’re facing the mirror above the sink.

  “I like seeing you in my arms. Even in this dingy warped mirror, seeing us together gives me life.” He lifts his phone in front of us, and the reflection of the two of us wrapped up in each other is now on the small screen as he takes our picture. He slips the phone back into his pocket. “For those moments when I need to take a sip.”

  With that, he’s gone.

  Turning to face the mirror, I see a light in my eyes and a smile on my face I’ve never seen before. I’m not just happy. I’m in love. But I have to dim my light and erase the smile so his friends don’t catch on. If they haven’t already.

  “Woo! C’mon, Max. Try it. It feels so good,” I yell with my head hanging out of the back seat window of the car Max called to take us home.

  His huge hands pull on my hips, ending my fun when he pulls me back into the car, and I land on his lap. “We’re almost home. We need to keep it down. You’re gonna wake the entire neighborhood, and it’s freezing out there, Emmett.”

  “Oh, sorry,” I whisper yell.

  His laughter vibrates through my inebriated body. “I like your hair like this. It’s cute.”

  “Cute?” I pull on my hair that ended up in a high ponytail about the same time my heels were kicked off. “I didn’t know Max Hopper used words like cute. I’d rather you think I was sexy.” I pull the hairband out of my hair and whip my hair around, trying to be sexy but instead making myself dizzy. “Whoa,” I say, realizing just how drunk I really am.

  “What am I gonna do with you, my little Firefly?”

  In a moment of clarity, I find his eyes in the dark of the car. “I can think of a few things.”

  He kisses my nose. “We’re home.” He lifts me off his lap, climbing out of the car only to lean back in, and in one swift move, he grabs me, throwing me over his shoulder as if I weigh nothing.

  Sneaking around the side of the house to go in the back door like we’ve done most nights in P-burg, he carries me like a sack of potatoes with my limp body flopping around and my giggle echoing into the still night air.

  My feet touch the carpet, and the loss of his body heat hits me, and I realize just how cold I am. My shivers sneak up on me, and I wrap my arms around myself, trying to warm up.

  “Cold?”

  “Y-y-y-e-e-s-s.”

  “Emmett, there’s snow on the ground, and you’re walking around barefoot.”

  “My feet hurt.”

  “I bet they do. You girls danced for three hours straight. That is, when you weren’t throwing back shots.”

  “Those were warm.”

  Another chuckle. I love the sound of his happiness.

  “I bet they were.”

  Sneaking through the moonlit family room, I stop in front of the picture of who I now realize is his son, not Alex’s.

  “He looks just like you.”

  “That’s what people say.”

  Next is a picture of Max and all of his friends at his graduation. “I really like your friends,” I say. Tapping on the picture, I cause it to swing from side to side like it’s going to fall off its nail, but Max stops it, keeping it from falling.

  “I’m really glad, baby. But how about we don’t touch anything and just keep moving.” He’s standing against me with his hands on my shoulders, guiding me to the stairs that lead to our own little part of the house that seems like it must be abandoned when we aren’t here. “There you go. Up the stairs, little lady.”

  “I’m not little. I’ve got a fat ass, remember?”

  His hand smacks me lightly. “What did I tell you about that? I don’t want to hear it, Emmett. Your ass is perfect. Just keep it moving all the way to the bathroom. You aren’t getting in bed with those dirty feet.”

  “I don’t want to take a shower unless you’re getting in with me.”

  “Don’t tempt me, woman.” His growl is feral, heating me up from the inside out. “Neither one of us is taking a shower. I’m just gonna wash your feet and then put you to bed.”

  And he did just that. Washed my feet. Gave me the T-shirt he had worn under his flannel all night so I could sleep in it, and even when he took the shirt off and I licked his bare nipples and offered myself to him, he was a gentleman, refusing my advances.

  The last thing I remember him saying was something about our first time not being like this. He wanted me to remember every second. And with his promise of our first time, I closed my eyes and drifted away to dream about Max and his smile.

  Chapter 16

  The roar of the plane’s engine is trying to lull me to sleep, but every time I close my eyes,
I have flashes of pine trees across his face in the back of his truck, the sound of his voice calling me Firefly as he carried me to bed, looking at ourselves in that dirty bathroom mirror, the feel of his hands washing my feet, and the weight of his heavy body holding me tight to him, as if he may lose me in his sleep.

  We’re once again in the public eye, but back here in row 23 with my P-Burg Stateliner baseball cap on, I’m tucked away from prying eyes in the window seat. Poor Max is stuck in the middle seat, but with the arm lifted between us, I happily let him spill into my space, knowing this may be our last chance to touch for quite some time. As cramped as we are, I hope the plane never lands. With blankets over our laps, our thighs press together, and our hands interlock, holding on for dear life. We know as soon as the plane lands, all we’ll have are stolen moments and memories.

  As much as I love the feel of him, it’s too hard to look at him. The moment we left his parents' house, the old Hopper mask was put in place, and his smile that I had grown so familiar with while we were hidden away from the real world is nowhere to be found. He’s quiet and in his head. I’m afraid if I ask him what he’s thinking, he’ll tell me it’s not his job to share that kind of information with his client. Because that’s what I am, after all—his client.

  Worse than that, I’m afraid he’s having second thoughts. That he’s starting to think all of this isn’t worth it, and maybe he’s changed his mind.

  I have to believe in what he said these past few days. That we would figure this out. We’d make it work. I just wish he hadn’t gone quiet on me. His silence is causing me to doubt what he said was even a possibility.

  Squeezing his hand, I cuddle up against him, resting my head against his broad shoulder. His returned squeeze and kiss to the top of my hat relaxes me, and even though I don’t want to miss a moment of his hand in mine, I feel myself drifting off to sleep.

  My head bobs from the bump of the plane's wheels touching down on the tarmac. I’m instantly disappointed with myself for sleeping so long and missing my time with him, but I’m happy to feel his hand still holding mine. When I finally brave a look at him, I expect to see Hopper, but instead, I’m met with a sweet smile and his deep whisper.