I looked at her and smiled. She had told the God’s honest truth, and I think I fell a bit more in love with her right there.
“Well, I hate that you two got yourself in this pickle, and a part of me is screaming that something bad is going to come out of this,” my mother said.
“Mom, you worry entirely too much. Besides, think how fun it will be to plan my wedding, and now we’ll get to pretend-plan Emmerson and Landon’s too!” Hailey said with a wide smile.
Paislie and my mother both frowned.
“We have to plan a fake wedding?” Malcolm asked.
“Well, not really,” Emmerson answered. “I was thinking that it might be fun to have Landon and me do a cake tasting or venue shopping and do like a diary of sorts on my Instagram. It would give my followers a bit of a different perspective on wedding planning, like Landon said. If they think I’m the bride and not just the planner, I’ll be able to connect with them more.”
For a moment, I swore Emmerson actually sounded excited about all of this.
My mother shook her head. “I don’t know…”
“Don’t worry, Addie, Landon and I will not ask any of y’all to do anything that would be deceitful.”
“And what happens when people back home ask us about it?” Malcolm asked.
Emmerson shrugged. “It’s simple—just say something about how we’ve always been two peas in a pod. Or how it’s no surprise it would happen, considering it’s Emmerson and Landon. You don’t have to say what the it actually is.”
Malcolm raised one brow as he stared at Emmerson. “That’s still lying, sweetheart.”
All she did was shrug. “I don’t see any other way, Daddy. And like I said, we are dating, just not how everyone thinks.”
Malcolm let out a long sigh. “Unfortunately, I agree. You two dug yourselves into this mess, and it will be interesting to watch you climb out of it.”
My father grinned as if he knew something the rest of us hadn’t figured out yet.
Emmerson and I exchanged a look. When she smiled weakly at me, I reached over and took her hand in mine. “It’s all going to work out just fine. You’ll see.”
I wasn’t exactly sure who I was trying to convince. Myself, Emmerson, or the rest of the table.
After our parents excused themselves for the evening, Hailey and Mike invited us to go out with them. I wasn’t really been in the mood, but I also wasn’t thrilled about the idea of going back to my hotel room and sitting there alone, either.
“So this is the Container Bar, huh?” I asked as we walked up to the popular nightclub on Rainey Street. They had taken shipping containers and stacked them to make a two-story bar.
“This is it! One of my sorority sister’s boyfriend is the DJ here,” Hailey shouted back at me and Emmerson.
“Did you get any of that?” Emmerson asked.
I shook my head and took in the different containers that made up the bar. “I see where it gets its name,” I said with a grin.
Emmerson giggled, and I laced my hand with hers. Mostly because I didn’t like the way guys were eye-fucking the hell out of her.
We ordered our drinks at the bar and then followed Hailey and Mike outside to the courtyard area where the DJ was set up. The entire courtyard was surrounded with stacked containers except for the back area where a building sat. It had ‘Restrooms’ written on the front, with a giant painted rooster on one side and a cat on the other. I shook my head and laughed.
“Nice restrooms. Love the whole cock and pussy reference,” Emmerson said with a laugh.
A large dance floor sat in the middle of the courtyard and was packed with patrons. It was late and the bar was only open for another hour and a half, and I was stunned to see this many people still here. I glanced up at the second floor to see some people standing behind glass windows and others out on patios looking down at the dance floor.
“Christ Almighty. That’s a lot of people,” I stated as I stared out at the crowd.
Emmerson gripped my hand tighter and moved in closer to me. It wasn’t like I hadn’t ever been to bars or nightclubs before, and I knew Emmerson had as well. It was just that this place was packed full of people, and it had already been a long-ass night. I was honestly exhausted.
Hailey and Mike soon slipped into the crowd of people dancing.
Emmerson took a sip of her cranberry and vodka and glanced around. “This really isn’t my thing anymore.”
I nodded, watching a guy and girl kiss each other like they were trying to eat each other’s mouths off. Yeah, this scene wasn’t one I missed. I looked at Emmerson. “Mine either.”
She smiled. “Would you mind if we left and walked back to the hotel? I don’t know what I was thinking, agreeing to come. Honestly, I’m exhausted after this crazy night we’ve had.”
“Of course, Emme.”
After trying to find my sister and Mike for fifteen minutes, we gave up and sent them both a text that we were heading back to the hotel.
We walked back mostly in silence. I wanted to ask Emmerson what was going through her brain. We’d kissed three times already, and my body felt like it was humming. The moment I got to my room, I was either going to take a cold shower or get myself off. Most likely it would be the latter while I thought about how Emmerson’s lips felt on mine.
“Do you think we can do this, Landon?”
“Which part? Pulling off being fake engaged, or exploring this thing between us?”
She stopped right outside the hotel lobby door. She looked up and her eyes met mine. “The engagement part. Do you think my mother is right? Do you think I’ll lose sight of things and get carried away?”
I pulled her to me and hugged her. My heartbeat kicked up when I realized that she wasn’t questioning what was happening between us, only worried about the stupid fake engagement. “No, I don’t think you will. And if you start to, I’ll gently remind you.”
She wrapped her arms around me and held on tightly. “Thank you, Landon. I know I put you in a weird spot.”
I drew back and looked at her. “A weird spot? No, you didn’t, Emme. If anything, I’m sorta glad it all happened. I wouldn’t have been able to kiss you tonight had you not opened your big mouth at the auction.”
She smacked me on the chest. “You told me not to let her win!”
Laughing, I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “That I did.”
I wrapped my arm around her waist and led her into the hotel. As we walked through the lobby, I looked around, but not a single person was paying any attention to us. Even for as late as it was, there was still a number of people about. Of course, it was downtown Austin, so that wasn’t a real surprise. A part of me wished we had gone back to Waco tonight. I wanted to be back in Emmerson’s house, on her sofa making out.
I closed my eyes and nearly groaned. Yeah, I was for sure going to need to relieve my aching dick.
“What’s wrong?” Emmerson asked.
I shook my head and looked at her. With a wink, I replied, “Nothing. I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.”
She nodded, and we both stepped into the elevator. Another couple stood off to one side, and they smiled at us as we walked in.
“Here on business or vacation?” the older gentleman asked.
“Business,” Emmerson and I both said at the same time.
The older woman frowned and pouted her lips some. “Well, hopefully you’ll be able to enjoy the city. We love Austin. It’s changed over the years, but it still has its romantic spots. I hope you can visit them!”
We both smiled. It wasn’t the first time someone had mistaken us for a couple, but now things were different. We were a couple, weren’t we? The lines were so fucking blurred, I wasn’t even sure what to think at this point. We were in a fake engagement, but we were also secretly dating.
Why did that suddenly sound so insane? Maybe we should have come clean with our folks? Then again, it was already hard enough to figure things out without them butting
into our business.
“We’re not far—we live in Waco,” Emmerson said as the elevator dinged, indicating we were at our floor.
The couple told us to enjoy our evening and waved as we stepped out of the elevator and headed to our rooms.
“Honestly, it’s going to be easy playing at this whole engagement thing,” Emmerson stated with a bit of confidence in her voice.
I nodded and looked down at her hand as we walked up to her door. “So I guess we’re calling it a night?” I asked, picking up her left hand and kissing the back of it. Her nostrils seemed to flare when I touched her, and her eyes turned slightly darker.
“I guess so,” she replied in a breathy voice right before she licked her lips.
With a smirk, I said, “Gonna have to look at getting a ring on that finger.” I lifted her hand and almost slipped her ring finger into my mouth.
Slow down, Landon. Don’t scare her off.
Her eyes were fixed on my mouth as if she had read my thoughts. “Yep. We, um, we’re gonna have to do that soon. Like, maybe tomorrow or something.”
Smiling, I leaned down and captured her mouth with mine. The kiss was soft and slow, and God, how I loved the taste of this woman. When Emmerson slightly whimpered into my mouth, I had to use all of my self-control to pull away instead of pushing her back into her room.
“See you in the morning?” I asked, taking a large step away from her.
All she did was nod. “Yep. See you in the morning.”
Emmerson turned and unlocked the door and stepped inside of her room. She looked at me and smiled as she slowly shut the door. When I heard the safety lock slide over, I placed my hand on the door and closed my eyes.
Slow. We needed to go slow, even though everything in me told me to knock on the door and take what was mine.
Emmerson
I LEANED AGAINST the door of the hotel room as I focused on pulling in one breath after another. Lord, could that man kiss.
It took everything in me not to throw the door open, grab Landon, and pull him into my room. The more I thought about my best friend, the more I realized I’d had these feelings buried deep down for some time now, and I wanted to explore each and every one of them, damn it.
With a sigh, I pushed off the door and headed into the room. “Slow, Emmerson. You need to take things slow.”
I dropped down onto the bed and groaned. Every part of my body ached for Landon. In ways I had never known my body could ache for anyone.
“A long, hot bath. That’s what you need,” I said to myself as I sat up. The giant soaker tub in the spa-like bathroom was exactly what I needed to clear my head.
After I stripped out of my clothes, I walked into the large bathroom and started the bath water. I grabbed a towel to wrap around my body as I waited for the tub to fill.
What I really needed was some lavender oil or a large bottle of wine. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep tonight. Even though it was after two in the morning and I was exhausted, I knew I would lie in bed and do nothing but dream about Landon’s mouth on mine. I had wanted him to do wicked things to me when he kissed me in the limo—goodness, I could hardly believe the things that went through my mind in the span of that way-too-short kiss.
Once the bathtub was filled, I slipped the towel off and climbed into the steaming water. The moment I sank down, I let out a long sigh. “Oh, where have you been all night?” I asked no one.
After sitting there with my eyes closed for a few moments, I felt my body finally relax. Once all the tension slipped away, I let my mind replay the events of the night.
The way I had felt when Claire started to bid on Landon. Pure anger.
The way my body came to life when he kissed me on the dance floor. An out-of-body experience.
The way Landon pressed his body to mine when he kissed me goodnight. Desire and need blossomed once again in the depths of my stomach.
With my eyes still closed, I slowly dipped my hand into the hot water and moved it down my stomach as I spread my legs. The moment my finger brushed over my clit, I gasped and then bit down on my lip.
I slowly and ever so gently rubbed the tip of my finger over the bundle of wound-up nerves and let out a soft moan before Landon’s name slipped free and floated through the bathroom.
It wasn’t going to take me long to come; I was that horny.
Just as I felt the familiar build-up, a loud knock came from the door to my room. I pulled my hand up and stood so quickly, I damn near fell out of the tub.
“Emmerson?”
I pulled my brows in as I shook my head. Was I…was I dreaming?
Another knock came, this one louder, before he said my name again. “Emme, is everything okay? Emmerson!”
I quickly grabbed my towel as I got out of the tub, trying not to slip on the now-wet floor tiles.
After a quick look through the peephole to make sure he was alone, I unlocked the door and opened it slightly.
“Landon? Is everything okay?” I asked.
He pushed his way in and shut the door.
He looked around the room and then back at me. His eyes went wide when he saw I was in nothing but a towel, still soaking wet. “I called. You didn’t answer.” He looked me over, and I could see his eyes turning dark with desire.
With a giggle, I replied, “I needed a hot bath to try to unwind after this whole night.”
Landon swallowed hard and gave a wobbly head nod. “You’re wet.”
Oh, how I could totally run with a comment like that. He was dressed in nothing but a pair of lounge pants and a white T-shirt. A white T-shirt that showed off his massive, broad chest. I had seen Landon without a shirt on plenty of times, but suddenly it was the only thing I wanted on this planet. To see him without a shirt. Honestly, without any clothes on.
I also knew Landon wanted to take things slow, and I’d thought for a hot second that it was what I wanted as well.
Now, not so much.
Take what you want.
“I am wet…everywhere.”
My words caused his gaze to jerk up and meet mine. “Everywhere?”
I nodded and dug down deep inside to find that inner sex goddess I knew I had hidden in me. “When I was in the bath, I thought about your kisses tonight. The way you felt against my body.”
“And that made you…” His throat bobbed with another swallow. “Wet?”
I bit into my lip and nodded. Should this have been awkward? Knowing this was my very best friend and the man I shared all my secrets and dreams with. But it wasn’t. It was the most natural feeling I had ever experienced. So I kept speaking. “And achy. So much so, I had to…”
Say it, Emmerson. You can do it. I know you’ve got it in you.
“H-had to w-what?” Landon asked, his voice breathy as he stuttered.
“Touch myself.”
Landon let out a growl like I had never heard before. For a moment, I wished I hadn’t said it, but then he moved closer, cupped my face in his hands, and kissed me, and I was soon thanking my inner goddess for the confidence boost.
“Fucking hell, that’s why I called you, Emme,” he said after pulling his mouth away from mine.
“Why?” This time it was my voice that sounded breathy. Toss a bit of need and lust in there as well.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I even took a cold shower before I changed. But as soon as I lay in bed, I reached for my phone. I kept calling you, and when you didn’t answer, I came over to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m not okay. I’m in desperate need of your hands on my body, Landon.”
He smiled. “Desperate need, huh?”
I nodded and then reached up and pulled the towel off. My already-hard nipples tightened into small buds as the cold air hit them, sending a chill down my wet body.
Landon took a step back and looked at my now entirely naked body. His tongue slowly swept over his soft lips. Lips I wanted on me now.
He leaned down and picked up t
he towel, staying bent over as he dried off my legs. He slowly made his way up with the towel, gently using it to wipe off the remaining water from my bath. When he was finished and I was dry, he dropped the towel and then leaned down to kiss me again. “I want you, Emme.”
I wrapped my hands around his neck and whispered against his lips, “Then take me, Landon.”
I let out a little squeal of delight when he quickly swept me up into his arms and carried me over to the bed. He pulled the top quilt back and then gently set me down. His eyes moved slowly over every inch of my body, and I knew I should feel embarrassed, but I didn’t. Not one single bit. I had never really let a guy see me so…well…naked.
Yes, guys had seen me naked, but I had never allowed myself to be on display like this. I found that I liked it, a lot. But I knew it was only because it was Landon who was looking at me. I trusted him, and the pull between us was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I couldn’t explain it, only to say it felt so incredibly right. This was Landon. My Landon. Landon, who wore a look so dark and lustful in his eyes that I squeezed my legs together to ease the throbbing between them.
“You’re so goddamn beautiful, Emmerson. Perfect in every single way.”
I felt heat sweep up my body and land in my cheeks.
He knelt on the bed and leaned down to kiss me. Then he moved his mouth to my jaw and down my neck, making a slow journey to my left breast. He flicked my nipple with his tongue, and I jumped.
“You’re so responsive. Are you like that everywhere?” he asked before he took my nipple into his mouth, causing me to let out a soft moan.
His other hand went to work on my right nipple as if he was prepping it for his mouth. The throbbing between my legs grew harder and faster, and if he didn’t touch me there soon, I was going to have to take care of things on my own.
“Feels so good,” I gasped as he gently sucked on my nipple.
“God, I want to kiss and touch every inch of your body, Emme. I want to learn all the things that make you moan like that. Make you want to scream out my name.”
Fool for You Page 11
