“No!” I can’t stop shouting for some reason. “I have a date.”
“If you do, he's a dead man walking,” Chase says dryly. Rebecca laughs. She actually laughs. What is happening here?
“I should go. I was only dropping off your tux.” She motions to a garment bag draped over the leather sofa. “I have a million things to get done before the party. I’m actually meeting up with Grace.”
“Oh God, please don’t tell her about any of this. Please,” I start to beg.
“I won’t. I know the two of you are starting to grow close. I want that to happen organically for you. I’d never get in the way of that.” She walks over to me, wrapping me in a hug. When I smell her, I’m pulled back into her kitchen. The smell of powdered sugar and lemon engulfs me. It’s impossible to smell lemon and not think of her. She uses it in so many recipes. She has a million lemon trees in her garden. “I’ve missed you so much.” Tears fill my eyes. “I’ll see you tonight?” I nod.
I miss the words she used to always say when she hugged me, but that was years ago. That I was the daughter she never had. I wait until I hear the door close before I go in search of my shoes.
“I have to get out of here, Chase.”
“Breathe, baby girl.” Chase cups my cheek.
“Oh, it’s not little girl anymore? Remember? You said I was just a little girl.” I see irritation flash across his face, but he masks it quickly.
“You’re far from a little girl, Emily.”
“I have to get home. Today is a big day, not just for my dad but Grace too. I think she feels she has something to prove, and I want to be there to help her any way I can.” Plus, I need to get the heck away from him so that I can think clearly.
“You want her to feel like she belongs.”
“I do.” I nod.
“Does that hit close to home for you, Emily?”
“Don’t!” I snap. “You lost that connection with me to have those kinds of conversations.”
“Who do you have them with?”
“Take me home,” I demand. I’m not ready to give him any more than I already have.
“All right, you win this round.”
“What does that mean?” He steps closer, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear. “Only that you win this round. Hopefully soon you’ll see we both can win.”
7
Chase
Emily has always stood out in a crowd. She is tall with thick blond hair and bright blue eyes and a body a lot of women would kill for. She has never been shy about what she wears. At school it’s a typical uniform or that fucking cheerleading one. But more often than not, when she is out and about, she’s always in jeans and an oversized sweater or shirt of some kind.
I’ve noticed over time that some of the male attention she gets bothers her. Tonight, however, she’s not letting anything deter her. As much as I hate the pink strapless dress she’s wearing that molds to her body, I'm happy that she’s not trying to hide away. She shouldn’t have to. If she wants to wear a bright, gorgeous dress she should be allowed to without being bothered. Lucky for her, I’m going to make sure that happens all while I enjoy the hell out of her dress. The daggers she’s staring into me right now will do nothing to deter me.
Can’t fault her for that, either. The Hancock sisters Charlotte and Samantha have zeroed in on Asher and me. A dull headache had started to form from their overpowering perfume until I spotted Emily and all I could think about was her sweet smell. Her dress is short, only coming to mid-thigh. It would be so easy to drop to my knees and push it up and bury my face between her legs.
She glides easily across the room, heading straight for her brother and me. Is she jealous? She has no reason to be, but that shit gives me hope, so I’ll take it. The heels she has on make her taller than she already is. Still, she’s a few inches shorter than I am, but I love that I could wrap my arm around her and pull her into my side, and she’d fit perfectly.
“You're blocking the bar.” Emily cuts in on whatever the Hancock sisters are going on about. She nudges between them to get to the bar. I don’t try to hide my smile. She’s in a mood, and I’m all for working her up. I love it when she’s feisty, especially when it’s not directed at me.
“Think you had enough last night,” I say casually. She ignores me, but I see her button nose turn up in a small flare of annoyance. How does her ignoring me both turn me on and piss me off at the same time?
“You’re breathtaking tonight, Molly,” Asher tells his stepsister. Yeah, I keep calling her that to piss him off. It’s been working all afternoon. I should probably stop poking the bear being I’m about to be poking his little sister very soon.
“What am I? Chopped liver?” Emily turns back around, handing Molly a glass of champagne.
“You look nice as well,” Asher quickly tells his sister. Emily peeks over at me through her lashes. Is she waiting for me to comment on what she’s wearing?
While it’s breathtaking, I notice the hickey I put on her neck is covered up, and now I’m annoyed. The dress I could deal with. That, not so much. I think knowing I had a mark on her did something to calm the caveman that’s come alive inside of me. It’s the best I could do for the time being. I don’t see her letting me put a ring on her finger anytime soon.
“You two still trying to land these bozos?” Emily asks the Hancock sisters, pointing her thumb over her shoulder at Chase and me.
“Emily.” Samantha gives her a tight smile, but I can tell her head wants to explode. She is jealous. Emily isn’t one to be rude. If anything, she is always sweet to everyone. I miss that sweetness. You don’t know how much you crave and need it until she takes it from you.
Samantha wants to bite back, but she knows she is standing in the Score home and that wouldn’t be a wise idea. Not that Emily would run and tattle, but if word did get back to her father, things likely wouldn’t go well.
Asher is also protective of his sister. Well, whenever his ass is actually around, that is. The more I think about how long he’s been gone, the more pissed I get about it. He doesn’t realize in his own escape he’d left Emily behind. He might have gotten their rotten mother out of the house, but Emily was still lost.
At least he told me tonight he has no plans of taking off again at the moment. Of course, when I’m about to make my move on his sister, he decided to stick around. It doesn't matter either way. Asher might be like a brother to me, but no one is stopping me on this one. I don’t care what bridges I have to burn to get to her. Hell, I’ll fucking light them all on fire while I’m still standing on them at this point.
“I thought you had better manners than that.” Courtney tries to give Emily a small scolding.
“You’re right. What was I thinking?” Emily puts her hand over her chest to feign that she cares. “One should be respectful to their elders.” Both the sisters gasp. My girl really is in a mood tonight.
I can’t wait to work it out of her. I also want to make it clear she has nothing to worry about when it comes to other women. I don’t need that standing in my way. I’ve already got a tall enough wall to climb when it comes to her letting me back in. So, I’m going to make that line real fucking clear to her when I get the chance. I tried to last night a few times, but she wasn’t having it.