Collide (Collide, #1)(33)

Emily let out a gasp, spitting water from her mouth. She shot Gavin a smirk and splashed him back. With all his little might, Timothy tossed the beach ball over the net, scoring a wicked point for the boys. Startled by the sudden attack, Theresa began to cry out in hysterics. Without hesitation, Gavin swam over to her and scooped her into his arms.

Perched on the pool stairs, Gavin cradled her. “Theresa, Uncle Gavin’s sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Uncle Gaffin, you hurt Emm-mi-me,” she sniffed.

“No, Theresa, he didn’t hurt me.” Emily held out her arms, coaxing her to sit by her. Theresa sat herself in Emily’s lap. “He just splashed me, that’s all.”

Theresa sniffed again. “Uncle Gaffin is a meanie; you should hit him.”

Gavin playfully frowned as his eyes widened. “You think she should hit me?”

Theresa giggled and nodded.

Gavin looked to Emily and shrugged, pointing to his arm. “I guess Colton and Melanie are raising some hostile children,” he laughed. “Take your best shot, doll.”

Smiling, Emily acted as though she hit him, and Gavin howled out in his best wounded voice.

Theresa laughed, quite satisfied by the blow.

“Mom said you made my daughter cry, Gavin?”

Gavin turned around and smiled. “Hey, Mel. Yeah, I scared her a little, but she’s okay now. Aren’t ya, squirt?” He tickled Theresa’s toes.

She laughed and kicked her feet away from him. “Uncle Gaffin’s girfend hit him for me.”

With a sweep of her arm, Melanie motioned to Timothy to get out of the pool. She then tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, quirked a curious brow, and smiled in Gavin’s direction.

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Gavin laughed, standing up. “She’s Dillon’s girlfriend. Emily, this is my wonderful sister-in-law, Melanie.”

Holding Theresa’s hand in hers, Emily rose to her feet and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” she said, returning the smile.

“Your children are adorable,” Emily said.

“Thank you, but I bet you’d beg to differ when they’re screaming and fighting with one another over a box or something crazy like that.”

Emily laughed.

Turning to Gavin, an impish grin slid across Melanie’s mouth. The threat in his eyes told her not to even go there—but she would.

She turned back to Emily. “Emily, do you have any available sisters or friends that Gavin might be interested in dating?”

Emily looked to Gavin. “Ongoing family thing?”

Crossing his arms, Gavin shook his head and smiled. “Bingo.”

Emily laughed and looked over to Melanie. “I do have a sister, but she’s married already. I can call a few friends though.”

“Perfect,” Melanie replied, placing her hand on Gavin’s arm.

With that, Theresa tugged at Melanie’s leg as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. Melanie picked her up. “Emily, make sure to call them soon. My brother-in-law’s getting too old to still be single,” she quipped and took off in a pretty fast pace toward the backdoor.

Letting out a sigh, Gavin smiled and handed Emily a towel. “She’s a…difficult one, my sister-in-law.”

“She seems nice though.” Emily accepted the towel from him as she tried to drag her gaze away from his tattoo that was now wet and glistening in the sunlight. Blowing out a breath, she swallowed hard and refocused her eyes back on his face. “I find it funny that everyone’s trying to get you hooked up with someone.”

“Yeah, tell me about. They have this odd thing about me being single right now.”

As Emily was about to ask him if he really wanted her to call some friends for him, Dillon snaked his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her neck. Surprised, she jumped and laughed at her sudden shock. The rest of the anglers strolled into the backyard looking sunburned, tired, and just a tad intoxicated. After some light conversation regarding the amount of fish that each man caught and a little more teasing of Gavin not being able to attend, the group dispersed as everyone went to take showers.

“So you went swimming I see,” Dillon remarked, peeling the shirt from his body as he and Emily entered their room. Closing the door behind him, he shed the rest of his clothing and tossed them into a pile.

“Very good observation,” she laughed.

Dillon walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and got in. “I hope you kept the body that belongs to me covered up around my friend,” he called out.

Emily rolled her eyes and searched her bag for a particular red gauzy sundress that she’d brought along. It was one that her mother had purchased for her on their last trip to see her sister in California. She smiled when she found it, holding it up against her body as she looked into the mirror.

“You’re not answering me, Emily. Did you cover yourself up?”

Walking into the bathroom, she let out a frustrated sigh. “Dillon, what do you see right now?” she asked, motioning her hand over her body, her voice a touch irritated by his question. It was clear to her that she wasn’t baring too much skin.

“What do I see right now? I see my hot girlfriend’s ass hanging out from beneath her college T-shirt. So why don’t you get in the shower and give your man what he needs?”