Collide (Collide, #1)(41)

Emily stood up and tucked her phone back into her purse. “That was Dillon. I really have to go.”

Gavin rose to his feet and brushed his hand down her arm. “I hope you’re not upset with my question. My curiosity gets the better of me sometimes.”

She swallowed hard and shook her head. “I’m not mad at you, Gavin. However, to answer the only question that matters here, yes, Dillon makes me happy for many specific reasons. You’ll just have to take a rain check on me listing them for you, okay?”

He nodded as if that answer satisfied him, but it didn’t. Nonetheless, he wouldn’t push the issue any further.

He dug into his pants pocket. “Oh, I forgot. I have something for you.”

Gavin reached for her hand. He knew he held onto it just a little longer than he should have, but her skin felt so soft against his that it was hard to let go. Finally, when he knew he had reached his gentlemanly limit, he slipped a bottle cap into her palm.

She looked down and smiled. “So is this going to be an ongoing little thing between us—you giving me a bottle cap every time you see me?”

“That was one of the best games of toss-the-bottle-cap-into-the-pot I’ve ever played,” he laughed. “So, yes, it’ll be our little thing, along with me calling you Molly occasionally, too.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

They made their way outside where Gavin hailed a taxi over for her.

He closed the door behind her after she got in and leaned himself through the window. “She’s going to Columbus and West 74th,” he said, handing the driver money for the ride. “This should cover the fare and your tip.”

He then banged on the top of the roof, alerting the driver that he could leave.

As the taxi pulled away, Emily told the man to stop. She jumped out of the cab as Gavin was walking away.

“Gavin, wait!” she called out, wondering exactly what the hell she was doing.

Gavin turned around with his hands in his pockets. He stared at her from a few feet away.

“I just wanted to say thank you,” she said, trying to catch a steady breath. “Not just for the cab fare—that was very sweet—but also for…for talking with me about my mother and for stopping by tonight. I know both of those things were hard for you. It was hard for me as well, but…” She looked down to the ground then back to him, willing herself not to sink into his eyes. “I don’t know. I’m just rambling on now. I have a tendency to do that. But I just wanted to thank you…thank you, Gavin.”

Although he wanted to move toward her—God knew he did—he had to stop himself from crossing the distance between them. “You’re welcome.” He stared at her for a few lingering seconds. “I’ll see you around, pal?”

Emily nodded. “Yes, I’ll see you around, pal.”

Gavin watched her get back into the taxi. He watched until his eyes hurt from focusing on the lights of the vehicle as it disappeared into the frenzied flow of traffic, turning into nothing but a tiny speckle of color. His tall hard body was somehow at odds with his emotions. He wanted Emily. He ached for her. It wasn’t just lust. Because all he really wanted to do was kiss her and feel her body pressed against his again. Every part of him longed to hold her and take care of her. Emily had stirred things within him back to life—things that he had shoved away for longer than he had realized. He wasn’t sure how she did it—making him feel the way he did when she was around him—but he knew the whole situation might consume him and set him ablaze, scattering his ashes from one end of the city to the next.

So friends…friends is what he would have to accept.




“Hello, beautiful,” Dillon said when Emily opened the door to her apartment. He got up from the couch, walked over to her, and pulled her into his arms. “I missed you. What took you so long?”

“We had a late rush,” she replied, trying to successfully pull off the lie burning a hole through her gut. “Did you get the movie?”

“I did. Go get in the shower, and I’ll set us up.” He scratched at his chest and sauntered into the kitchen. “Oh, there’s a surprise in your bedroom.”

Smiling, she cocked her head to the side. “What did you do?”

“Nah, nothing big.” He tossed a bag of popcorn into the microwave. “I was just thinking about you today.”

After dropping her purse onto the table, she made her way down the hall. Upon entering her room, she took in the sight of six-dozen red roses scattered throughout the space. Each dozen was in a beautiful crystal vase. He even scattered some petals across her queen-sized white duvet cover. Although touched by the gesture, her smile was weak. The scent of them pleasantly assaulted her nose while she tried not to fester in her guilt of just finishing her secret “coffee date” with Gavin.

Once showered, she slipped back into the living room and lay down with Dillon on the couch. His body curled possessively around hers as she absently traced circling patterns across his bare chest.

She looked into his eyes. “Thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”

“Well, I’m glad you like them.” He kissed the top of her dampened hair. “Like I said, I thought of you all day.”

“You’re too sweet.” She nuzzled her nose against his neck. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I got a call back from one of the schools I submitted my resume to.”