Pulse (Collide, #2)(46)
His words tightened around Emily’s heart, anchoring deep in her soul, a place no one else had ever attempted to gain access to. No one. Staring at perfection, both inside and out, Emily leaned down and kissed him, wanting nothing more than to pour every ounce of her love into that kiss. As Gavin’s mouth whispered over hers, Emily had never felt more alive, never felt more complete than she did right there and then. At the same time, sadness set in. She’d nearly lost this man. Fate had a weird way of circling back over paths that were meant to cross. This was something Emily had always believed in and she knew it’d happened with her and Gavin. Now, there wasn’t a thing she wouldn’t do to make sure their paths never drifted apart from one another again.
“I liked that kiss,” Gavin whispered as Emily pulled back. “But you know what that kiss did, right?”
Emily laughed. “Yes. I’m sitting on top of you, so I can feel what it’s done.”
“Okay. As long as you remember I’m inhaling you later, it’s all good.” Gavin shifted, trying to get comfortable as his body screamed at him. “And I don’t care if your sister and Michael hear us.”
Smiling, she shook her head. Her gaze shifted to the sandy beaches and rocky shorelines coming into view as the limousine made its way into her sister’s hilly seaside neighborhood. La Jolla was nothing short of a pure oasis, a glorious retreat from the sweet insanity of New York. With the sun beginning its descent, the scenery popped and sparkled with vibrant Christmas lights twinkling against each home. Emily sighed. She loved this time of year.
As suspected, Lisa was eagerly awaiting them when they stopped in front of the home, her smile showing she was as excited as Emily. Emily heard her squeal, and it made her laugh. After dropping a quick kiss on his cheek, she hopped off of Gavin’s lap, swung open the door, and raced into her sister’s arms. She hugged Lisa tightly, comforted by her presence. Though it was just shy of a month since Emily had seen her, it’d felt like an eternity, considering everything that’d happened.
“Oooh, a limo,” Lisa drawled, her eyes resting on Gavin stepping out of the vehicle. “Nice touch.”
Emily looked at Gavin and smiled. “Yeah. He definitely has his ways.” Dragging her attention from the man who couldn’t even begin to know how much he was already making her Christmas bearable, Emily placed her hands on Lisa’s shoulders. “I’m starving. Is dinner ready yet? Oh, and please tell me you made mom’s casserole.”
“It is, and I did. But before we go in, I have to tell you something.”
Emily stared at her sister’s face that’d suddenly taken on a look of distress. “What’s wrong?”
“Phil’s here,” Lisa whispered.
“What?” Emily asked, exasperated. Keeping her voice low, she stepped closer. “Lisa, why didn’t you tell me he was going to be here?”
“I didn’t know he was coming. He stopped by on his way through to see his parents in Laguna Beach. He literally called five minutes before showing up.”
Emily sighed and shook her head.
“I know. Talk about awkward.” Lisa frowned. “But he’s not staying the night.”
“Thank God for that.”
“Thank God for what?” Gavin asked as he approached the women, his and Emily’s luggage in hand.
Biting her lip, Emily battled whether or not to tell him about Phil. Not that she could hide it from him, the real question was whether or not to tell him exactly who he was. Emily cleared her throat, deciding to take the plunge into complete honesty. “Uh, someone I used to date is here.”
“Oh,” Gavin said simply. Snapping his eyes between the two sisters, a smirk lifted the corner of his lips. “Should we be expecting Dillon for dinner as well?”
Emily’s mouth dropped open as Lisa let out a gut-belly laugh. “No, Gavin.” Lisa pulled him in for a hug. “It’s good to see you again, and absolutely not. Dillon won’t be attending dinner tonight.”
“It’s good to see you again as well, and it’s refreshing to hear I won’t have to break bread with, excuse my language, the biggest f*cking * I’ve unfortunately had the dishonor of knowing.” Lisa nodded in agreement as Gavin snaked his arm around Emily’s waist. Leaning into her, he whispered, “So, how serious were you with the unnamed gentleman in your sister’s house? Did you sleep with him?”
Emily let out a breath, her eyes wide. “No, Caveman, I didn’t sleep with him. He became a little… obsessed with wanting to date me.”
“Obsessed?” Gavin questioned, his brows furrowed.
“Phil’s a good guy, Gavin,” Lisa interjected. “A little quirky, but nonetheless a decent guy. I went to college with him, and we became best friends. He took my sister out on a few dates. That’s all. But let’s just say after her interest in him faded, he didn’t give up so easily.”
Gavin smiled one of those killer, sexy smiles known to drop panties. His blue eyes lit up with raw humor. “Ah well, who am I to fault the man for that? Your sister brings out an honest fight in any warm-blooded creature. As long as he didn’t develop stalker tendencies, since I’m the only Caveman allowed to get like that with Emily, I see a very enjoyable evening in our future.”
Again, Lisa laughed as Emily let out another breath.