Pulse (Collide, #2)(54)
Emily reared back, her brow raised. “Thanks for the compliment.”
Gavin pulled her closer, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I didn’t mean it like that, baby. But come on. I have a pretty good idea how much this cost. If you didn’t use what I gave you, how could you afford this?”
“Dillon—”
Gavin reared back in shock this time. “What?”
“Are you going to let me finish, Caveman?”
Eyes locked on hers, Gavin nodded. His words came out slow. “Yeah. I’m listening.”
“Thank you,” Emily replied, running her hands through his hair in an effort to settle him. “Dillon took the money I had from my mother’s life insurance policy and threw it into some IRAs, mutual funds, and different CDs. After I called off the wedding, I went through my financials. I took my name off several credit cards we’d had together, and I pulled my accounts from him. I transferred them over to a broker Trevor suggested. Let’s just say, if it’s the only compliment I can give him, Dillon knows how to grow a bank account. It nearly tripled over the year. I took a small loan against one of the accounts and bought you the watch. So again, I used my own cash. Not what you gave to me. Happy?”
“Happy?” Gavin parroted, pulling her closer. “I’m happy the woman I love was smart enough to yank her funds from her * ex’s control.” Trailing his hands along her back, Gavin brushed his lips along her jaw. “But I’m not happy she spent some of it on her charmingly sexy current boyfriend after he asked her not to spend that much on him.”
Emily laughed. “Oh, now all of a sudden you’re charmingly sexy?”
“You know it.” Gavin smiled, shooting her a wink. After replacing the watch he was wearing with the one Emily bought for him, Gavin’s face softened. “Really, Emily. Last big spending spree you waste on me, okay? I have everything I need sitting right here in my lap.”
Emily sighed and eased the last gift from the bag. “We’ll see. Now here. This is the one I insist you start using today.”
Gavin eyed her suspiciously and pulled the red bow from what appeared to be a clothing box. “Your expression tells me this is some kind of payback gift.”
“Sweet, sweet, Mr. Blake, you know me so well,” she purred, tossing her arm around his neck.
With another shake of his head and a smile, Gavin slowly, so slowly, peeled the green wrapping paper from the box. He hesitated, bringing his eyes to Emily’s. He could see she was becoming impatient. He chuckled when she tore the rest of the paper from the box and flipped off the top. Before he had a chance to get a look at what was in it, Emily yanked out a piece of bright yellow clothing. However, she was holding it balled up in her lap.
Oh, and she was laughing. Hard.
“What is it?” Gavin asked, unable to keep the laughter from his voice.
Emily stopped laughing, cleared her throat, and tried her hardest to keep her face serious. “I really hope you like it.” She batted her eyelashes, bringing a hooded Los Angeles Lakers sweatshirt up to his chest. “I know Michael will love that you’re wearing it during the game today.”
Gavin shook his head. “Nope. Not a chance.”
“Yes chance,” Emily retorted.
“No way.”
Emily frowned. “Yes way.”
“Nope. I love you, but I’m not wearing that in front of Michael. Besides, I’m diehard New York. I have my Knicks sweatshirt with me.”
Sighing, Emily drew her brows together, her frown deepening. She knew how to get him. “You know, I had many reasons for picking out that gift.”
“I’m sure you did,” Gavin admitted, circling his arms around her waist. “My misery being one.”
Emily laughed. “No, it wasn’t bought solely for your misery. But it could’ve, considering you made me prance around in that hideous Yankees sweatshirt.”
“The Yankees are hardly hideous,” he replied easily with a smile. “And let’s not forget I made you prance around wearing it in the privacy of my home without another soul on earth watching.”
“Yes, that’s true. But, it’s just… well, I have a thing for guys in yellow.” Emily shifted. She wrapped her arms around his neck and made sure to circle her hips over his as she did. Ah, yes. He was getting hard. “There’s something about the color that makes me get… wet.”
Gavin bit his lip, his eyes tracing Emily’s face. “You’re so full of shit.”
“Oh no, but Mr. Blake, I’m really not. Between watching you wearing it and suffering the little bit you’ll have to, I’ll be a guaranteed good time for your efforts.”
Sliding his hand up her back, Gavin tangled his fingers in her hair, tugging just enough. With a clear view of her gorgeous neck inches from his mouth, Gavin took the opportunity to indulge. He dragged his lips across her collarbone as he gripped her hair tighter. “I’ve created a woman who thinks she’s going to win me over with sex.”
Sinking into the feeling of him gently biting her shoulder and then lightly sucking on her neck, Emily wasn’t sure who she was fooling. She’d backed herself into a corner and had no desire whatsoever to come out. “Is it working?” The questioned filtered out as a moan.
“Possibly,” he answered, slowly lifting her tank top over her head. He tossed it onto the bed and reburied a hand in her soft hair. The other cupped one of her breasts. Eyes locked on hers, he licked her nipple. Another moan crawled up Emily’s throat and Gavin got off on knowing he was beating her at her own game. “Are you willing to work to get me to wear this sweatshirt today, Miss Cooper?”