Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1)(96)

Because I’m not intent on taking Emily’s virginity on the floor of the forest, I lower our hands. “In the fall, there’s a million red, orange and yellow leaves. In the winter, it’s real quiet and when it snows you can see animal tracks. Chevy, Violet, Razor and I used to play back here all the time. The tree house we built as kids sits farther back.”

“Were you close with Violet once?”

“Yeah. She created these elaborate hand signals for us to use while we were playing hide-and-seek or capture the flag. She’s the one that convinced us to hang that.” I tip my chin to the right and Emily tracks my gaze to a rope hanging off a huge oak.

“You guys are obsessed with ropes,” she says.

I chuckle. “Every fall we make the biggest pile of leaves you can imagine. So huge that it’s a mountain. We use the rope to jump into the pile. I’ve never invited anyone to do it with us before and I decided that when we do it this year, I’d like my girl to be there.”

I skim my knuckles along her cheek and she leans into me. Good God, she’s the most amazing creature I’ve come across. “What do you say, Emily? Will you come back to Snowflake this fall and jump with me into some leaves?”

She sucks in her bottom lip. “I’m your girlfriend?”

I tuck her silky hair over her shoulder and drop my head so that my lips brush hers. “If you’ll have me.”

“Yes.”

Because Emily is a mixture of bold and innocent, her lips meet mine in a rush then slow as they continue to move. Her hands delicately glide along my shoulders and into my hair. A hypnotic action that draws me in. Each of her fingertips are hot on my skin, her lips sweet to taste, her scent engulfing my senses. My hands drift to her thighs and the memories of the rhythm Emily and I shared last night in my bed circle in my brain.

Heat races in my blood and Emily slides her leg against mine. The urge is to lift her and kiss her until I’m dizzy. Kiss her until our clothes are off. Kiss her until the only thing left in the universe is us.

A booming laugh echoes into the woods and Emily immediately turns her head away from me. We’re both panting and it takes every ounce of self-control not to kiss the patches of red skin forming along her neck.

She flattens her palms on my chest and I step back while lacing her fingers with mine. “They’re patching me in tonight.”

“I heard. That’s amazing.”

It is. “Will you do me a favor?”

“What?”

A part of me sinks. Odds are she’ll hate this. “I’m going to be distracted tonight and I won’t be by your side when you head into the house later. The clubhouse is going to get crazy and I want to know you’re safe. Promise that once you go in, you’ll stay in.”

“You are the millionth person to tell me I’m not allowed out of the house after eight.” There’s an annoyed set to her lips that causes me to stroke my thumb against her mouth and I chuckle when she jerks her head away. She’s not searching to be pacified.

“I’m starting to get insulted,” she bites out.

“Prepare yourself,” I say. “Eli will probably tell you, too.”

“Super. Is there anything else you need to discuss before a giant hole appears at my feet and swallows me up?” She’s kidding, but I don’t miss how her fingers tighten in mine.

“I know you prefer not to lie, but me and you...it’s going to be a lot for people to digest. Eli entrusted me with you and if he had known that this—” I rock our joined hands “—would happen, he never would have picked me. He trusted me to protect you and not to break his trust by getting emotionally involved. I’ve been thinking nonstop about this, and I’m going to tell Eli and Cyrus you’re my girl, but I’d like to wait until after I’m patched in.”

Emily pales out. “If they know now, you think they’ll keep you from being a part of the club?”

“I don’t know.” Guilt festers within me. I don’t want to lie to Eli, Cyrus or the club, and I don’t want to make Emily a secret. On the ride back here I’d thought about talking to Eli this evening, but I wasn’t expecting to be patched in and I sure as hell wasn’t expecting that Olivia wouldn’t live long enough to see the ceremony. If we push this off—if I tell Eli tonight and he decides to wait until he can digest that I’m in love with his daughter—Olivia might miss this moment and I’ll miss knowing that she was there.

“If you’re uncomfortable with waiting, I’ll tell Eli now. I’ll tell him I have feelings for you that I want to pursue, but otherwise I’m asking for you to give me tonight and then tomorrow, I’ll tell him everything.”

“Is that what’s happened?” A spark of humor lights up her eyes. “You have feelings you want to pursue?”

I frame her face with both hands, letting my fingers tunnel to the roots of her hair. She’s so beautiful it hurts. “I’ve already fallen for you, Emily, but Eli and Cyrus are real protective of you. This is going to shock the hell out of them. Besides...”

I trail off and Emily’s forehead wrinkles. “What?”

I swallow down the hurt. “Eli said your dad called him. You’re going home soon.”

The bright cheer that had been on her face is replaced by a shadow. “What? But I told Dad on Monday I wasn’t ready to go back yet. I told him I wanted to spend more time with Olivia and Eli said something about going on another weekend trip and—”