Collide (Collide #1)(44)

As she moved toward him, she gave herself a fierce mental talk. She enjoyed hanging out with him a little too much last night, and because of that, she had more than just a physical attraction now. Tingles of something she had never experienced raced through her, and a strange anxiety permeated her bones by his close proximity - more so than before.

And that...that wasn't good.

As she took a seat next to him, Emily tried to ignore the way his just-f*cked-looking black hair went in every direction. It made him look...well...even hotter.

Tossing a hand through that just-f*cked-looking black hair, he placed the newspaper down and smiled. "I wanted to give you fair warning that within a few hours the house is going to become a little...chaotic."

"Oh, how so?" she asked, fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "I thought your guests wouldn't be here until after three."

Gavin's eyes flicked down to her thighs and then back to her face. He tried to swallow. "Well, the caterers and the company that sets up the tents will be here soon. If you like, we can go down by the beach or get in the pool together."

Emily shifted nervously, her gaze holding steady on his.

"I mean, you...you can go down by the beach or in the pool," he corrected quickly. Jesus Christ. He slowly dragged his teeth over his bottom lip.

Watching his lips a little too intently had her pushing her seat away from the counter to stand up. "Yeah, I'll see." She walked over to the stairs. "I'm just going to...uh...go wake up Olivia and Tina now."

He nodded, and she trotted up the stairs.

Emily gave a quick knock at the door, and Olivia yelled out for her to come in. When she entered, both women were already in the midst of getting ready to leave.

"Why are you packing now?" Emily asked. "I thought you two weren't leaving until after three."

Olivia tossed the last of her items into her backpack. "Tina's mom is sick, so she called asking if we could get out there earlier to help cook." She stretched her body out. "Ugh, I'm really not looking forward to this drive back either."

Emily pressed her lips into a tight line and sank down onto the bed. Letting out a sigh, she leaned against a pillow, noticeably flustered.

Olivia looked at her. "Why do you look so freaked out about us leaving? You knew I wasn't staying the whole weekend."

"Because he didn't go fishing with everyone else, and I'll be stuck here alone - with him."

"That's right - the whole seasick thing. I forgot." A mischievous grin slid across Olivia's mouth. "Why would you be upset about being here alone with him? I say it's the perfect opportunity to get a little taste of something...yummy," she laughed.

"Damn it, Olivia!" Emily spat. "I'm not kidding anymore! Stop with your bullshit!"

Olivia stood aghast, like a deer in headlights, as Emily pushed to her feet and tore past her. Stalking down the hallway, Emily entered her room, tossed her suitcase on the bed, and started packing her things.

Olivia cautiously entered the room. "What the hell are you doing, Em?"

"I'm leaving with you guys," she hastily answered. "I'm not staying here alone with him."

Olivia walked over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Friend, calm the f*ck down, okay?" Emily pulled away and continued to pack. "Em, his mother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew should be here soon. It's not like it's just going to be the two of you."

Emily abruptly stopped packing. She flopped herself onto the bed, placing her fingers on her temples in an attempt to relax her racing thoughts.