Collide (Collide #1)(73)

"Umm," she replied, her eyes flicking up to Gavin. "I'm not sure. Maybe another time?"

Theresa frowned.

"You won't have to endure the torture of being around me too long," Gavin laughed, a smart-ass smile molding over his face. "Colton and Melanie should be here in ten minutes to come get them."

Emily smiled coyly, almost challenging him. "Okay, fine. I think I can handle fifteen minutes of grief." She placed her backpack down. "Can you handle it?"

"Mmm, I can handle it and handle it very well," he smirked. "Can you play soccer?"

"I'm a quick learner."

"And I'm an excellent teacher."

He dropped the ball to the ground, giving it a quick kick. Theresa and Timothy ran after it.

"And being around you is not torture, Gavin," Emily said, jogging away from him after the kids.

He caught up to her side. "Right, you made it clear that it's only grief. But, no worries, I really do take that as a compliment."

Emily simply shook her head and laughed.

Over the next fifteen minutes, although he did partake in the game a little, Gavin mostly hung back a bit and watched Emily play with the kids. Taking a seat on top of a picnic table, his senses reeled at everything about her. His eyes swept over her body, ultimately settling on her face as he admired her smile. His ears listened to the way she laughed while his mind tried to wrap itself around the way his niece and nephew clung to her. He knew children had a keen sense of the aura that surrounded people, so it only justified what his heart already knew - her presence was magnetic. It consumed others, swallowing them whole, and left no room for regret.

As she ran around with them, he watched Emily's wavy hair bounce, the summer sun catching the locks and creating a fiery halo of rich auburn. His need for her snaked through his bones, cutting straight down to the marrow. From the moment he laid eyes on her, she made something strange happen in his chest when she looked at him. Something tightened in his stomach, and he realized he could find himself in deeper than he already was if she looked at him like that too often.

His mind hawked at the inward description of his feelings, knowing there was nothing more he could do to satisfy his hunger. The only thing he knew for sure was that his emotions were caught in a clusterf*ck of epic proportions. Being around her was self-inflicted pain at its finest, but it was something he was willing to endure if for one reason only - just to be close to her. The sound of Colton calling his name dragged him from his thoughts.

Thank God for small miracles.

After he and Emily hugged the children and bid Colton and Melanie goodbye, Gavin walked with her to gather her belongings.

"Mr. Blake, it's always a pleasure," Emily said with a smile, extending out her hand.

Gavin didn't oblige by shaking it because he knew if he touched her he wouldn't be able to resist the urge of pulling her into his mouth. Running his hand through his hair, he backed away slightly.

Emily smiled awkwardly and slung the backpack over her shoulder.

Gavin found his words stuck in his throat like verbal gridlock. "Wait, that's it? You're going to just leave me here all by myself?"

"You're a big boy. I think you can find something to occupy your afternoon."

He laughed for a moment and then suddenly his face became serious. "I just thought this could be an opportunity to redeem myself."

"Redeem yourself? What for?"

"For my behavior the last time I saw you. I'm sorry that I made you uncomfortable, but..." He lowered his voice and stared directly into her eyes. "I'm not sorry about the way I feel about you, Emily. They're my feelings, and I can't deny them. But I really just need to be friends with you."