Emerge (Evolve Series #1)(68)

attend college, remember the signs in ball...and be so far off the mark with those around me. I must be completely clueless.

“You sure you don’t want me to come with? I could meet your dad, get a hotel, whatever,” Dane whines. No, whine isn’t the right

word, because whining is annoying and whatever he’s doing is adorable. I know why he’s worried, I told him Evan was going home,

too, and ever since, he’s offered to come with me at least once an hour. “Are you going to tell him about me?”

“Yes.” The apprehension is about to kill me and a nauseous wave rolls through me every time I think about exactly what I’ll say.

“What are you going to tell him?” He moves his arms around my waist now and rests his cheek in my hair.

“Good question, what should I tell him?” I peer up into his eyes. Not that I’d ever let Dane dictate my conversations with Evan,

asking him was more of me playing a girly-fishing game, but it’s still obvious it’s time we had a “come to Jesus” talk. Is

Kaitlyn right, am I a tease? Most girls go their whole life without meeting a man as wonderful as Evan or Dane, let alone finding

themselves sandwiched in between two of them. The age old love triangle only seems cliché and trite until you actually find

yourself in one, then it becomes agony.

“What do you mean, what you should you tell him?

Tell him you’re mine now.”

Whoa, come again? His? He hasn’t proclaimed a commitment and I’ve seen Whitley’s name still popping up on his phone...of course,

there’s the whole lavish gifts thing. “Yours, huh? That’s news to me.”

“Seriously, Disney.” He lets go of me and steps back; I feel barren at once. “What the hell are you talking about? We spend

every day together.” He runs his hand across the back of his neck in frustration. “Why are you acting so aloof?” He looks

devastated, which isn’t my intention at all.

I move to him, wrapping my arms around him. “I just meant...I-I didn’t realize you thought this was serious, or, or committed or

whatever. I don’t know. I didn’t want to assume anything.”

“Well, what did you think?”

“I thought we were getting to know each other. I know there’s an attraction, obviously.” I squeeze him harder. “I just didn’t

know you felt so serious about it.” My mouth is getting chalky, my palms slick.

“Laney, I’m fixing to lose my shit here.” He breaks away from me again, pacing like a caged animal.

“Calm down, Dane, I’m just telling you the truth. We’re just talking; maybe it’s good we’re having this conversation.”

That seems to help; he at least stills and looks at me now. “Yeah, no, you’re right. Okay, so let’s just talk about it.” He

sits down on my bed and pulls me into his lap. “Laney, I want to be with you, exclusively or whatever girlie label you want to put

on it, meaning no one gets near here,” he says, using his finger to tap over my heart, “but me. I want to touch you, kiss you,

freely. I want you to be my girlfriend...my baby.” He rolls his eyes and laughs. “I can’t believe you make me outline things and

sound like a 16 year old.” He apparently feels compelled to remind me he is a man; the way he kisses me now is illegal until you

can at least vote.

He turns, laying me back against my comforter and rolling to lay his body along the top of mine. My body tenses with the shock of

this new territory, but only for a second while the message from my body moves to my brain. “I do not want you to be anything more

than long-time friends with Evan.” He runs one hand through my hair, fanning it off my ear, and then leans down to nibble. “I

want you to sleep,” he says, pulling back to look at me, “I said sleep, in my home as many nights as possible.” He runs his face

down my neck, leaving open-mouthed, hot kisses along the way. “I want you to fall in love with me, Laney.” He licks straight up

my throat. “Is that clear enough for you?”

I have yet to open my eyes, but know he’s looking at me, I can feel his stare.

“Baby? Look at me.”

I’m burning from the v in my thighs to the flushed tops of my ears, like he struck a match. He and I, together, are so feral.

“You make me crazy,” I murmur. I’m hoping he didn’t hear me, but his primal growl before his tongue demands entrance lets me

know he did. He feels it too, our unbridled gravitation; his hard length presses against me and I counter against him, pushing

downward to his up.

“Ah God, baby,” he breathes, his whole body trembling under my fingers, “it’s gonna be so good one day. You and me, explosive.

” His mouth teases along my neck, my jaw, and he lets out a big sigh. “Okay, we have to stop, I can’t take it.”

Part of me starts to pull him back to me, but I know he’s right, we’re quickly approaching the point of no return and my body is

very ready but my heart and mind are not.

He moves off me to sit and I welcome the moment of reprieve to gather my senses. I sit up and smooth down my hair and clothes,