Unbreakable(8)

Emmy’s spider phobia goes beyond a simple hatred of creepy crawlies. She’s got major arachnophobia. Sully chased her around with a daddy long legs one summer when we were kids, and she’d gotten so upset she’d vomited from fright. His mom grounded him for a week.

Emmy stares into the room again and bites her bottom lip. She still looks terrified.

Fuck. I know what I gotta do, and I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t.

But of course, I do.

“Em, do you want to stay with me tonight?” I nod toward my bedroom. “The bed is king-sized, so there’s plenty of room if you’re too scared to go back in there.” I pause and backpedal a little. “Or, you can sleep in one of the other bedrooms.”

A look of relief crosses her face. “No, I’ll stay with you. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

I wave my hand. “Nah. It’s not like you snore or anything, right?”

I’m struggling not to stare at her in those sexy pajamas. Jesus, she looks hot.

Emmy smiles. “No, I don’t snore. That’s Sully.”

“Don’t I know it. I room with Sul when the team is on the road. I invested in a year’s supply of earplugs. No joke.”

She laughs. “Oh, I bet.”

I figure she’s going to change her outfit since she’ll be sleeping in my room, but she doesn’t. She just walks right on into my bedroom. I follow, my gaze dropping to that tight little ass. Those perky cheeks would fit nicely in my cupped hands. Perfectly, in fact.

“Will?” Her voice is soft and sweet and hits me right in the gut.

I jerk my gaze away from her behind and up to her face. “Yeah?”

Upside: she’s looking at me with those beautiful green eyes that glow like a perfect piece of jade in the moonlight, and it takes my breath away.

Downside: I’m 100% certain she just caught me staring at her ass.

Fuck, what’s the opposite of Viagra? I need a boner killer, STAT.

Sadly, the next few days are only going to be more of the same: Will vs. The Constant Hard-On. It will be hell trying to hide my crotch salute around this girl—especially when she says my name like that.

“Can you check around? You know, for more spiders?”

I glance around the room, seeing nothing on the walls.

“I know it’s stupid, but I’m so freaked out.” She’s looking at me like I’m her hero again, and I know I’ll do anything she asks.

Thankfully, there isn’t much furniture in this room, so it won’t take long to investigate. I grab my phone from the nightstand and turn on the flashlight. I peek behind two pictures on the wall and then check under the bed and behind the dresser.

“We’re all clear, Em.”

She sighs with relief as we climb under the covers. I turn off the light, but the moon is shining in through the skylight so brightly that I can see her perfectly when she rolls over to face me.

“Will, were you… uh, checking out my butt a minute ago?” She looks equal parts amused and curious.

Busted.

“What? No.” I sound defensive and guilty, because obviously, I am.

She grins. “Be honest.”

I roll over onto my back and drape my arm behind my head. “Go to sleep, Em.”

“Come on! You can tell me. I won’t care.”

“Look, I’m a guy. I’m going to notice if a woman is wearing sexy shorts, no matter who the woman is, okay?”

“Okay.” She pauses. “Do you think my shorts are sexy, or that I look sexy in them?”

Oh, Lord. This conversation is moving into dangerous territory. Minefields. Minefields everywhere.

I glance over to see her watching me with those big green eyes. “What’s with all the questions?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know.”

Neither do I, but I have a feeling this conversation is about more than my opinion of her ass. She looks vulnerable.

“Both,” I finally admit.

Emmy frowns. “Both what?”

“The shorts are sexy, and you look sexy in them.”

To my surprise, she blushes. “Oh. Well, thank you.”

I snort. “Don’t thank me. It’s just a simple fact.”

“I don’t know about that,” she says quietly. “I have a few of these outfits, and Aidan didn’t even notice me when I wore them to bed.”

“That’s because he’s a f*cking douchebag.” It comes out way harsher than I intended, but I don’t apologize. The guy’s a dick.

A few moments pass before she speaks again.

“Will, what did you mean when you said you weren’t interested in being another brother to me?”

Me and my big f*cking mouth. “Em, listen—”

“Is it because you’re attracted to me?” she asks, interrupting me. “Is that the reason you said it?”

I sigh and run my hands down over my face. “There’s not a safe way for me to answer that question. You know that.”

“Yes, there is. Just be honest.”

I swallow, wishing I’d brought a bottle of water up here with me. I’m pretty sure the temperature’s just shot up ten degrees in this room. I’m on the hot seat with nowhere to go.

“You’re really pretty, Em. You know that.”