The key turned in the lock a little after eleven.
My heart slammed into my ribs. I tried to look casual on the couch, like I hadn’t been staring at the door for the last five hours.
Sassy exploded into motion, nails skittering, whole back end wagging like her spine might snap from the enthusiasm.
The door opened. Em stepped in, juggling her purse and keys, hair a little mussed from the night air. She wore the same outfit from this morning, blazer draped over one arm, cheeks flushed like she’d walked fast or laughed hard or both.
My throat went dry. I liked being the one to make her laugh.
“Hi,” she whispered to Sassy first, dropping her stuff andimmediately crouching to wrap her arms around the dog. “Oh my gosh, hi, I missed you. Did you have a good night?”
Sassy whined like someone had come back from war. Em buried her face in the fur for a second, shoulders sagging. Something about the way she melted into the dog, the tiny wince she didn’t quite hide when she straightened, sent a bolt of worry through me.
“Hey,” I said, standing because sitting felt weird. “You’re back.”
Smooth, Abbott. Really nailing the human interaction.
She startled, like she hadn’t seen me there, then pasted on a smile that hit me in the gut.
“Yep.” She brushed hair behind her ear. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t,” I said quickly. “I was…up. Watching TV.”
Her eyes flicked to the cold tea mug, the abandoned puzzle, the way the couch cushions were all messed up. She wasn’t stupid. She knew. She had to know.
“Oh.” She toed off her boots by the mat. “Well, you didn’t have to wait up. I’m fine.”
“How was it?” I asked, my toner darker, desperate. “How was your date, Em?”
She shrugged, setting her purse on the side table. “It was fine.”
“Did he take care of you? Pay? Make sure you didn’t order anything with onions because they make you sick? Did he walk with you after, so you could digest your food like you prefer?”
“Noah,” she said, frowning and shaking her head. “It was a first date.”
“Yeah, well, if the guy was decent, he’d take notes, make sure he learned everything he could about you.” My face heated, my skin prickling as my blatant jealousy roared its ugly head. Igripped the back of my neck, hating myself for not being able to stop. “Did you kiss him?”
“Does it matter?”
“I want to know, Em.” Ihadto know.
“Why?” She snorted and moved to the kitchen, turning her back on me. “I’m sure you kiss a plethora of women and don’t brag about it. Not sure how that matters.”
I wasn’t sure what came over me in that moment. Years of pent-up attraction? Years of wanting to be with her? My eyes fucking twitched with unsaid things, and I followed her to the kitchen. “Let me ask you a question.”
“Pretty sure you already did. Oh, you made mac and cheese! Good, I bet Miles liked that.”
“Emily Sanders,” I said, my voice deeper than normal. I full named her. She stiffened, then slowly turned to face me. Her eyes widened, and those plump pink lips glistened as they parted. God, she was so pretty. Everything about her was made specifically for me. Her perfume was my kryptonite, her laugh my own soundtrack.
“Well, you have my attention now. Say it,” she said, a blush covering her face the longer I stared at her.
I moved my hand to her jaw, cupping her smooth skin and closing my eyes at how warm and soft she was. Then, I dragged my thumb over her bottom lip and groaned. I needed to taste her. I had to. “Ask me, Em, how manywomenI dated or kissed or slept with our senior year?”
She reared her head back. “Really? That’s what you wanna talk about right now?”
“It is. Ask me,” I demanded, inching closer so our feet touched. I towered over her, and without thinking, I lifted her and placed her on the counter.
Her breath hitched when her butt met the cool countertop, the sound punching straight through me. I bracketed her hipswithout touching them—close enough to feel the heat radiating off her, close enough that one small lean forward and I’d be able to kiss her.
