“That’s rich coming from you. Besides, I didn’t check them in there because it’s expensive. I chose that hotel because it’s close to the airport so they’ll be able to sleep in tomorrow morning and still make it on time for their flight. Also, it’s a nice place. They’ll like it.”
He snorted. “I’m sure they’re going to love the bed, but you and I both know that’s the only part of it they’re going to be seeing.”
A wave of nausea rolled through me. “That’s my baby sister you’re talking about.”
“With my baby brother.” He let out a dry bark of laughter. “Don’t be naïve, Colt. It’s their wedding night. Because, you know, they get to have one of those even if we don’t.”
I breathed in through my nostrils, trying to fight back the mental images he’d unnecessarily conjured up for me while I stood and patted him on the shoulder. “You’ll get your turn one day, man. When you find the right woman. In the meantime, are you going to come say goodbye?”
He shook his head, his usually neat but now disheveled brown hair falling across his forehead at the movement. “I don’t think I can stand, let alone walk. I think I’ve been the cause of enough scenes while we’ve been here, don’t you?”
“Fair enough,” I agreed. “Take care of yourself, and for the love of God, see the guys when you get back.”
By the time I was halfway across the venue, I glanced back at him and his eyes were already closed. I sighed, pretty sure he’d passed out again. I went outside with the rest of the guests, waving at the limo as it drove away. Then I checked with the friend Scott had asked to look after his brother.
The guy assured me he would take him back to the hotel since he was staying there, too. He also had Reece’s room key, so at least that was sorted. As soon as I knew he would be taken care of, I went to find Emma, who was making her way back inside with one of the other bridesmaids.
I caught her with a gentle hand on her wrist, shooting the bridesmaid, whose name I couldn’t remember, a polite smile as I pulled Emma aside. The girl nodded and kept walking, straight into the arms of her date, and once she was distracted by him, I dipped my head down to speak against Emma’s hair.
“Do you want to get out of here?”
She nodded, discreetly winding her fingers through mine as she backed into the parking lot with me in tow. We took off in my rental, headed back to my childhood home. As I drove, she held my hand and looked at me in a way that was getting me all hot and bothered.
It wasn’t just sexual, though. It was sensual. Intimate. Charged.
In an effort to distract both of us so I wouldn’t crash the damn car like she’d threatened to do the other night, I glanced at her when we stopped at a red light. “It’s a good thing we’d already stashed all your stuff in my car. I don’t think anybody noticed us leaving together since we didn’t make a big show of getting our things and saying goodbye.”
She grinned happily. “I think we just might have pulled it off. What do you think Teddy would say if she ever finds out?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll have to cross that bridge when we get to it.”
“We’re getting to it?” she asked after sucking in a surprised breath, the grin sliding off her face before it came back as a hopeful smile. “I thought you were leaving tomorrow.”
“There’s been a change of plans,” I said. “I’m staying a few more days.”
“Oh.”
I risked another glance at her even though the light had turned green and we were on our way again. “Oh?”
“Just oh.”
“Okay, then.” Sensing her mood shifting, I squeezed her hand and smirked when I looked at her again. “Hold that thought. There are going to be a lot of oh’s tonight. Just a different kind. Personally, I prefer ‘Colt’ to follow any of those other ‘oh’s’ though.”
“Oh, Colt.” She planted her hand over her face and laughed. “Like that?”
“A different context, but sure.” The air between us became charged again when we fell silent, both of us anticipating what was to come. I knew she didn’t know what to make of my change of plans, but we could talk about it in the morning.
For today, I was done talking. All I wanted to do was to bury myself deep inside her and stay there until tomorrow.
When we arrived home, we hurried into the house still holding hands, and as soon as the door was closed, I spun her around and kissed her. Our clothes came off piece by piece as we made our way through the house and to my bedroom. By the time we reached it, we were both stark naked.
The way nature intended and, if I get my way, the way we’re going to stay until the day when I really will have to leave.
22
EMMA
Colt was a man on a mission, and I loved it. I loved how steamy and romantic our evening had turned out to be, and I loved that he was making no secret of how much he wanted me. In my previous relationships, there had been no sense of urgency. No passion that burned so hot that neither of us could wait to get the other alone.