SWNOVELS STRIPTEASED: Chapter 14
“More coffee?” Denver asked Emma. She nodded shyly and held her cup out, her face beet-red.
It didn’t take a genius to know why. My bedroom was right above Austin’s, and I’d heard the way she giggled, squealed, and shrieked last night. Hell, probably Tonio had heard it from the second floor.
She kept her eyes down as she ate. Tonio had an early seminar, but he’d left some batter in the fridge, and I’d found the old waffle iron and made some for the two of us. The twins had eggs and sausage.
Austin was sitting about an inch away from her, his arm brushing hers every time he moved. Emma didn’t pull away, but she also couldn’t seem to meet any of our eyes.
It didn’t seem fair, really. Austin and Denver had shared a fun evening with her, yet I was one of the ones she wouldn’t look at.
Austin didn’t have any trouble looking me in the eye. The man had no shame. But the look he gave me, plus the jerk of his head in Emma’s direction, spoke volumes. I sighed, keeping it barely audible. “How’s the book coming, Emma?”
She risked a quick peek at me, but her cheeks were still flaming red. “Pretty good.”
“Are you going to meet your deadline?”
“I think so,” she said. “I have to go back and revise a few things now that I know… I mean, I just—think there are some spots that could be improved upon.”
Austin nodded solemnly. “Yes, some spots are more important than others.”
Emma blushed harder, her head almost disappearing into her shirt like a turtle. I shot Austin a nasty look—why’d he want me to try to draw her out if he was just going to make her feel embarrassed again?
Austin looked unrepentant, as always. I looked over at Denver for support, but he was watching Emma. Suddenly, I wished Tonio was here—I needed another sane person to talk to.
“More waffles?” I asked Emma.
“No thanks,” she said. “I’m full.”
Yeah, right. Who on earth was full after a quarter of a waffle?
I sighed. Austin and Denver weren’t the love ‘em and leave ‘em types—usually—but they were dropping the ball today.
“What time is your first class?” I asked Denver.
He looked at his watch and winced. “Soon.”
“You guys had better get going. Emma and I will get the dishes.”
They both hesitated—possibly the first time they’d ever passed on a chance to get out of dishes.
“We can—”
“Emma and I’ve got it.” I put just a bit of the steel I used when I was at work in my voice. I wasn’t a bouncer just because of my size.
“All right, thanks,” Denver said, and then he wished me and Emma a good day.
Austin was a bit slower to get to his feet, but he said goodbye and followed his brother out of the kitchen.
Which left me alone with Emma. Was I disappointed that she’d chosen the twins? Maybe a little, deep down. But it was her choice, and they were charming guys. Open and friendly. Glib and light-hearted. All the things that I wasn’t.
I’d known all along that she’d probably fall for one of the twins. Or Tonio. The fact that she’d been with both of them was something of a surprise, however. Not because the thing itself was shocking, but because Emma seemed so naïve. It was good she was opening up. No one should go through life all uptight and repressed.
I just wished she’d opened up with me.
We did the dishes side by side, only talking when it was necessary for the task at hand. I could still feel the mortification rolling off her in waves. If I were more eloquent, like Tonio or the twins, I’d explain to her that she didn’t have to feel embarrassed. Not in front of me.
There were a few dishes left after we loaded the dishwasher. I washed them and Emma dried them and put them away. The last thing to clean was a little pot, a butter heater that Tonio had left out for us to melt butter for the waffles.
Emma looked at it curiously. “I’m afraid I don’t know where this goes,” she said.
Suddenly, the right words came to me. I took the pot from her and set it on the counter, taking her small hand in mine. “You don’t have to be afraid of anything. Or ashamed of anything.”
Her lip trembled, but her hazel eyes met mine for the first time all morning. “So… you’re not mad at me?”
“Of course not.”
“Really?”
I mustered up a smile. I wanted her—I couldn’t imagine any man not wanting her. She was sweet and kind. She was perpetually upbeat, even after her whole world had turned upside down. And despite doing God knows what with the twins, she still seemed rather innocent.
Yes, I wanted her, but more importantly, I wanted her to be happy and free to live the life she wanted. And she deserved so much more than the woman who raised her or the fiancé who abandoned her had given her. “Really,” I said, and it was true. I bent down to give her a quick kiss on the forehead.
“Then… can I maybe have a hug? If you still want to do that.”
In answer, I held out my arms, and she went into them.