Page 34 of Stolen Dreams

“Can I?”Lucy looks over at Emmett.

“Yeah,” he agrees.“I’m going to put these in the fridge for thirty minutes.”He walks over to the fridge.“I’m going to take a shower.”

My ears start to burn as I think of him in the shower naked.My mouth waters for a whole different reason.“Then I’ll start the grill.”

“You know,” I start to say, “if you want, I could watch Lucy tonight so you can go out with the guys.”I want to seal my mouth shut with crazy glue.

He looks at me.“You haven’t been out in a while and…” I shrug.“We could watch a chick flick,” I suggest to Lucy, “and you’ll be bored.”

“I don’t know,” he says, not sure what to say.

“I miss having girl movie nights,” Lucy interjects.I don’t know if she’s playing him or not, but it works.

“Okay, I’ll go for a bit,” he agrees, and I smile at him as he walks away from the kitchen and toward his room.I catch him pulling up his shirt as the wall now hides it from me.

Lucy and I work side by side as we make the salad, and by the time Emmett comes back out, he’s wearing a clean pair of jeans and a fresh black T-shirt.His hair is wet and looks like he just took the towel and dried it.I’m washing my hands while Lucy sits on the couch trying to pick a movie for us to watch when her father leaves.

“I’ll start the grill,” he announces, and all I can do is smell him, trying to get my words together.He puts one hand on my hip as he leans over me to grab a plate from beside me.His chest on my back makes my knees weak.“How do you like your steak?”

“Um…” I try to focus on my hands that are still under the stream of water.“Medium rare.”

“Got it.”He looks into my eyes, his eyes going to my lips for a split second, and then he’s gone.

Only when he’s outside do I let my head hang and bring my wet hands up to my cheeks to cool them down.My face feels like it’s been set on fire.

“Lucy.”Emmett sticks his head inside the back door.“Set the table, yeah?”

“Okay.”She gets off the couch and comes over to me.I help her set the table and then put the salad in the middle.

I sit down in the chair on the opposite side of Emmett, who sits at the head, with Lucy beside him.“Did you guys choose a movie?”he asks when we finish eating.

“The Princess Diaries,” Lucy tells him.“You would hate it.”

“I would not.”He picks up his plate, but I put my hand on his.

“I have this,” I tell him.“Why don’t you take off?”

He looks at me, and then my hand on his, before he nods and goes back to his bedroom.Lucy helps me clean up and put the things in the dishwasher.When he comes back out, he’s wearing boots and he smells of his musky scent.

“I’m not going for long,” he says to Lucy.“I’ll probably be back before you finish the movie.”

“Okay,” she replies, walking to the couch.

“I’ve got her, and if there is anything, I’ll call you.”He looks at me and nods before he walks out of the house.

I glance at the ceiling before looking back at Lucy, who is watching me.“Shall we get this party started?”I ask, walking over to the couch, sitting down, and tucking my legs under me.

My phone beeps in my pocket, and I pull it out, seeing it’s Emmett.

Emmett: Just got here, everything okay?

Me: It’s been four minutes.House isn’t on fire yet.

Emmett: Smart-ass.

I don’t answer him.I put my phone to the side and watch the movie with Lucy, laughing half the time.An hour later, another text comes in.

Emmett: How’s it going?

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