Page 45 of That Kind of Guy

“Great idea.” Don lifted his camera up again. “Emmett, lift your turtle up to your lips like Avery is.”

I closed my eyes briefly and inhaled before lifting the awful thing up to my face. I made direct eye contact with it, looking into its beady little eyes. I felt bad for the turtle. She clearly didn’t want to be doing this, either. This was humiliating for both of us.

“Purse your lips, Emmett,” Miri instructed, nodding. “Like you’re kissing her.”

Avery nudged me. She could barely contain her grin. “Yeah, Emmett, give Elizabeth a kiss.”

“I’m going to be sick,” I whispered.

I didn’t actually kiss it. Neither did Avery, I was pretty sure. We just held them close to our lips and pretended. The second the camera flash went off, I put that thing back in Miri’s hands and rushed over to the sink to wash my hands. I probably had salmonella poisoning from holding it. Cold shivers ran up and down my spine, and every few seconds, a gag rose in my throat.

A few minutes later, the tour was over, and Avery and I waved goodbye to Don and Miri as we left.

“Come back soon,” Miri called after us.

“Not fucking likely,” I said under my breath.

The second Miri went back inside I wiped my hands on Avery. “That was disgusting. I can’t believe you made me do it. I can still feel it on my hands.”

She was howling with laughter. “I can’t believe you did everything we suggested. I didn’t actually expect you to kiss the turtle.”

“What?” My face crumpled into horror. “Are you kidding?”

Avery couldn’t breathe, she was laughing so hard. She was doubled over, leaning on my car. “Oh, my god.” She finally straightened up with tears in her eyes. “This has been the best day ever, and it isn’t even lunch.” She grinned at me. “Speaking of lunch, how about you come by the restaurant, and we’ll make you some mince meat pies?”

“I’m never eating again,” I told her, and she dissolved into a new round of laughter. “You’re still coming to the engagement party tomorrow, right?”

Her laughter subsided, and she nodded. “Of course. Six?”

“Maybe five, five-thirty. It would be better if you were there when people started arriving.”

She nodded again. Her deep blue eyes were so bright out in the sunlight. “Alright.” She checked the time on her phone. “I have to go, see you later.”

“See you.”

“This was fun.” She leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before turning, walking to her car, and driving away. I stood there the whole time, watching with a dumb, confused look on my face.

I glanced around the empty parking lot. There was no one around to convince of our relationship in that moment. Avery did that because she had wanted to. I narrowed my eyes, the feel of her soft lips on my jaw replaying again and again in my head. An image of Avery in my bed, naked, flashed through my head, and my cock ached.

Shit.

I had a thing for Avery Adams.

11

Emmett

A knockon the front door woke me up from my afternoon nap. What time was it? I fumbled for my phone, eyes bleary and head foggy with sleep.

Five o’clock. I overslept, and the caterers were here.

I pulled pants on, not bothering with a shirt, rushed downstairs, and opened the door, squinting in the light. “Hey, come on in—oh. Hi.”

Avery stood on my front doorstep in a short dress that came to mid-thigh. It was black with flowers on it, short-sleeved, very demure except for the neckline. My gaze snagged on her necklace, a silver locket resting on a hint of her cleavage.

Soft. Smooth. My fingers twitched with the urge to graze her neckline, skim over the smooth skin and trace down to further.

Blood raced to my cock before I could tear my focus up to her face. I inhaled sharply. I was standing at my front door, hard and wearing sweatpants, an unfortunate combination.

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