After All(27)

I know I have to let him in. That we have to talk about what happened, especially since he went out of his way to find me. But still, I don't move for a few seconds, the two of us locked in some kind of staring contest.

Finally, Carla clears her throat, breaking the tension. "So, thou shalt not pass or what?"

I give Emmett a slight nod of approval and step out of the way, letting him into our place. As he passes by me I get a whiff of his smell. God, it's like an instant aphrodisiac, a lightning bolt of lust straight between my legs. Flashbacks from last night crowd behind my eyes.

"So this is where you live," he says, looking around. He crosses his arms across his chest as he does so, which causes his shirt to rise a little. It draws my eyes like bees to honey and I see out of my peripheral Carla has the same staring problem. Hot damn. He has the stomach you just want to lick right up.

"Cute place," he adds.

"Yeah, sorry you're slumming it at the moment," I tell him sharply.

I can feel Carla giving me a look at that. I'm not sure why I feel the need to take jabs at him.

Except, you know, he's part of the reason of the current mess we're in.

"Anyway," Emmett says, sliding over that with ease and flashing me a reassuring smile. Really wish he would stop doing that. "I'm assuming you know the reason why I'm here."

"Do tell," I say, playing dumb.

He doesn't buy it. "Look, I guess I should have discussed with Will if there were going to be guests at the wedding who wouldn't be respectful with privacy. I wasn't thinking, really, that anyone would be there who would want to take and sell pictures of me."

"It also would have helped if you two didn't screw each other in public," Carla says.

Emmett gives her a questioning look, one with a hint of coldness in his eyes.

"Carla," I admonish her. Then I nod at my bedroom. "Perhaps we should discuss this in my bedroom. And no, it's not an invitation."

The coldness in Emmett's eyes disappears and the grin is back. "Whatever you say."

With a long exhale, I head toward my door and open it, ushering Emmett inside.

Once I close the door behind me though, I'm starting to rethink this as being a good idea. With him in my room, alone with me, suddenly everything seems very small. Everything but him. His presence is taking over.

I lean back against the door, keeping my distance just in case he starts talking dirty again or I catch another whiff of whatever crazy ass pheromone made me jump his bones last night.


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"So … " I say.

"So," he says, rubbing the back of his neck and looking mildly sheepish for once. "Look … last night … " he pauses, searching for words, "I didn't think anything of it."

I give him the evil eye of all evil eyes. "Thanks."

"What I mean is … I had a lot of fun with you. You kept me on my toes the whole fucking night. I don't know the last time that happened."

"Well hurray for me then. Glad I could keep you on your toes and our picture all over the damn internet."

"Once I find out who took that picture, you know I'll fucking kill them. You didn't sign up for any of that and I should have been more … aware of the situation. I guess I just … I don't know. I'm not used to this, you know? That people give a shit and give a shit about the wrong thing." He looks off, his eyes absently searching the walls. "I know the last thing you want to hear is the woe is me celebrity thing, I got that from you last night, but the honest truth is I forget that my life has changed and in some ways is no longer my life, no matter how hard I try to keep some things private."

I can't help but laugh. "What do you keep private? I don't even keep up with this pop culture and yet I know that you've hooked up with a shitload of girls, that you're getting in fights, that you're causing trouble on set. What else could you possibly keep under wraps? If the world feels like they know you and own you, it's because you let them."

He stares at me blankly for a few moments as if he didn't hear what I said. Then he scoffs. "Forget about keeping me on my toes. Sometimes I think you want to knock me right down."

I shrug. "Just calling it as I see it. As an outsider. Although I guess I'm not really that anymore, am I?"

"No, you're not." He looks serious for once. "And that's why I had to talk to you. You see … I know that this is all new and strange for you and you probably don't appreciate having your photo splashed across the internet, even though they are very lovely photos, of course. You look fucking fantastic."