Falling for Fallon (Oak Hill 2)

“Wife.”

I looked away. “I’m not fond of it either. Let’s just talk about something else.”

I finally brought my gaze back to his. He was studying me again, and I just couldn’t help but let the next words fly out of my mouth. “Why do you do that?”

He looked confused. “Do what?”

“Look at me like that. Like you’re studying me.”

His mouth lifted on one side. “I can’t help if you’re attractive, Fallon.”

I laughed. “That’s not why you’re staring at me like that, though. It’s like you’re trying to read me.”

He shrugged. “I can’t help it. I feel like I know you, yet… there are parts of you that are hidden under lock and key. And since we’re keeping this whole thing…” he gestured between our bodies, “friendly—you know, since I can’t touch you now—nor is it permanent, I don’t want to pressure you into telling me all of your…” he leaned in closer, his breath hitting my skin, “dirty little secrets.”

I pushed myself up on my hands, sitting cross-legged on the couch, and leaned forward. “How do you manage to make every conversation dirty? That’s not what friends do, ya know.”

He smiled brightly, shining those glistening white teeth. “How did I make it dirty?”

“The way that word rolls off your tongue should be illegal.”

He didn’t say anything. We just stayed in the same spot, unmoving. Our mouths so close that I could almost feel his breath along mine. Usually, staring at someone for so long would have made me feel uncomfortable, but not with Emmett. The only thing I felt was myself losing the teeny tiny grip I had on the world spinning around me.

Emmett didn’t move his body away from mine as he placed the popcorn bowl on the coffee table. I could hear his gulp. I could almost feel his heart beating fast alongside mine. We’d been playing twenty questions (which just turned into several more rounds) while Supernatural continued to run in the background for the last two hours. And although it had been fun and casual, really what friends would do, right now it seemed anything but. Maybe it was the late hour, or maybe I was reading too much into what was going on in the moment. We were both tired. We were both getting lost in hanging out versus remembering what we had just agreed on earlier.

“I should go,” I whispered, Emmett’s breath now fanning along my skin.

He blinked rapidly, his tongue darting out to wet his lower lip. I was hot all over. I didn’t even give Emmett a second to breathe another breath in my direction. I quickly swung my legs up and over the couch, flustered beyond belief, and then I heard the loud groan when I accidentally kneed him in the face. I covered my mouth with my hand.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!!” I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I wanted to fix what I had just done, but Emmett was holding his nose with his hand, his eyes clenched together.

I wanted to die.

I almost bolted to the door and just left all together.

Well, it was nice knowin’ ya Emmett!

I was tiptoeing backwards when I heard him laugh. He was cracking up. His hand had left his nose, and he was bent over, wheezing. I paused, confused, then he looked up at me through watery eyes.

“This is twice now that you’ve almost knocked me out, Fallon.” He laughed again. “What is it with you and bodily harm, woman?”

I started to smile. “Well, if you didn’t make me so flustered, then I wouldn’t act so stupid!”

Emmett shook his head and shot up from the couch. He wiggled his nose back and forth a couple times, which only made me feel worse. “I’m so sorry, Emmett. I didn’t mean to knee you in the face.”

He laughed and brushed me off. “It’s fine. It’s getting late anyway. Let’s get you home before you hit me again.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m so embarrassing around you.”

Emmett grinned down at me. “It’s kind of cute, though.”

I blushed as Emmett walked me to the door. I threw on my jacket and sighed. My eyes darted down to his mouth, but I quickly recovered.

“I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

Emmett raised an eyebrow at me. “Really, though? Because last time you said you’d call… you didn’t.”

I could feel my eyes softening. “I promise this time. We have a bucket list to complete!” Then I turned on my heel and booked it to my car.