Fool for You (Southern Bride 7)

“Um, yeah, I guess so. We talked about getting a ring, so maybe I’ll pop into some cheap little jewelry store and pick one up.”

“You could wear something of mine,” Paislie said. “I have that emerald ring you love so much.”

“Oh, no, Mom! I couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t feel right.”

Malcolm huffed. “And why not? If you’re going to pretend this thing is real, don’t you think you should at least wear a ring that doesn’t look like Landon bought it out of a gumball machine?”

“I’ll talk to Landon about it, Mom.”

“Okay, let’s let her get ready, honey,” Paislie said as she walked past the bathroom. The sound of the hotel door opening caused me to draw in a deeper breath as I willed them to not stop and investigate the bathroom for whatever reason.

“How long do you think you’ll be so I can let Addie know?” Paislie asked.

“No more than thirty minutes, if that.”

“Sounds good!”

“See you in a few minutes, sweetheart,” Malcolm said.

“Love you, Daddy,” Emmerson said. I heard her shut the door.

I waited almost a good thirty seconds before I stepped out of the tub and opened the bathroom door.

Emmerson stood there with her finger to her mouth to keep me from saying anything. She lifted up onto her tippy toes and looked out the peephole. Then she opened the door and glanced both ways down the hallway before she shut it again.

Falling back against the door, Emmerson let out a giggle. “Oh my God…my heart is pounding in my chest.”

“Yours? All I could imagine was your daddy throwing back the shower curtain and my nose actually getting broken.”

She brought her hand up to her mouth to keep her laughter in. Then she reached out and handed me my phone. “They didn’t see it.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I remembered it while I was standing in there.”

“Well, I guess we should probably get ready for breakfast.”

I nodded. “Probably. I’ll head on back to my room and change and brush my teeth and all that.”

Emmerson nodded but didn’t move from her position against the door. I scanned her body, taking in the dress she had thrown on.

“You couldn’t have had time to put panties on,” I mused as my eyes landed back on hers.

She slowly shook her head. “No, I didn’t have any time.”

A knowing smile spread over her face, and then my mouth was on hers before she could utter a word. I dropped my phone to the floor and picked her up as she wrapped her legs around me. I pressed myself into her and we both moaned into each other’s mouth.

This kiss was different from the ones we had shared yesterday. It was hard and needy. I wanted to be inside of her. God, how I wanted to be buried in her.

“We have time,” she panted when she dragged her mouth from mine.

“I’m not fucking you against the door our first time.”

“Good, because I don’t really want to hear that.”

The sound of my sister’s voice caused us both to freeze.

Emmerson dropped her head to my chest and laughed.

“I don’t find this funny. We’ve just been cockblocked by your folks and now my sister,” I said as I stepped back and let her slide down my body.

Emmerson leaned up onto her toes and kissed me. She pulled back and gave me a brilliant smile. “I don’t want our first time to be rushed either.”

“Ugh, for fuck’s sake, let me in and stop with this already,” Hailey shouted.

Spinning around, Emmerson opened the door and Hailey pushed her way in. Mike followed with a smile on his face that said he’d overheard us as well. He stopped in front of me and said, “About damn time.”

“Do you know our mother and father have been calling me since six this morning? Mom couldn’t sleep last night. She said she had this weird feeling something happened to you.” It was at that moment my sister paused and then tilted her head. “Holy shit, did you get into a fight last night? Your nose is all swollen and you have a bruise under your eye.”

I reached up and touched under both eyes, flinching when my fingers skimmed the left one.

“Emmerson gets a little mean in bed,” I deadpanned. Mike lost it laughing, and Hailey’s mouth dropped open in shock.

After a punch on the side of my arm, Emmerson walked over to her suitcase and started to grab some items of clothing.

“I don’t know if I want to be overjoyed or grossed out knowing the two of you are, you know…making out and shit,” Hailey said with an utterly confused expression on her face. “I mean, I’m happy you finally both admitted your feelings for each other and all. So, wait, how did you really get hurt? I just heard you say you haven’t had sex yet.”