A vision of me with my hands around her neck flashed through my mind, taking the green-eyed monster theory to a new level. It hit me suddenly that I had some serious aggression issues.
“Okay, well.” I forced a smile. “Good luck with that.”
I slammed the door before I did something stupid, leaning against it and attempting to calm my breathing.
I needed to look into anger-management classes.
I needed to get out of this house.
And I really needed to find my pants.
Chapter 39
I kept my fingertips on the hem of Michael’s T-shirt, pulling it down as far as I could. Glad I was familiar with the house, I tiptoed down the stairs, stopping short just outside the common area.
Ava and Michael were talking, her voice loud, his soft. I moved back to press myself against the wall beside the wide doorway, swallowing a scream when I felt a solid barrier of flesh behind me instead of the plaster I was expecting.
Kaleb. In the dim light I watched as his gaze traveled up my body, taking in my bare feet, the too-big T-shirt, finally returning to my legs. He let out a low, appreciative whistle.
“Two things. One, you have some fine legs. Two, if you were upstairs in my room, looking like that? I sure as hell wouldn’t be downstairs with her.”
Motioning for him to be quiet, I put my shoulder against the wall and leaned my head toward the conversation. Kaleb tucked himself in behind me, so close I could feel his breath on my hair.
“She was in your room.” Ava’s innate poise saturated her voice. I bet she’d never end up on the receiving end of a bucket of fish heads. “And she didn’t have on pants.”
I could feel Kaleb’s gaze move back to my legs. I elbowed him.
“Dune spilled a cooler of crawfish heads and mud all over her.” I could barely hear him over the sound of a baseball game on the television. “What was she supposed to do?”
“Go home?”
“She used my bathroom to take a shower. She was waiting for her clothes to dry.”
The poise slipped a little. “Were you going to tell me she was in your room—half-naked?”
I went ahead and elbowed Kaleb again for good measure.
“Ava.” Michael’s voice was sad. “You’re here because I’m trying to protect you.”
Ava sounded confused. “From what?”
“From who. Landers—”
“You’re going to bring this up again?” she said, on edge now. “I know what kind of man he is. I’ve known for a long time.”
“If that’s true, then you should know why I didn’t want you in that house. You kept having blackouts—”
“The blackouts? Is that really the only reason you asked me to move in here?” Michael didn’t respond. The sports announcers on the television discussed the first baseman’s batting average in depth before Ava spoke again. “Those aren’t happening anymore.”
“I’m not so sure about that, Ava.”
“I don’t want to talk about this.”
“And I don’t want to fight with you.”
“You know what? Go ahead and let the little groupie in your bedroom lavish you with ‘attention.’” I could hear the air quotes. “Who am I to stop her from feeding your hero complex? Should be easy to get started considering she’s naked from the waist down.”
I did not like what she was implying about me. At all.
And I totally had on my unders.
I got up quickly, clipping Kaleb in the chin with my head. I started for the common room, but he grabbed me around the waist, lifting me off the ground. If he hadn’t, I would have smacked directly into Ava as she rushed out of the room and stomped up the stairs. As soon as I heard her door slam, I started kicking, forcing Kaleb to put me down. I got the feeling he enjoyed my squirming a little too much.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Kaleb whispered furiously.
“In there,” I mouthed, pointing to the common room.
“You don’t want to do that.” I raised my eyebrows, and he continued in a low voice. “Come on, Em. He’s not your only option.”
I took a step back. “That’s not what this is about.”
He gave me a half smile and shook his head. “Just remember what I said.” Then he turned and followed Ava up the stairs.
I didn’t know when I’d become the top prize in the pissing contest between Michael and Kaleb, but I didn’t want to watch the race. I just wanted my pants.
I stepped into the room. “Hey.”
Michael faced me, making every effort not to look below my neck. “I’m sure your clothes are almost dry. I’ll bring them up when they’re done.”
I exhaled. “Can I have them now?”
“You in a hurry?” His stare almost burned a hole through me.
“I’ve been gone a lot lately. I don’t want to worry Dru and Thomas.” I fiddled with the hem of the T-shirt and wondered if he knew I was lying.
“Let me guess. You overheard my conversation with Ava.”
“Maybe.” I looked up at him. “Yes.”
“That’s too bad.” He rubbed his hands over his face, as if he was wiping away the memory of the argument.
“Is it true? Do you have a hero complex?” I stepped toward him involuntarily.
“How’s that edit button of yours?” I had the good sense to blush while Michael picked up the remote from a side table and cut off the television in the middle of a double play. The room went dim, the only other light coming from two small lamps on a buffet table. “Ava has a tendency to trust the wrong people. Landers had her snowed.”
“Kind of like you had me snowed?” I tried to be angry, but I didn’t sound convincing. I was too preoccupied by the way his face looked in the half-light, thrown into shadows. Mysterious. Dangerous. Tempting.
“What are you talking about?”
I imitated him. “‘No, Emerson, kissing you would be a big mistake.’ Why, Michael? Because you didn’t want me to be confused about my reasons for helping you save Liam, or because you didn’t want to have to make a choice between me and Ava?”
He moved swiftly. Cupping my face in his hands, he bent forward until he was a second away from touching his lips to mine. My blood rushed through my veins, every inch of my skin shivering and boiling at the same time. I half expected fire to shoot out of the electrical sockets. The lightbulb blew in one of the lamps on the buffet table, sounding a quiet ping into the dark.
I closed my eyes, ready to surrender to the kiss.
Just as quickly as he’d grabbed me, he let me go.
“That … wasn’t … fair.” I opened my eyes, swaying where I stood.
“No,” he answered. “It wasn’t. But now you know. If I wanted to play games with your emotions to get you to side with me, it wouldn’t be a hard sell. What I want doesn’t have a place in this. Emotions don’t have a place in this. They can’t.”
All the heat I’d felt disappeared, and my mouth dropped open. “I can’t believe you did that. You’re such a jerk.”
“Maybe so. But I don’t want you to do anything to please me or because of any feelings you think you have. I don’t want you to do it for the wrong reasons.”