Hunks, Hammers, and Happily Ever Afters (3 page)

He was my touchstone, my north star, and every other hokey thing that could be named. I couldn’t imagine him not in my life.

That I kept picturing him in my bed too was my problem, and mine alone.

Emerson’s jaw tightened. “Who said I did?”

“It’s kind of obvious, don’t you think? You barely look at him. You always snarl in his direction. I know you didn’t want to come tonight either.” I cupped his hand on top of my jittery leg. “I also know you did it just for me, so thanks.”

“I had a shift this morning,” he said under his breath. “Four lawns out in Long Island, all of them huge. And then after the fight last night—”

“The fight. Oh God. I forgot to ask.” My hand went to my mouth. Lord, could I be any more selfish? That was it. Errant sex musings were banished for the foreseeable future. “I’m so sorry. Did you win?”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “You even gotta ask, babe?”

“Oh, Em!” Not caring about rules, I undid my belt and launched myself across the seat toward him, hugging him as best as I could and planting a noisy kiss on his cheek. “Does Dad know? He’s gonna be busting buttons. He said Giordano was one to beat.”

“Yeah, I called him last night, afterward. Hey, hey, sit down.” But he was smiling, and that was enough for me to kiss him again, harder. And if my lips skated too close to his smile, it was an accident, I swear.

Mostly an accident.

For a fraction of an instant, I would’ve sworn he kissed me back. Probably just as friends. Of course just as friends. But the tingle along my mouth as he gave me an unsteady shove back toward my seat said something different.

For a second, there had been heat and pressure. The corner of his full lips imprinting against mine. His rough exhale warming the path he’d jumped off even before he’d taken a full step toward it.

I fumbled for my seatbelt and gazed straight ahead, watching high-rises and businesses fly by in the darkness without really seeing them. I wanted to ask him so many questions.

Why did you kiss me?

Why didn’t you kiss me?

God, I didn’t know what had happened. Perhaps I’d imagined the whole thing. Undersexed dollhouse builders had fanciful imaginations, for sure.

“If you need to borrow money,” he began, his voice lower than I’d ever heard it, “I’ll give it to you. Not him. Okay?”

I blinked, unsure how we’d gotten back on that path again. But I was still too stunned by what had almost happened—maybe—to put up a fight. “Okay.” I swallowed hard. “But I won’t. I’ll do it on my own. I appreciate the offer though.”

“And as for JC, I don’t have a problem with him.” He jerked the wheel to the curb about a block up from JC’s new brownstone. He must’ve gotten the address from JC on his own.

I was pretty sure he hadn’t heard my response. “Sure about that?”

He shifted toward me, his eyes narrowed. Even in the darkness of the car, I could sense the intensity in his expression. “Except for one thing.”

For some reason, my heartbeat skipped. Like literally missed a beat. I hadn’t had any coffee today, so it wasn’t caffeine overload.

It was all Emerson Confusing-As-Hell Knapp.

“What’s that?” I asked, both craving and fearing the answer.

“He wants you—and I’m not going to let that happen.”

Before I could shut my mouth, he slammed his way out of the car.

CHAPTER THREE

JC

I opened the door to Lily and Emerson with a wide smile. “About time you got here. The party’s in full swing.” I stepped back to let them inside my new, barely furnished apartment. “Grab a beer.”

Emerson gave me a look as he nudged Lily inside ahead of him. Though she went first, I had no doubt he’d leap in front of her to block any passing threat. Like, oh, a speeding train or maybe a dude who wanted to feel her up.

To Emerson, I was reasonably certain the danger level would be the same.

After taking a few steps and assessing the obviously empty apartment, he turned toward me. “What full swing? There’s no one here.”

“Yes, there is.”

“Where?” Lily asked, glancing around in obvious confusion.

They were both adorable, and I was probably a dick for prolonging their puzzlement. But I figured I should get a pass, considering what I had in mind. If I’d read them both correctly, I was about to grant their fondest wish.

They could thank me later.

“You two are people, right?” I shut the door and pointed at my chest. “I’m a person.”

“Hold up. No one else is coming but us?” Emerson’s eyes narrowed, his most popular expression. “Why would you claim you were having a party and only invite two guests?”

“You were the only guests I wanted to celebrate with.” I slung an arm around their shoulders and guided them into the living room.

It wasn’t huge, but it was bigger than my old one and especially looked that way since only two long couches and a coffee table had been added so far. Well, and there were a couple of ladders, and a half-built custom shelving unit. But they didn’t count as furniture.

I picked up the oddly shaped bottle of Samuel Adams Utopias on the coffee table and poured the smooth brandy-colored liquid into the three waiting glasses.

“Beer for you,” I said to Emerson, passing him a glass. “And for you,” I said to Lily, pressing the cool drink into her outstretched hand.

At least she wouldn’t sulk through my party. I didn’t think.

“What the hell is this?” Emerson picked up the doorstopper bottle and lifted it to the light as if he suspected I was trying to poison them.

Actually, I was trying to fuck them, so he’d pegged that one wrong.

“It’s beer. You asked for beer, did you not?” I sat down on one of the couches and took a long sip, demonstrating that I was drinking from the same well. “This is beer. Very fine beer, in fact. Expensive as hell, with a little sweetness for our non-beer drinker over there.” I smiled at Lily, who was thoughtfully peering into her glass. “There’s maple syrup in it.”

She took a tentative taste, her face screwed up in preparation to hate it. Then her forehead smoothed and she smiled. “Hey, that’s not bad.”

“See? Finally, some trust.” I took another drink and lifted a brow at Emerson. “If you wanna be a pussy about it, I have some Coors on ice.”

Though I didn’t look her way, I saw Lily fidget out of the corner of my eye. Anything bordering on naughty language always made her nervous. I don’t think she minded it so much as she wasn’t used to it. From what I could tell, her big cop daddy and Emerson kept her on a damn short leash.

That needed to change. Tonight, I hoped.

Emerson took a defiant gulp, then held the glass stein at arm’s length. “Shit, that’s not bad. Holy strong though.”

“Mmm-hmm.” I smiled around the lip of my glass. “Twenty-seven percent alcohol. Banned in thirteen states for too high a content for beer.” I finished off my glass in another handful of sips and reached for the bottle. “More?” I asked them, noticing they were both putting serious dents in their own glasses.

“Lily isn’t twenty-one,” Emerson reminded me.

“I know. She’s also not on her daddy’s watch right now, so let her breathe, huh?” I glanced at her and noticed the color already rising in her cheeks. With her size and lack of tolerance, she’d be buzzing soon if she wasn’t already. “More?”

“I’m not driving, so sure.” She cast a glance toward me and held out her glass.

“You can sleep over,” I said quickly when Emerson didn’t reply, just continued staring into the scant inch of brown liquid left in his glass. “There’s a guest bedroom,” I added as his head snapped up.

I sincerely hoped they’d be in my king bed by the end of the night, but I knew there would be many steps to reach that point. Possibly more than could be covered in a single night.

I’d always been an optimistic fucker.

“I have to work in the morning.”

Nodding, I smiled at Lily and filled her glass. “How about you?”

“She’s not sleeping here.” Emerson answered so fast for her that Lily frowned and whipped her head in his direction.

“Hello, I can speak for myself.” Her throat bobbed. “I’m not sleeping here, but thank you.”

I chuckled and set down the bottle of fancy-ass beer. My own glass was clutched in my white-knuckled grip. I might be optimistic, but I also knew the uphill climb I faced in getting these two to lower their inhibitions. We’d all been friends long enough for that to be clear. Emerson didn’t think we were, and he tried to tell himself he only hung out with me to keep Lily company. And to, you know, watch her and make sure her hand didn’t sneak toward my dick or something.

The truth was, he watched me too. And I liked it.

There was a vibe between the three of us. I wasn’t sure how it would translate between the sheets, but I damn sure intended to find out.

So...alcohol. And parties for three. And a party game or two meant to be an icebreaker that would hopefully lead to the loss of clothes.

First, I’d ease them in.

“What about a tour?” I set down my empty drink and scrubbed my palms on my jeans. Yeah, I was nervous. No matter how easygoing I seemed, I wasn’t unaffected by possible rejection. Especially possible rejection by two of my closest friends. Lily was closer than Emerson, of course, but that was the asshole’s own fault. He wouldn’t let me in. Didn’t want me to spin too far into his sphere.

I figured that was because he wanted me there too much. So I’d be testing that theory soon.

“Sure.” Lily stepped aside to give me room to pass her and I waved them both forward.

“Step into my lair.” I glanced around. “Eh well, you’re already in it, so come deeper into my lair.”

Lily let out a hiccupping giggle and I smiled, leading the way toward the small formal dining room. It was probably cheating to load her up with drinks, especially stuff with such a high alcohol content. But I wouldn’t let her get far enough gone to lose her faculties. I just wanted that first layer or two of scared to dissolve.

It wasn’t like Emerson would let anything go too far if he wasn’t sure she was on-board anyway. Hell, I wasn’t sure he would let it even if she was. That might shut things down even quicker.

“Dining room.” I gestured to the scarred dining table. “One of my first projects. This was my grandparents’ table. It’s been in storage for years.”

“Wow, look at this wood.” Lily caressed the the wood, her small red-tipped fingers tracing welts and wounds. “You’re going to make this gorgeous.”

I nodded. I would. But her faith in me made me swallow hard as we continued on to the kitchen. “You probably recognize this room.”

“Barely. Fridge and stove and empty cabinets.” Emerson shook his head and popped open the fridge door. “Yeah, there’s Coors in here, but not much else.” He held up a half-eaten package of bologna. “Where’s the bread?”

“Carbs are bad.” I grinned and patted my stomach, well aware that the black shirt I’d put on tonight was tight as fuck. I was proud of my body. Probably too proud in Emerson’s eyes. He didn’t like the way I stripped down in front of Lily. Not that he’d ever said as much, but he was about as hard to read as an eye chart.

“Uh-huh.” Lily thumped my arm. “Does that include the Cool Ranch Doritos I saw you eating like a fiend last week?”

“I know not of whence ye speaks.” I blinked innocently and headed down the hallway, stopping at the first door. I nudged it open with my sneaker. “Standard bathroom, with non-standard two-person whirlpool tub.”

If my voice lowered a bit on the last part, who could blame me? It just so happened I’d thought of both of them naked more than a few times.

I’d had a threesome once before, years ago, during that summer between high school and college. There had been two guys and a girl, and that had been the first time I’d made out with a guy. Turns out I enjoyed it. A lot.

The girl, however, had not been down with it in any shape or form. She’d split before we’d gotten more than her top off, and then the guy and I had...finished things off all on our own. So I guess it wasn’t a real threesome, but an aborted one.

This one—if it happened—would be different. Somehow I just knew it.

“Wow, pretty sweet.” Lily slipped past me into the bathroom, her curves brushing against my interested dick. Not hard yet, because I wasn’t that easily stimulated. Let’s just say it wouldn’t take much to give me a semi though, not with that snug black dress hugging her ass and tits. Both her ass and her chest were damn fine.

She bent to run her fingertips over the scalloped edge of the shelf beside the tub. She was a toucher, that one. “This would be perfect for candles.” She tossed a grin over her shoulder. “You know, O’Connor, when you want to set a mood.”

I only smiled. Oh, I knew all about moods. She’d be finding that out soon enough.

We walked down the hall to the pair of bedrooms. “Standard bedrooms,” I said, pointing out one then the other. “Please notice the awesome acoustics.”

I walked into the master bedroom and hit a couple switches and music filled the room—and the apartment. I’d settled on rock, though I knew Lily liked pop and Emerson liked hip hop. But again, mood, and these dueling guitars from Oblivion were dirty as hell.

“Nice.” Emerson glanced around, thumbs tucked in his belt loops. Since I hadn’t even expected that much from Mr. Silent, it felt like high praise.

“Damn, look at this bed.” Lily bounded forward and bounced on my California King, her grin a mile wide. “This is for some serious sleeping.”

Or serious fucking.

“I take my rest very seriously,” I said solemnly before waving for them to follow me across the hall. “You’ll notice the guest room has a bed big enough for two.”

Deliberately, I glanced back at Lily, expecting her to be flushing and fretting. But the alcohol must’ve been doing its job, because she only chewed on her lower lip and slid Emerson a look under her lashes. “Not sure Em would be interested in sharing a bed with me.”

Emerson turned and walked out.

Okay then. This night was proceeding just about as I’d expected so far.

She sighed and rotated her glass between her palms. “Sorry, he’s being...”

“Him?”

She laughed softly. “Yeah. But he’s in even more of a weird mood tonight, because of something that happened on the way over here. Or almost happened.” She blew out a breath. “Jeez, nothing actually occurred, but he kind of clammed up even worse after and now I don’t know what he’s thinking.”