Emmett told me to wear something cute, so I decided to fuck with him and wear something hot as hell instead. A slinky red sundress that’s too short, but with its A-line shape, the fabric drapes over my thighs somewhat more demurely. The black ankle-high cowboy boots dress it down just a little too. I ran out of time to do much with my hair other than pin it up and leave a few loose curls down to frame my face.
He’ll just have to deal with the messy mane. And I don’t even care. Because I feel… hot. And not at all embarrassed about it.Which makes me realize that it’s been a long while since I felt good showing myself off.
I exit the front doors of my building with a confident bounce in my step that feels fresh and exciting.
And it all seems like a fantastic idea until I waltz out into the fading light and seehim.
Waiting forme.
He’s leaned against his truck, thick arms crossed, his cream-colored Henley stretching tight over his shoulders. His ash-blond hair is pushed back, a little darker at the roots, curls tamed into something closer to artful waves. Stubble dusts over his jaw, and a pair of aviator sunglasses perch on the bridge of his straight nose.
I take in the way his brown jeans cling to his muscular thighs. He’s paired them with matching brown square-toed leather boots.
He looks golden, kissed by the sun after hours spent doing hard labor in the heat. Nothing he’s wearing is fancy or out of the ordinary, but he wears it all so damn well. He’s dressed it all up with a gold chain around his neck and a few beaded bracelets stacked with a two-tone watch.
And to be honest, the man could pull off just about any outfit.
But it’s the way he’s staring at me that almost stops me in my tracks. His gaze licks over my skin like flames over dry kindling. Fast, hot, and intense.
His throat bobs as his eyes pause on my hair, homing in on one loose tendril like it’s done something to personally offend him.
“Cute enough for you?” I tease as I draw nearer, refusing to act at all affected by his attention. I do a little spin so that the skirt of my dress flares out and gives him a peek of my bare thighs.
“That’s not how I’d describe this.” His voice comes out rough, and warmth flashes across my chest when he finally locks eyes with me, an accusatory finger gesturing over the length of my body.
I lick my lips, feeling parched. “How would you describe it?”
He gives me another careful once-over, chin tipping as he does. The air between us sizzles. “Trouble.”
My lips tip up, and I allow myself to enjoy the compliment for a beat. All I respond with is a nod. Because…good. Serves him right for strong-arming me into this.
Fuck around and find out, Emmett Brandt.
He opens the passenger-side door for me without a word. His hand finds its favorite spot on my lower back, his fingers wrapping around my hip bone ever so slightly as he helps me into his pickup truck.
“Thanks,” I say breathlessly, turning to look at him.
He grips the door and stares at my legs. When I glance down, I realize my skirt has ridden up, and I reach to adjust it.
But Emmett beats me to it. Calloused fingertips trail over the top of my thigh as he smooths the fabric back down.
Goose bumps spread over my legs. It’s an instant physical reaction to his touch, and we both know it. Because it’s impossible to be cold in this weather.
I can see the outline of his eyes through the dark brown lenses of his sunglasses as he glances up at me. “Like I said.Trouble.”
With that, he slams the door on me and rounds the vehicle. Giving me mere seconds to recover from his touch on my bare thigh and my unexpected reaction.
When he climbs in and starts the engine, country music fills the cab of the truck. Dierks Bentley’s voice is a welcome sound after the loaded silence mere seconds ago.
“You ready?” he asks, pulling away without sparing me a glance.
I settle back in my seat, doing my best to appear relaxed. “If I weren’t, would you turn this truck around and take me back home?”
This time, when Emmett looks at me, he hits me with a wolfish grin. Any signs of uncertainty he may have been wearing before have all evaporated. “Of course not. Haven’t you been warned about me, Jules?”
At that, I laugh. Because, yeah, Theo has warned me about Emmett.
He just didn’t warn me that under all that bluster, swagger, and sharp tongue, Emmett Brandt might just be one of the good ones.
