Path To Redemption (Fighter's Den, #1)

Chapter 22 - Emily

"Gonna answer my question?" His amused expression falls at my clipped tone and I force myself to remain impassive.

"I wanted to see you." His eyes rake over me as if emphasizing and my stomach flutters at his inspection and words. Traitor.

"Not what you said when you walked out of that classroom over two weeks ago." For the life of me I can't help but release the bitter words and I only regret it once they're out. I didn't want to show him how much he affected me and if he was going to be a somewhat constant in my lifestyle, I had to play nice. Be the bigger person.

"I have to talk to you about that." He has the decency to look remorseful at least. "Can I come in?"

Against my better judgement, I debate a few seconds before giving in. I avoid his eyes as I part the door open wide enough for him to come in and I walk ahead, needing the distance. His eyes blaze a bullet through my head as I feel him stare at the back of it but I don't look his way. He might think it's because I hate him or whatever, but I just really need to physically avoid him because I'm at bigger risk of my brain going stupid and giving into him, lusting after his every command.

All of a sudden he's right behind me, hard chest meeting my back and his scent invading my personal space. I try not to start when I feel his warm fingers slip into my palm, our arms lined right up against each other. His touch warms me all over and I'm afraid he'll hear my heart pounding, loud as it is. His chest brushes against me with every breath he takes and it's evidently taking all my willpower to not lean back into his touch. The power he has over me should really be considered deadly.

"The Deal?" He reads the title of my book aloud once it's in his hands and I realize that's what he'd been reaching for, not my hand. See what I meant when I said his touch makes me stupid?

"Yeah." I speak without turning around or moving or even breathing for that matter. "My current read."

"I've got way better abs than him." He must be looking at the cover and my mouth reluctantly quirks.

"Garret Graham is the embodiment of the perfect male specimen." I scoff. "I highly doubt you'd beat that hunk."

"He's not even real." The scowl in his voice causes a flutter of laughter to omit from my mouth.

"And yet you're jealous?" I'm still smiling when I finally turn around to face him.

Big mistake because his eyes automatically fall to my mouth and now all I can think about is kissing him. Which would lead to touching him. Which would lead to something we haven't done for the better part of half a month and something I really want to be doing right now. It's damn near impossible to escape from my thoughts when his huge frame seems to take up my entire living room space. It was different the last time he was here. Dad and Lizzie were around too. But now that it's just us, his presence is invading and the possibilities seem endless, all of which would fall under the category of getting each other off.

"You're speaking about him as if he's real so yes, I'm jealous. I feel like I'm competing against him to win my girl, real or not." He muses nonchalantly, as if he didn't just rip my heart out and stake his claim on it.

"Your girl?" I repeat like an idiot. What the shitballs happened to him in San Francisco?

"That's what I had to talk to you about." His smile flashes teeth and I'm once again dumbstruck by how it changes the entire composure of his face. Gone are the hard and rough angles replaced by an almost endearing vulnerability.

"Okay." My throat feels parched and my nerves kick into overdrive. He better not start up with false promises. I've had enough of them.

"Want to sit or something?" He awkwardly gestures to the couch and I have to stifle a smile when I see how nervous he looks. To see my big and brooding Jaxon Cage bought to nerves by me? It's almost laughable if it wasn't so damn cute.