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Another barking cough tore past E Dillon as he rounded the taxi after closing her door Forget the fact that Gavin was going to be there tonight, she felt like shit, and her body ached fro on a different kind of pain for her at this point She couldn’t believe she had allowed Dillon to talk her into going, but so persistence and intolerant tone brooked no argument
Already intoxicated, he haphazardly slid into the backseat and let the driver know their destination
After digging in his pants for his wallet, he looked to E better by now"
Between the s on his breath and the nausea froh her systeht there and then
"No, Dillon, I don’t feel better," she sighed, leaning her head against theA crowded bar was the last place she wanted to be right now "I don’t see what the big deal is if I didn’t co his head, he scooted over and draped his arm around her shoulder "It’s Trevor’s birthday - that’s the big deal"
"I already spoke with him earlier I told hio" After another coughing fit, she added, "He was perfectly fine with it"
"Well, don’t forget, I leave for Florida to for a few days" He pulled her closer, positioning her legs across his lap "You don’t want to hang out with o, do you?"
"You know that has nothing to do with it," she replied, coughing "We could’ve stayed hoht when your flight leaves so early is beyond me"
He leaned into her ear and slowly s sainst the lace of her panties "I can handle an early flight, babe Let’s just hope you can handleto push his hand away from her, shock crossed her features "You don’t really think you’re getting laid tonight, do you?" she asked, sliding away fro about that
She was sick, and he knew it
In one sweepingher toward his over hers "I know I’ue across her neck as he dipped his hand back under her skirt "I’ll be gone for a few days I need a little bit to hold me over"
"Get offto ignore the driver now staring at the extra ain, she let loose a gurgling cough in his direction, hoping the ht into his nostrils
Unfortunately, it didn’t stop hiain Fortunately, her reprieve froht there in the taxi ca her with a cold look, Dillon pulled it from his pocket to take the call E sure to stuff her coat and purse between thenore his conversation as he laughed hoever was on the other end However, she couldn’t ignore the growing anxiety steadily filtering its way through her veins, knowing she was about to spend the evening in the presence of Gavin After their last encounter, the past several weeks had been nothing short ofdifficult for her Though she had plunged head first into her new teaching job, apart, Gavin was there in the back of her thoughts like a lingering beautiful shadow - never leaving, never letting go, just there
She was hurt and confused and res she knew he liked stopped her dead in her tracks when she heard thehts of hi She’d found herself beco unproductive in a heartbeat when he clouded her mind Her overall disposition was overtly strained He stimulated her emotionsher nervesand all her senses She may have wanted Gavin, but she knew she shouldn’t have these reckless feelings for hi She hated the fact that she felt powerless around his that needed to stay buried deep inside That he made her want to take risks on his like her upcoe to the only love she’d ever known - the only man that had ever been there for her Gavin did this to her She did this to her Fate did this to her She didn’t knoho or what to bla she did knoas the whole situation was tearing her apart
Pulling up to the sports bar on the Lower West Side, she drew in a deep breath and stepped out from the taxi into the crisp October air It would be an understateht
Gavin saw Emily the moment she walked in It was i the frenzied crowd, she shone bright, like a blazing star illu itself in a dark sky
His dark sky
The invisible wire tightened around his throat, rendering him nearly breathless She looked incredible - clad in a black skirt, sexy knee-high boots, and a tight green sweater that enhanced every curve that God hiraced upon her Gavin had never knooman so beautiful He’d sunk hi not to think of her His intentions were to obliterate her cohts, but the more he had tried, the more she took root in his ht - at least, that’s what Trevor told hih the ocean of bodies in the sports bar, it suddenly felt as though his heart was slay, colliding with his desire, want, and need for her The connection and pull she extracted from him - even from the first time he’d laid eyes on her - still amazed him In the seconds before she and Dillon approached, Gavin’s voice of reason piped up, telling hio and be done with her But, as much as he wanted to listen to it, his head was already in overdrive She was the recipient of all his pent-up e short of agonizingly addictive to him Gavin’s eyes found hers, but she looked away, essentially ignoring his very existence After shaking hands with Dillon, Gavin watched as she walked over to Trevor
"Youbetter, I assu away froh to top it off, she answered, "No, I don’t feel better, so youme" Trevor s She looked up to hiious as they cohed "Eht now to kill off any fucking gerh, she returned his hug "Alright then, but you asked for it" He sthree-zero?"
"Not quite The ripe young age of twenty-nine," he answered, snaking his arm around Fallon’s waist He flicked his eyes down to her "And what a year it’s gonna be"
Fallon leaned up to kiss hiirl"
"You are a lucky girl, and he’s a lucky guy, too Don’t forget that," Emily smiled "I love the new color"
Fallon fluffed her crimson hair to the side "Do you? I’m not used to one color at a ti of you" Emily looked around "Where’s Olivia and Tina?"
"Apparently, you’re not the only one sick in Manhattan tonight," Trevor answered "Tina didn’t feel good, so Olivia took her home"
Emily nodded and settled in a seat next to Dillon He was ordering a few shots and steadily on his way into deeper alcohol oblivion
"If you’ll excuse et my sweat on with my hot lady here"
Emily watched as Trevor and Fallon disappeared onto the dance floor
Over the next half hour, E lance She listened to him and Dillon talk about baseball The Yankees haddisplayed across several large flat-screen televisions throughout the bar Their rival - go figure - was the Baltimore Orioles
Emily had to smile at that
Unable to numb her anxiety with alcohol because of the medication she was on, she endured the situation as best as she could - paying no attention to either lass of ice water froht her attention
Pulling it out, she noticed it was a text froa no idea who it was, she texted back: Who is this?
After a few seconds, the reply: Howeveryour "birds" have no clue how to play the ga her head up in Gavin’s direction, her heart skipped a beat Though he was perched on the opposite side of Dillon, he was in E at her, his smile ide and inhibited She flicked her eyes in Dillon’s direction It was obvious that he was paying no mind to her or Gavin, clearly more intoxicated than when they first arrived He was in the ahed and shared a few shots together
Another inco text vibrated her phone: Take a look at the score
Nervous, she looked over at Gavin again
Sestured to one of the televisions with his bottle of beer
Quickly averting her eyes to the screen where it was highlighting a Yankees lead by five, she let out the breath she was holding She looked back to him where yet another smile broke out across his face
Eet my number?
His reply: Adainst my Yankeesand perhaps I will release that infor, she cocked a brow and looked at hied
"The nerve," she mumbled under her breath as she texted hi
Her eyes shifted to his again With a perplexed look on his face, he sers across his screen
He texted: Then you’re left with your original assumption of my personalityI’m a stalker, and you’reher head at the true wiseass he really was, curiosity got the better of her: Fine, ht
Sighing, she heard Gavin let out a full throaty laugh
He replied: I’ll make it simpleyour team S-U-C-K-S And since you wouldn’t adainstKinky, right? I’ll be waiting for your response
Taking a sip of her water, she scoffed "He’s seriously lost his mind"
She watched as a superior san to text hi for an answer, but he sent another: I decided I’ so ic word, and I will relinquish the information you so desire Clueit starts with pretty
She rolled her eyes and texted hi text was quick: I knew I could get you to begMolly
Now she couldn’t help but laugh Her text was a littlethis ti for anything I want the infor between lewd and mischievous when she looked in his direction now
He responded: You begged, doll, and I’ for plenty of things if given the proper chance to do so Plenty But, to answer your question, Olivia gave me your number I would assume hed: I disagree with the begging part I call it being courteous Not sure how to answer your second stateant bastard No, I’ your partner in crimethe both of you are certifiably nuts
Between beco consu Yankees fans in the background, Emily didn’t notice that Dillon had disappeared However, she couldn’t help but notice Gavin staring directly at her with only a barstool separating them now Her breath hitched in the back of her throat as he closed that distance by sliding over into the seat next to her Propping his elbow on the bar, his smile was no less cocky than before
"So, says the ’arrogant bastard,’" he began, shifting his body to face her, "are you still going to deny that I ?"
The familiarity of his humor-filled voice sent chills down her back With a smirk, she let out an exasperated breath "You’re relentless"
"Always," he answered evenly Taking a long pull froood way to break the tension hanging in the air"
"You have a funny way of breaking tension, Gavin"
"And why do you say that?"
"Let’s seetrying to gether legs, and then quickly added, "Which I wasn’t"
"You begged, doll, but I’ll let it go"
Laughing, she shook her head "I give up; you win"
He s lost in the ured o over well," he said as his eyes shiy behind theht; the tension that had built up inside her had see in a deep breath, she nodded "It did"
Slowly, he slid a bottle cap over to her and s down at the smooth-lacquered bar, she picked up the cap and rolled it in her fingers with a weak smile on her lips In whatever way she could take it, she needed to be right with hiht with the fair with either one of their hearts Fate had broken all the rules in their case, creating a no-holds-barred wicked ga at their deepest thoughts with strength unlike any other, it was bringing the strongest ofher decisions - but she wasn’t about to let it destroy either of their lives any further
Drawing in another deep breath, she aze and nodded "Yes, Gavintruce"
As the relief soaked through his veins, Gavin analyzed her face, hoping to burn the vision of her into his memory It’d felt like forever since he’d seen her "So how’ve you been?"
"I’ve been doing okay You?"