After All

It’s a nice looking sailboat, I have to admit, as far as sailboats go. I mean, it’s not sinking and it has a mast and looks like it cost a lot. That’s really the extent of my sailboat knowledge. Emmett seems completely at ease on it too. The boat’s name is called Sick Buoy which I know is a Social Distortion song. His humor in naming the boat catches me off guard and endears him to me for just a second.

Then it goes away when I remember what he said earlier.

When we all start heading back along the dock, I impulsively reach out and grab the sleeve of Emmett’s tux, pulling him back so we’re the last ones.

“Hey sunshine,” he says to me, raising his brows at me in surprise. “Feeling better? You cried more than Will did up there.”

I glare at him. “I’m fine. Just caught up in the moment. Hey, what did you mean they warned you not to talk to me.”

“Actually they said to stay away from you,” Emmett says, lowering his voice, his eyes darting up toward Will and Ted. I knew it!

Also, his eyes are kind of dreamy.

Also, shut up Alyssa.

“Will and Ted,” I say, gritting my teeth as if they’re the names of a life-long nemesis. “Did they say why?”

He shrugs. “They only had nice things to say about you. Don’t worry.”

I feel a little bit better. “Then why did they say it?”

“I don’t know. I guess they think I’ll corrupt you.”

I don’t want to smile but I am. I’m strangely touched by Will and Ted’s possessiveness. And like reverse psychology, the fact that they want me to stay away from Emmett actually makes me want him. Not enough to do anything about it but I have rebellion in my blood.

Then there’s the fact that if Ted and Will warned Emmett to back off, that means Emmett must have shown some interest in me. Right?

“Do you think I should listen to them?” Emmett asks with a cocksure smile that makes my limbs feel all hot and gooey. His eyes skirt all over my face, resting on my lips. “Or try and corrupt you anyway?”

I can feel my face burn up. I should have worn sunscreen today.

“What are you guys talking about?” Tiffany says, staring at us suspiciously over her shoulder as she walks, now starting to trail behind.

“Nothing,” I tell her, starting to walk faster to catch up with her.

But my dress is long.

The docks are rough.

It catches on a splinter of wood and then I’m stepping on it in my heels and pitching forward, trying to stop myself from falling, the movement sending me sideways.

Falling over like a tree into the cold, dark water.

Only I don’t hit.

An iron grip wraps around my forearm, keeping me in place.

I stare down at my reflection in the water for a moment, my face pale and shocked against the charcoal-blue, and it’s like I’m suspended in time. I imagine everything around me paused while I’m hanging between the dock and the water.

And then I’m yanked back to reality.

I’m on the dock and Emmett is pulling me to him. It was his grip that saved me.

How the fuck did he manage to pull my heavy deadweight back on the dock without going over himself? Is he more superhero than villain?

“Are you okay?” he asks, brow furrowed in concern. The breezy quality of his eyes has changed to one of intense focus.

I blink at him, my heart racing.

Tiffany looks horrified as she comes over. “Oh my god, Alyssa, you were this close to getting eaten by a shark.”

“There are no sharks here,” Emmett tells her.

“Wanna bet? She has the worst luck with animals. If there are no sharks, she’d at least be molested by a porpoise. At least.”

While they talk, I glance over her shoulder at the others and they head up the ramp. So far no one noticed how I almost ruined everything. It’s not like I had a spare bridesmaid dress in case this one went for a swim.

“Yeah,” I say, wetting my lips before my gaze drops to his hand still tight around my arm. I kind of like the fact that he’s still holding onto me. Which is why I say, “You can let go of me now.”

“Are you sure?” he asks. “Because you seem like you might fall over again. Can’t say you’re the first woman to fall for me.”

I narrow my eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. It’s this stupid dress. It doesn’t belong on a dock.”

“I think maybe you don’t belong on a dock,” Tiffany says, taking my hand and pulling me toward her until Emmett lets go. “Come on, let’s get on dry land before something worse happens.”

We head up the ramp toward the building and as we walk I can feel Emmett just behind me and my arm is still throbbing where he grabbed me. Man, he must have the strength and balance of…well, I hate to use the superhero adjective again. But that was impressive.

So he saved you from falling in the ocean, I tell myself. So what. Anyone would do that.

I know I’m telling myself these things so I don’t fall for his charms.

And it seems to work.

My raging hormones don’t stand a chance against the jaded landscape of my brain.

“I think he likes you big time,” Tiffany whispers to me later as we get our food from the buffet table. I wish Jackie’s nervousness had passed on to me because I want to eat everything here and I think I just might. It’s too bad I don’t like working out as much as I love eating.

“Who?” I ask Tiffany, scanning around the reception room. Everyone at their tables is staring at us longingly since we get to go first for food. I feel like I should pile my plate extra high, just to rub it in. Heh heh.

“Your hero,” she says, using a crab leg to point to me for emphasis. “The villain.”

I roll my eyes. “He is not my hero.”

“I just saw him save you from drowning.”

“I know how to swim, Tiff.”

I look past her down the table to where Emmett and Ted are starting to pick at the salad selection. Just as I suspect, Emmett takes a huge heaping pile of lettuce, enough that it takes up most of his plate. He probably has to eat really well to stay in such good shape. How boring.

I decide to grab extra dessert later out of some weird kind of spite.

“Why don’t you like him?” she asks.

I glance at her. “What do you mean?”

“You bristle every time he’s near or I’m talking about him. It’s like you’re a shifter and all the hairs along your back are poking out.”

“You really do paint the strangest pictures.”

She shrugs. “Anyway, I think he wants to get in your dress.”

I don’t know why but what she’s saying is bringing out so many conflicting feelings. On one hand, of course he does, he’s a womanizer. On the other hand, I’m a far cry from his flavor of the week. When you’ve had my backlist of dating disasters, it’s hard to believe that anyone would be interested in you, especially an extremely hot actor who can have anyone he wants.

“I don’t like guys like him. You know this.”

“Babes? You don’t like babes? Because Alyssa, he is such a babe.”

“Such a babe,” I repeat, shaking my head. I hadn’t heard that term in a long time. “He’s a babe. Fine,” I admit and then something glowers in my heart. “But he reminds me too much of my father. And some exes I’ve had. I know his type. I know what they do to women. What my father did to my mom. They aren’t faithful. They aren’t reliable. They’re never in it for the long run.”