Page 53 of Never Kiss Your Brother's Best Friend

“Emma, you deserve the world. I promise you that. Unfortunately, there are a lot of guys out there like Dean. They’re just selfish and definitely don’t deserve someone like you.”

She squeezes my hand. “Thank you, Sterling.”

I squeeze right back. “Oh, I’m not finished yet.”

She chuckles lightly. “I don’t think you really know how special you are. When people are with you, they can’t help but to be drawn to your warmth and kindness. The way you genuinely care for people and animals, for that matter—Buddy says thank you by the way for having that quality—is captivating.”

“Sterling.” She’s starting to blush, so I think I’m knocking this friend thing out of the park.

“Still not done. No interrupting. Please and thank you. Then there’s that smile, the one that lights up the room. The one I do would anything to bring out. Oops, sorry, made it about me for a second. Apologies.”

But that’s gets a huge grin from her. “Well, well, look at that. It made you smile, so maybe I don’t take it back.”

With a big breath, I prepare for my finale. “Let’s move on to your passion, drive, and creativity. The way you see the world, Emma. You bring beauty and wonder to everything you do. And those of us who are fortunate enough to be touched by your presence... We consider ourselves the luckiest people in the world.”

I think I may have gone too far with the compliments. The way she is looking at me. I think I may have given her 'the feels' as they say.

Now she’s staring at my lips instead of looking at my eyes. And, oh, did she just lick those lips?

What is a man to do with that when he’s supposed to be staying in the friend zone?

And now she’s getting up to come sit beside me. This is torture.

As she takes a seat beside me, she’s looking at my eyes again, thanks goodness. I feel like I should cover my mouth with my hands so it loses its appeal because I'm not suppose to want her to kiss me.

Emma puts her hands on my knees casually. We really need to talk about physical friend boundaries. That’s a little too much touching right now. But I ‘m doing my best to stay locked in the platonic zone.

“Those are the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, and I mean anyone, even my parents, I think.” We both laugh. Good release for the tension. I hope she cracks a few more jokes. We could turn this into a comedy club for the next few minutes while my insides settle down.

“You always find a way to make me feel special, always have. We have this connection I’ve never felt with anyone else.”

Oh no, she’s looking at my lips again. Will it be weird if I put my hands over them casually? I’m going to answer my own question there. Yes. Because no one puts their hands over their mouth casually in the middle of a conversation. Not unless someone tells them they have bad breath, and that doesn’t seem to be one of her concerns right now.

Think of something else, anything else. Ok, here goes.

Do penguins have knees? Do flamingos have ankles? What about whales, where are their ears exactly? Why are all my questions about animals? And further, why am I asking myself things I already know because I’m a vet! I mean, not a vet for those types of animals, but I still know.

Emma continues, inching closer. “I’m so thankful we reconnected Sterling. I can’t believe I went all these years without you in my life. You really mean the world to me.”

The faint smell of vanilla wafts through the air. Her skin... If I can smell her skin, she’s way too close.

“Me too,” I tell her and feel myself leaning in. She’s doing the same. Where’s Buddy when I need him? Or Peter? He always has the worst timing. Shouldn’t he be home by now?

But there’s no one to prevent the inevitable meeting of our lips. It happens in slow motion but also so fast that I can’t stop it.

Her lips are like a pillow. I want to rest here all day. But I can’t. We can’t.

This is not taking things slower. This is full steam ahead. This is two kisses in the last ten minutes. Last week’s kiss was the first and only one we shared in the thirty years we’ve known each other.

I’ve got to pull away from her. But you know that feeling when you lay your down on the world’s most perfect mattress? You get lost in dreamland.

I want to get lost in Emma right now.

But I promised her. I promised to wait until she’s ready. Her lips definitely feel ready, but seeing her struggle with what happened today shows me clearly that her heart is not.

And I care too much about her to take advantage of her moment of weakness right now.

I put my hands on her shoulders and painstakingly pull away.

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