Page 47 of Everything I Crave

This book has me on edge, but I did spend quite a few years in Nashville as a single woman living alone, plus this woman is probably the same size as me. I bet I could take her. I start to slowly sit up.

The movement must catch the woman’s eye and she turns around to face me, her hands are up and ready to, what, karate chop me?

I let out a little giggle as she lifts her face to me. It’s a face I recognize from the pictures on Gunnar’s wall. His sister, Emma.

“I’d think if you were going to steal a car you’d have better fighting skills,” I say, trying to hide the laughter.

“This is my brother’s truck, I’m not stealing!” she says defensively. “Besides, who the fuck are you and why are you in here?”

I smirk. “Ah, I see your brother hasn’t told anyone he kidnapped me and left me locked in the truck. Interesting.”

“Kidnapped? No way G would do that,” she chokes out. “I’m calling him now.” She begins typing furiously on her phone, I assume a text to Gunnar to let him know there is a crazy woman in his truck claiming to be kidnapped.

“He’s on his way. Stay here, don’t move!” She holds her hands up like she’s going to stop me from exiting the back doors that she is nowhere near.

“Ah, a family of kidnappers, I see,” I joke, except she doesn’t know it.

“I am not! Neither is G,” she insists. “Just… just be quiet.”

Gunnar appears at the driver’s window and knocks to have Emma roll it down.

He looks straight to me. “I didn’t kidnap you, darling. You came on your own. Even packed your own bag. I think you pretty much insisted on coming so you could yell at me sooner rather than later.”

“I’d say holding that conversation over me could possibly be considered manipulation and kidnapping.” I grin back at him, glad that the earlier tension seems to be gone, and we can joke with each other again.

Gunnar scoffs, and points to me. “Emma, this is Willow, my-” he pauses as if he doesn’t know how to introduce me after my earlier tantrum. “My roommate. Willow, this is my sister, Emma.”

Emma slaps her hand to her mouth as if she is shocked by this revelation of my identity.

“Oh my god! G!Thisis the roommate making your life hell? I was imagining a different kind of hell.” She winks at me.

“Trust me it’s a true living nightmare.” He groans.

“Aww, G, I didn’t know you were talking about me so much.” I tilt my head to the side and give an innocent smile.

“Ooooh, he talks about you alright.” She smirks back at him.

“Stop. I do not,” he turns to me and points. “And you do not call me G.”

I lean forward and whisper to Emma, “Is he always this touchy?”

“Since we were kids,” she whispers back. We both break out into a fit of giggles and Gunnar sighs, exasperated with me and my new bestie.

“What the fuck have I done letting you two meet?” He runs his hand through his hair, and I can’t help but stare. Especially when his shirt lifts a little and I can see that magical v in his muscles.

“Ew. Gross. Don’t ogle my brother in front of me!” Emma admonishes me.

“Sorry.” I smile. “Not sorry though.” I look back at Gunnar and bite my bottom lip. Emma makes a fake gagging noise next to me.

I think I’m going to like her.

“Okay, since you’ve now met Emma, you have two choices. You can either come in and meeteveryone else, or you can stay here and they’ll just bombard you for the next hour one by one in my truck.” He opens the back door and pulls me to him so my legs are on either side of his thighs.

He leans down to whisper in my ear, “He’s out of surgery and going to make a full recovery, just a broken hip.”

I chew on my bottom lip for a different reason this time. I’m not sure I can do this. I stare up at him.

“Just try, I’m here if you need to leave. Please?” He whispers closer to my ear, grazing the side of my neck with his fingers, probably noticing the worry shining in my eyes.

---