Page 9 of Lost the Handle

Down, boy. She is only fucking with us.

“None of that,” I grit out, setting her with an impassive look. “I’m getting married.”

She feigns innocent, but those gray eyes tell me what she’s up to. “What? You’re the one threatening me and apparently forgetting I’m yourbest friend.”

My jaw goes taut, and I swear I’m about to lose my fucking mind. “This isn’t going to work. You have enough money to get something if you wanted. A hotel, an Airbnb, anything.”

She shrugs. “Sure, but you don’t have a roommate, and I’ve missed you. My bestie.”

I swallow hard. “Em.”

She takes a step toward me, extending her hands to grab mine. She laces her fingers through mine, but I don’t link mine with hers. I can’t. If I do, I won’t let go. “Haven’t you missed me?”

Missed her? I haven’t felt whole until this moment. With her scent invading all my senses. My heart sings for this girl. I want desperately to tangle my fingers in her hair and slam my mouth to hers. I want to hold her in my arms, and once I get my fill, I want to devour her. Instead, I just stare down at her, my heart doing the merengue in my chest while the butterflies in my gutdo the cha-cha. Her eyes burn into mine, her bottom lip jutting out as she squeezes my hands, making it real hard for me to remember I’m technically engaged to someone else.

It’s not fair that Em and I have a constant spark between us that can’t be extinguished.

She knows it. I know it.

But I’m engaged.

I remove my hands from hers. “Emery, I’m engaged.”

Her eyes narrow once more, and she brings her arms up to cross over her chest. “So, because you’re engaged, that means we can’t be best friends? That’s ridiculous. I came before your sweet little Ava.” She’s goading me. She’s trying to make me lose my temper, and fuck if it isn’t working. “As you’ve said, you’re engaged, and I have no problem respecting this engagement.”

“You know I can tell when you’re lying.”

She just grins. “Obviously, you can’t. Because I’m not.”

She is, but I’m not going to argue with her. “Emery, this is a bad idea.”

Her grin grows, looking exactly like the little villain she is. “Not at all. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Unable to answer her, I just glare down at her. But her grin doesn’t falter. “Plus, you know I need your bandwidth and Wi-Fi for work. A hotel won’t support my computer.” With that, she turns back to her bag to unpack as if I haven’t asked her to leave three times. “I had a really nice guy help me with my stuff, but I left it with the concierge since I didn’t want him knowing where you live. Crazy people.”

I ignore the jealousy that rears in my heart knowing someniceguy helped her, and I set her with a look. “Like you.”

She just grins. “Can you go get it for me, roomie?”

I let my head fall back. “Em, are you serious right now?”

She looks over at me. “As a heart attack,” she says with a wink. “If you want me to talk toAva, I can.” That’s the lastthing I want, but because this girl loves getting under my skin, she adds, “I can explain how you’re just helping out your bestie, and since y’all’s love is so pure, nothing would be able to come between it.” Her eyes dance with mine. I’m unsure if I want to strangle her or kiss her senseless.

This is Emery.

Not taking no for an answer and goading me in all the right ways. In ways only she knows how to do because we were so close. She was my best friend, the love of my life, but that can’t be the case anymore.

There is a reason I’m marrying someone else.

And I can’t forget that.

Chapter

Four

Emery

I will not letthe fact that he’s fighting my living with him so hard discourage me.

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