Page 23 of Emerson

“Can I help you?” He says, scanning me up and down.

“Password, cactus ass.”

The bald-headed beefcake shakes his head, “Nah. That was last month.”

“Cactus dick?”

“Nope.”

I huff and cross my arms. “Ivy tits?”

“What?”

“Alfalfa balls? Fiddle-leaf fuck?”

The man scratches his head. “No?”

“Can you just let me in?” I growl, gesturing to myself. “I’m clearly not dressed for crime and scandal. I just want to see if my brother is getting his face beat in. You know, if his nose gets broken one more time, he will start snoring when he’s awake. And also? He’s heartbroken. Dumb, bald, big-nosed and broccoli-eared, and he’s single now. How will I ever get nieces and nephews if he gets his balls kicked back into his stomach? Huh? He’s going to break a hip down there, he’s practically a senior citizen, and he—”

I’m cut off abruptly when I’m grabbed by my arm and tugged away. My head snaps in the direction of my abductor to find Dillon on the other end of the arm. Which has me in a firm grip. I slap at the offending appendage, but he holds strong.

“Hey! Do you see this? Arrest him!”

The bouncer man looks from me to Dillon and gives Dillon a little upnod. Like a little thanks for saving him from me.

I push at Dillon’s hand, trying to pry his fingers off me. “Let me go.”

He lets me go, but only so he can grab my hand instead. His fingers lace with mine, and my heart slams so violently against my ribcage that I stumble over my feet, barely managing to keep myself upright as he leads us towards the back exit.

The early fall air hits me in the face as he tugs me out through the emergency exit. The door closes with a click behind me.

“What the hell, Montgomery?” His grip doesn’t ease up; he uses it to move me over to the fence, and then I’m crowded against it.

“Why do you insist on driving me crazy, hmm?”

I gawk, pointing at my chest. “Me? Drive you crazy? You’re the one who pulled me out here.” My entire body throbs with awareness. Tingles run down my arms, up my neck. Just looking up at him, feeling him, is enough to have my stomach fluttering, cock aching. My face is warm, and I’m panting like a bitch in heat.

God. This is bad.

I’m waiting for Dillon to smirk. Tease me. Something to break the thick, gooey tension that’s quickly blanketing us.

I almost miss the sound of the door we came out opening. I almost miss the familiar voice.

Almost.

“Please, El.”

Warren.

Dillon moves closer, pushing me up against the fence until we’re so close I lose my breath. I can barely make out his face in the dim lights, nothing but the flood lights from the building and a single streetlight. But I hear Dillon’s soft curse. He shakes his head slowly, pressing against me.

We’re touching everywhere we possibly can.

“Just leave, Warren,” another voice says, deep and resigned.

My brain is flooded with a hundred different possibilities. I move my head, trying to crane around to catch a glimpse of them. Dillon leans his head down until his nose grazes my temple.

“Don’t,” he whispers. Just one word, but it’s all I need to hear the thread of anger in it. Hurt, even.