Destined (The Rangers of Ridge County #1)

Chapter Twenty-Five

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

MILLIE

“ I don’t want to press charges,” I declared. “But I do want there to be some form of follow up to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

“Don’t worry,” Emmett stated. “Even if the Valley wasn’t under my jurisdiction, I’d be keeping an eye on him.”

The night had crashed and burned.

But here Emmett was, fighting the flames.

I looked back to Paul who seemed a lot smaller now—minuscule even—and said, “I truly hope your actions tonight were a misrepresentation of who you are as a person.”

Paul peered up at me and muttered a pitiful apology. Then Emmett escorted all three men down the block to a silver truck.

I heard him ask for each of their licenses as Rory pulled me into another hug.

“I am so sorry,” she whispered, squeezing me tight.

“There is nothing for you to be sorry for,” I replied adamantly.

She let go, and I turned my head—spotting Chance undergoing a field sobriety test.

“Fucking asshole,” Greer grumbled, and I laughed which had her cracking a grin.

Strong arms spun me around and pulled me tight against a toned chest. Emmett’s fresh pine scent enveloped me, and I nuzzled into the comfort his presence provided .

We stayed wrapped up in one another until Greer cleared her throat.

Emmett leaned back but captured my chin again, and the intimacy of it had butterflies taking flight from the pit of my stomach.

“Reassure me, Millie.”

My confusion must have reflected in my expression.

“Tell me you’re good, honey,” he clarified. “Because if you’re anything but, I’ll chase them down and haul their asses in.”

This was the second time he called me honey tonight. And as much as I wanted to, I didn’t have the energy to acknowledge the nickname or my feelings about it—not after what just happened.

“I’m all right,” I repeated. “I just want to go home.”

I was mentally and physically drained. My feet hurt. I was tired—not to mention, freezing as I stood here in Rory’s cute but lacking leather jacket. And I still hadn’t found my gloves.

“You should stay with me tonight,” Rory offered. “We can have a sleepover. Face masks, pedicures, an audiobook.”

While that would sound like a blast any other night, all I wanted to do right now was bury myself under familiar blankets.

I realized Emmett’s hand was hovering on my lower back, and I leaned into the support he was offering.

“I just want to go home tonight,” I answered honestly.

“How about I take you home and bring you back tomorrow to get your car?” Emmett suggested. “I don’t like the idea of you driving after everything that happened tonight.”

I could live with the compromise, and it seemed my friends could too as they nodded in agreement.

After long hugs and a promise to reach out tomorrow, Emmett and I made our way to his cruiser.

I rubbed my hands together as he opened the passenger’s door for me, and I climbed inside. Still preoccupied with warming my frozen fingers, Emmett surprised me by reaching across my lap for the seat belt.

His proximity warmed me instantly. In fact, I started sweating—anxiously awaiting that telltale click signaling I was latched in safely.

The sound finally echoed in the cab of the cruiser, and Emmett slowly eased back. Our eyes locked, and I held my breath. My heart rate kicked up as he brought his lips to my temple and placed a featherlight kiss near my hairline.

I closed my eyes as his forehead dropped to the spot he just kissed. His breath cascading down my neck was an aphrodisiac like nothing I had ever experienced before, and that was when I knew I was in trouble.

Was it possible to be too close, yet not close enough?

“Being your friend is going to be the death of me,” he whispered, and my eyes flew open to find him staring back.

Paul in this position had made me nauseous, but Emmett was making me hot in more ways than one.