"Anything has to be better than the aftertaste I'm getting. Must be all that spicy mexican food Emma..you have to have a cast iron stomach." Dea teased her and reached for the bottle. They sat around the fire talking for a while longer, and Zac decided someone needed to call Ike and Kim to tell them to bring more blankets (the breeze was picking up slightly) sweatshirts and hang out, they'd bought way too much beer for Tay and Zac to drink by themselves, and quite honestly, Taylor and Zac felt a part of themselves was missing without Ike there. Zac ended up going back to his truck to make the call, his cell was in there. and to grab the blanket he had taken to keeping in the back of his truck in case Emma decided they needed to chill at the beach. Dea was complaining about being cold and the only blanket they had was the one they were sitting on, which happened to be the one from Emma's car. Zac made the call, Ike and Kim eagerly telling him they'd be there as soon as they grabbed a few more blankets, grabbed Emma's long sleeved t-shirt for Dea, and headed back to the fire. Taylor sat on the blanket next to Dea, who was shivering and practically sitting on top of him, still complaining about being cold. Dea's head was resting on his shoulder and he did put his arm around her, ecause she was shaking so hard. Emma took another hit off the bottle of whiskey and shoved it at Dea. "Here babe...couple o' shots o' this and you won't be cold." she giggled. 'Shit' Tay thought, 'she's already buzzed' He took the bottle from her and realized she'd been drinking it almost like soda. "Emma..damn.." he murmured. "I was cold..." she grinned. "Oh DEA..dammit..I shoulda remembered...there's a long sleeved t-shirt in the truck..it should fit you.." she said and stood. She started to walk around Taylor, but the combination of alcohol, her uneven footing on the sand, and the fact that it was getting dark served to put her off balance and she tumbled right into Taylor's lap. "Well hell.." Emma muttered and grinned up at him, still dizzy. "I'm sorry, Tay. Dea? I didn't land on you did I?" she giggled, tilting her head back against Taylor's thigh, looking upside down at Deanna. "God Emma...you are the goofiest grl I've ever met.." Dea giggled. Taylor's heart was pounding almost uncontrollably, at the feel of Emma's small body so close to his. He set his hand on her waist, noticing that she was small but solid. He looked down into her hazy green eyes and seriously wondered what it would be like to kiss her. "Umm...I hate to say this guys...but I think I need a little help here." Emma giggled again. Dea immediately stuck her hands under Emma's shoulders and shoved, telling herself that the look on Taylor's face was just her imagination, since she was still kind of upset that he'd neglected her slightly. Then she admonished herself for being too chicken to go back in the water and do what he wanted. After all, she could have said no when he called and asked her if she wanted to come along. She was so thrilled that he'd actually called her, (she didn't think he would since he called it a night so early last time they were together) that she didn't care what they did. She also really liked Emma, who had become sort of a hero or role model to her. She wished she could be as brave as her and found herself trying new and different things because of her encouragement. Taylor licked his suddenly dry lips and swallowed hard, then gave Emma a shove off his lap, not wanting her anywhere close to him when Zac returned. His brothers knew him better than anyone and he was afraid he'd give himself away. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt him, or Deanna for that matter. Once Emma was off his lap, Taylor jumped up, offering to go get the t-shirt for Dea. |
Taylor met Zac when he was about halfway back to where they were sitting. He told Zac that Emma mentioned a long sleeved t-shirt and Zac handed it to him. "I saw it and figured one of 'em could use it." he grinned, "at least until Ike and Kim get here. They're bringing some more blankets..." Taylor and Zac walked together toward the fire. "Emma won't need it," Taylor chuckled, "that girl's got enough antifreeze in her already. Don't let her get too close to the fire, man." Zac groaned. "Damn...she drinks like a fish.." he sighed. "She's holdin' it alright, man. She's just buzzin'. She just needs to slow down." Taylor said in a more quiet voice as they approached the fire. They grinned at each other when the saw how the girls were sitting. Emma had pulled one end of the blanket up and around both of them, and she was sitting right next to Dea with her arm around Dea's shoulder. They were huddled together, Emma's dark curls mingling with Dea's straight blonde locks. It sounded to Zac like Emma was giving her some 'motherly' advice about dating so he cleared his throat, not wanting Taylor to hear Emma 'fixing' his love life for him. Zac had noticed that Tay was not as attentive as he should have been to Deanna, and wished he hadn't said anything about giving the girl a break. He felt bad for her too, because she was being fairly cool and a pretty good sport. Maybe she'd relax a little more, when Ike and Kim showed up. Emma looked up at Zac and smiled, making his heart race. He smiled back at her and reached down to give her a hand up. Taylor sweetly handed Dea the t-shirt, steadying her by placing his hand on her hip as she pulled it over her head. Dea's breath caught in her throat, liking the fact that Taylor was touching her so intimately. Her head swam a bit, and she wondered if it was her proximity to Tay, or the hard liquor she was not used to drinking. "Thanks, Tay." she said and let him help her sit back down on the blanket. Zac was busy spreading out the other one, with Emma's help, so Taylor pulled the one they were sitting on back up over Dea's shoulders and joined her under it, figuring that would help warm her up. Dea was suddenly shaky, telling herself that she HAD been imagining that Taylor was preoccupied with his brother and his girlfriend, or he wouldn't be acting the way he was now. Once Zac had the blanket spread out, with no REAL help from Emma (who suddenly had a serious case of giggles), he flopped down next to her and pulled her into his arms. His whole body warmed instantly as she snuggled against him, pressing her cheek against his shoulder and burying her face in the hollow between his shoulder and his neck. Her arms slipped around his waist as his wrapped around her body, and he kissed the top of her head. Taylor forced himself to turn his full attention to Dea, who had mellowed slightly. 'Probably because of the whiskey' he thought to himself. But she was being very sweet and he HAD to stop watching Emma and Zac. Anyone could tell by watching them, that they were totally 'into' each other, he and Dea could have been a million miles away at the moment and the two of them would not have noticed. Ike and Kim finally showed up, with an armload of blankets, a bag full of snacks and Ike's acoustic guitar. Everyone jumped up and rearranged things, Emma took off and found some more driftwood to throw on the fire (Dea looked like she was getting cold again), Tay fixed it so he and Dea had a blanket to sit on and one to wrap up in, and Zac did the same for himself and Emma, and also for Ike and Kim. Emma came back with the wood for the fire, and leaned over to drop the sticks on it. Both Taylor and Zac had similar thoughts as they watched her get it going again. The firelight made her face, and her curly dark hair glow and Zac decided that the more time Emma spent outdoors, or in bed with him, the sexier she looked. She ran her hand through her salt-tangled, curly mane, pulling it to one side and out of her way, as she poked at the fire with a long stick then threw some smaller ones in the middle. Taylor thought about how he'd like to kiss his way down her strong, sexy neckline as he watched her, bent over the fire. Dea laid her head on his shoulder and he quickly shook himself out of the trance he was in. He laced his fingers through Dea's and turned his attention back to her as each couple settled themselves on their respective pair of blankets. |