Police shouting through the door had a sobering effect on Ava. Cole helped her to steady herself as she stood. Her knees still suffered from Cole-induced weakness, and her body continued to scream for release, even with the threat of the police kicking in the door.
She bit her lip as she tightened the belt on her robe.
Ava opened the door a crack to reveal two uniformed officers at the front door, batons in hand. She recognized them from the safety program they conducted at her school just a few weeks prior.
“Officer Jenkins, Officer Wright. Is something wrong?”
“Is everything okay here?” Officer Wright tried to peer around her.
She blocked his view as subtly as possible. She preferred for her business to stay her business.
“Of course. Why would you think otherwise?”
“We received a report from your neighbors. They were worried about all the commotion over here. They say a man came to your door, they could hear shouting from the house, then they said the voices got quiet and the dog started howling. We came to investigate.” Officer Jenkins gestured to the flowers strewn over the walkway. “Looked like there might’ve been a struggle.”
Ava’s face turned to hot coals. She glanced around the officers to see some of her neighbors standing at the edge of the walkway, housecoats hanging over slippered feet, curlers in hair.
Humiliation swept through Ava. What would they think of her now?
Clearly there was no way out of this. The whole neighborhood would know exactly what was going on behind her once-closed door.
Ava ran a nervous hand through her mussed hair, wondering where her clip went. Her gaze dropped to the officers’ feet.
“Look, Ms. O’Connor. If there’s a problem here, just let us know and we’ll take care of it.”
“I’m fine, really. I have company. Not an intruder. Thanks for checking in, though. I’ll get my pup to quiet down.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the officers pushed the door open, clearly misinterpreting her nervous demeanor.
She winced when she looked where they were looking. Cole leaned against the doorway that led to the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest, shirt still open, a smug, kissable smile on his face.
The officers surveyed the room. Ava groaned at the pillows on the floor, the indentations on the cushions, and Cole’s tie draped carelessly across her coffee table.
She observed the very male exchange of the officers nodding their heads to Cole, understanding what they had interrupted.
She’d have to pack her bags and move. She’d never be able to face the people in this small town again.
“Awful sorry, Ms. O’Connor. We, uh, you know. Just get the dog to settle down and carry on. I mean, uh, sorry for the interruption,” Officer Jenkins stuttered, his ruddy complexion getting redder in the process.
There were no words.
Cole sauntered toward the door, all male pride and swagger.
“We’ll do that, Officers. Thanks for stopping by.”
Ava lifted her eyes enough to see Cole nod his head in a friendly gesture toward the men at the door. She couldn’t explain the sudden urge she had to strangle him.
He found this humorous. Of course he did. He didn’t have to deal with the repercussions and the death of a good reputation.
He looked like he just won the danged lottery.
Had he no shame?
Apparently not. The door was still wide open when he moved toward her and tipped her chin up to gift her with a kiss. Her elderly neighbors let out a collective sigh as Cole slipped his lips away from hers.
Her body shivered at the loss of contact with Cole as he moved into the front door. She smiled when he waved to her neighbors.
The heavy weight of embarrassment lifted from her body.
The crowd clearly loved him.
Why wouldn’t they?
He could charm the housecoat off any one of those women.
Who cared if they knew what they were doing? Those very women out there loitering on her front walk had regaled her with plenty of tales of their own risqué behaviors.
And they were constantly barraging her with questions about her previously non-existent love life, so now maybe they’d lay off trying to find her Prince Charming. She was running out of excuses for them.
Mrs. Reynolds hobbled over to the steps and called Ava down to her level.
“I’m sorry, dearie. You never showed up with the groceries, and then with all the other signs, I thought something was wrong. If I had known it was your special friend visiting, I never would have called Roy and John.”
Ava clapped a hand over her mouth. The groceries. Darn it!
“I’m so sorry about the groceries! I never made it there and forgot to tell you. I promise I’ll go right after work tomorrow.”
“There was nothing on that list that was an emergency. Now you go take care of that man of yours. He’s waited long enough.”
Would the humiliation never end?
Cole pulled her back through the door, whispering in her ear that she should say goodnight and then releasing her to walk away. Chills ran down her arms and her spine.
“Go get him! Grr.”
Heat rose again as Cole stared at her.
“You heard the lady. Come get me.” Cole stood in the middle of Ava’s living room waiting expectantly, a cocky grin on his face. Ava smiled saucily at her neighbors, closed the door, and swayed her hips in what she hoped was a seductive manner as she strolled toward him. When he was within her reach, she reached out and tickled his ribs, then sidestepped around him into her kitchen. She laughed as he backed her into a corner. When she felt her backside hit the counter, she knew she was a goner.
Cole closed in on her, placing his hands on the counter, forming a jail around her. Her giggles ceased as his lips hovered closer to hers. An increasingly familiar shiver ran down her spine. She swore there were sparks in the minute space between their lips.
His hand slid up her thigh as he held her steady with his other arm. Mesmerized by his determined eyes, she didn’t consider stopping him.
His lips captured hers at the exact moment his hand met his target. His kisses slowed as he fumbled around under her robe.
“What have we got going on down here?”
Before she could stop him, he whipped open her robe and stared at the mess Opal had made of her previously natural landscaping.
She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could disappear. She crossed her legs, but his hands moved to her thighs. When she opened her eyes, he was still looking.
“Is this a new style? Don’t pull away, I want to see.”
She couldn’t speak.
To say she was mortified would have been an understatement.
“Looks like, what do they call that? A Brazilian? Yes, a Brazilian over here, but then…”
“It’s a yin-yang, okay?”
He arched a brow and looked like he was biting the inside of his cheek. She pushed his hands off her thighs and ducked under his arm, hopping off the counter. She readjusted her robe and pulled the belt tighter.
“A yin-yang?”
“You weren’t supposed to see that.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Well you should. I don’t lie.”
He stepped toward her with that predatory look she found difficult to resist. Who was she kidding? She found all of his looks difficult to resist.
“You lie about not wanting me.”
“You sure are full of yourself.”
“And you want to be full of me, too.”
“I do, huh?” I do, dammit!
“I can make that happen.”
“Sorry, I have a bet to win.”
“I already won that. You want me.”
I do!
She shook her head. Or at least, she thought she did. She meant to. She certainly didn’t intend to nod.
He placed his hands on her hips, pulling her in to feel how much he wanted her.
Bear ran into the room, suddenly frantic. His wagging tail created a breeze, and his tongue fell out the side of his mouth.
“You want a treat?” Ava used Bear’s interruption as an excuse to get some space. She knew she was falling into dangerous territory with Cole, and she wasn’t ready to go there.
“Will that work for me, too?” Cole smiled.
“He does actually remind me of you.”
Cole smacked her butt when she bent to give Bear the bone cookie she had retrieved from the cookie jar on the counter.
Cole’s warm breath fanned across the back of her neck.
“So when do I get my treat?”
Ava closed her eyes and sighed. Fighting him took a lot of effort. Especially when telling him no was the exact opposite of what her body wanted her to do.
She bent her head back to grant him easier access to her sensitive neck. He licked and nibbled and teased. His hand slipped into the front of her robe, toying with her breast before she could swat him away.
She turned to face him. She stood on tiptoes to kiss his mouth, then pulled away and glided toward the refrigerator, opening the door to block him from reaching her.
“I’d offer you something to eat, but I’m out of everything. Never made it to the grocery store today.”
“I’m only hungry for one thing.”
She rolled her eyes at him and peered back at the empty shelves.
“Water?”
“Water’s good.”
She retrieved two glasses from the cabinet next to the fridge—thank goodness she had kept up with her dishes that week— poured the water, and brought the glass to him. He didn’t make eye contact. She glanced down to see what he was looking at with such intensity and jumped, splashing water over her arm, when she discovered her breast hanging out of her parted robe.
Kevin would have been disgusted by this display of her physical self. He’d make sure she knew it, too.
Cole grabbed the water from her, setting it on the counter. She turned away, ashamed and humiliated and wishing she hadn’t let Kevin destroy her self-image.
Cole wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.
“What happened just now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Something passed across your face, and I want you to tell me what you were thinking.”
“Nothing, I was just giving you your water.”
“Don’t lie to me.” He turned her around. “You looked ashamed.”
She studied his chest—so strong, so hard, so out of her league.
He cupped her chin and forced her face up. She closed her eyes. He kissed her eyelids.
“You do know how beautiful you are, right?”
A snort escaped her nose before she could contain it.
“Ava. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”
“Yeah, okay.” She tried to pull away, but he held on.
“That’s not just a line. Whoever made you feel otherwise was wrong. You are stunning.”
She wanted to believe it. Oh, how she wanted to believe that she could be worthy of his touch, his desire. Yes, she knew he wanted her, but she also knew it was in spite of her lack of sex appeal.
“We need to talk.”
Ava stiffened at his words. Why so serious all of a sudden?
He must have finally remembered the reasons he ditched her before.
He led her to the kitchen chair. He sat directly across from her after retrieving their glasses of water and placing one in front of her. She sipped at it, praying her now-slippery hands wouldn’t lose their grip on the glass. She’d had enough embarrassment for one night.
“I want to hear about your fiancé.”
She studied his face, dumbfounded.
“What?”
“The man you were engaged to marry. I want to hear about him. What happened? Why aren’t you together anymore?”
Ava leapt out of her chair, shaking the table in the process.
“I think I have some bagels if you’re hungry.” She brushed an escaped curl out of her face.
“Don’t change the subject, Ava. I want to know.”
Ava sauntered into the living room, nervously flipping through chocolate boxes until she settled on one. She bit into a piece of chocolate, then tossed the other half back in the box.
“Mind if I ask why you have so many boxes of Valentine chocolate?”
“Seventy-five percent off.”
“Oh.”
What man would ever understand that reasoning?
Cole sat beside her. She removed another piece of chocolate from the box, eager to keep her mouth busy. As soon as she popped half of it into her mouth, he kissed the sweet chocolate from her lips.
“Talk.”
“We can just keep kissing.”
“Believe me, there will be more of that. But while we’re reasonably calm, we need to have this conversation.”
“Why?” She jumped up, her quickening pulse and tightening chest prepping her for a fight. “You really need to hear how undesirable I am?”
She had to hand it to him—he could feign shock better than the most experienced Hollywood actor.
“You think I want you to put yourself down? Where would you ever get that idea?” He stood up, too, and she didn’t miss the fact that his hands had tightened into fists.
“Go ahead and look at me like I’m crazy. Kevin looked at me that way, too.”
Cole stroked her arm. Even through the terrycloth, his touch managed to soothe.
He wrapped his arms around her, and though she struggled a bit, he pulled her down to the couch, positioning her on his lap. She closed the bottom of her gaping robe over her legs, wishing she had never decided to indulge in a bubble bath tonight.
He kissed the top of her head and held her hand. She marveled at how perfectly her head fit in the spot just below his shoulder. His heartbeat was a lullaby with the most soothing effect imaginable.
“I already know Kevin was an idiot.” Cole said her ex’s name with incredible disdain.
“What makes you say that?”
“He let you go.”
“So did you.” She regretted the words as soon as they escaped. She didn’t want to remind him of the humiliation she had endured when he turned her away at the end of that summer.
“Like I said, an idiot.”
Why did he sound like he had regrets?
“So how did you meet him?”
Lulled by his gentle breathing and the comforting way he stroked her hand as he held it, she spilled everything. How she had met Kevin at school after Cole had left, after Ava had heard rumors of Cole dating some model he met while traveling (Cole admitted to being an ass), how nice Kevin had seemed. How they had dated for a year before Kevin proposed, and how Ava’s mom had pressured her into accepting. How Kevin had gradually become more angry with her over what she perceived to be silly things. How it seemed like he was always looking to start a fight. How he suddenly never wanted to go out with her alone—they always had to go on double dates with one of her colleagues and his girlfriend. How Kevin started coming home late and saying he was playing cards with their friend.
“So anyway, Kevin was turned off by me. He never really admitted it, but I could see it clearly. I kept trying to figure out what I was doing wrong, why we never had the chemistry that you and I had. No matter what I did, nothing changed. So one day, I walked into our apartment to find Kevin in bed with my colleague. Nice, huh?”
Ava tried to pull away, but Cole wouldn’t release her. He had been painfully silent through her entire speech.
“Did you ever suspect he was gay?”
“No, I had no idea. He blamed me for the lack of excitement in the bedroom. Shortly after I moved out, he called me. He never apologized, but he did mention that my cold indifference was what drove him toward men.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It made sense at the time.”
“Ava, you realize it’s impossible to turn someone gay, right?”
She averted her gaze, studying their linked hands.
“What Kevin did was not in any way your fault. You didn’t deserve to be cheated on, nor did you deserve to be lied to.”
She sniffed, but after the crying frenzy she had endured earlier, she knew she couldn’t produce any more tears today.
Cole turned her in his lap so she was facing him more directly.
“Believe me when I tell you that you’re the most desirable woman I’ve ever met. You’ve kept me wanting you since the first day I met you. Remember when you kept trying to figure out how to strap on that tool belt, and it kept falling off? I’ve been mentally undressing you pretty much every day since then.”
She studied his face. He looked so sincere. But the idea of him thinking about her—never mind wanting her—while they were apart was beyond anything she could believe.
“I’ll make you believe me, Ava.”
His lips were a magnet and she could no longer resist the force. Their hunger reignited immediately.
She pushed his shirt off his shoulders. Cole pulled her robe free and eased her out of it. His hands drifted along her curves. At the last second, she remembered to suck in her belly, but he distracted her so much with his touch that she realized she didn’t care.
He wanted her.
Her “off” switch malfunctioned. She couldn’t stop now if she wanted to.
And she clearly didn’t want to.
His fingers crept down her body to further explore between her legs at the exact moment her blasted dog decided to howl again.
“We’d better not ignore him this time.” Cole’s breathless words made her want to cry.
And put the dog up for adoption.
“He probably needs to go out. He’ll keep howling if I don’t take him now.” Ava bent to pick up her robe. “I’m sorry.”
Cole stopped her from covering herself. “Don’t ever be sorry.”
The way he looked at her made her think he meant something other than the inconvenience her dog had caused.
He pulled on his shirt, covering the muscles she desperately wanted to see. And touch. And lick. And bite.
“I’ll take care of the dog.”
“Of course not!” She protested. He silenced her with another kiss. When he pulled away, she felt like she had run a marathon.
“No arguing.” He lifted her legs to settle her on the couch. His callused hand stroked her cheek. “Kevin was a fool. But if he had been better, you wouldn’t be here with me. That’s the only thing that keeps me from wanting to kill him.”
He brushed away the tear that slipped over her cheek.
If only he’d feel this way about her once the lust-induced mania wore off.
The second her head rested against the arm of her couch, she felt herself drifting.
This entire day had been emotionally draining.
She wished she could believe Cole’s words.
She figured he meant what he said—as far as she knew, he hadn’t lied to her before. But that didn’t mean he was willing or able to give her the love or the partnership she craved.
And she couldn’t give him the casual relationship he seemed to be after. Not this time.
She closed her eyes and cuddled into the couch, hugging her robe, and hoped Cole wouldn’t mind letting himself out.
When she finally opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was morning sunlight streaming through her bedroom window. The second thing was Cole. Naked.