by Simone Grey
“Uncle Liam, you have to meet Miss Ava! She’s a librarian and she’s the best story time reader ever! She can do all the voices for...” Chris goes on rambling, but I’m distracted by Ava.
My eyes trace over her face stopping on the freckles on the bridge of her nose. I want to kiss every single one of those freckles. They are so fucking sexy. Fuck I wonder if she has more in other places that I can’t see.
Just the thought has my dick hardening.
Get a grip man, you’re surrounded by kids.
Christopher tugs on my hand “Uncle Liam are you listening?”
“Yeah buddy. You said Miss Ava is a librarian and the best ever.”
Ava’s cheeks flush and she fidgets with the sleeve of her cardigan.
“Are you staying?” Christopher asks.
“Yep I’ll be right over here.” I point to a section near one of the bookshelves.
“Cool! Oh, I see Doug. See ya!” He takes off to go greet another boy who just walked in. Ava and I turn to watch him go before my eyes come back to her.
“Hello again.”
Her eyes meet mines and damn if it’s not a punch to the gut when those amber eyes lock onto mines.
“Hey,” she says. “So, uh, Christopher is your nephew?”
“Yep, he’s my sister’s oldest. He’ll talk your ear off but he’s a good kid. The best really.”
A soft laugh leaves her and twist my stomach in the process. Fuck I’m in so much trouble.
“Yeah, I know what you mean about the talking, but he’s one of the best helpers I have during story time.”
“Do you run this program by yourself?”
“Yes, I’ve been running it by myself for almost a year now.”
I nod my head mesmerized by her voice and her.
“Listen, about last night. I’m sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I got caught up in a little situation I had to take care of and it took more time than I expected an-“
She puts up a hand to cut me off. “It’s okay. Really. I know you have a business to run.”
“Yeah, but still-“
“Miss Ava, we’re ready!” one girl yells.
“Oh! Alright. I’ve gotta go,” she says turning back towards me.
“I’ll be waiting.”
I stand back to the side and watch her run the reading program. It’s mesmerizing. The way she interacts with the kids. The way she’s easily able to keep their attention and keep them engaged. Her patience with them. Soon I find myself imagining something I’ve never ever imagined before. Ava pregnant with our kids.
Fuck this girl had got me twisted all the way up. I’ve never had those thoughts about another woman. Nothing even close to it. As she’s helping one little boy pick out a book she glances over and meets my eyes and I feel that sensation again, that gut punch I’m coming to associate with her. This time when we talk, there will be no interruptions. I’ll make sure of it.
***
A half hour later the reading program is ending. Christopher is still chatting away with his friends when my sister walks in.
“Hey. Thank you so much for picking Chris up,” she says giving me a hug.
While my brothers and I all got our dad’s height, my sister took after my mom. At five foot five she barely reaches my shoulder. Her long blond hair is in a haphazard ponytail and she’s breathing hard like she’s out of breath.
“No problem, you know I have your back.”
Her eyes scan the room before settling in one place, a smile lights up her face. “Ava!” she yells. And much to my shock Ava looks up, gives my sister a big smile and they embrace each other in a big hug.
What are the fucking odds that my dream girl not only gets along with my nephew but my sister too?
They are talking away about something when I make my way over to them.
Sarah looks up at me with a smile on her face. “Ava, this is one of my brothers Liam, Liam this is Ava the librarian and runner of the reading program” Sarah says.
“We’ve met” I say.
Sarah’s eyes widen “Really, when?”
A blush heats Ava’s cheeks as she tucks a stray curl behind her ear.
“Um, yesterday at Temptation,” she says.
“Really? Interesting.” Sarah divides a glance between us. My sister knows me just as well as I know her. So, I already know I’m in for an interrogation the moment Ava leaves.
“Yeah, uh, I have to finish helping the kids. I’ll see you next week Sarah,” she pauses looking up at me again and fuck if I don’t feel a shift in my chest when her eyes lock onto mine. That blush graces her cheeks again.
“It was nice seeing you as well Liam” Ava says before turning and walking away. My eyes drift down over the cardigan. Although it’s big and covers her nearly to her knees I still remember what her ass looked like in that dress last night and it’s driving me to-
“Hello. Earth to Liam.” Sarah waves a hand in front of my face.
“What?” I say pulling my eyes off Ava. Sarah crosses her arms over her chest and regards me with a smirk on her face.
“Huh. If I’d known introducing you to Ava was all it took to put that look on your face I would have done it a long time ago.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Sarah raises an eyebrow at me. “Don’t play dumb. You like her” she says in a sing song voice.
I roll my eyes. “Okay, yes I like her, but she seems kind of skittish. Any idea why?”
Shrugging one shoulder, “She’s never told me too much about her past, but I’ve gathered there’s an asshole ex in there somewhere.”
My blood heats at the thought of somebody hurting her.
“That’s all you know?”
“Yep. Like I said she’s never really talked about it.”
I nod filing that information away for later.
Sarah lays a hand on my arm. “Are you serious about pursuing her or is this just a hook up to you?”
I look her in the eye. “I’ve never been more serious about something in my life.” I let her see the truth in my eyes. How much I’m really feeling this girl.
A smile lights up her face, crinkling the corners of her eyes. “Excellent. Don’t screw this up. I like her.”
With those parting words, Sarah gathers Christopher up and they are out the door.
There are just a few kids and parents left milling around chatting. I decide now is the time to approach Ava. She’s trying to reach a cardboard layout that’s tacked to the wall. Approaching her, I reach above her and remove it from the wall.
“Here you go.”
Gasping she returns both feet to the ground and looks up at me in surprise.
“Oh, thank you. I thought you’d left with Sarah and Christopher.”
“Nah, I had something else I needed to do first.”
“What was that?” she asks, and I know I don’t imagine the breathy quality to her voice.
We’re standing close. So close I can smell the scent of lavender coming off her. So close that I can see the specks of green and gold in her eyes. So close that I could count every fucking freckle on her nose and around it if I wanted to.
The energy permeating from us is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. The urge to run my hands through her hair and over her body and kiss her is so strong I have to clench my hands to stop myself. By the way she’s looking back at me I know the feelings are returned.
“I needed to see you. There’s an ice cream shop down the street. Want to go hang out for a while?”
Those amber eyes blink up at me. “Um, sure. I just need to finish cleaning up and then we can go.”
“Alright,” I say not moving an inch.
Amusement lights up her eyes and that dimple peeks at me out of her cheek. “You kind of need to move out of the way so I can finish cleaning up.”
“Right.” I take a step back so she can get around me.
“Do you need any help?” I ask running a hand thro
ugh my hair. Anything to distract me from that lavender scent surrounding her. It’s fucking addicting.
“Can you break down that table and lean it up against the wall?” She points to the table that she was just leaning against.
“Sure.”
I break down the table while she puts away books, crayons, paper, and a bunch of other supplies the kids were using.
“Let me go grab my things and then we can leave,” she says making her way back behind a wall that I’m assuming leads to her cubicle.
Looking around, I see the place is pretty deserted. It’s starting to get darker earlier and it makes me wonder if she’s leaves when it’s dark outside all the time. The thought concerns me.
Hearing another voice, I look up and see the two people I saw Ava sitting with last night walking into the library. They’re chatting but draw up short when they see me.
The redhead eyes me curiously and the guy eyes me suspiciously. We’re clearly sizing each other up.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Ava says coming around the corner. She’s buttoning up her coat and her eyes light up when she looks up and sees the other two people standing here.
“Oh, hey guys what are you doing here?”
“We were coming to see if you wanted to go grab some dinner, but it seems we’ve been beat to the punch,” the redhead says.
“Um, Liam these are my two best friends Jayden and Lisa. Guys this is Liam my…” she trails off looking at me for help.
Her man is what I want to say but for now I just say, “her date.” I shake both of their hands.
There are three distinct reactions Ava looks at me the surprise clear on her face, Lisa smiles giddily, and Jayden’s eyes narrow in suspicion.
“Hey, aren’t you the Trace brother that was seen heading into a hotel with multiple women on your arm a few weeks ago?” Jayden says
“Jayden,” Ava gasp. Lisa smacks him in the back of the head. “Ow, woman!” he rubs the spot where she hit him.
My back stiffens. “Not that it’s any of your concern but that was my brother, Lincoln.”
I still remember the tabloid shit storm that caused. It was on a particularly bad night for him after he got drunk and decided it would be a good idea to take a few women back to a hotel. It was right after the fire and his breakup with Rosalie. He says he passed out before anything happened with either of the women.
For his and Rosalie’s sake, I hope he’s right. Even though they broke up, I know it’s only a matter of time before they get back together.
“What you’re doing with Ava does concern me” he says crossing his arms over his chest.
“Jayden, what is wrong with you?” Ava snaps.
“What? I’m just telling the truth Av.”
“That doesn’t give you the right to act like a jack ass.”
“I’ll be the jack ass if it means making sure the next guy you date isn’t an even bigger jack ass than you think I’m being right now,” Jayden says turning his stare onto me.
“Look man, I don’t know what think you know about me but I can assure you I’m not here to play games. I want to get to know Ava and if that means I have to go through you to do it, then so be it.”
Jayden and I stare each other down for a minute before I see a grudging amount of respect enter his eyes before he smiles.
“Alright, you two have fun. But not too much fun.”
What the fuck?
I think I just passed the best friend test.
Ava stares at him as though she’s never seen him before. Lisa just shakes her head muttering what sounds a lot like idiot under her breath,
“Um yeah okay. We’re leaving. I’ll see you two tomorrow,” Ava says.
I follow her out the door.
“Have fun you two.” Lisa waves at us as we go in opposite directions.
I plan to have more than just fun because I’ve finally got Ava too myself.
Chapter 6
AVA
Never in a million years did I think I would be walking down the street right now with Liam.
It never even occurred to me that Sarah might be his sister. She’s been coming to the program since I first started it over a year ago and we tend to chat before or after every session. She’d mentioned she had a big family, but I never knew that she came from such a well-known family and that Liam was her brother.
When I first saw him walk into the library with Christopher, I thought I was hallucinating. I had already been thinking about him constantly since last night.
Try as I might to forget about those eyes.
That smile.
That body.
I couldn’t so when he walked in it felt like I had conjured him up out of my imagination.
I’d convinced myself that the awareness and energy that swirled between us last night was my imagination. How can someone be so drawn to a person they just met before? So drawn to them that they damn near crave touching them and being around them? Turns out it is possible.
As we walk down the street towards the ice cream shop I’m just as aware of him now as I was last night. It’s insane.
“So, I think I passed the best friend test.” His deep baritone voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
Glancing over at him I find that he’s already watching me.
“Best friend test?” I ask confusion clear in my voice.
One side of his mouth kicks up.
“Yeah, I figured that’s what Jayden was doing. Filling me out. Trying to see how I would react.”
“Oh,” I say laughing. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what got into him. He’s normally laid back and easy going.”
Liam shrugs one shoulder. “It’s alright. I’d be the same way if I had a friend that was dating a new guy that I’d never met before.”
I raise one eyebrow, my heart speeding up. “So we’re dating now?”
We’ve reached the ice cream shop and are standing by the door when he stops and looks at me with that same look of focused intensity, he bestowed on me last night. “If I have anything to say about it, we are.”
A shiver runs through me. God he’s so freaking sexy.
Without another word he opens the door and ushers me inside the shop.
Blue tables and an assortment of different colored chairs are set up on either side against the walls. The place has every type of ice cream and milkshake you could possibly imagine. It’s amazing.
We both order milkshake. Strawberry for me and chocolate for him before finding a booth near the back of the shop.
“So how long have you been running the reading program?”
“Just a little over a year now.”
“Yeah?”
Taking a sip of my milkshake I nod “Yeah, I interned at the library during college and I was lucky enough to snag a job a few months after I graduated. The lady that ran a similar program beforehand retired and they needed somebody to take over, so I volunteered.”
As I’m talking, I can’t help but notice how he watches me and really listens to what I’m saying. It’s refreshing, I’m not used to being the center of somebodies attention like this.
Especially since he never seemed to give a damn about anything I had to say. It was always all about him.
“That’s great. I could tell the kids loved you. You seem like a real natural with them.”
I feel my cheeks warm at the compliment.
“Thank you. I found that I really liked working with kids when I started volunteering at the hospital and it just kind of carried over to the reading program. I have to admit I never would have guessed Sarah was your sister and Christopher was your nephew.”
Liam smiles leaning back in his chair.
“Yeah, I love that kid. I’m surprised Sarah hasn’t blabbed about having six younger brothers before.”
My eyes widen. “There are six of you?”
“Yeah, I have two older brothers and three younger ones. Seven kids total. The one that rudely interrupted us last night w
as Levi one of my younger brothers.”
“Ahh,” I say smiling. “I thought you two looked a like.”
“Yeah, he’s a model but I’m still the sexiest one in the family” he says with a twinkle in his eye.
I can’t argue with that.
Liam winks at me and it sends butterflies swarming through my belly. “I knew you’d agree.”
My eyes widen. Holy shit I said that out loud. His shoulders start to shake in silent laughter.
“Oh my god, I said that out loud, too didn’t I?” I cover my cheeks. I know their flaming red.
“Aww don’t get shy on me now. I’ll let you in on a little secret I was going to wait to share with you later.”
“What?” I ask peeking up at him.
He leans across the table, his eyes holding mines captive. My breath catches in my throat from his proximity. The smell of mint, cologne and a scent that’s uniquely Liam fills my nostrils.
“When I first saw you across the bar, I thought you were easily the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen before in my life. Turns out I was right.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. The most beautiful woman he’s ever seen? I want to believe him. God do I ever, but he’s dated freaking supermodels and celebrities. He sees beautiful women all the time.
I know that I have some good features. I’ve been called pretty and cute before, but beautiful? Me? I don’t think so. My doubt must show on my face because Liam’s eyes narrow.
“You don’t believe me?”
Shaking my head, I say, “well it’s just that…haven’t you dated supermodels and celebrities before? I find it hard to believe that I’m the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen.”
His eyes trace over my features for so long that I start to fidget in my seat.
“I’ll let you in on another little secret. I would never lie to you and tell you something that I don’t mean. Trust me on that.”
Staring into his eyes. I find myself believing him.
“Do you have any sibling?”
The smile on my face dies.
“No, um, I’m a foster child. I never met my parents and I don’t have any siblings as far as I know.”
Liam nods. I expect to see sympathy when I look up at him. That’s what I usually see when I tell someone I was in foster care.