Ava took her by the shoulders and held her gaze. “If I can do anything. Anything.”
“Thanks. You’re a sweetheart.” Jody put on a smile.
Ava released her.
Jody moved on to Darius, who greeted her with open arms and a fond, “Hey, little sister...”
Ava saw her opportunity to escape him and grabbed it. She turned for the relative safety of the master suite—after all, she needed to stash the outerwear, didn’t she?
In the bedroom, she added the two coats and Sylvie’s red hat to the growing pile on the king-size bed. And then, stalling a little to give Darius time to wander back to the great room, she popped into the bathroom to smooth her hair and make sure she didn’t have lipstick on her teeth.
Her hair looked fine and her teeth were lipstick-free. But her eyes had a glazed sort of look and her face was flushed all the way down to the scoop neckline of her favorite cashmere sweater. Really, she needed to settle the heck down.
“Chill,” she whispered softly to her wild-eyed reflection. “Deep breaths.” She took her own advice, breathing slowly in and out through her nose, reminding herself that a good man had died on Monday and so what if she’d said something ridiculous to Darius. “Get over it. Move on.”
There was a soft tap on the door. “Ava? You all right?” Darius. Oh. My. God. Her face flamed anew. “Ava?”
She gulped to clear her clutching throat and called, “I’m great. Terrific.”
“You sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.”
“You sound strange.”
“Darius, I’m fine.”
“I’ll just wait here until you come out.”
She stifled a groan and glared at her reflection in the mirror and knew she had to stop being an idiot and open the damn door.
“Ava?”
She yanked it wide. “What?” she growled at him.
And he smiled that same slow, knowing smile he’d given her seventeen years ago right after he told her that someday she would say yes to him. “You look kind of flushed. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I am fine. You can go.”
He didn’t budge. “About the other day, I—”
“Oh, please.” She waved her hand so wildly, she almost hit her nose with it. “You know that was nothing.”
“No.” He said it way too softly. “I don’t know that, Ava. In fact, I’m thinking it was definitely something.”
“And I’m telling you it wasn’t and you should forget it.”
He leaned closer, bringing that scent of leather and wood shavings and something else, too, something wonderfully manly that she couldn’t quite name. “Forget it?” he spoke softly, almost a whisper, his breath warm across her cheek and his eyes like the sky when night comes on. “You offered to be naked. There’s no way I’m forgetting that.”
Her heart felt like it would explode from her chest and splatter all over the room. Her pulse pounded loud and hard in her ears. How could she be so over-the-top about this? You’d think she was fifteen again, the way she was behaving.
She needed to cut it the hell out right now, start acting like an adult, for crying out loud. Drawing her shoulders back, she stared up at him defiantly and reminded him in a calm, even tone, “Look. This is stupid. Plus, it’s all your fault. I mean, you’re the one who’s always flirting with me.”
“So are you telling me you finally decided to flirt back?”
“Darius. Please. Can’t we just forget what I said?”
“Are you kidding me? It’s branded in my brain.” He said that with real feeling—after which he grinned a slow, lopsided grin. “And we need to talk about it. In depth. At length.”
How did he make that sound so dirty? She glared. “No, we don’t.”
He kept right on grinning. “Yes, we—”
“Is this bathroom taken?” The voice of old Levi Kenwright, grandfather-in-law to Dare’s brother James, cut him off. The old man came toward them from the door to the hallway.
“All yours.” Ava flashed Levi a giant smile, zipped around the old fellow on the side away from Darius and escaped out the open bedroom door.
She joined the others in the great room. Clara poured her a nice glass of Riesling, and they toasted the season. Then Chloe took her aside. They firmed up the open house staging she would be dealing with tomorrow.
An hour into the party, she went upstairs to check on the girls, who had taken over a guest room. They’d gathered a number of chairs from other rooms and draped blankets between them. Ava heard them giggling together inside the makeshift fort.
“Anybody in here?”
“Just us!” Sylvie answered.
Ava got down on all fours and stuck her head under the blankets to find Sylvie, Annabelle and little Kiera sitting in a circle pretending to drink from empty pink plastic teacups.
“How’re you girls doing?”
“We’re having a tea party,” Sylvie replied.
“Ava!” cried Kiera gleefully. “Hi there!”
“Hi, Kiera.”
Kiera made lip-smacking sounds, so Ava leaned closer, and the little sweetie pressed her lips against her cheek.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” asked Annabelle sweetly.
“I would love one.” Ava crawled on in and joined their circle. Annabelle handed her a cup and a little plastic plate, and Ava proceeded to drink pretend tea and enjoy an imaginary cupcake. “Well,” she said, once she’d sipped and chewed for a couple of minutes. “That was delicious.” She pretended to blot her lips with an imaginary napkin. “And now, I must be on my way.” The fort was perfect for the three girls, but things got tight with a mom included.
“Bye-bye!” chirped Kiera brightly.
“Dinner soon,” Ava reminded them as she backed out the way she had come. “Don’t eat too many cupcakes.”
“Oh, Mom,” Sylvie scoffed. “They’re only ’maginary.”
“Well, all right then. Have as many as you like.” She emerged from the fort butt-first to find Darius leaning in the doorway to the upper hall.
Her heart did a silly forward roll, and her pulse went a little crazy. She shot to her feet. “This is getting ridiculous,” she muttered as she straightened her skirt and smoothed her sweater.
He didn’t say a word—probably because he knew if he spoke, the girls would hear him and demand that he crawl into their fort and have tea with them, too. Darius clearly had other plans. He stepped forward and grabbed her arm.
She should have jerked away, but she didn’t. It felt too delicious, his warm fingers pressing into her skin through her sweater, the little thrill of excitement skittering down the backs of her knees to have him so close, touching her. He pulled her from the room, and she went a lot more willingly than she should have.
“No,” he whispered for her ears alone once they were out in the upper hallway.
“No, what?”
“This isn’t ridiculous. This is fun.”
She almost giggled at that, which pretty much proved she was losing her mind.
“Come on,” he said.
“Where?”
“In here.” He ducked into the next bedroom, pulling her with him—and then shut the door. “Now. Where were we?”
She eased free of his grip and backed off a few paces. “I can’t believe I let you drag me in here.”
He folded those fine, hard arms across that broad chest and leaned back against the door. “Go out with me. Tomorrow night.”
“That is not going to happen.”
“Why not?”
“No dating. Not in this town. Not with our families.”
“Ava. What’s wrong with our families?”
She didn’t even want to go into it. But he just stood there blocki
ng the door, waiting for an explanation. So she gave in and provided one. “They’re all up in my business, that’s what. I’ve been out twice with nice men in the five years since I moved back to town. The first date was with a perfectly pleasant software designer. Afterward, all three of my brothers got me aside and told me I could do better. They’re so overprotective they make me want to scream. Then a year ago, I tried again, with another Realtor who has his office in the same building as mine. Your sister Nell saw us together. Later, there was endless discussion of if we would go out again and wasn’t it great that I was finally seeing someone? That was when it came to me.”
“What?”
“I don’t want to go out with anyone. I like my life just as it is. I have the life I’ve always wanted, and I don’t need the hassle of going on dates and all that.” Was she overexplaining? Definitely. But now she couldn’t seem to stop. “And then there’s my mother...” Ava rolled her eyes so hard, she was lucky she didn’t fall over backward. “I don’t even want to get started on her. She’s a hopeless matchmaker.”
“Ava.” He said her name slowly, as though he enjoyed the way it tasted in his mouth. “You have to know that what you’re giving me here just sounds like a bunch of excuses for you not to have to take a chance with a guy.”
She really hated that he was pretty much right, so she dug up another objection. “Well, you have to know that my brother Tom hates you.” Tom used to work for Bravo Steelworks. It hadn’t ended well.
Dare studied his boots for a second or two, then glanced back up at her. “I wouldn’t say Tom hates me exactly.”
“But you have to admit he doesn’t like you very much.”
“Ava.” A weary little breath escaped him. “I don’t care what our families say. I don’t care what anyone says.”
“Well, I do care. I love them, all of them. Dearly. But they all think they know what’s good for me, and they simply don’t. I don’t want to go out because when I do, I never hear the end of it. So, well, if you and I were to, um, start seeing each other, I wouldn’t want anyone to know, okay?” She backed up and dropped to the edge of the bed behind her. “Actually, I would prefer it if you didn’t even know.”
A low chuckle escaped him. “You’re a difficult woman, you know that? You always have been.”
“Which only proves you should show some good sense and stop chasing me all over your sister’s house.”
“But I like chasing you.” God. The way he said that. Rough and low, with enough heat to make her feel she might burst into flame. He held her gaze for a long count of five. Electricity seemed to arc in the still air between them. “And I know you’re offering something. I just can’t figure out what it is.”
Her throat clutched when he said that, and she realized he was right. She did want to offer him something: herself. Just for the holidays, just between the two of them.
Was there any chance he would go for something like that—and if he would, did she really want to follow through on it?
As she considered the very real possibility that she’d lost her mind due to long-term sexual deprivation, Darius left off leaning on the door and came closer. She watched him approach, her skin all prickly with awareness, her breath coming a little too shallow and too fast.
The bed dipped slightly as he sat beside her. “All right,” he said. “If not dinner and a movie, then what?”
She turned her head, met his eyes—and put it right out there. “I just want a man for Christmas, okay? No strings, no dates, nobody else knowing about it. Just a Christmas fling. You, me and the holidays. And we’re over and done on January 1.”
Chapter Three
There was a moment that stretched into forever. Darius stared into her eyes. She knew he would look away any second.
But he never did.
She broke first with a low cry. “Oh, God.” She face-palmed, because what else could a girl do at a moment like this? “Is that tacky and awful?”
“Not awful in the least,” he said gently. Evenly. “Look at me, Ava.” He waited until she lifted her head and faced him again. “You’re on.”
As she gaped at him in equal parts wonder and disbelief, there was a tap on the door. “Dinner in five,” called a woman’s voice. Ava wasn’t sure who. And what did it matter who called them to dinner?
Nothing seemed real. She’d just made a deal with Darius Bravo to have a Christmas affair.
Darius called, “Be right out.” And footsteps sounded, moving away from the door. He asked, “You okay?”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” She made herself stand, though her knees felt like rubber bands.
Before she could turn and race to the door, he caught her hand. “We’re not finished here.”
She gave a slight tug, but he didn’t release her. Her skin felt on fire where he touched her. “I...have to check on Sylvie. Make sure her hands are washed before dinner.”
“I’ll help.”
A weak laugh escaped her. “Really. I can manage. Just...let me go.”
That did it. He released her, and she felt a sharp stab of regret as the connection broke.
Oh, she was a mess. She never should have told him her fantasy, never should have asked him to participate in it with her. Never should have even let him lead her into this room.
There were so many nevers running through her mind right now—starting with how she never should have said she’d be waiting for him naked.
Really, she didn’t like herself much at the moment. She was acting like the kind of woman she despised, one of those girls who crooked her finger at a man with one hand and showed him the flat of her palm with the other. A c’mere, c’mere—get away, get away kind of girl.
“Ava.”
“Mmm?”
“It’s going to be fine,” he promised. “Better than fine.” How could he possibly know that? “We’ll talk more later.”
She should tell him never mind, should speak up right now and say, Forget it. I lost my mind for a second there, but I’m all better now...
But then he instructed gently, “Go on. See about Sylvie.”
And she thought how he was a much better guy than she used to give him credit for, that he was not only killer-hot, but also tender, sweet and funny—and maybe she should have given him a chance all those years and years ago. Truly, if she wanted a man for the holidays and he wanted to be that man for her, well, why shouldn’t they both get what they wanted for Christmas this year?
“Go now,” he warned, teasing and low. “Or I’m coming with you.”
That did it. She turned and left him sitting there.
* * *
The rest of the afternoon and early evening went by without another word shared between her and Darius. They sat across and down from each other at the long dining room table, which was so packed with Bravos everyone had to be careful to tuck their elbows in close to their sides. The food was amazing. Clara put apples and chestnuts in the stuffing and a combination of spices that had everyone coming around for seconds and thirds.
Twice, Ava caught Dare watching her. But as soon as she met his eyes, he just smiled and looked away. She tried to forget about those moments in the upstairs bedroom, to put all that from her mind and enjoy Thanksgiving with the Bravos, but she kept zoning out during conversations.
Nell asked her twice if something was bothering her. Both times, she denied it.
The second time, Nell tossed her thick head of ginger hair and laughed. “Liar.” She leaned close. “I’m always a phone call away if you want to talk about it—whatever it is.”
Really, Ava was grateful to have a friend like Nell, who might be nosy and bossy, but who also really cared. “Thanks, Nell. You’re the best.”
During dessert, as they chowed down on absolutely perfect pumpkin pie with heavy dollops of fr
eshly whipped cream, Elise Bravo announced her engagement to Jed Walsh, the world-famous thriller writer, who’d returned to Justice Creek the year before after almost twenty years away. Clara and Dalton brought out champagne, and Jed got up and made a really beautiful toast to his bride-to-be, one that had them all laughing through happy tears.
And finally, after the dessert was cleared away, most everyone lingered to visit a little longer. Dalton took Kiera off for her bath, and Sylvie and Annabelle played “Super Mario Kart” with Darius and Annabelle’s dad, Quinn. Then the two girls went back upstairs for more fun in their fort.
At eight, when Ava went up to tell Sylvie it was time to go home, she found them both sound asleep in the cave of blankets. Gently, she folded back the covers and gathered her daughter into her arms. Chloe appeared then, looking for Annabelle. They carried the girls back down.
Sylvie fussed as Ava coaxed her into her coat and hat and then went right back to sleep as soon as Ava picked her up again. Clara appeared, and Ava gave her a one-armed hug of thanks as she went out the door.
Outside, a light snow was falling. Ava tipped her head up to the dark sky and caught a snowflake on her tongue. She thought of Darius, and the strangest sort of calm settled over her.
Sylvie sighed in her arms. Ava gathered her closer and moved on to the car.
* * *
Half an hour later, just as she finished putting Sylvie to bed, her cell phone rang.
It was Darius. “Just checking to see that you got home all right.”
“We’re here. We’re fine.”
“You certainly are.”
She laughed. “I’m not even going to ask who gave you my number.”
“Like it’s a state secret. I think there’s a stack of your business cards at every restaurant and shop in town.” It was true. She left a trail of business cards wherever she went, and she’d acquired more than one customer because they’d grabbed her card at a checkout counter. “Okay.” All of a sudden, he sounded grim. “You’re too quiet. Don’t you dare back out on me, Ava.”
“I’m not.” She realized she meant it. The calm that had settled over her when she carried her daughter out Clara’s front door had followed her home. “No stalling, I promise. We’re making this happen.”
A Bravo for Christmas Page 3