by Amity Hope
Ava nudged him and Gabe managed not to jump despite the burn. “That’s Marci, Dawson’s sister, heading out onto the court right now,” she explained. “In case you’re wondering why he’s still here. She’s a sophomore but she’s on the varsity team.”
He was about to protest, to tell Ava that he wasn’t wondering that at all but then realized she’d likely seen the death glare he’d been giving the boy. Instead, he nodded but didn’t say anything because when she leaned in close, he could smell the fruity scent of her lip gloss. He found himself wondering what flavor it was. Cherry? Watermelon? Raspberry? She was so close he could lean over and find out for himself. But then her hand came down on his knee and because he hadn’t been paying attention, he sucked in a surprised, pained breath.
“Are you okay?” Ava asked as she jerked away from him, completely forgetting what it was she had been about to tell him.
He nodded. “Yeah. Just a leg cramp,” he lied as he stretched out his leg and rubbed the spot that was still burning. If he’d had any doubt that he could move things past friendship, that small searing touch solidified the answer as an absolute no. There would be no staking of claims on his part anytime soon.
Julia peeked around Ava, a curious look on her face. He forced an insincere smile her way. She forced an identical one back at him.
Ava’s gaze bounced between the two of them. She rolled her eyes before turning her attention to Marci.
Gabe tried to pay attention this time but Ava was sitting forward, her profile clearly displayed before him. He hadn’t noticed before how high her cheekbones were. How perfectly shaped her nose was. Or how full her lips seemed to be.
When the match became suddenly intense, he watched with interest as she rolled her lower lip in, biting it between her teeth.
As soon as it was over, those lips broke into a huge smile. This time it wasn’t for him. He followed her gaze to Dawson who was cheering for his sister.
He clenched his jaw when he realized he may have been wrong. Maybe what he’d been feeling had been jealousy after all. But only seconds later+0"econds she was smiling at him again and the feeling faded.
Apparently Marci and Molly were the only two she was interested in watching because as soon as their matches were over, she turned to him and started chatting. Although they didn’t discuss a single thing of importance, he realized that he liked listening to her talk. The sound of her voice was almost hypnotizing. The animated look that came over her face when she told him about Mr. Crawford falling asleep at his desk and snoring during study hall made him smile.
Every now and then she’d take a break in the conversation to check out what was happening on the court. Or to chat with Julia, but mostly she directed her attention at him.
He liked it that way.
He didn’t even realize the event had come to an end until people started to stand.
“Um, I’m going to get going,” Julia said as she slid past them. “I’ve got to babysit Austin tonight. I’ll see you later.” The last was directed at Ava.
“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” Ava agreed before Julia bounced down the steps and disappeared into the crowd. She tilted her head to the side, an inquisitive look on her face. “See, this wasn’t so bad, was it?”
He replied honestly. “No, it wasn’t bad at all.”
“Good. I could tell on the phone you were kind of hesitant. So I’m glad you didn’t hate it,” she said as she tucked the same errant strand of hair behind her ear again.
He knew they were talking about two different things. She was talking about the game. He was talking about spending time with her. Regardless, he wasn’t having a horrible time. Just watching the way she moved was surprisingly appealing.
“What are you doing after this?” Ava wondered.
Gabe didn’t hesitate. “Going somewhere with you,” he said confidently.
“Perfect,” Ava replied.
"+0 New Ro
Chapter 7
He’d been on his best behavior when he had spent time with Ava over the past month. It was imperative that he didn’t seem dumbfounded when she did things like leave twice the normal size tip because she knew the waitress’s car had broken down. Or trying not to grumble the time she’d let the elderly couple take their seat at the restaurant first even though she and Gabe had undoubtedly been waiting their turn much longer.
Because of the comments Ava had made, he knew that Grier meant a lot to her. He also knew something about Grier was not…well, not quite right, thanks to the incident at the carnival. Yet he was going to have to pretend to like the girl regardless. He was grateful that he had not had to meet her yet because he was having a hard enough time playing his new role without that complication.
So far, these past few weeks he’d successfully managed to avoid Julia as well. Not completely, as she sometimes showed up where he and Ava were. But he managed to keep a comfortable distance from the girl who clearly disliked him. Again, he was grateful.
Molly, he didn’t mind so much. For the most part, she liked him and he didn’t mind her so he didn’t need to put on an act the way he did around Julia.
If he was going to be the kind of person Ava liked to be around, he needed to pretend to be that thoughtful type of person she would want him to be. It was the most challenging part of being around Ava; having to constantly play…nice. It was tiring.
Keeping their outings exclusively at a friend level was becoming tiring as well. The first time he’d met Ava, she’d been sweaty and disheveled from her run. Her hair had fallen out of her ponytail and had been sticking in clumps to her cheeks and forehead. Her hands and knees had been dabbled with grass and dirt from when she’d knelt down to check on him. Even then, he’d thought she was passably pretty. He was quick to learn that she was more than passably pretty.
It was work to keep things strictly friendly.
Mostly friendly.
With some excessive flirting.
Gabe was beginning to wonder if proclaiming Ava as off-limits for himself was having some type of unforeseen reverse psychological effect. He found himself craving her, the way Eve craved that damned forbidden apple. A girl had never been denied to him before. Not really. Somehow, this made Ava even more tempting.
Days like today, she made it even harder. Gabe knew her family was out so he’d ventured up to the front door to retrieve her. When she opened it, it was all he could do not to press her up against the wall and kiss her until she was pleading with him to not ever stop.
Her scent alone was always enough to render him nearly senseless. Whatever type of perfume she wore, she seemed to change it daily. It was always as mouthwatering as it was intoxicating.
Today she smelled like caramel with just a hint of vanilla. He’d never cared for vanilla scented things before but the caramel had nearly done him in.
The caramel and her boots.
She was wearing knee-high, black boots and a pair of jeans that did remarkable things for her already remarkable figure. Her red shirt was made of some type of clingy fabric. The vibrant color provided the perfect contrast to her dark features. She had her hair up in some messy, sexy, twisty concoction that showed off her neck in a way Gabe wished she wouldn’t.
Most of the time, he towered over girls. When he’d walked down the sidewalk with Ava, he’d realized that with her natural height and the heel of her boot, she was at the perfect level for him to comfortably throw his arm across her shoulder.
But he didn’t. The cross around her neck helped him to adhere to the boundaries he had set. Like a naughty puppy being kept in line with the threat of a shock at the first sign of overstepping boundaries. Without that added protection, Gabe knew he’d be attempting to take liberties he’d promised himself not to take.
Liberties Rafe was urging him to take but Gabe knew once he crossed that line, he was moving into new territory. Territory he didn’t feel comfortable in. Territory he wasn’t sure he’d be able to survive in.
He’d never had the desire to be anyo
ne’s boyfriend, happy to take anything and everything he could get from a girl without ever having to commit. He had no idea how to keep Ava once he’d had her in any way that was not entirely nonphysical.
So until he knew what the timeframe was…Until he knew what exactly it was that was expected of him, what his father wanted from Ava, he needed to keep things safe.
“Where to?” Gabe asked as he rolled the window down. No need to let the car fill with that unbelievably scrumptious scent that left him wanting to lean over and lick that incredibly inviting, kissable neck.
“We’ve seen all there is to see in Hunter Falls. Do you want to head over to Granville?”
“Sure,” Gabe agreed as he pulled away from the curb and headed out of town. “And then what? Mini golf?” He’d never mini golfed in his life. Thought the concept was ridiculous. But he could not sit next to Ava in a movie theater, or any other enclosed space. Not with her smelling and looking the way she did. They needed to do something outdoors so he would have the freedom of moving away from her when he needed to. Mini golf was the first and only thing that came to mind. “It’s too nice to spend the evening inside.”
“Or,” Ava countered, “we could check out the boardwalk along the river? Most of the shops close for the winter season but they should be open by now. Don’t look at me like that,” she laughed. “I’m not going to make you look at shoes and purses. There’s this really cool little art gallery. They don’t carry the usual boring prints of flowers and teapots. They have some really unique, fun stuff. There’s an arcade that totally puts Cheaters to shame. Also, this little ice-cream shop that has the best homemade ice-cream on the planet and, um,” she hesitated, trying to think of something that would entice Gabe because most of the cute little boutiques would not.
Gabe laughed. “You kind of have an ice-cream fetish, don’t you?”
Ava bit her lip, making him wish he could be the one biting it instead. She blushed when she realized where his eyes were but then laughed when he blinked and looked away. “I do. You’re finding out all of my deep, dark secrets.”
“Is the shop that carries leather clothing down there?” he asked, needing to change the subject. “I’ve seen it advertised but I haven’t gone looking for it yet.”
“Yes, why?” she wondered with raised eyebrows. “What kind of leather are you looking for?”
“Nothing too exciting. I need a new pair of motorcycle boots,” he explained.
“Do you actually have a motorcycle?”
“Yeah,” he told her giving her a sidelong glance.
“Of course you do,” she said with a smile. “Oh! You said you live half way between Hunter Falls and Granville. Are we close to your house? Will you show it to me?”
Gabe frowned. They were close. He just didn’t know if he should show it to her. He couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse not to. “It’s actually just a few more minutes down the road. I guess we can stop as blucan stolong as we don’t go in.”
“Why can’t we go in?” Ava demanded.
“I think my brother is home. We don’t really get along. I’d rather he not get to meet you.”
Ava looked toward Gabe, waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, she pushed forward. “Why don’t you get along?”
“Constant difference of opinion,” Gabe told her with forced calm. As in, during the last major argument they’d had, Rafe had managed to douse him in gasoline. If it weren’t for the interruption of their father, Gabe would’ve suffered injuries that would have been miserable to recover from.
“What about your dad?” Ava asked.
“He’s not around.”
“What about the radio station?”
“This is probably one of the smallest acquisitions he’s ever made. He left Rafe in charge. He checks in with him periodically.” Gabe turned on the blinker and pulled onto a side road, taking the first driveway on the left. Ava was not prepared for the size of his house, which was nestled back in the trees.
It was a Georgian-style brick monstrosity.
“Holy!” she exclaimed. “This place is huge!”
Gabe parked the car but left it running. “Yeah. But I stay in the guest house around back. I don’t go into the main house unless I have to.”
“You really hate your brother that much?” Ava asked.
“More,” he admitted.
“Then why don’t you just move out? Go somewhere else completely?”
Gabe frowned at the house. Why didn’t he just move out? He often times wanted to. Wanted to pick up and move as fast and far as he could. His father wouldn’t allow it. That was why. He wanted to keep him close. What his father wanted, his father always got by whatever means necessary.
“It’s complicated,” he finally said by way of answering. “The family business, that kind of thing.”
“Oh,” Ava said as she studied Gabe. “Well I think it’s admirable that you stick around to help out. Especially since you don’t seem to get along very well with your family, or at least you don’t talk about them much. I think it takes a strong person to do the honorable thing and stick by their family and friends when they’re needed.”
Honorable? idtew RomaGabe nearly choked out a mirthless laugh but managed to stuff it back down. He glanced at Ava instead.
Big mistake.
She was studying him with open curiosity while at the same time looking at him with respect. He wondered what she would think if she knew the truth. Not that she could ever know the truth. But she sure wouldn’t be looking at him the way she was now.
The thought made him so uncomfortable he put the car in reverse, wanting to get away from that look on Ava’s face but only able to get away from the monstrous house.
***
“You only wish you’d let me win!” Ava goaded.
“If you want to live in a fantasy world, where you think you’re better than me, go right ahead,” Gabe teased back.
They were walking back to the car which was a few blocks away from the boardwalk where they’d spent hours. The shops had all closed down and they’d taken a stroll along the river’s edge. Now it was getting close to Ava’s curfew and he needed to get her home.
“Oh, I don’t just think I’m better than you, I know I am!” Ava said with a laugh.
Ava was talking about darts but Gabe thought she could be talking about a million other things. Then he gave himself a mental lashing. Since when did he think that way?
If he’d been paying attention to his surroundings, and not his mental ramblings, he might’ve noticed the mugger before he snatched Ava off the sidewalk. He lugged her into the alley like she was nothing more than a ragdoll while he managed to get a knife up to her neck.
“Give me your wallet or I’ll slit her throat,” he growled at Gabe who was right on their heels.
Gabe had been angry before. More times than most. But in that moment he felt a fury so blinding he could have gladly killed the offender without blinking.
“Gabe?” Ava whimpered. She was trying to hold her voice steady but Gabe could see her trembling. Her eyes were locked on his. He could hear her breathing in frightened, ragged gasps. Her terror crashed into him with the force of a tsunami. It only ignited his fury.
“It’s okay,” he told her. “You’re going to be just fine. Right?” he asked the perpetrator. “She’s going to be just fine. Because you’re going to let her go or I will break your neck.” It was a command, pure and simple.
“Give me your wallet and you can have the girl,” he ground out.
Gabe dug his wallet out and tossed it near the man’s feet.
“Let her go,” he commanded as he lunged forward.
The mugger tugged Ava’s purse from her arm as he tossed her aside. She stumbled but didn’t fall as she gracelessly collided with a brick building.
Gabe barreled into the attacker as he was releasing Ava. Faster than she could turn around, they were on the ground, rolling through the loose gravel that topped the tar. Rolling and
punching as they fought.
Gabe was able to gain command of the scuffle in no time. While the assailant was on the ground, Ava got in a few good kicks while carefully avoiding Gabe.
With a violent shout, the man managed to shove Gabe off as he rolled away from him. He stumbled to his feet, taking off at a run.
“Are you okay?” Ava asked Gabe as he debated taking off after the guy.
“I’m fine. Are you—,” he stopped. “You’re shaking.”
Ava nodded and before he could stop her, she stumbled into his arms, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist. He gave her back an awkward pat as he tried to figure out what to do next. Despite the unprecedented way she clung to him, he had no real desire to peel her off.
In fact, he had the opposite desire. He found himself wrapping his arms around her, enjoying how her body felt as he pressed it tightly to his. She placed her head on his shoulder and tightened her own grip. There was no escaping her enticing scent now and Gabe finally decided he needed to move away.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked when she had calmed down a bit. He gently moved her back from him to assess her for injuries. “You’re bleeding,” he told her.
She swiped her fingers across her neck, smearing them with blood. “It doesn’t really hurt,” she said as she grabbed her forgotten purse off the ground.
Gabe retrieved his wallet as Ava dug out a tissue and her compact. She flipped it open to assess her injuries.
“It’s fine. It’s just a little knick. I’ve done worse to myself shaving.” She paused and her expression ramped up from shock into outright anger. “Actually, it’s not fine. What was that guy thinking?!”
“He was thinking he was going to take our money,” Gabe told her, not quite sure what she was asking.
“He had a knife at my neck!” Ava said in disbelief. “He actually had a knife at my neck and he cut me! He could’ve killed me!ld’ve d me!l
Gabe watched her warily. He knew Ava had every right to be upset but he didn’t have a clue what to do with an upset female. He was terrified she’d start to cry and he’d have to…well, he didn’t even know what he’d have to do. He’d never been in this sort of situation before. At least not one where he couldn’t just walk away the moment he got bored.