Kel waited until Brandy was out of earshot, and then she leaned into the car. “You’re always helping me, Ridge. I just wanted to help you for a change. I wouldn’t have set you up with her if I didn’t think she was perfect for you. I know I don’t say it often enough, but I appreciate everything that you’ve done for me since Dad…you know.”
“Yeah, I know. I got your back, Kel, but you don’t have to worry about me. Okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“I’ll see ya later.”
She waved and rushed off to get in the car with Brandy.
I shook my head as I retrieved my duffel bag from the trunk. I knew Kel well enough to know that she wouldn’t give up that easily. Hell, maybe she was more like me than I thought.
Realizing that my week at the cabin with Ava was over, I slung my duffel bag over my shoulder, closed the trunk, and climbed up the stairs to my second-floor apartment.
I thought about my Halloween party and wondered if it would be possible for me to be in a house by then. Mason knew I planned to purchase a home soon, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take to find one. In the meantime, he was searching for a roommate to take my place.
When I opened the door and stepped into the living room, I immediately saw empty beer bottles strewn around the apartment and Mason passed out on the couch naked with a skimpily-clad female lying on top of him. Neither of them budged as I closed the door loudly and walked down the hall to my bedroom. Mason was the complete opposite of me. Where I planned meticulously, Mason lived minute-by-minute, never knowing what his day would hold. He was a bartender at Spanky’s, a local club, and it wasn’t unusual for him to pick up chicks at the bar and bring them home.
We were tight, but the fact that we had extremely different lifestyles was a catalyst for me to get my own place and get out.
As I unpacked my bag, Mason came and stood in the door, his tattooed arms propped up against the frame. He was thinner than me and had a charm that seemed to have all the ladies swarming him. Luckily, he had found his boxers.
“Hey, champ,” he slurred. “Did you score?”
“I see you’ve been talking to Kelsey.”
“Yeah, she was at Spanky’s last night.”
I cringed. “You didn’t serve….”
“No,” he interrupted. “I didn’t serve her any alcohol. You’ve made it quite clear, on more than one occasion I might add, that she’s underage. And I have no desire to lose my job.”
Relief flowed through my shoulders, releasing some of the tension.
He rubbed his hand through his hair and grinned, “Did you see the babe I brought home?”
“It was kinda hard to miss her.”
“She was a sweet piece….”
“I don’t want to hear about your latest conquest,” I interrupted, wishing he’d go away.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Jealous?”
I glared at him. “Because you bagged a girl who would sleep with any John willing to buy her a drink? I don’t think so.”
He smirked. “I’ll come back when you’re in a better mood.”
“Yeah, you do that.” He disappeared, and I closed my bedroom door, hoping that it was clear I was in no mood to talk.
My thoughts flitted to Ava. Aggravated because I should be thinking about the triathlon, I changed into my running shorts and a tee shirt and went for a jog, not looking at the couch as I stalked through the apartment.
As I began running down the street, I forced myself to think about my list of goals. I wanted to purchase a house soon, and Ava was the only realtor that I knew. I already wanted to see her again, and it scared the hell out of me. I had things that I wanted to accomplish before a woman came along and complicated my life.
But I could feel the pull towards her, even now. I contemplated calling a random realtor, but when I thought about Ava saying that she couldn’t afford a prosthesis that was made specifically for water, I knew that if anyone made a commission off of me, I wanted it to be her.
I ran harder as I felt myself being sucked in by her. I remembered her bringing me a warm towel and making coffee. Her gentleness was like a healing balm, and I was drawn to it, to her. I remembered her nibbling on my neck before we both fell out of the canoe, and I had wanted more. Only by exercising strict discipline had I managed to remain the gentleman.
It was time to exercise discipline once again. I shoved thoughts of Ava from my mind and ran until my heart pounded and sweat streamed down my body in tiny rivulets.
Ava who?
Chapter 8
Ava
I checked my phone to see if I had any missed calls. It had been a week since I’d been back from the cabin, and I hadn’t heard one word from Ridge. Not one.
A guy like Ridge could probably attract most any girl he wanted. I didn’t know why I was surprised that I hadn’t heard from him. I supposed it was because I thought we’d had a connection. Maybe he hadn’t felt it. My thoughts were no longer filled with Jack, but the self-doubt that he had placed in my mind was still there. It hadn’t been eating at me quite as much because Ridge had helped to alleviate some of my fears. But since I hadn’t heard from him, I wondered if maybe he hadn’t meant anything he’d said to me. Maybe he was only telling me what he thought I needed to hear. Maybe I’d only imagined the connection between us because I so desperately needed something to believe in, something that would make me feel better about myself.
I groaned out loud. I did not need a man to make me feel better about myself, did I? Of course not. But I was no different than most women. I wanted to be wanted by a man. And I’d allowed a man to deeply hurt me, and I wanted to move past that. I thought Ridge would be my answer.
What was wrong with me? I’d never felt so confused about the opposite sex in my entire life.
I was so caught up in my musings that I jumped when my phone rang. I snatched it up and looked at the number calling. Deflated when I realized it wasn’t anyone I knew, I answered. Just as I suspected, it was someone making an appointment to look at a house.
I printed the information on the house that was pulled up on my computer and added it to the stack of things I had collected for Ridge. He’d never told me what kind of house he was looking for, but I’d been in this business long enough to have a pretty good idea. He’d definitely want a garage to keep his car in. A double garage would be his preference, but a single garage would probably work, too. He’d want at least three bedrooms, including a master with an en suite bathroom. He would like it if it were close to a park to accommodate his outside activities, and what grill master wouldn’t want a deck?
I threw in a few houses with inground pools, partly because I thought he and his friends would enjoy it, and partly because I fantasized about skinny dipping with him again.
My phone rang, and I stared at the screen as I realized it was Ridge.
My heart palpitated.
I let it ring again, not wanting to appear too eager.
“Hello,” I greeted.
“Ava, how are you?”
I couldn’t prevent the grin that spread across my face. “Ridge. I’m good. How’s your training going?”
“I’ve been hard at it lately.”
“Me, too. I went cycling before I came to the office this morning, and I was a little surprised by how cold it was.”
“Yeah, fall is definitely around the corner. Listen, Ava. You know I’ve been thinking about buying a house, and I’ve received an approval for a home loan from my credit union. I was hoping you could meet me to discuss my options.”
“Well, I have an appointment in thirty minutes. I could meet you for a late lunch.”
“Could you meet me for dinner instead? That way we won’t be rushed.”
“Sure,” I answered. “I could do that.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at six.”
When I hung up, a wave of nervous energy swept through my body. I was excited that he had finally called, but a little disappointed beca
use he had only called to discuss buying a house. But then again, he wanted to discuss it over dinner, so wasn’t that kind of like a dinner date?
Either way, I was going to take it and run with it.
The nervous energy stayed with me the entire day. I had difficulty concentrating on my sales pitch as I showed a couple of homes because all I could think about was Ridge.
As it approached six o’clock, I selected a shimmering, black, sleeveless top and a pair of black slacks. I painted a fresh coat of nail polish on my toes, as well as on the toes on my prosthesis, and showed them off with strappy black sandals.
When my doorbell rang, my heart started beating erratically. I stood, took a deep breath, and slowly walked to the door. All my attempts to calm myself were for naught because when I swung the door open, he took my breath away.
He wore a dark suit with a crisp, white shirt and a black, silky tie. His sandy hair spiked in the front, and he smiled, revealing straight, white teeth.
“Hi, Ava,” he said, his voice soft and smooth. “You look beautiful, as always.” Inwardly, I scoffed at his words. The last time he’d seen me, I’d been stranded with no makeup and no way to style my hair. At least now, I didn’t feel like a girl who’d been marooned on a deserted island without all the niceties that women enjoyed so much.
“You’re looking quite handsome yourself.”
“You ready?” He offered me his elbow and led me to the car, opening the door so I could get in.
I told myself over and over to be brave, to be the daring Ava of old.
He turned the radio down. “So have you found a way to get even with London yet?”
“Not yet. You?”
“I’ve been too busy to give Kelsey another thought. As much scheming as she and Brandy do, I’m sure theirs is coming.”
“Have you been busy with work?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“Yeah, I’ve got a project I’m working on—a new piece of extrusion machinery at a local manufacturer. We’re setting it up. I’ve been spending a lot of time training for the triathlon, too. Maybe we could run or cycle together sometime.”
“I’d like that,” I said.
When we reached the restaurant, Ridge pulled into a parking place and turned off the ignition. “Wait there.” He exited the car and hurried to my side, opening the door for me.
“Me lass,” he said gruffly in his best pirate imitation as he bowed and offered me his hand.
“I see yer dear ol’ mum taught ye manners, ye scurvy dog,” I said sweetly as he assisted me from the car.
“Scurvy dog?” he growled. “Be careful, ye wench. Ye wouldn’t want me to make ye walk the plank, would ye?”
“Ye try it, scallywag, and ye’ll find yer bones in Davy Jones’ locker.”
He laughed as he offered me his elbow and whispered in my ear, “I forget that you have a penchant for killing off men. I’ll have to be on my best behavior.”
“Aye. It would be wise of ye.” I shot him my best I’m-nice-but-don’t-cross-me smile as he led me into the restaurant. We were immediately directed to a small table near the rear of the room.
Ridge ordered us a glass of cabernet as we looked over the menu.
After we ordered, he grinned at me and said, “You know, I’ve been skinny dipping with you, and I don’t even know what your favorite color is.”
“Red.”
“The color of blood. Why am I not surprised?” he asked, grinning.
I laughed. “I’m not quite as evil as you make me out to be.”
“Says the woman who threatened to send me to the bottom of the sea.”
I held up my forefinger. “Only if you tried to make me walk the plank.”
His cell phone rang, and he pulled it from the interior pocket of his suit and glanced at the caller. “It’s work. Excuse me, but I’m going to have to take it.”
I nodded my head to let him know I understood.
“It’s over-torqueing and popping the clutch?” he asked as he stared down at the table. “Heat up zones one through ten by forty more degrees Celsius. Give it thirty minutes to heat soak, and try it again. That should solve the problem. If it doesn’t, call me back.”
He listened a moment more. “All right, man. Good luck.”
Turning his attention back to me, he apologized, “Sorry about that.”
“No problem.”
He straightened his tie. “So anyway, I wanted to talk to you about looking for a house. I have my financing in place, and I think I’m ready to start the process.”
Part of me was disappointed that his phone call had interrupted our bantering. He had now launched into business mode.
“Okay. Tell me a little bit about what you want.”
We covered his budget, and as far as the house went, I had pretty much nailed it on the head. “I’ve already printed the details of several houses you may want to take a look at,” I said.
His hazel eyes widened. “Very good, Miss Nottingham. I’m impressed.”
“A couple even have inground pools if that’s something that interests you.”
“It would mean more upkeep, but it would also be fun. And I could get in some swimming without having to go to the gym. I’d definitely like to take a look at those, too.”
The server brought our steaks and refilled our wine. Sipping the alcohol made me remember Ridge’s promise that we’d do body shots again, and I felt the heat rising to my cheeks.
“Are you available tomorrow evening?” he asked.
“Sure,” I answered, trying not to seem giddy at the prospect of seeing him again so soon. “Do you want me to pick you up?”
“No. I’ll pick you up. I should be able to go into work a little early, so I can sneak out earlier, assuming my new boss doesn’t have a problem with that. He’s a bit of an ass, though.”
“That bad?”
He scoffed. “I had pitched him some ideas on our new project the week before I went to the cabin. We had a meeting on Friday afternoon, and can you believe that he pitched my ideas as his own?”
“Are you serious?”
He nodded. “And there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. I despise liars and cheats, and he’s both of those things.”
“That really sucks.”
“The only thing I can do is hope that it benefits me in the end somehow. Anyway, does four o’clock work for you?”
“Four would be fine.”
Our dinner was interrupted by another work-related call, and once we’d finished eating, he promptly wrapped up the meal, explaining that he was going to have to go in and work for a couple of hours.
When we reached my apartment, he walked me to the door. My heart raced as he leaned against the doorframe, looking debonair in his suit and tie. He had taken my breath away in his swim trunks, but looking at him now in all of his sophisticated glory released a flock of doves in my belly, their wings fluttering as they took flight.
“You want to come in?” I asked, praying that he would.
“I better get going,” he answered, his hands tucked in his pockets.
I nodded. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Grasping my arm, he stopped me as I turned to enter my apartment. “You really do look beautiful tonight, Ava.”
“Thank you.” I smiled.
His face grew serious, and his intense gaze made a tiny shiver vibrate down my spine. My grin slowly faded as he moved toward me. I studied his features, and I could sense that he wanted to say something.
“I…,” he began before being cut off from a high-pitched voice behind him.
“Am I interrupting?”
I peered around the side of Ridge to see London standing in the hallway. “Yes, actually you are.”
“Don’t stop on my account. Please proceed,” London urged as Ridge took a step back.
“Ridge, this is my sister, London.”
“Hi, London,” he greeted, giving her a quick nod. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Lon
don pressed her way between us, tossing strands of silky hair over her shoulder. “All good, I hope.”
Ridge’s warm hazel eyes found mine, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “Of course.”
“Oh, Ava, you were right. He is a hottie.”
My jaw dropped. “I never said….”
“Ava has always attracted the sexy ones,” London spouted to Ridge. “I don’t know what it is about her, but men find her irresistible.”
“Is that so?” Ridge asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
I pushed London into my apartment. “Get in there.”
She laughed at her own antics and called over her shoulder, “She won’t be single for long.”
“London,” I warned through gritted teeth as I stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind me.
“I’m so sorry,” I said to Ridge.
He waved my apology away. “No need. I have a little sister, remember? Anyway, I better get going. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
I watched him as he walked to his car, looking suave in his expensive suit. Even though London had totally lied, she was right about one thing. Ridge’s combination of physical beauty, drive to succeed, and nice-guy attitude made him extremely sexy, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether he would’ve kissed me if it weren’t for London’s poor timing.
I exhaled longingly and opened the door to my apartment.
“What the hell was that?” I asked London, who was peeling a banana as she perched on the arm of my couch.
“What?” she asked, concentrating on the fruit in her hands. “Why don’t you ever buy any potato chips? I’m having a junk food attack, and all you have is fruit, vegetables, and stuff full of fiber.”
“Don’t avoid my question.” I stood with arms akimbo, glaring at her like an angry mother.
“Kelsey said he focused more on work than women. I just wanted to let him know that if he doesn’t make a move, someone else will scoop you up.”
I picked up a decorative pillow and smacked her with it. “He might’ve made a move if you hadn’t decided to intrude on our conversation.”
She tapped her temple. “I planted a seed, and that’s much more important. Now, he knows you’re interested, and I made it clear to him that you’re a good catch and your worm won’t be in the water for long before you snag a big, sexy fish.”
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