Chapter 6 - Lincoln
LINCOLN
“Damn it all to hell!” I growled as I got into my car.
I almost slammed the door out of sheer frustration, but took a breath and gently pulled it in.
I didn’t want to risk damaging the damn thing.
That woman was so… so… stimulating. Only Ava could ever get me riled up like this.
She always made me want to scold her about her flippant attitude, yet kiss the hell out of her.
Maybe she had the right idea. We shouldn’t get comfortable with each other again.
Whenever we were in the same space for too long, sparks flew.
That was dangerous. Besides, as far as I knew, she was still getting ready to marry some other fucker.
But I couldn’t help remembering the way things were between us.
The chemistry… it was explosive. It had been ever since I’d laid eyes on her after a few years away at college…
Twelve years ago…
The Montgomery living room hadn’t changed.
Then again, I’d only been away for three years.
The room still smelled like that lemon wood polish Ethan’s mom liked to use.
Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery welcomed me home some minutes ago—I even got my cheek pinched by Mrs. Montgomery as if I were still the ten-year-old Ethan brought home.
They then left for a dinner party. I was told Ava was upstairs, but I didn’t go up to bother her. She’d come down eventually.
So, I was left to my own devices until Ethan came back from wherever he was.
He was supposed to be home already because I told him what time I’d be here.
But that was Ethan for you, always running late.
I bet he was with a girl. Since the Montgomery household was like my second home, I got comfortable while I waited.
I lay back against the cushions, one arm propped under my head, and lazily tossed my keys in the air like a football. My fingers twitched instinctively, wanting the weight of a real ball.
After a while, I got bored lying there by myself. A part of me started to wish I’d stayed on campus with the guys. My Harvard crew, as I liked to call them—Michael, Jamie, Spencer, and Alex, had all decided to stay on campus for spring break. But I was long overdue for a visit home.
If I hadn’t come to Springfield, my mom would likely have a conniption. She said she hadn’t seen her little boy in ages—I was twenty, for goodness’s sake—so I had to come home. It was only an hour and a half drive from Harvard to Springfield, but I never got to come home because of football.
Footsteps on the stairs pulled me from the boredom I’d fallen into.
I smiled slightly but didn’t get up. Finally, Ava was coming down.
I doubted she even knew I was here. My best friend’s little sister was a sweet kid.
I was only two years older than her, but I’d just always seen her as well…
my friend’s kid sister, whom I had to protect.
She was a sassy little riot, though, and could protect herself.
She always had me in stitches when she and Ethan had their spats.
That quick wit and sharp tongue made her entertaining as hell.
I threw my keys up again, but paused, causing them to smack me on the forehead.
I muttered a curse and rubbed the sore spot.
My head tipped backward, eyes trained on the staircase behind me, to take a proper look at what had distracted me.
From this angle, everything appeared upside down.
Including the pair of legs that appeared halfway down the steps.
They were shapely, smooth, toned, and bare. Lethal.
My breath hitched.
Who the hell…?
Did Ava have a friend over? The girl kept descending, and the hem of a black dress came into view. The dress was short. Really short. My gaze travelled up to delicately curved hips that made my fingers twitch. I had this sudden urge to palm them between my hands.
Her torso came into view, and so did the nicest pair of tits I’d ever seen. They looked like perfect handfuls… and I had big hands. Overgrown, mutated paws, according to my friend, Alex—that asshole. All the better to catch a football with, I’d say.
When her face appeared, my world came to a screeching halt.
No!
I just eye-fucked Ava.
God, no!
I scrambled to sit up, almost falling off the sofa. When my world was upright again, I caught Ava watching me with a smirk and her hands on her hips.
“Careful there, Linc. Wouldn’t want you to break your neck.”
“Ava…?”
This was not the kid sister I was expecting to see.
I expected the skinny girl who wore glittery sneakers and oversized hoodies, who ranted about the sorry state of the world…
as if she were forty-five. This was someone entirely different.
Ava was a woman now, and I was so disturbed by that because I couldn’t keep my eyes off her amazing rack.
Jesus.
She brushed her long, dark, chocolaty mane aside. Her cheeks flushed. “Hey, Lincoln, why are you looking at me like that?”
Like a girl who had transformed into someone I wanted?
“You haven’t seen me in like three years, and you just stand there and look at me as if I just landed on planet Earth.”
Her little pout drew my attention to her full mouth. When had her lips gotten so… kissable? I blinked. “God, I’m sorry, Ava… hey.” I held my arms open out of habit.
She smiled and approached. “It’s good to see you… my favorite giant.”
One corner of my mouth tilted up as I wrapped my arms around her. Her head barely reached my shoulders. “I’m only a giant because you’re tiny.”
“Everyone is tiny compared to you, Linc.”
My smile faded as soon as I let go of her because I felt dirty after the innocent hug. I was attracted to Ava now, and I was having a hard time wrapping my head around it.
“I didn’t know you’d be here.” She cleared her throat lightly.
Was it my imagination, or did her voice sound breathier than usual? Her blush had intensified, too. Was she having the same onset of attraction I was experiencing?
“Yeah.” I rubbed my nape.
“Unfortunately, I have to run.”
“That's too bad. Guess we’ll catch up later.”
“Yeah. I don't want to be late for my date.”
“Date?” I gave her another once over—about the tenth one in two minutes. “Y-you’re dating?” She was going out with some guy in that dress? Jealousy pierced my very soul.
She scoffed. “Don’t you dare tell me I’m too young to start dating like Ethan. I’m almost nineteen, for crying out loud. Don’t worry, I’m not going to sleep with the guy on the first date.”
She’d better not!
“Tell you what,” she said. “When I get back, I’ll swear on a Bible not to lose my virginity until I’m forty.”
My jaw practically touched the tip of my shoes. Ava’s virginity was the last thing I wanted to hear about. Not when I was busy perving on her… which wasn’t even intentional! She was just so… hot now.
As if realizing what she’d said, her eyes widened. “I said that out loud… wow.”
I gulped. “I didn’t… I wasn’t…” I’d turned into a blubbering idiot.
“I just mean that you and Ethan are so overbearing,” she said quickly. “That was a joke.”
She looked ready to keel over from embarrassment.
“Uh-huh. Have fun on your date.”
She pursed her lips, her entire face scarlet. What was this new awkward air between us?
“I’m sorry I've got to leave you,” she said. “Ethan should be back soon. He’s probably with some girl.”
“That was my thought,” I murmured, trying my hardest not to take a peek at her cleavage again.
“Later, Mountain Man.”
I snorted. She always teased me about my height. From her… I didn’t mind it.
“Late, Ava,” I muttered.
But she didn’t move. She stayed in place and stared at me. She then blinked and finally moved. I shamelessly stared at her ass and the sway of her hips as she walked to the door.
“For the love of God. What the hell was that?” I whispered.
Hours later, I was rummaging through the kitchen.
I was a little peeved that Ethan had abandoned me for a girl.
My lips twisted wryly. I couldn’t be too hard on him.
There was nothing wrong with giving your woman quality time.
That was part of why I was still single.
Juggling school and sports left little time for socializing.
Just as I sat down to enjoy my meal—a huge sandwich with a side of Mrs. Montgomery’s famous baked mac and cheese—I heard the front door open. Rapid footsteps made their way closer. I’d know the sound of those angry footsteps anywhere. I’d been listening to them since I was ten.
Uh-oh, she’s on the warpath.
I could hear Ethan’s words echo in my head, and I chuckled.
However, my amusement died the instant I saw her face.
She wasn’t angry. She looked miserable. Her cheeks were blotchy, and her lips were in a trembling line as if she struggled not to cry.
She hadn’t seen me yet because she had her head down, muttering to herself. When she looked up, she gasped.
“Lincoln… What are you still…” She glanced around the kitchen. “Where’s Ethan?”
“He dropped by for about an hour and had to leave again.”
“A girl?”
“Yup, Aubrey Keller. Can’t say I blame him for abandoning me.”
She let out a derisive snort and headed to the cupboard. I watched as she took out a jar of ranch dip and struggled to open it. Getting up, I crept behind her, plucked the jar from her fingers, and effortlessly twisted off the cap.
“Show off,” she murmured, but I heard the thanks in there somewhere.
“You’re welcome. Are you okay?”
“Fine. So you just decided to stay here alone?”
I shrugged. “I already told my parents I’d crash here. I expected Ethan and I to be shitfaced by now.”
She peeked up at me through her lashes as she lifted a spoonful of dip and stuffed it into her mouth. I frowned. She gobbled down unhealthy things like this when she was stressed. Dip without the chips. Something was definitely wrong.
“Shitfaced? You guys aren’t even legal.”
“When has that ever stopped us?”
She rolled her eyes.
I took the jar from her.