Chapter 5 #2
I sigh. She’s right, but I’m not going to tell her that.
If she’s expressed any interest in Leo, I don’t want her knowing that he’s exactly like she described.
In person, Leo is controlled, subdued, and observant.
In bed, he was wild, feral, and intense.
He had an insanely dirty mouth, manhandled me like I weighed next to nothing, and followed through on every single one of his promises.
If he said he’d make me come so many times I blacked out, that’s exactly what would happen.
If he commented he wanted to see if he could make me squirt, I would.
Our sexual relationship was phenomenal. Well, I assume it was.
I don’t have anyone to compare it to. From what friends have told me about their experiences, I know Leo was an exception.
And I’m pissed that Ava wants that.
“Girl, you’re kinda growling at me,” Ava whispers, her eyes wide. “Which one of them is off limits?”
“What?” I stammer. “No, nothing. Sorry. Just thinking about something else.”
“It’s Leo,” Whitley yells from the kitchen. “He’s off limits.”
Ava’s eyes brighten. “Oh, good. I want Trace more anyway. Didn’t you and Leo break up a billion years ago? You sure you’re ready to start back up with him?”
“How did you know that?” I ask.
She gives me a sly grin. “My mom went to high school with one of the Santo boys. The oldest, I think. Plus I love reading The Eagle Has Landed. That family sure is featured a lot on there.”
I hum noncommittally as I continue sorting the shipment of books I received this morning. “I don’t really keep up with the town gossip. My life is a dumpster fire enough as it is.”
I hear Whitley snort, but she doesn’t call me out on my blatant lie.
I read the town gossip website every day.
I’ve done so for years. Even when Leo was thousands of miles away, there would usually be one article a week that would address his whereabouts.
I was like a dog to a bone, inhaling any extra detail I could about his life without me.
It became evident fairly quickly that I wasn’t the only one kept in the dark about Leo’s job, because nothing was ever breaking news in regard to him.
I bookmarked every damn article that featured a picture of him, though, and they became a lifeline for me when I finally found out he’d been injured and discharged.
“Ava, can I request a specific kind of muffin for next week? With the forecast calling for a winter storm, I want to bring in some hearty options for the menu,” Whitley asks as she joins us again at my checkout counter.
“I’ll run it by Belle, but she had already mentioned some thicker breads to have at Everlasting. I bet she’ll be on board,” Ava answers. Turning to me, she smiles. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll leave Leo alone.”
“I wasn’t worried,” I say defensively. “Besides, you’re acting like he’d fall all over himself if he knew you were interested. Maybe you’re not his type.”
Ava throws her head back with raucous laughter. “Girl, please. I’m twenty-two, I don’t have a gag reflex, and my boobs are insanely perky. I’m every straight man’s type.”
“And obviously quite humble,” Whitley mutters.
Ava shrugs nonchalantly. “I won’t apologize for having confidence. And if I’m not a man’s type? Fuck him. Billions of men on this planet. I’ll find one who wants me exactly as I am. Eventually, I will wear Trace down, though. It’s just a matter of time.”
As if he were conjured out of thin air, Trace walks into the bookstore, but stops dead in his tracks when his eyes find Ava. I watch as Ava’s gaze narrows, a smirk covering her porcelain skin, as she bites her lip. “Hi, Trace.”
“Ava.” He struggles to keep his eyes on her face, and she knows it. Crossing her arms under her breasts, his gaze immediately drops to them. He looks at me, then at Ava’s chest, before back to me. It’s like watching a tennis match.
“Trace, how old are you?” I ask innocently.
“Forty,” he murmurs.
“Do you have any kids?”
“A daughter.”
“How old is she?”
“Eighteen.”
I muffle a giggle as Ava saunters up to him.
He’s a good seven or eight inches taller than her, and she uses it to her advantage.
Stopping only inches from him, she peers up with a faux-innocent smile, then drags one fingernail up the length of his arm.
“Oh? If you call me baby girl, I’ll call you Daddy. ”
“Jesus Christ,” Trace chokes out. He instinctively steps backward when someone simultaneously walks through the front door, shoving him forward. He’s launched against Ava, who takes the opportunity to wrap her arms around his waist.
“Why the fuck are you standing right at the door, man?” A huff from behind Trace alerts me to the new arrival. Sebastian peers around Trace, and his eyes widen when he finds Ava cuddled up against his friend. “Well, this is an interesting development.”
Ava giggles, lining her body up against Trace’s, and he makes a strangled noise.
They make quite a striking couple. She’s tiny and blonde, all youth and innocence.
Trace has speckles of gray peeking out in his hair and beard, with weathered lines on his face showing he’s seasoned and experienced.
But right now, it’s clear Ava is holding all the cards.
It makes me wonder how long he’ll avoid the chemistry they have.
Trace grabs her hands, removing her arms from his waist, and steps to the side. “I, uh, wanted a sandwich, but I just remembered I have an appointment out of town. Seb, you good to get back to the Clubhouse?”
Sebastian studies Trace. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Taking another step away from Ava, he nods at everyone. “Ladies.”
As he hightails it out the front door, we all look to Ava. She gives us a huge smile. “This is going to be so much fun.”
“What?” Whitley asks.
The smile turns wicked. “Breaking him.”