“You’re not a loser,” she chuckled.
“I’m not a quitter either. Keep that in mind. I’ve had a taste and you are incredibly addicting. I might end up showing my rather nasty side if Gates doesn’t do something soon.”
Not sure what that meant, Avery lifted his hands from her rear and pulled her dress down. Chancing a glance, she noticed the bulge in the front of his pants wasn’t as big as it had been, but he was still hard. Wow, exactly how big was he? Shaking her head for wondering such a thing, she gripped his arm and walked to the door with him.
“Sure you won’t change your mind and come stay at my place?”
“Kevin, don’t start this again. I plan on going through those papers in my safe tonight.”
“Are you sure you want to do that now? Everything’s still so fresh.”
“It won’t be any easier later. Besides, there might be some legal documents I need to tend to. Going through that stuff might help. It’ll certainly hurt, but it also might help.”
Kevin opened the door, leaned down and kissed her on the lips. More than a friendly kiss but not as much as a lover’s kiss. “You amaze me,” he said, hugging her. “Smartest woman in the world. If it gets to be too much and you need a shoulder, call me. I have big shoulders.”
“You certainly do.”
He flashed her a smile as he stepped off the porch. Why couldn’t she at least fall in lust for the man? He was built, handsome and now she’d spend the rest of the evening wondering about his package.
Avery closed the door and scrubbed her face with her hands. What a day and it wasn’t even early evening yet. Maybe a little nap would work, then she could tackle that envelope with fresh eyes.
* * * * *
Ridge bristled and clenched his fists when the door opened and he saw Stone kissing Avery. Seeing her kiss him back shot jealousy and a sharp ache through his heart. Her clothes were askew and Stone’s uniform didn’t look as if it was fitting all that well at the moment. Stone had put his hands on her, intimately touching his Avery.
How far had they gone? Had she given herself to Stone the way she’d given herself to him? No. Avery wasn’t that type of woman. She didn’t bed-jump. But he hadn’t exactly given her reason to believe he’d be coming back. What if she’d brushed her hands free of him and moved on?
Somehow he managed to lock down the anger and the feeling of betrayal. It wasn’t easy and currently his gut churned with rancid acid, but he did it. If his guess was right, she more than sensed it. At least that’s the way it seemed earlier at the funeral home. Exactly how much she could feel from him he wasn’t sure.
There were a lot of things he wasn’t sure about anymore. Rubbing his eyes, he remembered standing next to her at the cemetery and clearly seeing Cale and Avery as teens. He didn’t know them then, yet he knew exactly what they looked like. He had seen Avery tied to a chair and knew her mother had done it. He’d seen Cale’s frantic face as he untied her. It didn’t make sense, none of it, but he knew Avery had something to do with it.
A shiny black Jag pulled up in front of Avery’s house and parked. The hair on the back of Ridge’s neck stood on end. A man exited the car and walked with purpose to the door. Ridge reached under his seat and palmed his gun. This guy wasn’t dressed like a thief in an expensive suit but these days, who knew?
On his dash his cell phone chirped. Before he could speak, Stone’s voice came over the line.
“Don’t move, don’t start your truck, don’t even look toward the house.”
“One of yours?” he asked, wanting to reach through the phone and choke the bastard for touching Avery.
“No and I don’t like it. I hope you have a permit for that gun you reached for.”
What the hell? Did Stone have a camera in his truck? Ridge wrapped his fingers around the butt good and tight. “It’s legal.” Not that he’d say otherwise.
“Watch her face, Gates. See if she acts like she knows the guy.”
The man knocked several times. Most people would have left by now but this guy was persistent. He had an agenda. He wanted Avery to answer the door. The longer the suit stood there the more nervous Ridge got. Finally, Avery opened the door.
Ridge lost his breath. She stood there in a pair of short shorts and a white tank that hugged her breasts and molded to her torso. She didn’t have any shoes on which only added to the look. Damn, but the woman had a nice pair of legs. Ridge had to force his gaze to her face and what he saw made his blood run cold.
“She knows him but she isn’t exactly happy to see him. Something’s wrong,” he told Stone.
“Yeah, I see it. He’s acting like he’s surprised and happy to see her.”
Ridge held his breath as he waited to see if she invited the suit in, or if the guy pushed his way in. Within seconds, Avery shut the door and the man returned to his car.
“I’m gonna follow the guy,” Stone said into the phone. “I’ll run his plate and see what’s what.”
“Call me.”
“If it’s necessary,” Stone said, driving by him. “I take it you’ll stay put for a while. Watch the house?”
“I’m not going anywhere until I know what’s going on.” No way in hell was he leaving now. Not when men who put that look of concern on Avery’s face and knew where she lived were lurking around.
“Keep your phone handy.”
With that Stone disconnected and followed the Jag. Ridge tucked his gun back under his seat and settled in for a while. He should be in there with her, not sitting out in his hot truck wishing he was in there with her. He could have her in his arms. Feel her soft skin against his. Or could he?
Avery deserved better than a grunt, a broken man who suffered anxiety attacks at the dumbest times. He should walk away and let Stone have her but he couldn’t. Ten years he’d watched her grow and develop into a woman who wrapped herself around his heart and soul. Ten years of falling hard and deep for her.
An hour passed by with Ridge watching the house and wondering what Avery was doing. Probably sleeping, at least he hoped so. She’d looked pale and drawn today with dark circles under her eyes. Even so, she presented a perfect appearance with her shiny brown hair cascading over her shoulders and her elegant, simple black dress. It didn’t seem to matter what Avery wore—she always looked perfect.
Hell, naked was even better. That night in the hotel room when she’d undressed, he’d had the strangest need to drop to his knees and worship her perfect body. The artisans of old would have clamored to use her for a model and capture her elegant curves and beauty in marble and granite.
Ridge chuckled to himself and then rubbed his tired eyes. What bizarre thoughts he had these days. He’d dreamt of her as an angel sweeping down from the heavens to save his sorry ass on more than one occasion. He’d even pictured her as a mother, growing plump and round with his child and then nursing their baby as she smiled at him from a rocking chair. That was the ultimate dream for him, Avery by his side forever, raising children and growing old together. Too bad it would never happen.
His cell chirped, jerking him from the fantasies that would never be. Looking at the number, he quickly answered. “What do you have?”
“How about you meet me at your house and have a few cold ones on hand.”
Stone sounded funny, irritated, aggravated and slightly pissed off. He’d found something. “You off duty?”
“I am now. Why?”
“Just in case we need to have a little man-to-man beat-down later. I don’t want to be accused of hitting an officer of the law while he’s in uniform and on duty.” They still had the matter of him touching Avery to deal with and Ridge planned on dealing with it one way or another.
“If you insist,” Stone said on a sigh. “We’ll discuss this situation first and then we’ll deal with private matters.”
“Fair enough. What about keeping an eye on the house?” He didn’t like leaving her unprotected, especially if she was sleeping.
“You should be
seeing a cruiser and an unmarked car in the area now. She’ll be watched.”
Sure enough, a cruiser crept down the street and parked, followed by an unmarked car parking a block away. “Don’t know why you call them unmarked. They’re pretty obvious.”
Stone laughed. “I agree but I don’t exactly get to choose the cars. Give me fifteen and then I’ll be knocking on your door.”
“I’ll be there.” Ridge disconnected, scanned the street one last time and then started the truck. He didn’t like leaving but he knew Stone would have her watched. She’d be okay, for now.
He made it back to his house minutes before Stone knocked on the door. Limping from the searing pain shooting through his leg, Ridge opened the door and let his rival in. This was damned strange sitting down to have a beer with a man who wanted Avery almost as much as he did.
“You pushed it too much today,” Stone commented as he followed Ridge to the kitchen. “You look like you’re in a hell of a lot a pain.”
“Some things can’t be helped,” he replied, shrugging, as he grabbed two cold beers from the fridge. “Have a seat and tell me what you found.”
They sat across from each other at the small table. Each opened his beer and took a swig before Stone rubbed the back of his neck and settled his gaze directly on Ridge.
“Michael Gifford. Businessman. Lives in Seattle but spends most of his time traveling. He and Avery were on the same flight here from Dover. I’m guessing they sat next to each other and chatted. That would explain the recognition on both their parts.”
“But not the worried look on her face.” Something had clearly bothered her about the man. “That doesn’t explain him showing up at her door.”
“No, it doesn’t. We haven’t had time to do a complete background check on him but that’s being done as we speak. So far,” Stone said, leaning back in his chair. “Nothing pops with this guy. No priors, not even a speeding ticket. Clean as a whistle. Too fucking clean, if you ask me.”
Ridge arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“It’s almost like he’s trying real hard to stay under the radar. What we pulled up is so basic it’s almost like the guy barely exists. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”
Stone’s nervousness about the man put Ridge on edge. “When will you know more?”
“Hopefully within a few hours. In the meantime, I’m keeping a constant watch on her house. A break-in, shooting and a stranger showing up all within a week—too much coincidence.”
Ridge watched Stone throw back his beer. “Are you including me in this coincidence?” He would if he was in Stone’s shoes.
Stone didn’t answer right away, simply sat there and studied him. “I’m not sure if it’s you or her brother but this all centers around one of you. Her life was pretty quiet until Cale’s death and you coming to town. Maybe it’s both of you?”
Ridge winced inside. “I wouldn’t be here if it had anything to do with me. I wouldn’t put her in danger like this.” He’d eat a bullet before allowing Avery to become a pawn in someone’s revenge.
“What happened over there, Gates? What was Easton involved in? Help me out, here. Help me keep her safe.”
Scattered bits of memory popped around inside Ridge’s head. Too many fragments that didn’t fit together. He remembered the bombing, seeing Sehr blow up and finding Cale with metal embedded in his head, but events before that wouldn’t come clear. They’d taken down a few Taliban men but that’s where the memories scattered.
“What makes you so sure it has anything to do with Afghanistan?” Reaching, that’s what he was doing.
“The gun used to shoot out her car window was in Afghanistan, Gates. You and Easton were in Afghanistan. Of all the guns floating around in this world what are the chances it would show up here aiming at Avery?”
A face flickered in his mind, a split second of memory that vanished as fast as it showed up, leaving Ridge unsettled as if he should know something. “Some of my memory of the day of the bombing,” he spoke quietly, “it isn’t all there.”
Stone pinched the bridge of his nose. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
“You think I’m lying?” Ridge snapped, slapping his hand on the table. “If I knew anything I’d tell you. I may not like you but I trust you’re looking out for her and that overrides any personal feelings I have toward you.”
“Chill, Gates,” Stone growled. “I wasn’t being sarcastic. You suffered a severe trauma and it’s normal for memories to be lost after a trauma.” Stone rubbed the back of his neck again. “I’ve seen it a hundred times. I’m surprised you have any memory of that day at all. I can only imagine the shit you saw.”
Sehr’s bloody face appeared in Ridge’s mind, sounds of screaming, wails of grief and agony filled his ears. For a moment he returned to that day. The stifling heat, the dry air, the sounds of gunfire, it all replayed in his mind. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his breathing labored. Not now. He couldn’t have an attack now, not in front of Stone.
“Hey, you okay?”
Ridge could see Stone’s mouth moving but his words were warped in his ears. It was over. He was home, safe, and he needed to keep it together for Avery. A change of subject would help bring him out of this hell.
“Did you have sex with her this afternoon?” The words ground out between his teeth. Anger would bring him back.
Stone blinked, surprised at the blunt, off-the-wall question, and then leaned back in his chair and frowned.
“Answer me. I saw you leave the house. I saw her. Did you have sex with her?” If the man answered yes he wouldn’t be able to hold back. The thought of Avery naked in another man’s arms, her tight, wet body wrapped around another man, it drove him insane.
“Okay,” Stone said, nodding slowly. “You want to change the subject, I can do that.”
Ridge didn’t like the way he watched him. “Answer me, damn you.” His lungs heaved from his heavy breathing. His fists tightened on the table and his blood pumped hot through his veins as he tried to fight off the flashback and focus on the now.
“I thought about stringing you along and letting you think I did,” Stone admitted. “I can’t do that. No, we didn’t have sex today, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.”
Ridge physically jolted like a bucket of cold water had been thrown in his face. Sweet relief washed over him and instantly his heart rate eased. She was still his. In his mind Avery hadn’t abandoned him for another man.
Stone glared across the table. “She tried, Gates. I’ve never seen a woman so frantic for anything in my life and you’re damn lucky I’m a gentleman and didn’t take advantage.” Stone got out of his chair and went for another beer.
Ridge watched him carefully as he tossed another beer to him. “What do you mean she tried?”
“It was like she thought if she could be with me than everything would be okay. In the end she couldn’t do it. You have her knotted so fucking tight around you she can’t let go, but that doesn’t mean I’m backing out of the picture.”
Since when did he have a hold on her? They’d shared one night out of grief and pain—that didn’t constitute a hold. What the hell was he talking about? He might be head over heels out of it for Avery, but she, no. Avery couldn’t possibly love him.
“You can’t see it, can you? She’s committed herself to you. She sits in that house and waits for you to come to her, to love her. Why do you think she hasn’t dated in the last ten fucking years? Open your eyes, Gates. She’s in love with you.”
This time the floor dropped out from under him and he was freefalling into an abyss of joy and confusion. Run to her or run away. She loved him but he wasn’t any good for her. He loved her but she deserved more. The conflicting emotions clawed at his insides. Everything he ever wanted lay at his feet. The woman, the life, but at what cost to her? His mind was broken. If he didn’t trust himself how could she?
“I’m not giving up on her,” Stone said, pointing at Ridge. “I don’t poach
but I’m hanging nice and close and I’ll be there when you leave her again. Eventually she’ll get tired of your games and I’ll be there.”
Yeah, he didn’t see Stone as the type to back away. Ridge gripped his beer bottle tightly as he scraped and fought to put his thoughts in order. “Why are you telling me all this?” Stone had to have an angle.
“Fair warning, that’s all.” Stone stood, swallowed the last of his beer and headed for the door. “I don’t know what’s going on in your head but even I can see how much you care for her. It’s written all over your face. Whatever is holding you back, you need to straighten it out before it’s too late.”
Ridge stayed seated as Stone walked through the door. Silence settled over his home once more. Nothing but the sound of his racing heart filled his ears. God, he hated the silence. Frustrated and not sure what to do, Ridge drank the rest of his beer and then hurled the bottle across the room against the door.
Damn Stone and his running mouth. What the hell was he going to do now? At least not knowing Avery loved him had made it easier to keep his distance, but now? Knowing all he had to do was go over there and open his arms and she’d be there, fuck, it made everything worse. He couldn’t give her what she needed, what she deserved. Why couldn’t she see that?
What kind of future would she have with a mentally and physically wounded man who didn’t know how to do anything other than take orders? He had nothing to fall back on for a living. Sure, he could get a job doing mundane tasks, and wouldn’t that make Avery proud.
No, she’d be better off with a man like Stone who had a future, who could give her nice things. A man she could stand beside and be proud to introduce to her friends. Stone would be someone. He, well, he would forever be nothing.
Ridge snatched up the letter he’d received from the military and stared at it So much for his life in the service. Discharged. Medical reasons. Even they knew his head and body were broken.
No matter how he looked at it, twisted and contorted the facts, Avery deserved better. Glancing at the broken glass littering his floor, Ridge turned and headed out the back to the small wooden shed where his motorcycle lay in pieces. As soon as he got it back together and running, he was gone. If he made himself scarce, Avery would eventually let go and then Stone could give her the perfect life.
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