Once in the kitchen she spun around and faced Nick. “What is your problem?”
The number one problem was sitting in the living room. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.” He leaned his hip on the kitchen counter, folded his arms across his chest, and waited for her to continue.
“I know you and Ava have had some differences in the past, but there’s no need to be rude.”
Nick blew out a long breath. “I’ve barely spoken to her.”
“Exactly! And with the few words you have said, it’s like you want to bite her head off. I didn’t raise you to treat people that way.”
Why was she defending Ava? “Have you forgotten how she left? What she’d nearly done to mine and Brad’s business?” He shoved away from the counter and threw up his hands. “And she left without a word, not even a goodbye…to you,” he quickly added. He didn’t care anymore that she’d left him, but he remembered how hurt his parents had been, especially his mother. They’d opened their home to Ava.
His mother placed a hand on his arm. “We don’t know what made her leave or why she started that rumor. I’m sure she had a good reason. Maybe now’s your chance to find out.”
He couldn’t believe how forgiving his mother was. Actually, what was he thinking? Of course he could believe it. How many times had she forgiven the stupid things he and Brad got caught doing? She had been a saint putting up with the two of them. She’d always blister their ears with a lecture on being responsible young men, but at the end of the day, all would be forgiven.
“I don’t give a shit anymore.” He frowned.
His mother raised an eyebrow. Nick was thirty-one, but she only had to give him the look and he was twelve years old again.
“I just want this rain to stop so she can take off.” Maybe it was worth the risk driving in this weather now that there wasn’t much more he could do on the farm.
“You’re telling me one thing, but I know you, Nicky, you’re feeling something else.” She placed her hand on his chest—over his heart.
He scowled at his mother’s meaning. “The only thing I’m feeling is frustration that she’s still here.”
And frustration of another kind, one he’d have to take care of himself since he hadn’t gotten any in a while. Spending so much time on the farm or workshop hadn’t given him the opportunity. Maybe that was why Ava was so tempting. Yeah, right. He didn’t believe his own bullshit.
“I’m going to pass on the coffee.” He bent down and kissed his mother’s cheek. “Since I can’t do much outside I’m going to catch up on the paperwork.”
She caught his arm to stop him from leaving. “You’re doing too much. You can’t run your own company and the farm. And did I hear you were working at the workshop again yesterday?”
“Ben was busy, so I gave him a hand. Brad has everything under control with the business. You need me here.”
His mother bit her bottom lip. “We can always sell.”
Nick’s chest tightened. “This is your home. Dad loved this place. We’re not going to sell. I’ll work something out.” He pulled his mother in for a hug.
* * * *
When they reached Nick’s house, Ava closed herself in her room. The rain still hadn’t stopped, and she felt as dreary as the overcast sky and needed to be as far away from Nick as possible. And from the looks of his scowling face, the feeling was mutual.
It was time to call Bella. She pulled her phone out of her bag and dialed her sister’s number.
“Ava!” Bella answered on the first ring. “You better not tell me you’re not coming.” She could hear the disappointment in her sister’s voice.
“There’s been a bit of a delay.”
“You’re still coming, right?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure when. Woodlands Road is flooded.”
There was silence for a beat. Ava could picture Bella tugging at the ends of her long, dark brown hair. The only thing they both inherited from their father. Bella’s fair skin and blue eyes were just like Bella’s mother’s—Ava’s stepmother—while Ava’s Spanish complexion was like her father’s.
“Why didn’t you take the highway?”
In hindsight she should’ve stayed on the highway, but even though the memories in Sunland Valley weren’t all great, she always loved the beautiful countryside through the back way. “The drive’s so pretty.”
“But why the delay? Can’t you get back on the highway?”
“My car broke down.” And Nick was too busy to take her. You’d think he’d want to get rid of her fast.
“Oh, that sucks. So, where are you?”
“I’m staying at a…friend’s house.” She nearly choked on the word friend.
“What friend?”
She could make up some name and Bella would never know, but she didn’t want to lie to her sister. “His name is Nick Williams.”
“You’re staying with Nick!” Her voice rose to a squeal. “Oh my God, he’s so hot. You never told me you knew him. Wait until I tell my friends at school. They’re all totally crushing on him.”
Ava had to laugh. She could admit Nick was good to look at, and she couldn’t blame the girls for noticing.
“Are you two like hooking-up friends?” Bella asked with a giggle.
“Bella! What do you even know about hooking-up friends? Wait…don’t answer that, I don’t want to know.” God, when did Isabella grow up? Being away from her had been the hardest part about moving. Ava had missed a lot. “I’ll call you again tomorrow. Hopefully the rain will stop, and I can come and see you.”
“Okay, and have fun with N-i-c-k,” she said, dragging out his name.
Ava shook her head. “Bye, Bella.”
She hung up, flung herself on the bed, and stared up at the ceiling. Immediately, Nick’s face filled her mind, and she couldn’t help but replay the morning’s kiss. She was torn between wanting to slap him for kissing her and never wanting it to end. That’s what annoyed her the most. She’d liked it too much, and Nick, after they broke apart, stared at her with contempt, like the thought of what they’d done sickened him.
She sprung off the bed and dressed in the oversized t-shirt Nick had given her to sleep in. It was still early to dress for bed, but her clothing options were limited. She needed to be careful with her wardrobe until she found a dry cleaner.
Why did Maggie say she’d broken Nick’s heart? He’d told her himself he didn’t love her. Of course he didn’t, except back then she thought he did. He’d never said the words, but the way he used to look at her… It set her heart racing. But she’d just been a kid, what had she known about love? He couldn’t have done what he did if he really felt something close to love.
When he kissed her today she could have sworn, for a second, she’d seen the old Nick shining out from his eyes. Like he wanted no one but her. But hadn’t she seen that look in a dozen guys’ eyes? It was nothing more than desire. And now Nick wanted to pretend he hadn’t felt a damn thing, not even a twinge of lust. Well, she was going to call his bluff.
She threw open her bedroom door and stormed into the dining room. Nick sat at the table surrounded with papers. He lifted his head and watched her approach with a wary expression.
“Don’t pretend you didn’t feel anything when we kissed.” She placed her hands on her hips, pulling the t-shirt across her chest. His gaze fell to her unbound breasts and heat flashed in his eyes. Bingo!
“I didn’t.” His attention went back to the work on the table.
Ava didn’t like being dismissed. She had a bone to pick and wanted to prove a point. With a throaty, sexy voice, one that she’d perfected and knew worked on all men, she said, “Prove it. Kiss me again.”
Chapter 7
Nick was doing paperwork, trying unsuccessfully to forget about Ava, when she came storming out of her room, looking ready for a fight. The last thing he’d expected her to say was kiss me again. If she’d said they were being ambushed by big, pink, flu
ffy bunnies, he would have believed that more.
While she waited for an answer, she pinned him with a long, serious look. He put down his pen and leaned back in the chair. “You want me to kiss you again?”
She gave a brisk nod.
“What the hell for?” Was this some kind of trick?
“To prove a point.”
He blew out a breath. “A point—”
“Yes.” She glared at him like he should’ve known what she was talking about.
“And the point being?” He waved his hand for her to explain.
She leaned her hip against the table. “The point being that you act like I’m crap under your shoe, but I know there was something behind that kiss.”
There was no doubt he felt something after the kiss. With her body pressed up against his, he’d felt the biggest hard-on he’d had in years.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you. It was a mistake, so why the hell would I want to do it again?” He rose from the chair, needing to put distance between them so he wasn’t tempted to make another mistake.
Ava pushed away from the table, blocking his path, and arched a dark eyebrow. “It may have been a mistake, but I know you were into it.”
And from the way she’d responded he wasn’t the only one who was into it.
Whatever she was up to needed to stop. Nick needed to spin this around until she capitulated. He stepped closer. She stepped back, and her arse bumped the table. Their chests only inches apart. She held her chin high, daring him with heated toffee eyes to do what she’d asked. He had to give it to her, she wasn’t backing down. And neither would he. It was time to ramp it up.
He trailed a finger along her jaw and over her plump mouth. A mouth he’d been obsessing over ever since he tasted her today. But if he was honest, since they first locked eyes at Dexter’s.
She quivered, and her bravado slipped. Any second now she’d put a stop to this madness. She despised him. Why would she really want to go through with this just to prove a point?
Then her gaze dropped to his mouth and her tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip, and his mouth went dry. She was doing a great job tempting him. His willpower was flying out the window.
Groaning, he cupped her face in his hands. “I know I’m going to regret this,” he mumbled as their lips collided.
Her body stiffened for a beat as if surprised he actually went through with it, then she pressed herself against his chest. A quick thought entered his mind to stop, but when she wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed into his mouth, it left just as fast. There was no way he could step away. This was meant to be a dare, and somehow, he’d failed miserably.
Pulling her closer, Nick placed his hands under her arse and boosted her onto the dining table. She automatically wrapped her legs around his waist, gasping when the evidence of how much he wanted her rubbed against her sweet spot. Dipping his head, he trailed his mouth along her jaw and down the side of her neck. Her pulse beat at a rapid pace against his tongue. He’d forgotten how good Ava’s sweet skin tasted, and he needed to have more. Like he’d been starved from his favorite food for too long, and now that he’d gotten a bite, it was all he craved.
He slid his hands down to her breasts. She sucked in a sharp breath and arched her back, her nipples peaking under his palm. Replacing his hand with his mouth, the soft fabric of her shirt frustratingly acted as a barrier to what he really wanted. And like she could read his thoughts, she lifted the hem of the t-shirt, pulled it over her head, and dropped it on the floor.
“God, you’re still so beautiful. No…more so.” The need for her was evident in the sound of his husky voice.
Then she slid her hands between their bodies and cupped him through his jeans.
“Oh fuck,” he gasped, and dropped his head onto her shoulder.
She stroked her hand along the length of him, and his knees buckled. God, it felt good. But if she continued, he’d embarrass himself in a matter of seconds.
Growling, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand away. She glanced up at him with a smile that could only be interpreted as smug. Yeah, he had no doubt she knew the torture she was putting him through. But he’d put the lusty desire in her eyes too, so she wasn’t getting off so lightly. And if they kept going the way they were, they’d both be ‘getting off’.
But it wasn’t what he’d planned. He’d wanted to call Ava’s bluff and throw a spanner into her crazy idea. But instead, she was nearly bare-arsed naked, perched on top of last month’s hay invoice. And as much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to finish what they’d started. It didn’t matter that she’d once crushed his heart, even though he’d told her differently. Nor that it took him years to get her out of his system. His body took over his mind, and he wanted to be buried deep inside her.
As she rocked herself against him, urging him to take it further, she was back to making him want her like he’d never wanted any other woman in his life. And that’s when his brain finally stepped up and took over from his body. Reminding him he’d be damned if he let himself go there again.
Abruptly, he broke away, turned his back to her, and blew out a ragged breath. “You got your kiss.” And he got a raging hard-on.
Once he got his shit together he turned back and the sight of her slammed into him. She hadn’t bothered putting the t-shirt back on. She leaned back with her hands behind her on the table, legs crossed at the knee, looking as confident and comfortable as if she were fully dressed. A satisfied smile told him she’d gotten him exactly where she wanted.
“I think I got a lot more than a kiss,” she said as she swung her leg back and forth.
Nick snatched the t-shirt from off the floor and threw it at her. She caught it, taking her time putting it back on.
“Yeah, you did, and a couple minutes more we would have screwed. Would that have made you happy?” Anger for succumbing so easily clutched his chest.
She slid off the table, littering the floor with papers. She stormed over to him with her head held high. “We would never have screwed. I had complete control.” Her eyes darted away for a beat. She didn’t fool him.
She went to march past him, but he gripped her wrist and pulled her back so their chests were touching. Her breathing came out in choppy gasps, and even though her rage was spitting out from her eyes, her body molded along his.
His lips hovered above her mouth. “Sure, tell yourself that if it helps you sleep at night. But trust me, I was the one with the control. You should be thanking me for stopping.”
Wildfire shot from her glare, and he was tempted to do something stupid like kiss her again when someone behind him cleared their throat.
They broke apart and whirled toward the intruder.
“Arrh, the door was unlocked, so I let myself in.” His brother Brad was standing in front of the door with a huge shit-eating grin. “Mum told me I’d find you both here, but she told me I’d be walking into world war three. It appears to me more like love and war.”
Nick sneered at Brad, which only made him laugh. Then he gave Ava a once-over, not a checking-her-out look, but one of disbelief, like he couldn’t believe who he was seeing. Brad held his arms out wide, and Ava went rushing into them. He picked her up and spun her around, and she tilted her head back and laughed.
What the hell? Brad hated her as much as he did. They’d spent the first week after she’d left drunk at Dexter’s, listing all the reasons why he’d be better off without her. When Nick finally sobered up, he’d stopped mentioning her name, and Brad never brought her up again.
His reaction at seeing Ava was like a punch in the gut. First his mother and now Brad. The family was full of traitors.
“Brad!” he barked. Brad put Ava back on her feet but kept an arm slung over her shoulders. “What are you doing here?” And acting overly enthusiastic with the enemy, he wanted to add.
“Can’t I drop in to see my brother? Although, I wasn’t expecting it to be raining so hard or I would’ve re
considered. But I risked my damn life to haul your arse back to—”
“Let’s grab a beer.” Nick stopped him before he could finish.
He knew Brad wanted him in Sydney and back at work. But he wasn’t ready for Ava to learn he wasn’t a farmer. He still wanted to keep his real job to himself. Maybe it was because he hadn’t been good enough for her when he’d been broke, and didn’t want her changing her opinion of him because he now had money.
He glanced at Ava. The smile she had upon seeing Brad dropped like a heavy stone when she glared back at him. Obviously, she realized that he hadn’t included her in the drink invitation.
“I’ll leave you two boys alone. It was great seeing you again, Brad.”
Nick couldn’t help admiring the view as she sashayed into her room, closing the door behind her. Temptation clawed at his gut to follow her.
“She’s back.” Brad nudged Nick in the ribs with his elbow.
“No shit, Sherlock.”
Brad laughed. “You’ve picked up where you left off?”
“No.” Nick made his way to the kitchen, and Brad followed. He went to the fridge and pulled out two Coronas, handing one to Brad.
Brad scratched the top of his head, then he wiggled his eyebrows. “It looked like the two of you were ready to jump each other’s bones.” He was two years older than Nick with a wife and a baby on the way, but he often acted like a fifteen-year-old boy.
Nick pulled back on his beer then said, “Are you going to tell me why you’re here?” Although he could guess...he wanted him back at work.
Brad raised an eyebrow at the harsh tone. “Aren’t you happy to see me?” He shook his head and grinned. “I guess not, I’ve stopped you from getting some action.”
“Grow up.”
“I can always go back to Mum’s place if you want to finish what you started.” He sniggered into his beer.
Chasing Trouble Page 6
