by Jacob Chance
“Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” Oliver leans forward. “Hop on. I’ll give you a lift to my car. I have a first aid kit, and I’ll patch you up good as new.”
I climb onto his back and his hands settle under my legs. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I lean forward, breathing in the scent of his sun drenched skin.
“Are you okay?” Brian questions, looking concerned.
“She’s fine,” Beth snips.
“Thanks for the invite,” I offer, hoping to end the awkward moment. Even though it’s weird that they’re together, I don’t want them fighting about me.
“We’ll see you tonight.” Beth waves.
Oliver walks toward his car and I try to ignore my stinging knees. “How are you doing? Are you hanging in there?”
“Yeah, I’ll be okay. No one ever died from a skinned knee.”
“I haven’t had a skinned knee since I was a kid, but I’ve never forgotten the horrible pain it causes.”
“I get them all too frequently, so you’d think I’d be used to it.”
He sets me on my feet next to the passenger side of the car while he opens the door. “Take a seat,” he directs, and I sink to the leather with my legs extended out the door. Reaching in the glove compartment, he grabs a small first aid kit and immediately tends to my knees. One is a minor injury, but the other one is an angry-looking, bloody mess. He uses an antibiotic wipe to clean the area before putting a large Neosporin covered Band-Aid over the wound.
“There. How’s that?” He smiles, pleased with his doctoring.
Bending and straightening my knee, I grimace. “It’s a little stiff, but you did a great job patching me up. Thank you.”
His fingertips settle under my chin in a smooth caress. “I’m sorry I let you fall.” He shakes his head.
“Please. You kept me upright for the entire hike up and down the mountain. Who would think that someone could trip in the parking lot?”
“I still feel bad about it. Let’s get back to the hotel and you can rest up for tonight. We’ll order room service and eat something really bad for us.”
“As long as it doesn’t involve spending more time with my sister and my ex, I’m on board with it.”
Chapter Nine
Oliver
“Wow. You look stunning.” The words flow from my lips without restraint. Ava deserves to know how beautiful she is. And I’m going to make sure she hears it enough times until it sinks in. Brian really shook her self-confidence. Maybe I can help to restore some of it this weekend.
She smiles, spinning in a full circle. The skirt on her knee length dress flairs and ruffles as she twirls. “Thank you. I’m glad you think so.”
“I do. Your ex is going to swallow his tongue when he sees you.”
“That’s the plan.” She runs her palm over her long, loose curls. “Should I put my hair up?”
“No.” I almost shout the word and have to remind myself to settle down. No matter how shiny and soft her hair looks, she's not my girlfriend. “Wear it down,” I reassure.
“Are you ready?” She checks me over from head to toe. Does she think I look good? I want her to find me attractive but I’m not sure why. It doesn’t matter if she does or not. We aren’t a couple and never will be.
“Is what I’m wearing okay?” I gesture to my navy dress pants and crisp, light blue button-down shirt.
“You look great. That’s perfect. Not too dressy and not too casual. And we match.” She wiggles her finger between us, pointing out the dark blue of her dress. My eyes skim down her frame, taking in her tempting calves. The shoes on her feet are brown and appear to be a combination of boots and heels. There are buckles on each side by her ankles that I find sexy as hell.
I flick covert glances her way on the elevator ride down, continuing as we make our way across the large hotel lobby. I’ve never seen her in a dress like this, and trying not to look at her is like fighting a losing battle.
Stepping outside, the air is warm despite the rain we recently had. Wet spots punctuate the cobblestone parking lot and I pause, taking hold of Ava’s hands. I bend forward until our faces are temptingly close and stare into her eyes. “I want you to promise me something.”
“What?” Her voice sounds breathy and sexy as hell. My stomach tenses in reaction and I have to force myself to forget about it.
“Promise you’ll have fun tonight. I want you to pretend Brian isn’t there and it’s just you and me.”
“I think I can do that.”
“Good.” My gaze drops to a puddle next to us. Our reflection is so clear I could be peering into a mirror. We look like a real couple. Reminding myself we aren’t is the tricky part. It’s easy to forget that little detail when I’m spending so much time with Ava. With her, life is fun and carefree. There’s no game playing or scorekeeping like there was with my ex.
I hadn’t realized how much my relationship with Stacey was based on unnecessary drama until I got some distance from her. And being with Ava feels natural, like we’ve been friends forever.
“Come on. We better get going. I don’t want to make us late.”
“The restaurant is only a mile down the road. We could walk there if we had to,” she fills me in.
“Good to know in case we drink too much.” I wink.
“There might not be enough alcohol at this place to make it worth dealing with my sister and Brian for a few more hours.”
“It won’t be that bad. I’ll be with you.”
She glances at me with clear skepticism. “I hope you’re right.”
We’ve barely made it into the party before Brian is standing in front of us. His light gaze slowly rakes over Ava from head to toe and it’s obvious he’s still attracted to her. I can’t blame the guy, though. Who wouldn’t be? She’s gorgeous. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it or give him free rein to continue.
Stepping forward, I block his view of Ava and clamp my hand down on his shoulder, hard. “How’s it going?”
He grimaces. “Good, thanks.”
Clenching my grip once more, I release my hold. “We’re going to go get some drinks. Enjoy the party.” I hold my hand out for Ava and she moves to my side, lacing her fingers with mine. We progress farther into the restaurant’s banquet room.
“What was that all about?” she asks.
“I don’t know what you mean.” I grin.
“The iron grip you had on his shoulder.”
“He was enjoying the sight of you a little too much.”
“Well, I thought he was going to cry.”
“I would’ve thoroughly enjoyed that.”
“The party has barely started. You have plenty of time to make it happen.”
“If you want me to make that asshole cry, just say the word.”
She laughs. “As funny as that might be, I’d rather you don’t. I wouldn’t want to upset my parents. For whatever reason, they love him.”
“Okay then, no tears. I’ll see what else I can come up with.” I playfully squeeze her hand. We stop in front of the long bar. “What would you like to drink?”
She bounces on her feet. “Champagne would be great, thanks.”
“What are you celebrating besides the family reunion?”
“Is it that obvious I am?”
“You seem happy and lighter. Like you let go of some long-held baggage.”
“I feel better today. As much as I don’t want to spend time with my sister and ex together, it’s been beneficial for me to do so. I’ve realized how much better my life is without him. And I’m thankful we ended the way we did. It makes it impossible for me to want to go back down that road.”
“I’m glad to hear it. And you should be grateful he was such a dick. He did you a favor and he’s doing your sister a disservice.”
“Maybe not.” She shrugs. “He might be the perfect boyfriend for her.”
“No guy who’s in a relationship should be looking at you the way he has been. If he could eat you with his eyes
he would’ve by now.” Glancing around the room, I find Brian and—what a surprise—his stare is locked on Ava. “Son of a bitch. He’s watching you now.” Releasing her hand, I slip a proprietary arm around her shoulders and draw her in front of me while sending him my darkest glare. There. Now he can no longer see her.
One of my arms wraps around Ava’s stomach while we wait for the bartender. She relaxes back against me and the soft scent of her makes me dizzy with longing. My eyes close as I inhale. I don’t think I can ever forget the feel of her in my arms, or the way she smells at this moment. Being around her heightens all my senses. I’m more alive when she’s near and that’s a scary thought for a guy who’s avoiding a relationship. How do I resist her when she’s so damn alluring?
I order our drinks and look around. There are a lot of people here. How does one have so many people in their family? My own isn’t nearly as large.
I lower my mouth near Ava’s ear. “Do you know all these people?”
Her head turns to the side, her silky cheek grazing my lips. “I do. Some are distant cousins I’m not close with. My family has a reunion every five years.”
“That’s kind of impressive. It’s got to be a big undertaking to set everything up.”
“It is, so they rotate who runs it and where it’s held. Last time it was in Pennsylvania.”
The bartender slides our drinks across the bar to us. I throw some bills down and hand Ava her champagne. She slips out of my hold and turns to face me.
“We should make a toast.”
“What are we drinking to?” I pick up my bottle of Heineken.
Her eyes gleam up at me over the flute. “To making good decisions and no more baggage holding us back.”
“Cheers.” I tap the lip of my bottle against her glass and take a deep pull. I need to make good decisions, and keeping myself emotionally detached from her is one of them.
“Are you thinking of moving forward with dating again?”
“No, not yet. I don’t think I’ll be ready for that any time soon. I just want to close out the parts of my life that he was in, if that makes sense.”
“You know, it kind of does. It feels like there’s my life with Stacey and now my life after her. I’d like to get to a point where she’s not factoring in at all.”
“Exactly.”
“How long do you think that takes?” I jest.
She giggles. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Little does she know that since we met, I’ve been thinking about Stacey a lot less. And this weekend away, she’s barely crossed my mind. Ava has been good for me in more ways than one. I value her friendship, even though it’s fairly new, and could see us growing closer over time. We have a lot in common.
After we finish our drinks, it’s time for dinner. Ava introduces me to every member of her family once we’re seated. They’re all friendly and make me feel welcome. One of her cousins, in the chair next to mine, told me they’re glad she got away from Brian. That her sister is a better fit with him. I didn’t want to speak poorly about them, so I simply said thank you. And did my best to ignore the niggle of guilt tickling my conscience because Ava and I aren’t really a couple. And we’re fooling all these people. She’ll have to explain how we broke up the next time she sees them all. And I’ll never be around any of her family ever again. That thought might be more upsetting than the fact that we’re lying to everyone.
“How are you doing?” Ava’s question pulls me back to the present.
I place my napkin on my plate and turn to face her. “I hope I’m not being quizzed later on everyone’s names,” I tease.
She giggles. “I’m saving that for tomorrow.”
“Good to know. I better pay better attention then. What else is on the agenda for tomorrow?”
“We’re spending the day at the beach and then we’ll drive back to school tomorrow night.”
“That works. I love the beach. Would you like another drink? I can go get you one.”
“I would, but I better not. I’m pacing myself. We still have to have dessert.”
“Would you like to dance?”
She seems surprised by my question and she hesitates before answering, “Sure.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I won’t force you.” I smile.
“No, I really want to. I was just surprised that you asked me.”
“Why? I don’t seem like the dancing type?”
She rolls her lips inward. “Hmm. I don’t know, exactly. It’s not that I don’t think you can dance. I guess I just assumed a guy like you wouldn’t.”
“A guy like me? What do you mean?” My eyebrows pinch together. Does she think I’m an asshole or something?
She sighs. “I don’t mean that negatively. You’re just so... I mean you’re… You’re a jock.”
“Jocks don’t dance? I never got that memo.”
She runs a hand over her forehead frustratedly. “I’m digging myself deeper and deeper aren't I?”
I bark out a laugh, easing her awkwardness. “You sure are.”
“Forget what I said and show me what you got on the dance floor.” She slides back her chair and rises to her feet. I do the same and take her hand, leading her to the middle of the room. And like clockwork the Macarena starts to play. Fuck me. We’re the only two people on the dance floor.
Ava smiles. “Do you know how to do the Macarena?”
Do I admit I know the steps to this or do I pretend ignorance? Fuck it. I’m here to make Ava have fun, and if dancing the Macarena with her in front of her family will do that, then it’s all good.
I bring my arms out in front of me one at a time and turn my palms upward, and she shrieks with laughter. Immediately, she jumps into the steps beside me, both of us grinning widely. My eyes lock on her hips when she wiggles them and it’s all I can do to remember the next step.
A few of her cousins run out to join us on the dance floor and it makes me feel less conspicuous. And watching Ava’s obvious enjoyment is enough to make me not want the song to end, but like all good things, it does. Fortunately, a slow song plays next and I’m able to catch hold of Ava’s hand and draw her into my arms. She moves closer, slipping her hands onto my shoulders and peering up at me.
“You’re a never-ending surprise, Oliver Ice.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
She shakes her head, her lips curving in a gentle smile. “You’re so much different than I imagined.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
“It is.”
“Does that mean you thought I was a jerk before?”
“Kind of.” She tips her head toward her shoulder in an oh well motion.
“What did I do to make you think I was a jerk?”
“I don’t want to say.”
“Hey, that’s not fair. I deserve an explanation now that you dropped that bomb on me.”
“You went out with Stacey for so long.”
“And?”
“And she’s kind of a bitch. I assumed if you dated her for as long as you did, that you must not be very nice either.”
“Wow. Guilt by association, huh?”
“I’m not saying it was right.”
“What did Stacey ever do to you?”
“She didn’t do anything to me personally, but I’ve seen how she treats people, and it’s not pleasant.”
“I’m a little flabbergasted because I didn’t really see that side of her.”
“Yeah, well, she saved it for girls she didn’t like. She was always sure to be nice around the guys.”
Was I really that clueless about Stacey’s true nature? Or did I turn a blind eye where she was concerned?
I think I’m partly to blame because I was fooled by her for so long, and that’s on me. I should’ve looked deeper and realized what kind of a person she was. There were signs there along the way. I just chose to make the wrong things a priority in my relationship.
Stacey and I were neve
r good friends. We had hot sex and I thought she was beautiful. Looking back, I’m not even sure that I loved her. In hindsight, our relationship seems shallow.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t speak negatively about your ex,” Ava apologizes, interrupting my musing.
“No. I’m not upset about it at all. I think you’re right about Stacey. I’m embarrassed I chose to put up with her behavior for as long as I did. Live and learn, though, right?”
“Absolutely. We all have those tough life lessons force-fed to us. You know all about mine too.”
My hands slip further around her waist, tightening my hold at the indirect mention of her ex. I want to claim her and make sure he knows she’s off-limits. She’s mine for this weekend, not his.
Chapter Ten
Ava
Oliver’s hold on me changes from casual to romantic. His large palms slide over my skin and he edges closer until there’s no space between our bodies. This may be part of his act, but my body doesn’t care. My heart races so rapidly inside my chest, I’m sure he must be able to feel it. My legs weaken to the point where I grip his wide shoulders to maintain balance.
“You look really beautiful tonight. That dress is,” he clears his throat. “That dress is innocent and provocative at the same time.”
“How so?” The question slips out before I can stop it. But I want to know what he means.
“The buttons down the front and the high neckline are kind of prim, but the back is open, baring your skin.” I watch his Adam’s apple bounce as he swallows. My eyes climb, meeting his dark, heated gaze, and I can’t look away.
Blunt fingertips slowly caress over my spine and I barely suppress the shiver his touch elicits. Nothing about this moment feels like we’re pretending, but we are—aren’t we?
My chest tightens anxiously as my thoughts whirl. Straddling the line between fake and real is wearing on me. I want to crawl out of my own skin and escape. “Excuse me.” I shove the heels of my palms against Oliver’s chest and scurry across the dance floor. My heels tap loudly as I rush toward the ladies room.
