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“Because, sugar, you kept saying his name over and over again on the drive home. You told me you loved him and were going to marry him. You made me sing ‘Goin’ to the Chapel’ over and over again until you fell asleep on the couch.”
“I don’t know why I said that. He’s just a friend.”
That had been her story then, and she was sticking to it now.
“I told you, we’re friends.” Avery maintained.
“Darlin’ you can tell me to mind my own business, but please don’t insult me by lyin’.”
Avery sighed. She hated it when her mom guilt-tripped her. Which make no mistake, that was. “We met when I came here to do the renovations. He was new to town. He’d just gotten out of a long-term relationship and so had I. We hung out when I was here but after I left I didn’t talk to him. That’s it. Really.”
Her mom’s eyes rose over the rim of her glasses. “You didn’t talk to him in all those years?”
“No,” Avery answered honestly.
“You didn’t even look him up on Facebook?”
“No, I didn’t look him up on Facebook.”
“Sugar, I love you and I know that you always try to do the right thing. But darlin’ sometimes the wrong thing is a lot more fun.”
Avery felt tears fill her lower lids again. She wished she could do the wrong thing. But she didn’t even know if that was an option because the person she wanted to do wrong with was fake dating someone on a reality TV and sleeping with her in a bed two hundred yards from her.
Her mom set down her knitting, reached out, and pulled the laundry basket in front of her. “Let me do this. You go take a walk. You look a little flushed.”
“No, Mom, you do enough. Really.”
“Darlin’ I think we both know that I have years ofnotdoing enough to make up for. So, go, take a walk and look at the stars. Ya seem like you got a lot on your mind and you know ya always feel better when you look at the stars.”
Actually, it was sunsets and sunrises that made Avery feel better, but at this point, she’d take stars.
* * *
Keaton flopped on his side in the bottom bunk and wanted to turn his head into his pillow and scream. The men were back in the north tower for their off day and everyone around him was knocked out. He could blame his sleeplessness on Vic’s sonorous snoring, or the uncomfortable mattress, but that wasn’t what was keeping him awake. He couldn’t sleep because of a certain redhead with heartbreaking baby blue eyes, pinup-worthy curves, and legs that stretched miles long.
Since coming back from the lake, every time Keaton closed his eyes, all he could see was her aqua gaze staring up at him. All he could feel was the warmth of her breath fan against his face. All he could smell was the light, floral, feminine scent that was uniquely her and was his kryptonite. Every time he smelled her, he lost all self-control.
Not being with her, especially after their talk today, was making him want to crawl out of his skin. He couldn’t stay still. He was agitated. Restless. And really fucking horny.
Avery Stone awakened the beast that was always dormant in him unless he was in the cage. The primal, savage man in him who replaced the logical, measured man he normally was. She was the only woman to ever access that side of him. The only other time he felt that much passion, had that much drive, and was that amped up was when he faced an opponent for a fight. The moment he knew it was him or the other guy and only one was going to be victorious, something snapped in him, and he knew he would do anything to beat him. When he faced Avery, something snapped in him and he knew he would do anything to bewithher.
He was the first to admit that his obsession over her wasn’t healthy. She was like a drug. One hit and he was addicted. The last time they’d been together, it had taken him years to get over her. Not that he really ever had.
He was worried about what another round would do to him. What if they did rekindle something only for her to leave again? She lived in California. She had a life there. The father of her son was there.
A year ago, Keaton wouldn’t have thought twice about uprooting his life and moving there. But that was before his entire family had moved to Whisper Lake, the place he’d always envisioned putting down roots. Having his family. Leaving his legacy.
Would he give that up for her? Should he give that up for her? Did she even want him to give that up for her?
Fuck.
The more he thought about it, the more the walls felt like they were closing in on him. He sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side. He pulled on his sweats and left the room. He wasn’t even trying to be quiet.
He didn’t care if someone tried to stop him. He needed some air, and he was going to get some. He hadn’t had a plan of where he was going, but when he got to the keep, he realized where he was.
The first night they’d spent together, it had been up on the roof of the keep. They’d watched the sunset and laid under the blanket of stars. The only physical interaction they’d had was holding hands, but that had been enough.
It took them another week before they kissed and another week after that before they made love. Their relationship had reminded him of the innocence of first love. Just holding her hand had caused him to walk on cloud nine the next day.
