Empty Net (14 page)

“This is the closet we are redoing. It still has a bed for Aiden, but it will be moved out once Lucas gets back and finishes.”

“Okay,” Tate said with a nod.

Audrey pushed the door open and Tate went into a bare room that was the length of the whole condo. Everyone wasn’t joking when they said Audrey had a lot of shoes. They were everywhere. Tate had never seen anything like it. Since he noticed she was embarrassed by the number of shoes she had, he entered without commenting and headed for the bed. After he laid Aiden down and Audrey tucked him in, the two of them left the room.

Audrey shut the door and then leaned against it, glancing up at Tate.

“Thanks for bringing him in.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “No big deal.”

Awkward silence filled the space between them, and Tate hated that. He wanted this to be relaxed; he wanted her to be comfortable. He cleared his throat, causing her to look up into his eyes.

“What do I need to do to make this less stressful for you, Audrey? I don’t want this to be awkward between us.”

She narrowed her eyes, curious. “I don’t know what ‘this’ is.”

Tate shrugged again. “Me neither, but when it is just us, you act weird.”

“Because I don’t know how to act around you.”

“You just have to be yourself, Audrey. I don’t want anything else.”

She smiled. “I’m not that girl who came home with you after five minutes, Tate. That was hurt, drunk Audrey. I’ve never been like that before.”

He nodded. “I understand that, I’m not asking you to be.”

“Then what are you asking?” she said, her eyes wide and glossy as she looked up at him. He took a step toward her, and luckily, she had nowhere to go. Her head leaned back against the wall as her eyes met his. He watched her for a reaction, and when she didn’t say anything or move, he reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He needed to touch her, and even if it was only for a second, his heart was beating in overdrive.

“I just want to know you, Audrey, I’m not asking you to sleep with me again.” He paused, his lips curving into a grin. “Not that I would mind if you wanted to,” he added with a chuckle. She smiled bashfully. “I just want to know you. I want you to be comfortable around me.”

Audrey started to shake her head before he’d finished. “Tate, nothing can ever happen between us. You are so young and my brother-in-law’s best friend. What if the relationship went
south? I’ve already tried dating Lucas’s best friend, and it didn’t work out for me. I just don’t see this”—she moved her hand between them—“working at all.”

Tate’s shoulders fell in defeat. He wanted to shake her, tell her that he was different, that he would never hurt her. She didn’t know him, though, so how could he convince her when she had no proof?

“Then let’s be friends.”

Audrey narrowed her eyes again, her lips perked out. “Be friends?”

“Yeah.”

“Just friends?”

“Sure,” he said with a shrug. He knew that once she got to know him, and when he put on his charm, she would have no chance. She needed to trust him first, though. Turning on a hundred-watt smile, he looked deep into Audrey’s eyes, begging her to say yes. He needed an in, he needed her to agree so he could convince her he was a good, honest man.

Audrey watched him for a moment, then let out a long breath. “Okay, I’ll try.”

“Awesome.”

After saying good-night, Tate went back to his condo. He kicked off his sneakers and tore his shirt off as he made his way through his living room before going upstairs. A grin remained on his lips as he opened the door to the second bedroom and went inside. Moving behind the piano he’d had since he was four, and sitting on the bench, he opened the keyboard lid and ran his fingers along the cool white keys.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone, turning it on before pushing his Facebook app. When he did what he wanted to do, he moved his fingers to the keys and started to play one of his favorite songs.

It had been an emotional day, and he had thought a lot about his parents and sister.

Being so close to Audrey and not being able to either verbalize his feelings or physically touch her the way he wanted to had also taken its toll, but hopefully all that would change. Hopefully, he could convince her that he wasn’t too young and that he was different than that asshole she had dated before. He was a patient man and he had no problem waiting. He knew Audrey was different.

She was the girl who made him want to have a girlfriend.

Audrey leaned her head against the wall with the melody “A Drop in the Ocean” by Ron Pope playing just for her. Tate played it beautifully, and it always made her breathless. She wondered what it would be like to lie on his piano and watch him play. She bet it would be a sight to see and that she would enjoy every moment, but she knew she couldn’t do it. A little piece of her, okay, maybe a big piece, was already smitten with him.

Tate was funny, he was sweet, and he loved Aiden. He wanted to know her, he didn’t just want to sleep with her. So why couldn’t she just give herself to him? Throw all her reservations in the air and just jump in? Because, she reminded herself, that’s what she always did. She just jumped right in. She listened to the horny little girlie parts instead of her mind. Maybe waiting and being patient would work this time. But was Tate that guy?

When her phone went off, she picked it up, looking down at the display. It was Facebook.

Tate Odder wants to be friends. Accept his friendship?

Did she want to?

Her eyes fell shut, listening to the music that took her to another world. As she sat
drifting with her head against the wall, engrossed in the music, she couldn’t help but imagine the scene differently, the same music, a perfect little child in her arms with blond hair and blue eyes, its daddy playing his piano for them.

She had no clue what that meant, but it didn’t matter because she picked up her phone and hit Accept.

“Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend. Your boy boy b-b-b-b-b-boyfriend.”

Audrey shot Aiden a grin in the rearview mirror as she turned into the Brentwood area. Aiden took the lead while Audrey backed him up, banging her fist against the steering wheel with each beat. As the two jammed to the best boy band ever, she couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear.

Pulling into the Adlers’ circular driveway, Audrey parked behind a little red convertible. She walked around her car, opening the doors as Aiden came up beside her, bouncing with excitement.

“Shelli is gonna love her cupcakes!”

Audrey smiled. “I hope so! Can you do me a favor and go get Mr. Shea, or Mrs. Elli, so they can help me?”

“I can help.”

Audrey jumped at the sound of Tate’s voice. She turned to see him towering over her, looking so freaking good that she found herself overheating in the cold Tennessee air. He looked amazing in a dark gray cardigan that covered a white button-up shirt. He wore khaki pants with dark boots. His outfit wasn’t what she was looking at, though. It was his eyes. They were always so bright, and with his hair falling into them, she was finding it hard to form coherent thoughts. But then she noticed that he hadn’t shaved.

For the love of God.

It didn’t matter how many times she mentally reminded herself that they could only be
friends, she couldn’t help but think that Tate was looking way more delectable than the cupcakes she had spent hours concocting.

She wanted to lick him like she did the cupcake.

Mmmmm … what a fantastic thought
.

“Hey, Tate!” Aiden exclaimed before jumping up to high-five him.

“Hey, bud,” Tate said with a wide smile. He ruffled Aiden’s hair before looking over at her. “Hey, Audrey, can I help?”

She could only nod as she moved out of the way for him to grab the four platters of cupcakes that sat on her front and back seats. Tate and Aiden made their way inside as she grabbed the last plate, then took a deep breath. That boy was too damn sexy for his own good.

Jeez.

“Hey.”

Audrey turned to see Piper coming up behind her. She was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a large sweater that hung off her bare shoulders. Her hair looked like a bird’s nest on top of her head and large sunglasses covered her eyes. Audrey could also tell that she skipped putting on makeup.

“Aw, you poor thing, you look like death,” Audrey said, wrapping an arm around her best friend’s shoulders. “I made yummy cupcakes that will make you feel better, come on.”

“Ew. No. Please, don’t make me eat them.”

Audrey giggled as they made their way inside. The house was packed with friends, family, and a good part of the Assassins hockey team and their families. Audrey caught a glance of Elli moving among the guests, her face bright with a toddler on her hip, a newborn in the nook of her arm, and a growing belly making a very prominent bump in her beautiful beige-colored
dress. What killed Audrey was that Elli also wore four-inch heels, acting as if she wasn’t carrying over fifty pounds of children as she walked through the party. How she did it, Audrey didn’t know, but one thing for sure, Elli Adler did it with class and grace.

As she entered the kitchen, she found Elli still holding Shelli, gushing over the cupcakes with Tate standing beside her. Audrey couldn’t take her eyes off him. His massive hands were holding baby Posey close to his chest as he dusted kisses along the top of her head.

You’ve got to be kidding me, she thought as she forced herself to pay attention to Elli.

“They are fantastic, Audrey! You are a lifesaver!”

She smiled. “I told you, anything for you two. They need to go in the freezer until it’s time to eat.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Elli said. “Can you hold her?”

“Duh!” Audrey quickly took Shelli, kissing her plump little cheeks. Shelli was honestly the prettiest little girl in the world, but then again, Audrey knew she said that about all the little girls she was around. She looked up to see Piper looking at her with a worried look on her face.

“What? She’s okay,” Audrey said, referring to Shelli.

Piper shook her head. “No, it’s not that.”

“What is it?”

“Erik just walked in with Harper and Jakob,” Piper said, nodding toward the three of them. Harper Titov held her precious daughter Allison in her arms while nevertheless looking classy in white dress pants and a bright purple low-cut V-neck blouse. Her hair, in large curls, framed her face perfectly. When Jakob Titov came up behind Harper, wrapping his arm around her waist and placing a hand on Allison’s back, Audrey not only found it hard to breathe but also noticed that Allison was her daddy made over. She had dark hair and dark eyes that matched her
daddy’s and Uncle Erik’s more than her own mother’s.

“So what?” Audrey said turning her attention back to Piper. “Harper is Elli’s BFF.”

“Well, I know, but I didn’t know he was gonna be here. I would have actually done my makeup.”

“And combed your hair,” Audrey supplied with a grin.

Piper nodded. “Yeah.”

“You look fine, Piper,” Audrey said. She did. She just looked hungover, that’s all. No big deal.

Piper laughed. “You are such a liar. I’ll be back,” she said over her shoulder as she walked away.

Audrey looked down at Shelli, who was playing with the button of her blouse. “Would have been better if she would have said it like Arnold Schwarzenegger, huh, Shelli?”

Laughter erupted behind her, and Audrey turned to see Tate still holding Posey, laughing so hard his eyes were brimming with happy tears. He cleared his throat, moving Posey up his chest before nuzzling his nose in the curls that covered her sweet little head.

Audrey couldn’t help but let out a little
aw
, then told him, “You’re good with her.”

What she really wanted to say was,
You look fantastic with a baby in your arms
. But she was pretty sure that would freak him out so she didn’t.

Tate nodded. “I love babies. They are so cute.”

And she was supposed to stay just friends with this guy?

“Yeah, they are,” she said breathlessly.

This was going to be hard. She needed to stay at arm’s length with Tate. She should have never agreed to this friendship. Because friendship wasn’t the only thing she wanted.

She wanted to get naked with him.

Tate was too gorgeous for words. His white button-up shirt was unbuttoned quite a bit, showing off the wings of one of the black birds that adorned his chest. His big hands held baby Posey with the ease of a man who knew what he was doing with an infant. As always, Tate’s eyes were the best part. She didn’t know how many times she had gotten lost in them, but in a way, she didn’t mind. She honestly wanted to get lost in his eyes, his arms, his kisses, hell, anything. She just wanted him.

Such a bad idea.

Inwardly groaning and wishing like hell that Piper hadn’t left, Audrey placed a kiss on Shelli’s curly head. But then she looked to her right and froze in place. It was as if a needle had screeched across a record as her eyes met Levi’s. She hadn’t seen him since the morning after Fallon’s wedding, and she had ignored every text he sent her. But seeing him now brought back to the surface all the feelings she had been trying to bury.