Jaci Burton (6 page)

”

She lifted her chin, looked hurt. “Yeah, sure.” She stood,

took the jacket, and put it on, wrapping it around herself like

armor.

He hadn’t meant to hurt her, but he knew better than to push

a woman into something she wasn’t ready for, even if she

thought she was.

And God knows he shouldn’t have been doing this in the

first place. It was probably a good thing something had

happened to slap him back into reality.

This was work time, not playtime, and he needed to

remember that.

They went back downstairs and found Bo and Lacey in the

kitchen. Ava went to Lacey right away, huddled with her to talk.

It was like she didn’t want anything to do with him.

He’d keep his distance for now. More watching, less

touching. Safer that way and would make him less likely to get

too deeply involved in this assignment. Or at least the woman

of this assignment.

Ava was mortified, hoped that her mortification didn’t show on

her face.

She’d al but thrown herself on Rick in the bedroom, which

was total y unlike her. She just didn’t do things like that. She

didn’t have sex—or almost have sex—with strange guys. But

she would have, if Rick hadn’t been the one to put an abrupt

halt on things.

So while she’d been busy throwing herself at Rick, he’d

obviously been busy wondering how he could politely change

his mind and get himself out of the bedroom and away from

her. God, how embarrassing.

Lacey, on the other hand, had pink cheeks, mussed up hair,

and looked like she might have had real y great sex. And

judging from the stupid smile on her face, there was no
might

about it.

“You’re grinning like an idiot.”

Lacey’s smile widened. Then she giggled. “Real y?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry. I can’t help myself. I’m in love.”

Ava sat at the kitchen island with Lacey and shook her

head. “You’re real y gone over this guy, huh?”

Lacey sighed. “Yeah. I am. He’s wonderful, Ava.”

Ava swiveled around on the barstool and caught sight of Bo

and Rick drinking beers and engaged in conversation with a

couple other guys in the living room. She turned back to

Lacey. “Okay, so tel me what’s so wonderful about him.”
So

wonderful that you quit school and completely changed your

life.

“Everything. He’s romantic, gorgeous, sexy . . . he real y

pays attention to me, Ava. It’s like I’m the only woman around

when I’m with him. I’ve never met anyone like him before.”

“You hadn’t real y dated a bunch of guys, either.”

“I dated enough. Al losers more interested in themselves

than in me. Believe me, Ava, I know the difference between

someone who genuinely cares about me and someone who

doesn’t.”

“Do you?” She hated saying it out loud, but it was important

that Lacey knew Ava cared about her, worried about her. “You

gave up school to chase this guy around.”

Lacey frowned. “I didn’t chase him. He came after me. We

met at a party and he started cal ing me and we went out. We

just clicked, Ava. There was nothing and no one but the two of

us after that.”

Didn’t she know it. Lacey had al but fal en off the face of the

earth after she’d met Bo. “But, Lacey . . . school. It was so

important to you. To just walk away from getting your master’s

when you were so close . . .”

Lacey waved her hand in the air. “I can stil get my master’s.

You make it sound like my whole life is over just because I’m

taking some time off.”

“Are you though? Just taking some time off? You’ve

changed so much, Lacey.”

“Have I? I think I’m stil the same. Maybe I’m not the way you

want me to be and you don’t like that.”

“No, that’s not it at al .”

“Isn’t it?” Lacey put her elbows on the countertop and

leaned forward. “Look, Ava. I love you. We’ve been best

friends forever—we’re so close we’re like sisters. But we both

have to grow up. I know you like your life orderly, where

nothing ever changes. But everything evolves—including

relationships and people. Life comes along and we have to

rol with it. I had a chance at adventure and I grabbed it.

There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Of course not.” She made Ava sound selfish. Was she?

She hadn’t thought so. She was just worried about her best

friend.

“And I’m thril ed you’re here and experiencing my new life

with me. Maybe it’l —I don’t know—take you out of your

regimented lifestyle and teach you how to bend a little.”

“Excuse me?”

Lacey laid her hand over Ava’s. “You like your life the way it

is, the way it’s always been, where you fol ow the same

pattern that’s been laid out for you your entire life. You’re very .

. . control ed.”

“What? I am not.”

Lacey laughed. “Yes, you are. You have to be in charge.

That’s not a bad thing. It’s just the way you are and always

have been. You like everything orderly and in a way that you

can control it. I used to be the same way. And it worked fine for

me for a while, but now it doesn’t. After I met Bo I realized how

much I was missing—how much
life
I was missing. Now I want

something different. I want this life. Maybe later, I don’t know.

And maybe this wil give you a chance to experience

something unique and new and who knows what wil happen

to you because of it. It’s a chance to let your hair down a little

—get a little messy. Give up a little of your control. You could

use it.”

Now Ava felt like she was defending her own life and her

own choices. “There’s nothing wrong with my life. I’m doing

exactly what I’ve always wanted to do.”

“Of course you are. School, more school, and becoming a

social worker. You have a flowchart with every step—every

day, every month, every year—mapped out so you know

exactly where you’re going. No deviations. I know it’s what

you’ve wanted forever. But it’s okay to step away from

academia now and then and experience a different side of

life, Ava. There’s a whole real life out here that’s not in

textbooks.”

Ava blew out a breath, tried to hold in her irritation. “Of

course there is. I know that.”

Lacey smiled. “Good. Then let’s just have fun this week.”

Lacey made it sound so simple, when Ava knew it wasn’t.

Lacey hadn’t just decided to go on vacation, or even

sabbatical. She’d tossed everything about her life into the

trash to do . . . what exactly? Hang with a biker? Did she even

have a job?

Lacey had planned on becoming a psychologist. She

wanted to help people. Her entire life had been focused on

her studies. Her goal was her career, her future. Just like

Ava’s had always been.

And then just like that she’d tossed it al away. Years of

education, the momentum of undergraduate and graduate

school. Lacey was going to be so far behind now. Ava just

couldn’t fathom it. Not the Lacey she knew.

But this Lacey didn’t want to talk about school or what she’d

given up. This Lacey only wanted to have fun.

It was a lifestyle Ava simply couldn’t comprehend. And that’s

why she was here, to see if she could figure out what the lure

was that would account for Lacey tossing aside her education

in favor of a romance with a biker.

And maybe, just maybe, convince her best friend to turn the

corner and come back home—back to school—where she

belonged.

“Hey, baby, how about we ride on outta here?”

Lacey lifted her head and her whole body perked up as Bo

entered the kitchen and rounded the island to put his arms

around her.

“I’m game. Wherever you want to go.”

Bo tilted her back in his arms and planted a long,

passionate kiss on her lips. Ava turned away at the intimacy

and her gaze landed on Rick, who stood next to her, smiling.

“You ready to ride, Ava?”

“Sure.” Not like she had a choice since she couldn’t very

wel cal a taxi to this remote location.

They climbed on the bikes and headed back into town. One

thing about the desert—no matter what time of year it was, it

got cold at night—especial y in the fal . Ava had no choice but

to snuggle up against Rick’s back to keep the chil y wind from

penetrating through her jacket. Next time she was definitely

dressing warmer.

Though she doubted there’d be a next time, at least not with

Rick. Not after tonight.

Once they’d returned to the Strip, they pul ed into the hotel

parking lot and got off their bikes.

“I need to go get my bag from my car so I can check in,” Ava

said.

Lacey looked to Bo, who had a tight hold on her hand,

obviously eager to drag her up to their room.

“I’l walk to your car with you,” Rick said. “You two can go on

ahead.”

“Great.” Lacey waved to Ava. “See you in the morning.”

Nothing like getting dumped by your best friend. “’Night.”

Ava pushed the elevator button. “My car’s on another level.

You real y don’t have to stay with me.”

“I’d feel a lot better if you weren’t wandering around in a

parking garage at two in the morning by yourself. If that’s okay.

”

She managed a smile. “Yes, that’s okay. Thank you.”

Once on the next level she retrieved her bag from her car

and they rode up to the lobby. “Have you already checked in?”

He nodded. “Earlier today.”

“Okay. Wel , good night then.”

She went to the desk and once she’d checked in, headed

to the elevators. Rick was standing there. She cocked her

head to the side.

“Again, I don’t like the idea of you wandering around by

yourself. I’l walk you to your room.”

Okay, chivalry definitely wasn’t dead. At least not in Rick’s

case. Why did he have to be so freakin’ charming? Especial y

since it was obvious he didn’t want her? “Thanks. Again.”

They rode the elevator up to her floor. Rick grabbed her bag

and took the key from her hand, then led her down the hal to

her room. He slid the key card in the lock and opened the

door for her. She flipped on the light and turned to face him,

but Rick walked inside. Ava shrugged and closed the door,

fol owed him while he flipped on the bathroom light as if he

were looking for . . . something.

He pul ed the shower curtain aside, then moved out of the

bathroom and into the bedroom, checking things out.

Checking for what, she wasn’t exactly sure. He final y set

her bag on the bed and handed her the key.

“Okay, you’re good to go.”

“What were you doing?”

“You can never be too careful about hotels. I just wanted to

make sure you were safe.”

She melted just a little bit. “Thank you, Rick.”

He seemed to want to linger, as if there was something he

wanted to say. Or do.

She wished.

But then he took a step back. “I’l let you get some sleep.”

She walked him to the door and opened it.

“Rick.”

He paused, turned around. “Yeah?”

“Where’s your room?”

He cocked his head to the left. “Just a few doors down.

Room 238. Cal me if you need anything.”

“Okay. Good night.”

He paused, then leaned in and brushed his lips against

hers. Soft, easy, and oh she wanted so much more.

“’Night.”

She closed the door and locked it, leaned against the wal

and sighed.

This night could have been a lot different, if only . . .

If only what? If only she were more like Lacey? More

adventurous, less rigid? Wasn’t that what Lacey had

suggested?

She wasn’t that rigid.

She also hadn’t been the one who had stopped things in the

bedroom at Joey’s house. Rick had.

But why?

She unpacked her bag and pondered the situation, thinking

back to the two of them kissing, how Rick’s mouth had felt on

her. She placed her hand on her neck where his mouth had

been, shivering at the remembered contact, how it had made

her insides dissolve in a puddle of want and need.

A shower would dissolve any remnants of his touch. She

slid under the warm spray and closed her eyes, imagining

Rick in the shower with her. His hands soaping her body,

cupping her aching breasts and torturing her rigid nipples.

She lifted her hands and did just that, which only served to fuel

the flames even hotter. She let her hand drift down, over her

bel y and between her legs, cupping her sex. Her gasp made

her eyes shoot open.

With a sigh of frustration, she finished her shower and dried