Saved by Love (Willow Valley Book 3)(4)

She was definitely a mystery. And perhaps a complicated one. Ethan made a habit of never getting involved with anyone complicated. There was too much fun to be had in life to be weighed down by unnecessary drama. That had earned him a bit of a reputation of being a wild one, the guy that no girl could tame. A woman like Abby—someone who obviously came with baggage—would typically be the furthest thing off his radar. So he couldn't quite understand why at the moment he couldn't wait to get back upstairs and find out more about her.





CHAPTER TWO





What in the hell are you doing, Abby? She paced around the tiny living room as she waited for Ethan to return. She didn't know what had come over her. One minute she couldn't wait to get as far away from Ethan Barnes as possible, the next she was making innuendos and wondering what he would do about it.

Time to step back and evaluate things. She had gone the better part of two years without so much as going out on a date with someone. Was she really ready to jump back into that game? She certainly hadn't thought so. But that was before Calendar Hottie had looked her way and rocked the very foundation of who she was trying to become.

No, that wasn’t quite right. She knew who she was. Strong. Independent. Definitely not someone that needed a man to be fulfilled. He just happened to be a very enticing distraction. One that was potentially dangerous to the fragile sense of security she was just starting to feel again. She'd worked too hard to build that strength and security around herself to just let any old guy into her heart, only to have him shred it to pieces.

She knew she was being ridiculous. He was the first guy that came along and flirted with her, and she was already picturing herself picking up the pieces of her shattered heart.

"Get a grip, Abby," she muttered to herself. But just the thought of Ethan in her bedroom in that tight shirt had her so flushed she went to grab a bottle of water from the fridge to try to cool herself off. It was almost embarrassing. She leaned against the kitchen counter and gulped the water down, then pressed it to her warm cheek as she mulled it over.

It wasn't like she was actually going to let anything happen. She wasn't looking for anything. With anyone. A relationship was something she so didn't need to get herself in to. There she went again, jumping the gun. There wasn't even a relationship to worry about in the first place.

A quick rap on the door was followed by his voice calling her name, the deep timbre of it causing a shiver to race up her spine. She took a calming breath. Just chill out. Don't let him get to you.

"In here." Her voice came out much more controlled than she'd expected.

He walked around the corner with a drill in hand and gave her a disarming smile. "Ready to get started?"

Vowing to not let him see how easily he rattled her, she pushed off the counter and returned his smile.

"Follow me." Abby walked into the bedroom first, her eyes landing on the belongings she'd just begun to unpack, and wished she'd thought to put them away. Not that Ethan would think anything of them, but she did value her privacy and felt like she was exposing something about herself regardless.

He glanced at the picture but didn't say anything, instead getting right to work assembling the bed frame. True to his word, Ethan finished the assembly in only eight minutes, then somehow managed to get the mattress settled on it all by himself, refusing Abby's offer to help.

"Well," he said, standing up and stretching, "I think you're set."

Abby couldn't help but notice the way his t-shirt rode up on his stomach as he stretched, and her eyes were transfixed on the chiseled abs she caught a hint of. She pursed her lips and tried to fight the blush of embarrassment when she realized he was grinning at her again. She'd be caught.

"Thanks," she said brusquely, all business again and ready to have her apartment to herself again. Every minute with this guy was more unsettling than the last. "I guess I'll be seeing you around."

His eyes sharpened at her dismissal, but his smile didn't falter. "Yep. Just let me know if you need anything else. Do you have more furniture arriving soon?"

She shook her head. "This is it. I don't need much."

His curiosity was obvious in his expression, but again he didn't say anything about it. Abby felt a sudden rush of gratitude that he wasn't pushing her to reveal anything she didn't want to.

She smiled at him, sincerely this time, as she said, "Thank you. Really. You didn't have to do all this and I appreciate it."

"Not a problem. And seriously, I'm just downstairs if you need anything. One-oh-eight." He held her gaze for a moment, his expression unreadable, and for a reason she couldn't quite explain, knowing he was just a minute away put her at ease in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.

***

"So, how did things go after I left?" Braden grabbed a handful of nuts from the bowl on the bar and munched on them while eying Ethan with curiosity. "Did I miss anything good?"

They met up at the Old Gin just like they planned, but so far Abby was nowhere to be seen.

Ethan thought back to how she had joked and flirted with him, and a slow smile spread across his face. While he knew she wasn't his usual type, he hadn't been able to get her off his mind all evening. Something about her intrigued him.

"So I did miss something." Braden grinned. "Should have known not to leave you alone with her if I wanted a shot."