Frisk Me(49)

And if this thing between them went south…

Ava took a quick step back, then another. Luc gave her a small smile that said he knew exactly what she was up to, but he didn’t fight her on it.

He pulled his hands out of his pockets and gestured toward the door as though the heat of the previous moment had never happened. “Come on, Sims. Let’s get you home.”

“I am home.”

“You’ve met Nonna. What do you think she’ll do to me when she finds out I didn’t walk a lady to her door?”

“All right, Moretti. But let it be known that I will be calling you old-fashioned at some point in my story.”

“Bring it on. The kind of girls I like love old-fashioned.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask what kind of girls he liked, but instead, she rolled her eyes and headed toward the front door of her building.

She looked at him expectantly when he reached out to hold the door for her, and he shook his head. “No way, Sims. All the way to your door.”

“Said the stalker,” she muttered.

“Said the cop,” he corrected.

“Fine,” she said, oddly charmed by his old-school ways. It had been a long time since anyone had walked her to a door. “But the elevator only works about half the time, so stairs it is.”

Stepping into the stairwell, Ava had already reached into her purse and was pulling out her flip-flops before she remembered that she wasn’t alone.

She halted in the process of pulling off her stiletto heel and gave a curious Luc a sheepish smile. “Sorry, habit.”

He waved a hand. “Don’t change routine on my account.”

Since it was too late to reverse the process without looking like an idiot, Ava quickly slipped her feet into her flip-flops before scooping up her stilettos and carrying them by their heels in one hand.

She eyed him testily. “What, no lecture on how we women shouldn’t wear uncomfortable shoes if they make us miserable?”

He held up his hands. “I said nothing of the kind. I’m not going to stand here and tell you that I don’t think the four-inch heels are dead sexy.”

Ava huffed and headed up the stairs. “Then you wear them up three flights of stairs!”

“A well-fed Sims is an ornery Sims,” she heard him mutter, as he followed her up the stairs and down the hallway to her third-floor apartment.

Ava dug her keys out of her bag and turned to face him. If this were a date—a real date—this would be the moment of truth.

The kiss-or-no-kiss moment, which if ended in the kiss option would have turned into the nightcap or no nightcap, which would turn into sex or no sex…

Not a date, Ava. He’s just a job.

“Thanks again, for dinner,” she said, giving him a bland smile. “You really didn’t have to pay, but I appreciate it.”

He nodded, but didn’t respond.

Huh. Charming Luc was apparently gone. She didn’t know if she was disappointed or relieved.

“Well, good night, Officer. It’s been nice talking to you when you’re not carrying a gun around your belt.”

His smile tipped up a little at that. “Good night, Sims.”

Always Sims.

She’d never really noticed before, but the man hadn’t used her first name. Not once.

Strange.

Maybe she wasn’t the only one with boundaries. Maybe he was protecting himself too.

Ava clenched her fingers around the sharp edges of her key to keep her from throwing herself at this generous, kind man who would be so easy to care for.

Instead she turned and slid the key into the lock, giving him one last half smile before slipping into the safety of her apartment.

And damn her hormones, because she closed the door as slowly as possible, giving him the chance to make a move.

He didn’t.

When the door finally shut between them, Ava told herself she was relieved. Glad, even, that a night that had had distinct moments of sexy had ended so harmlessly platonic.

It was a good thing. Really.

Her lady parts, on the other hand, were screaming moron.

Dropping her heels by the door, Ava went to the table and set down her keys and purse before making the cooing noise she always used to summon her cat.

As far as cuddly, supportive pets went, Honky Tonk was a dud.

She’d rescued him a couple of years ago thinking he’d be great company, but mostly he did his own thing.

The only time he really let her pet him was when she got sushi.

Smart cat.

Ungrateful. But smart.

“Here Honky Tonky Tonky,” she said in her cat-call voice.

An orange head peeked out from under the couch, gave her a sleepy blink before promptly disappearing again.

“Okay then,” she muttered. “Good talk.”

Ava put her hands on the small of her back, stretching and debating whether a long, hot shower would help ease her restlessness, or make it worse.

Then the image of Luc in the shower with her, pinning her to the wall as his hands skimmed over her wet, soapy body, his mouth…

Damn it. So that was a no on the shower then.

Ava made it only two steps toward the fridge for a much needed glass of water when she heard the knock.

Luc.

It had to be him. The only people who ever knocked on her door were the sushi delivery guys that she saw way more than she probably should.