Chasing Shadows (First Wives #3)(42)

“Am I pushing you outside your comfort zone?”

“Yes.”

He chuckled.

“Liam.”

“No pressure,” he told her. “We have Sunday dinners almost every week. The invitation is open. This weekend, next weekend.”

She pushed off her sofa and walked into her open kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine. “Meeting your family implies . . .”

“Implies what?”

“I don’t know, but it implies something. I’m pretty sure I’m not ready for that something.”

He was laughing now. “You think about it.”

She rummaged through a drawer, looking for a wine opener.

“I will.” She should just say no.

“I have to go over some invoices and bury myself in paperwork for a couple hours.”

“Aha!” She found it.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing. Fine. Go. I have some busy work to do myself.” Like opening the bottle of wine.

“Avery?”

“Yeah?” She pulled the foil off the bottle and tossed it aside.

“I miss you already.”

Her fingers stopped playing with the bottle as she sank into his words. “I saw you yesterday.”

“That doesn’t stop me from missing you today.”

Had anyone ever told her they missed her? Other than her girlfriends? Sure, the occasional guy on rotation would offer a Miss ya, babe. Need ya, babe. But what they missed was the horizontal time. Not one of them suggested they stick around once she called it off.

She poked the wine opener into the cork. “You haven’t been gone long enough for me to miss you,” she told him.

“Uh-huh.”

“And don’t call me a liar. That’s rude.” He’d been implying she was a liar since they first met. Today she wanted to cut him off before he had a chance. Even if most of the time he’d been right about the white lies that had passed her lips.

“I didn’t say a thing.”

The cork gave way. “Good.” The wine went in the glass and she lifted it to her lips. “I’ll see you on Friday, right?”

“I’ll be there.”

She sipped the wine, welcomed the flavor on her tongue. “Good.”

“Good night, Avery.”

“Good night.”

For several seconds she looked at the dark screen on her phone. What the hell was happening in her life? She dropped her phone on the counter, grabbed the bottle by the neck, and walked over to her couch. After switching on her TV, she vowed to stay awake long enough, or drink half the bottle, so she wouldn’t toss and turn, thinking about him.





Chapter Eighteen



Avery arrived at Brenda’s studio early, determined to get some extra time on the mat. All the time off made her feel weak and rusty.

She dropped her bag by the door and started to call out to Brenda when Avery realized she was talking on the phone.

“I told you I have a client on Friday night. We have to meet after nine.”

Avery’s footsteps stopped. Even as she listened in, she scorned herself for eavesdropping.

“I think about you, too,” Brenda said.

It had to be Brenda’s mystery guy. Not only was the woman saying romantic words Avery didn’t think Brenda could piece together, but she spoke them in a softer, gentler way.

“It’s only a few hours.”

Avery turned her head and forced herself not to listen.

Was that Brenda giggling?

Did Brenda giggle?

Avery paused again.

Stop listening.

Her shoes squeaked on the mat. The sound shot through the silent room.

“I’ve got to go.”

Oh, shit. Busted.

“Hey, Brenda.” Avery recovered quickly. “I’m early.”

Brenda poked her head out of her office. “Nice of you to join me.”

“I called.”

“Yes, you did. But did you work out while you were on vacation?”

Avery didn’t think drinking champagne and eating wedding cake constituted a workout.

“That’s what I thought. Fifty burpees, twenty-five squats, and three minutes of plank.”

At Avery’s thumbs-up, Brenda turned back into her office.

“Phew.” Danger averted.

Twenty-five burpees in, Liam waltzed into the room.

Same broad shoulders, slim hips, and sexy smile. So why did he look different?

“Hello, Avery.”

Just her name from his lips made her blush. Damn, what was she, sixteen?

“Hello, Liam.”

His sexy smile grew bigger.

Brenda cleared her throat.

“Hello, Brenda,” Liam said with a laugh.

“Three minutes of plank, and then I want one hundred push-ups from you. I need your arms tired for today’s lesson.”

Liam saluted the open door.

Avery went back to her burpees, counting them down. By the time she was on her squats, Liam had finished his plank and started the push-ups.

He really should do those without the shirt. Women everywhere would applaud, and what red-blooded American man didn’t want that?

“Are you staring?” he asked without looking up.