Following Her (Unexpected Heroes #2.5)(12)

“Why don’t you both take him for a spin? Then at least he won’t be bothering me,” Ella said as she gave up on her makeup, deciding she already looked like a circus clown. She’d have to wash it all off and start the entire process over again.

“Come on! Just give it up. You wouldn’t mind taking him out for a test drive, would you?”

“Maycie, you’re a terrible human being,” Ella said, but they knew she didn’t mean it.

“Yes, and very proud of it.”

“Just admit the truth, and it all stops,” Reese said, following Ella to her bedroom.

“Okay, I think he’s attractive. I also think he’s arrogant, dim-witted, and a pain in the ass,” Ella told them, ripping off her pajamas and throwing on the now offensive blue shirt.

“Liar,” Maycie said.

“I told you what I thought. Now can we drop the interrogation?”

“You know us better than that,” Reese reminded her.

“Yes, sadly I do,” she said with a sigh, giving up as she plopped down on the bed. “It’s just that my last relationship didn’t go well, as you both know, and this guy is . . . I don’t know . . . dangerous. Not like I’m afraid of him, but he bends the rules, skates in and out of the lines. If I ever decide to date again, I need a nice, normal, nine-to-five kind of guy.”


“Bor-ing!” Maycie retorted as she flopped back on the bed. “A guy like that certainly isn’t going to burn up the bedsheets.”

“I don’t need my sheets burned. I like them nice and cool,” Ella said sternly.

“What happened to you? One bad relationship and you’re going all nunish on us. I think you need an intervention. A good start would be to heat up your nights with Mr. Hottie out there, who is currently undressing you with his eyes through the window.”

Ella’s head whipped around and she was more than grateful to see that wasn’t true, but ticked that she’d fallen for it and actually looked.

“Shh! I don’t need him to hear this and get any ideas,” Ella warned.

“Maybe that’s exactly what you need,” Reese said as she raided the closet looking for new clothes to borrow.

“Both of you need to get a life if you have nothing better to do than to come down here and worry about my love life,” Ella told them.

“Or lack thereof,” Maycie said.

“Argh. I’m going shopping. Are you coming with me or not?” Ella stood up and stepped back, sending both girls a stern look.

Maycie turned to Reese with a big smile. “I don’t know, Reese. Do you think we should go, or do you think we should blow up a pool and lounge around the house in bikinis all day?”

“I like the bikini idea,” Reese quickly replied.

“It’s barely forty degrees. Really?” Ella said with a glare, knowing they were trying to get a reaction out of her, but unable to stop herself from giving it to them.

“All right, we’ll be good, but seriously, if you don’t make a move on him soon, I’ll resort to drastic measures,” Reese said as she came out of the closet wearing Ella’s newest sweater.

“Fine, agreed.” Ella would say anything at this point to make the interrogation stop and to get away from the house. Knowing that Axel was lurking around her home was making her jittery. She was afraid she’d take her friends’ advice and jump the man if she didn’t get away.

Part of her wondered if that’d be such a bad thing—and then the more logical part of her kicked that other part square in the ass. The girls left her for a moment to gather her courage and then, taking a look in the mirror, she decided her makeup was fine after all.

Maybe if she did look slightly like a clown, Axel would quit hitting on her. Because if everyone kept pushing her to look at this man like a potential mate, she was going to have a hell of a time fighting herself.

He was cocky and rude, and invading her space. She didn’t want to be with any man, let alone a man like him. She would do well to remember that, to keep repeating it over and over again in her head.

When she finally went downstairs, she heard Reese giggling in the entryway. Normally the sound put a smile on her face. This time it made her teeth clench. Her laughter at that pitch meant only one thing.

Turning the corner, Ella’s eyes connected with Axel’s searing gaze, and no matter how much she told herself to turn away, she was powerless to do so.

“Looking good, Ella,” he said in a low growl that had her insides twisting.

His work clothes looked damn fine on him, but she’d cut out her tongue before saying so. The jeans were worn and dirty, the jacket showcased his arms and shoulders, and the slight smudge of dirt on his cheek tempted her to come closer and wipe it off. Add to that the day or two’s growth of stubble on his solid jawline and she found herself wanting to float over to him and see how those firm lips tasted.

Shaking her head, she finally managed to break eye contact, and then almost regretted it when she turned and saw the knowing looks on her best friends’ faces.

“Let’s go,” she said, not at all happy with how weak her voice sounded.

“I’m not in a hurry if you aren’t,” Maycie suggested, making Ella want to roar.

“I have things to do.” With that, Ella brushed past them all and thought she was making a safe exit until she felt Axel at her back.