answered. “Yes.” That was all she needed to know. There was no reason to tell her that Barrett and I had met at preschool, and that we’d done everything together, even join the SEALs together. He was one of the few people who truly understood me, and I was grateful to have him in my life.
However, that didn’t mean I wanted him trying to hit on Ava.
We made it to the steakhouse without incident, but the waitress lingered a little too long while taking our order, which made Ava giggle.
“Do you get hit on a lot?” she asked. “Tell the truth.”
I tipped my beer up, glad to have a second to compose an answer. “I feel like this is a trick question.”
The waitress placed our cheese fries in front of us. Ava immediately grabbed one. “Mmm, now that is good.” She grinned. “It's not a trick question. Because I'm fine with the answer no matter what it is.”
“Is it a trick, because I feel like you've already heard from my sister.”
She tilted her head to the side and took another bite of a fry. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Even watching her eat french fries turned me on.
I was glad she could appreciate regular food.
“I did, in fact, hear from your sister.”
I groaned and took another sip of my beer. “Do I want to know what she said?”
“It was all good. I promise.”
I didn't doubt that it was good. My sister loved me. She was just far more free with information then I was. She also had a lot of opinions that she frequently voiced. “She thinks everyone wants to date me.”
Ava threw her head back and laughed. She grabbed her napkin and covered her mouth with it as she kept on giggling. “I think she’s right. Our waitress definitely wants to date you.”
I shook my head. What was it with women thinking everyone wanted me?
At last, Ava stopped snickering. She folded her napkin and put it back in her lap. “Tyler. Come on.”
“What?”
She took a sip of wine and licked her lips. She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Don’t be silly.”
I knew I could be obtuse, but it dawned on me that she was flirting with me, even as we talked about other women. I smiled. “No one has ever called me silly.”
“Well I’m not going to call you crazy. But you have to be aware that you’re a very eligible bachelor.”
So I’d been told by my mother and my sister, when they’d both been trying to set me up on dates when I moved back. Of course, none of them knew I was plagued by nightmares, and I planned for it to stay that way.
But Ava already lived in my house. And we’d already slept together, and I hoped we’d do it again. She wasn’t pressing for more than I could give her, so I might as well flirt back. “What makes me an eligible bachelor?”
She lowered her eyes and looked up at me under her eyelashes “Oh, you want a list?”
“Yes. I’d definitely like a list.”
“First of all, you’re the sheriff. That’s a stable job, and people know you want to help the community. You were a Navy SEAL, and women will respect that you served your country. And you’re handsome. You’re tall, and you keep yourself in good shape. And you have an awesome house and a very good dog.”
I felt my chest warm a little as I heard her compliment me. I didn’t know what to say. I hadn't expected such a thoughtful response. “It’s true that I have a very good dog.” I took a fry and bit into it, savoring the salty flavor. “I notice that you didn’t say I was outgoing.”
She grinned again. “You’re not.”
Her grin was infectious, and I felt myself reacting to it. “You think I’m handsome?”
“I do. You’re very handsome.”
Under the table, her leg brushed over mine. My cock went from hard to granite. I needed to fuck her again. The waitress brought our food and she frowned at both of us, which set Ava off again laughing.
She pointed her fork at me. “See, I told you so.”
We ate our salad and our steaks, and before I knew it, two hours had passed. Now it felt like a date. On our way out of the restaurant, I had the impulse to wrap my arm around her, but I resisted. There was no point in blurring the lines.
As I opened the front door of the farmhouse for her,