Meant To Be (The Callahans #4) - Monica Murphy Page 0,46

in this giant house. She’s got this particular gleam in her eyes, like maybe she wants to jump me or something.

This is a good sign. A positive sign.

“Are you sure your family isn’t coming back here before they head down to the stadium?” I ask, keeping my distance. I don’t want to start something we can’t finish, especially if we could potentially be interrupted by her parents.

Talk about a nightmare.

“I’m sure. Mom went over what they needed to bring with them about fifty times before they finally left the house,” Ava says with a firm nod.

“And what time are we supposed to meet up with them again?”

“Game starts at 7:30, so we should be down there at least two hours before it begins so we can go to the tailgate party and eat.” She grins. “Beer butt chicken, remember?”

“How could I forget?” I don’t really care about chicken cooked with a beer can in its butt. All I can think about is me. And Ava. Alone in this house.

When I arrived here, it was around one. We have a shit ton of time before we have to leave.

Like…a shit ton.

“Are you sure they’re cool with me coming to the game?” I ask. “You’re not—hiding me again here, are you?” I have to make sure. I don’t know why it bothers me so much, but I’m tired of feeling like her secret. I want her to admit to the world that we’re together.

I need her support now more than ever.

“My family wants you there,” she says easily, her expression never faltering. That reassures me. Kind of. “I want you there. You wanted me to prove to you that I want you in my life? Well, here I am. Inviting you to my house. Inviting you to spend time with my entire family at a football game. If that doesn’t prove to you how I feel, then I don’t know what else will.”

We stare at each other for a few tense filled seconds. Not a bad tension, though. More like…sexual tension. Like, my hands are itching to touch her. Explore that sliver of skin exposed by her cropped T-shirt. And she’s eyeing me like she wants exactly the same thing.

I go to her bed and sit on the edge of it, spreading my legs a little. “Come here,” I tell her with a flick of my head.

She comes to me with slow steps, like she’s trying to drag this moment out. Which is fine by me, because I want to savor this too. When she stops in front of me, right in between my legs, I reach for her, settling my hands on her hips, my fingertips grazing the bare skin above her jeans. She watches me with eyes full of hesitancy, and I blink up at her, momentarily confused.

“You okay?” I ask.

She nods.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She shakes her head. Then holds up her hand. “I’m shaking.”

Ava’s right. Her fingers, her entire hand is gently quaking. I grab hold of it and give it a squeeze, trying to calm her down. “Why?”

“Just nervous, I guess.” She shrugs.

“Princess.” I tug on her hand and we both fall onto the bed, rearranging ourselves so we’re facing each other, our heads on the pile of pillows. Damn, these things are soft. “You have no reason to be nervous. We’ve done this before, remember? A few times. I have intimate knowledge of your O face.”

And it’s burned in my memories forever.

“You would say that,” she says with a laugh, her cheeks turning the faintest pink. I love it when she blushes. I love it when she does just about anything.

“What are you nervous about?”

“Losing you again.” She touches my cheek, her fingers featherlight as they skim over my skin. “Messing up and making you hate me.”

“I could never hate you.”

“I thought you hated me last week, when you walked away from me.” Her lower lip trembles and her eyes get watery.

“Ah, shit. Don’t cry.” I pull her into me, my hand cupping the back of her head as she buries her face against my chest. “This is supposed to be a hot moment, not a sad moment.”

She laughs again, though it also sounds like she’s crying. “A hot moment?”

“I planned on getting you naked,” I whisper into her hair.

“Really?” Ava tilts her head back so our gazes lock, her eyes a little red. “I didn’t think you’d want to.”

“Please.” I always want to get naked with Ava. “I didn’t think you’d want to.” Now it’s my turn