One More Time (Ruby Falls #2) - Aurora Rose Reynolds Page 0,14

and relaxes around me, and I wouldn’t mind exploring her body with my hands and mouth. I just know I’m not in the right headspace to even think about exploring things with her, and after listening to her talk about her ex-husband, I don’t think she is either. Or maybe that’s the thing holding me back—I don’t want to come on to her and have her reject me because she’s still fucked up over her ex.

“Keep telling yourself that.” His comment pulls me from my thoughts, and I look up to find a smirk on his face. “When can Gia and I meet her?”

At his question, a plan starts to form in my mind. “What are you guys doing Saturday afternoon?”

“Nothing.”

“All Aria’s shit just got delivered today and is still in boxes, and I told her I’d help her unpack this weekend.”

“Let me get this straight. You offered the woman you’re working for to help her unpack boxes on your day off… and you don’t like her?”

“Never mind. Forget I said anything.” I sigh.

He grins, crossing his arms over his chest. “Gia and I will be there.”

“Now I’m thinking I don’t want you two to come.”

“Oh, we’re coming.” He smiles.

Fuck me, why did I say anything? “This isn’t an invitation for you or Gia to ask her a hundred and one questions.”

“You know I have zero control over what my wife does or says, so I’m not gonna make any promises, but I can tell you I’ll be cool.”

Knowing Gia, I have no doubt she’ll be cool too, but I also know she tends to protect the people she cares about, so I don’t know what might happen. I still need to find a way to smooth things over with Aria before Saturday, and I’m not sure how that will go.

“I’ll talk to Gia tonight when I get home,” he says as my cell starts to ring.

When I flip it over, I see Anna is calling. I don’t want to answer, but knowing Olivia is with her, I pick it up and put it to my ear. Two minutes later, I regret that I did as I listen to Anna tell me what a shit dad and man I am, before I end up hanging up on her, finishing my beer, then going home alone.

________________

With what I hope is a peace offering in hand, I press my elbow into the doorbell, then stand back and wait, listening to the sound of feet hitting the wood floors. When the door is pulled open, I bite back a groan. Not many women look good minutes after they are woken up, but Aria—with her face still soft with sleep, her hair a wild mass around her face and shoulders, and her outfit of a thin tank, short shorts, and a thin cotton robe—is a sight I wouldn’t mind waking up to every morning for the rest of my life.

“Tide.” She blinks, looking adorably confused. “What are you doing here?”

“I fucked up.” I push a cup of coffee out toward her, and she takes hold of it and steps back as I step into the house.

“You…” She glances around, looking adorably confused, then meets my gaze once more. “What?”

“Last night, I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did when you asked me to leave.” I walk around the couch still in the middle of the kitchen and set the paper bag I’m holding on the counter.

“You shouldn’t have?”

I turn to look at her, catching her as she tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear, looking surprised by my admission.

“I shouldn’t have,” I repeat as I begin to unpack the bagels and cream cheese from the bag.

“Are those from Leo’s?” she asks as I feel her take a step closer to me.

“They are. Do you have a toaster?” I feel her breast press against my bicep, and the scent of lavender fills my nostrils as she reaches past me to set her cup on the counter. The innocent contact shouldn’t affect me, but my cock jerks, and I fight myself from wrapping my arm around her waist and turning her in my arms to press my mouth against hers.

“I do.” She moves away, oblivious to my thoughts, and I turn to find her behind me, tearing off the tape from one of the boxes. “It’s in one of these boxes… or it should be,” she says as she pulls it open and looks inside, dragging out what looks like a ball of Halloween