“Trust me, I know.”
She sets her jaw. I can almost see the sappy scenes from The Notebook playing before her eyes. She wants a happy ending so desperately, it’s ridiculous. “That’s not what Josh said.”
“What did he say?” I ask warily.
“I think you should hear it from Kellan. I’m sorry, Ava, but I have to do this. I promise I’ll be back soon.”
She hugs me tight and quickly lets go, dragging her suitcase behind her as she leaves. I dash for my room to grab a clean shirt before I sprint after her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Through the window in the hallway, I watch Mandy get into Josh’s pickup truck and leave. I could head after her, beg, force her into staying, and yet I’m doing none of those things.
As soon as she’s gone, I return to the kitchen.
“You knew she was planning on leaving, didn’t you?”
“She talked to me yesterday. You never gave her a chance to tell you.” Kellan’s leaning against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed over his chest. “Why did you leave last night?”
“I was tired.”
“Really?” He raises his eyebrows, amused. “So you say. However, I got a different impression. You feel a strong need to run from me.”
“Who’s running? I’m not.” I jut my chin out and regard him through narrowed eyes. “I could have asked Mandy to take me with her, you know?”
“But you didn’t.”
“No, I didn’t. I chose to stay.” I grimace, doubting the sanity of my decision.
A smile lights up his face. “I wonder why?”
Yeah, why indeed?
My traitorous stomach growls.
“Someone’s hungry,” Kellan says. “Come on, I’ll make you a real breakfast, even though I shouldn’t because I liked you better with only your bra on.” He points at my clean shirt.
“I can make my own breakfast.” I turn my back to him, suddenly nervous as realization dawns on me.
We are alone. In his house.
“Let me. I’m the host.” Before I can protest, Kellan’s standing next to me, arms on either side of me as he begins to fumble around for stuff, his hard body brushing against me at every opportunity.
Oh, for crying out loud!
It’s his kitchen. Unless he’s just suffered from a major case of amnesia, there’s no way he doesn’t know where he’s placed all the stuff he apparently needs.
Mandy’s barely been gone a few minutes, and I’m already caught between a kitchen counter and this statue of a man, his breath on my neck.
“You know what, I think I’ll just grab some cookies on my way out,” I say.
“What kind?”
Kellan laughs, the sound low and so erotic, it travels all the way down and settles between my legs.
Turning around, I press my hands against his hard abs and push, but he doesn’t budge from the spot.
Now I’m really stuck.
“What do you want?” I whisper, my voice too low, too hoarse for my liking.
“You. All to myself.” He doesn’t even need to think. His words come out fast and casual, and completely take me off guard.
I peer all the way up into his green gaze, lost for words.
“You want me. I want you. We’re both consenting adults. We’re all alone on a big farm. What’s the harm?” Kellan continues.
Yes, what’s the harm indeed?
He’s so gorgeous it takes my breath away.
The kind you fuck, and then discard.
I’m a successful, mature woman who can handle a bit of sex without getting her feelings involved.
“Let me guess, no strings attached?” I can’t believe I’m even considering this when I should be smacking him.
“No strings attached.” His eyes bore into me. His gaze is so penetrating, I can almost feel him inside my core, and he isn’t even touching me. “That’s all I’ll ever be able to give you.”
“I don’t even know you,” I say stupidly, like people only sleep with people after having read their résumé. “I shouldn’t be staying here alone with you.”
“You knew me well enough to let me go down on you,” Kellan remarks.
My jaw drops.
“The way I see it, you don’t need to know me to fuck me,” Kellan says. “So, what do you say? You get the vacation you wanted, and I get to teach you all about sex. Good sex.”
I have no doubt about that. Like my mother once said, guys like him are the building blocks of the fond memories that keep us all wet and writhing through years of doomed marriages and monotony.
I sigh.
If I’m to enter something I’ve never experienced before, I need to do it on my own terms.
“Tell me something about you,” I say.
“What do you want to know, Ava?”
“Are you dating anyone?”
“I told you I’m single. I’m a lot of things, but not a cheater,” Kellan says.
I stare at him as I try to read his features. His expression is honest. Suddenly, the million obstacles in my head seem to evaporate. “Good. Because I don’t condone cheating.”