“I did a good job hiding all my drug paraphernalia.” I snicker as she throws me a dirtylook.
She stands still in the entryway, waiting for me to close thedoor.
I close the doorandlock it.Safety first,Aubrey.
I take a step away from the door and realize how close I'm standing to her. She looks up at me, blue eyes piercing mine, splitting my chest in two. Her pink lips part, and they look so supple, so inviting. If I kissed her now, what would happen? Every cell in my body hurtles through me, alive, on fire, all because Aubrey looked at me and parted herlips.
She gulps and takes a step back. A big stepback.
“Show me the rest of the place?” Her voice isn't soft anymore. More like someone making a request of theirrealtor.
“Yeah, sure.” I turn away from her, the fireball cells in my body cooling like comets that finally realized they’re just stars burningout.
I take her through the rest of the place. Kitchen, living room, office, extra bedrooms, two bathrooms. When we get to my bedroom, she looks everywhere but at thebed.
“It's not the same bed.” I'm teasing her, and I feel a twinge of guilt. She's so serious,though.
“I know,” she says hotly. She turns and leaves my room, but not before I catch the pink in hercheeks.
When I catch up to her, she's in the living room, looking at a large picture of a woman's chest dusted in silvery black glitter.Art,Jenna had called it when she’d proudly put it on the shelf. She'd called it edgy. I thought it was racy, but what did Icare?
Aubrey's eyebrows lift. “Nice picture. I'm sure Claire will want to know why that woman has glitter on one of her privateparts.”
I look away from theart.“It’s notmine.”
Aubrey looks at me disbelievingly. “It's on a shelf. In yourhome.”
“Jenna.” Iexplain.
Aubrey nods. The tension in the air is thick,awkward.
“You don't like it?” I can’t help the smile I feel spreading across myface.
“It's not that.” Aubrey says quickly. “It's just…" She stops, looksaround.
I look with her. I know what's there, but I want to see what she sees. Everything is black, white, and shades of gray. Lot's of glass. Silver vases so shiny they could bemirrors.
“It's very adult,” shefinishes.
I watch her lips twist. “You mean not kid-friendly.” My heart sinks to somewhere between my knees. I want Aubrey to like what shesees.
“It's not that, not really. It would have been way less kid-friendly a few years ago.” She reaches out, touches the tip of her finger to the corner of my media table. “Ninety degree angles? Not so kind to a toddling child's head. Or face.” She closes her eyes and looks away, and I want to know what she's remembering. Is it a time when Claire got hurt? OrAubrey?
“Are you saying I'm not a predator, then?” I can't help the indignation in my voice right now. I get where Aubrey is coming from, but itfeelsoffensive. I want nothing more than to be a daddy to a little girl who needs one. End ofstory.
Aubrey sighs. “I'm sorry.” She fingers the little goldCon the delicate chain around her neck. Her head jerks up suddenly. Her eyes are fiery. “Actually, I'm not sorry. Until now it has been me and Claire against the world. What kind of protector would I be if I dumped her into the hands of a man neither of us knows verywell?”
“A gullible one, I suppose.” I don't like admitting it, but she has a point. I also don't like admitting how impressed I am with her tenacity, especially since I'm the one coming up againstit.
We stand, staring at one another, until the air is electric and I feel the charge running over my skin, sizzling andcrackling.
“You should probably know that Jenna and I broke things off.” My voice is rough. I drag my hand across the back of my neck and over mythroat.
Aubrey pivots suddenly, hurrying to the front door. I stay rooted in place, watchingher.
“We’ll see you at the zoo this Saturday. I'm a member, so we can get in early. Meet us at nine?” Her lips part as she waits for myresponse.
I stare. Did she hear what Isaid?
