“Did you not like the property?” He almost choked on his next words. “We can go look at some more if you want.”
He snuck a peek at her when she didn’t answer, hoping he was on the right path and her withdrawal had nothing to do with the reminder of the social media fiasco. But just in case… “I never said it, but I’m sorry about the picture.”
“You said it with the flowers. We’re good.” But her throat constricted around a tight swallow, as if trying to conquer a lump of emotion gathering there, and his gut twisted.
Women and tears… He shook his head. Totally out of his wheelhouse.
“But to answer your question, I’ve seen enough.” She inhaled a long breath and exhaled slowly. When she faced him again, her eyes were dry—thank fuck—and full of spicy challenge. “So, you don’t want to test my skills?”
“My place or yours?”
****
Carrying a bag of Chinese takeout Jo had talked him into, Avery held open the door to the foyer of her apartment building. The only thing he was interested in eating was pussy. And afterward, he’d feed her his dick.
“Let me check my mail.” She was stalling, like she had over the menu.
But for the first time that he could remember, he was playing the long game. If four weeks could be considered long. Either way, he planned to make the most of them.
As the door shut behind them, a man wearing dirty jeans and a hoodie stirred and pushed himself up to sit against the wall. She stepped right over his outstretched legs, as if it was nothing to find a junkie sleeping off his last high next to her mailbox.
Somehow though, she seemed more out of place in her pretty yellow dress and high heels than the addict.
Shoving greasy hair out of his face, the man held out a hand to Avery. “You got any money?”
“Just ignore him.” Jo slammed her mailbox and trotted up the stairs.
Avery followed, the tweaker yelling after him, “Hey, I said, ‘You got any money?’”
“Sorry,” she said as she reached the landing, “Lenny’s harmless.”
Until he’s not.
At first, Avery’d been too wrapped up in his own agenda to notice the state of her apartment building, but after hearing her and Brooke talk about the break-in Saturday morning, he’d paid closer attention. He’d hit the nail on the head when he’d told his brothers she lived in a shithole.
He slipped an arm around her as they walked down the hall. “You ever think about moving?”
“Only every day.” She stopped at her door and dug keys from her purse. “I’m on a waiting list.”
“How long is the wait?”
“I don’t know.”
Hmm, he’d work that problem later. For now, he could only concentrate on how quickly he could have her naked and doing filthy things to him with her mouth.
The door opened, and her small hand slipped into his, lacing their fingers. The touch was light, shy, almost innocent, a juxtaposition of the sultry smile she cast over her shoulder. The combination was heady and dangerous and triggered a war of indecision, along with something new, the sudden instinct to savor and protect when all he wanted to do was to wreck and ravage…to ruin.
Something crackled under her feet, and her smile faded. “Oh my god.”
He followed her gaze to the shattered mirror hanging askew. Glass. She’d stepped on glass. The table was upturned. Pink flower petals littered the entry floor.
She reached for her blue jean jacket and came away with only a sleeve. The rest lay in pieces at her feet. A small cry filled the confined space, jarring Avery into action.
“Don’t touch anything.” Wrapping an arm around her, Avery guided her back to the hall and dropped the bag of food outside the door. He fished out his keys and pressed them into her hand. “Go back to the car. Call 9-1-1 and wait for the police.”
“No.” She grabbed his arm as he moved toward the door. “You can’t go in there alone. They might still be in there.”
“I don’t think so. It’s too quiet. Go.” He gave her a push toward the stairs and reentered the apartment. Just in case he was wrong, he avoided stepping on the glass and alerting anyonestill lurking and slowly made his way to the combination living room and kitchen.
