Page 82 of Beautiful Distraction

It’s like I’m a walking pill of female Viagra.

“What about you, Ava?” Kellan asks softly.

The way he says my name, I swear the temperature has justrisen a few degrees.

“I’ll take whatever you have.”

Our gazes remain locked.

He moistens his lower lip.

I can see the wet trail on it and wish we were alone so Icould run my tongue over it and taste him the way I’ve wanted ever sincemeeting him.

His thoughts mirror mine. I can see it from the way his gazebrushes my bra and lingers there—way too long. He’s not even subtle aboutit.

Under different circumstances, he’d probably say somethingway too inappropriate, but he won’t with Mandy present. I’m not sure whether tobe grateful to her or annoyed to the point of kicking her ass out of thekitchen.

“What happened last night? You two disappeared outside, andwhen you came back, you couldn’t get away fast enough,” Mandy says, drawing myattention back to her.

I could kill her for being so direct.

Instead of following my murderous urges, I sit down at thetable and try to focus on someone other than Kellan for a change. “Nothinghappened. I was tired.”

Kellan shoots me a strange look. I grimace at him, lest heopen that arrogant mouth of his and say all the wrong things, and take a sip ofmy coffee.

“I think it was all a bit too much for Ava,” Kellan says.“She didn’t expect everything to be so intense.”

I almost choke on my coffee. In an attempt to hide it, Ihold my breath to stifle the scratching sensation in my throat until my eyesbegin to water.

I can’t believe the audacity.

“You don’t have to talk about me in the third person,Kellan,” I say. “I’m right here.”

Of course, he’d think his tongue is God’s gift to the femaleclitoris.

“So, what did you do out there?” Mandy asks, her usualprying self.

I peer at Kellan, who’s looking at me, brows still raised inamusement.

Dammit!

He’s letting me do all the hard work.

“Talking,” I say.

Kellan lets out a most irritating snort, and I shoot him amurderous look.

Now Mandy will never believe me.

“Hmm. I bet,” she says and stares right at me.

I shrug and remain silent as Kellan fills our cups.

“Anyway, guys, I have an announcement to make,” Mandy saysand takes a sip of her coffee. “I’m leaving today.”

I stare at her. “What are youtalking about?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to youlast night, but you wouldn’t open the door. I wanted to tell you that Josh, hiscousin—” She points to Kellan. “—is taking a trip to Helena. I wantto go with him.”

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