Page 18 of The Charming Checklist
You want spontaneous? I’ll show you spontaneous, baby.
He moved closer to her and wrapped his palm around the nape of her neck, meeting her gaze. She blinked in surprise, but her eyes never wavered from his own and in them he saw the softness of a clear invitation. Even so, he moved slowly, pulling her close, hip to hip, waiting for her to tell him to stop this foolery. Giving her plenty of time. But she didn’t say a damn word. He waited for her to flinch. To move his hand from the curve of her ass.
Instead she lowered her gaze to his lips.
Because, of course, this was Ava before him. Open for fun, and impulsive kisses. Casual. That person wasn’t him, not anymore, but now at least for this moment, it could be. Oh, hell yeah.
He met her lips, warm and sweet. She tasted like a fine liqueur, exactly how he’d imagined she would. One kiss and he stopped and met her gaze. In those shimmering eyes, he saw surprise mixed with desire, and it lit him on fire. He kissed her again, harder this time, and she opened for him, thrusting her warm tongue into his mouth. Her fingers were threading through his hair, and he didn’t know what she was doing to him, but he went from zero to a hundred in a single moment. This worked for him.
It worked a little too well because he had to remind himself that thiswasn’tthe plan.
With heat pulsating through him, and breaths a little uneven, he managed to pull away and make his point. “How’sthat for spontaneous?”
“Yeah,” she breathed. “That was so good I didn’t even see it coming.”
Me, either.
And that made more than heat throb through him. This time traces of an emotion he’d learned to manage well hit him hard and fast. Fear, raw and real. Adrenaline pumping at Mach 2 levels. His heart told him there was something here with Ava worth exploring. But his brain told him otherwise, and whenever those two were in disagreement, his brain won every single time. That process had gotten him out of the picking fields of Watsonville and to the man he was today.
Ava was a young twenty-eight to his thirty-four, and flighty. Her enthusiasm was over-the-top at times. She reminded him of a thousand-watt bulb in a reading lamp. Too much. He couldn’t imagine living with her day in and day out. Okay, so maybe he was a bit of a grump. She was right about that.
“It’s good that we did this.” Max cleared his throat. “If I’m supposed to be your boyfriend at your birthday dinner, we should at least be comfortable with each other.”
She cast her eyes down and wouldn’t look at him. “Good point.”
He stepped back. “Now you know I can be spontaneous. Next time find me someone with a little personality.”
“Next time?”
“You’re going to give up that easily? Or do you really want to force me back to those ridiculous services?”
“No, I wouldn’t want that.” She chewed on her lower lip. “It’s just that...”
“Yeah?”
He half hoped she’d tell him to give up, that she wanted him for herself.
Face it, genius. You wouldn’t turn her down even if you’re not on the same page. Not even the same book.
They could only be together if this was Ava’s idea. If she could meet him halfway. Because if she didn’t want him to find someone else, she might be forced to explore why. Whether that was good or bad for him, the sooner he knew, the sooner he could get Ava off his mind and move on.
Especially after that kiss.
“I just...don’t know what you want, other than personality, and a good résumé.”
“What if I make you a list?”
She crossed her arms. “A list?”
“A list of what I’m looking for in a woman.”
“I’m beginning to regret that kiss. If you have double Ds on your list, I’m going to light it on fire.”
“Ha. That’s how little you know me.” He tipped back on his heels. “I’m an ass and legs man.”
She went palms up. “Give me your stupid list and if I’m still talking to you after I read it, I’ll see what I can do.”
The next night was Ava’s birthday dinner. It took a special alignment of the stars and planets to get four doctors together on one night, so it wasn’t as if Ava could back out. Their schedules had been firmed up a year in advance. Since approximately her last birthday dinner. To cancel now would cause absolute chaos in her family. It was simply out of the question. Even Max would be upset, as he’d also set the night aside and lord knew howheloved his plans.
