Page 24 of Whatever You Want

Nodding my head, I gripped the end of the box and trudged up the stairs. When I opened the door, it squeaked a little bit, and I made a mental note to fix it before I left.

“You can just set that box next to the closet,” Ava said from behind me.

“You got it.” I followed her instructions and moved backward to make room for her as she carried a set of curtain rods over to the window. “This is a nice place you have, Ava.”

“Thank you.” She gave me a smile, one that reached her eyes. “It may be more house than I need, but I’m excited about having the extra space. The townhouse that Drew and I lived in was fine, but it was small. Plus, this neighborhood is a lot more kid-friendly.”

“Not to mention the kick-ass pool in the backyard.”

“It definitely sealed the deal.”

“So, when’s the pool party?”

I tried not to look at her as she made her way up the stepladder in those tiny shorts. I knew thinking about her like that was wrong, but my eyes, no matter how hard I tried to pull them away, seemed to have a mind of their own.

“As soon as I get the house in order.”

“Am I going to get an invite?”

“It depends on how fast you can assemble that nightstand.”

I looked at the box and frowned. “If it’s like every other piece of Ikea furniture, it should take me a few days.”

She placed a hand on her hip. “I have faith in your abilities, so let’s see what you got, Detective.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You know, you really shouldn’t say that to a man.”

She shook her head. “And you really shouldn’t turn everything into a sexual innuendo.”

“I can’t help it. I need to think of something to help pass the time. This project is going to take me forever.”

She let out a carefree laugh. “Are you complaining about spending time with me?”

“Never.” The word slipped out without thinking. Before I had a chance to make light of my comment, there was a light tap on the door.

Charlotte poked her head inside, and I’d never been so thankful for an interruption. “Hey, Amelia and I just finished putting Madison’s bed together. As soon as Quinn is done helping Marco with mounting the TV brackets, we are heading out.”

“Oh, that’s right, Emery has her big lacrosse game today.”

“Yeah, she does, otherwise we would stay longer and help get you settled in.”

“I’m just thankful for all your help. As soon as I get this house all squared away, I’m having everyone over for a pool party.” She looked over, giving me a smug smile. "Well, Logan is a maybe. He hasn’t quite made the list yet."

Charlotte regarded us with interest. “I look forward to it.” Her gaze shifted to mine. “Bye, Logan. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you make the list."

“Thanks, Charlotte. Good luck with the game,” I called out as she walked out of the room.

Ava and I spent the next hour getting her bedroom all set up. I tried not to look down her shirt every time she bent over or make a big deal and tease her when I caught her checking me out. She needed my help as a friend, and I felt like a selfish bastard for even feeling the things I was feeling. If she knew how deep my desire for her ran, she would have second thoughts about being in this bedroom with me.

“I’m going downstairs to get a few things out of my truck,” I announced once I was finished with the nightstand. I was eager to get away from her before I did or said something stupid.

“Okay.” She leaned forward to grab the screwdriver off the mattress. “But don’t forget about the other nightstand,” she said, pointing to the box in the corner.

I cursed under my breath, causing her to laugh out loud.

“I don’t understand why you need two stands for one person.”

“Because it helps create symmetry.”

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